6 U.S.C. § 351 — Employee engagement

Page 205 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 351 shall be responsible for policy formulation re- garding matters relating to economic security and trade, as such matters relate to the mis- sion and the operations of the Department. (3) Additional responsibilities In addition to the duties specified in para- graph (2), the Assistant Secretary established under paragraph (1), at the direction of the Secretary, may— (A) oversee— (i) coordination of supply chain policy; and (ii) assessments and reports to Congress related to critical economic security do- mains; (B) coordinate with stakeholders in other Federal departments and agencies and non- governmental entities with trade and eco- nomic security interests, authorities, and responsibilities; and (C) perform such additional duties as the Secretary or the Under Secretary of Strat- egy, Policy, and Plans may prescribe. (4) Definitions In this subsection: (A) Critical economic security domain The term ‘‘critical economic security do- main’’ means any infrastructure, industry, technology, or intellectual property (or com- bination thereof) that is essential for the economic security of the United States. (B) Economic security The term ‘‘economic security’’ has the meaning given such term in section 474(c)(2) of this title. (h) Limitation Nothing in this section overrides or otherwise affects the requirements specified in section 468 of this title. (Pub. L. 107–296, title VII, § 709, as added Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XIX, § 1902(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2670; amended Pub. L. 117–263, div. G, title LXXI, § 7116(b), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3637.) Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2022—Subsecs. (g), (h). Pub. L. 117–263 added subsec. (g) and redesignated former subsec. (g) as (h). Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries RULE OF CONSTRUCTION Pub. L. 117–263, div. G, title LXXI, § 7116(c), Dec. 23, 2022, 136 Stat. 3638, provided that: ‘‘Nothing in this sec- tion [amending this section and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 451 of this title] or the amendments made by this section may be construed to affect or diminish the authority otherwise granted to any other officer of the Department of Homeland Secu- rity.’’ § 350. Workforce health and medical support (a) In general The Under Secretary for Management shall be responsible for workforce-focused health and medical activities of the Department. The Under Secretary for Management may further delegate responsibility for those activities, as appro- priate. (b) Responsibilities The Under Secretary for Management, in co- ordination with the Chief Medical Officer, shall— (1) provide oversight and coordinate the medical and health activities of the Depart- ment for the human and animal personnel of the Department; (2) establish medical, health, veterinary, and occupational health exposure policy, guidance, strategies, and initiatives for the human and animal personnel of the Department; (3) as deemed appropriate by the Under Sec- retary, provide medical liaisons to the compo- nents of the Department, on a reimbursable basis, to provide subject matter expertise on occupational medical and public health issues; (4) serve as the primary representative for the Department on agreements regarding the detail of Commissioned Corps officers of the Public Health Service of the Department of Health and Human Services to the Depart- ment, except that components of the Depart- ment shall retain authority for funding, deter- mination of specific duties, and supervision of such detailed Commissioned Corps officers; and (5) perform such other duties relating to the responsibilities described in this subsection as the Secretary may require. (Pub. L. 107–296, title VII, § 710, as added Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(d), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5167.) § 351. Employee engagement (a) Steering committee Not later than 120 days after December 27, 2021, the Secretary shall establish an employee engagement steering committee, including rep- resentatives from operational components, headquarters, and field personnel, including su- pervisory and nonsupervisory personnel, and employee labor organizations that represent De- partment employees, and chaired by the Under Secretary for Management, to carry out the fol- lowing activities: (1) Identify factors that have a negative im- pact on employee engagement, morale, and communications within the Department, such as perceptions about limitations on career progression, mobility, or development oppor- tunities, collected through employee feedback platforms, including through annual employee surveys, questionnaires, and other commu- nications, as appropriate. (2) Identify, develop, and distribute initia- tives and best practices to improve employee engagement, morale, and communications within the Department, including through an- nual employee surveys, questionnaires, and other communications, as appropriate. (3) Monitor efforts of each component to ad- dress employee engagement, morale, and com- munications based on employee feedback pro- vided through annual employee surveys, ques- tionnaires, and other communications, as ap- propriate. Page 206 TITLE 6—DOMESTIC SECURITY § 352 1 So in original. Probably should be a colon. (4) Advise the Secretary on efforts to im- prove employee engagement, morale, and com- munications within specific