HR2417-119

What This Bill Does

The Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act is a federal IT asset-management bill. Agency CIOs, in consultation with CFOs, acquisition officers, data officers, and counsel, must complete comprehensive assessments within 18 months covering software inventories, entitlements, contracts, largest software categories, agency-built or shared software, cloud costs, unused or duplicate licenses, interoperability, use restrictions, total lifecycle costs, and compliance with license management policies. Agencies may hire independent contractors without organizational conflicts. Assessments go to OMB, GSA, GAO, and oversight committees, while intelligence community elements conduct separate protected assessments. Within one year after submitting an assessment, each agency must submit a software modernization plan to consolidate entitlements, adopt enterprise licensing and other cost-effective acquisition strategies, restrict software acquisitions without CIO and acquisition approval, remediate deficiencies, automate license management, train employees, use analytics, consider enterprise or open-source licenses, and avoid vendor-favoring criteria. GAO must report within three years on government-wide trends, agency comparisons, OMB harmonization of terms, contractor conflict restrictions, and agency plans, and the Act authorizes no additional funds.

Who Benefits and How

Agency CIOs benefit from stronger authority over software inventories, entitlements, bureau purchases, and modernization plans. Federal taxpayers benefit if agencies eliminate excess licenses, duplicate software, and unnecessary cloud or maintenance costs. OMB software policy staff benefit from standardized information needed to harmonize software definitions, terms, and conditions. GSA acquisition staff benefit from cross-agency assessment data for enterprise licensing and software procurement strategy. GAO auditors benefit from a defined oversight record for the three-year report on software asset management.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Agency program offices must obtain CIO approval before acquiring, using, developing, or leveraging software entitlements outside the plan. Agency CIO teams must perform detailed assessments, develop plans, train employees, and manage ongoing license remediation without new appropriations. Software vendors may face fewer fragmented bureau purchases and more enterprise-wide negotiation by agencies. Assessment contractors must avoid organizational conflicts of interest and remain operationally independent from agency software management. Intelligence community elements must conduct separate protected assessments and submit summary reports to OMB and intelligence committees.

Key Provisions

• Requires agency software assessments within 18 months covering inventory, entitlements, contracts, costs, restrictions, interoperability