components and across the Department. (5) Conduct regular meetings and report, not less than once per quarter, to the Under Sec- retary for Management, the head of each com- ponent, and the Secretary on Departmentwide efforts to improve employee engagement, mo- rale, and communications. (b) Action plan; reporting The Secretary, acting through the Chief Human Capital Officer, shall— (1) not later than 120 days after the date of the establishment of the employee engage- ment steering committee under subsection (a), issue a Departmentwide employee engagement action plan, reflecting input from the steering committee and employee feedback provided through annual employee surveys, question- naires, and other communications in accord- ance with paragraph (1) of such subsection, to execute strategies to improve employee en- gagement, morale, and communications with- in the Department; and (2) require the head of each component to— (A) develop and implement a component- specific employee engagement plan to ad- vance the action plan required under para- graph (1) that includes performance meas- ures and objectives, is informed by employee feedback provided through annual employee surveys, questionnaires, and other commu- nications, as appropriate, and sets forth how employees and, where applicable, their labor representatives are to be integrated in devel- oping programs and initiatives; (B) monitor progress on implementation of such action plan; and (C) provide to the Chief Human Capital Of- ficer and the steering committee quarterly reports on actions planned and progress made under this paragraph. (c) Termination This section shall terminate on the date that is five years after December 27, 2021. (Pub. L. 107–296, title VII, § 711, as added Pub. L. 117–81, div. F, title LXIV, § 6401(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2397.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries SUBMISSIONS TO CONGRESS Pub. L. 117–81, div. F, title LXIV, § 6401(c), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2398, provided that: ‘‘(1) DEPARTMENT-WIDE EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT ACTION PLAN.—The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Depart- ment of Homeland Security, shall submit to the Com- mittee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep- resentatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate the Depart- ment-wide employee engagement action plan required under subsection (b)(1) of section 711 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 [this section] (as added by sub- section (a) of this section) not later than 30 days after the issuance of such plan under such subsection (b)(1). ‘‘(2) COMPONENT-SPECIFIC EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT PLANS.—Each head of a component of the Department of Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern- mental Affairs of the Senate the component-specific employee engagement plan of each such component re- quired under subsection (b)(2) of section 711 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 [this section] not later than 30 days after the issuance of each such plan under such subsection (b)(2).’’ § 352. Annual employee award program (a) In general The Secretary may establish an annual em- ployee award program to recognize Department employees or groups of employees for significant contributions to the achievement of the Depart- ment’s goals and missions. If such a program is established, the Secretary shall— (1) establish within such program categories of awards, each with specific criteria, that em- phasize honoring employees who are at the nonsupervisory level; (2) publicize within the Department how any employee or group of employees may be nomi- nated for an award; (3) establish an internal review board com- prised of representatives from Department components, headquarters, and field personnel to submit to the Secretary award rec- ommendations regarding specific employees or groups of employees; (4) select recipients from the pool of nomi- nees submitted by the internal review board under paragraph (3) and convene a ceremony at which employees or groups of employees re- ceive such awards from the Secretary; and (5) publicize such program within the De- partment. (b) Internal review board The internal review board described in sub- section (a)(3) shall, when carrying out its func- tion under such subsection, consult with rep- resentatives from operational components and headquarters, including supervisory and non- supervisory personnel, and employee labor orga- nizations that represent Department employees. (c) Rule of construction Nothing in this section may be construed to authorize additional funds to carry out the re- quirements of this section or to require the Sec- retary to provide monetary bonuses to recipi- ents of an award under this section. (Pub. L. 107–296, title VII, § 712, as added Pub. L. 117–81, div. F, title LXIV, § 6402(a), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 2398.) § 353. Acquisition professional career program (a) Establishment There is established in the Department an ac- quisition professional career program to develop a cadre of acquisition professionals within the Department. (b) Administration The Under Secretary for Management shall administer the acquisition professional career program established pursuant to subsection (a). (c) Program requirements The Under Secretary for Management shall carry out the following with respect to the ac- quisition professional career program.1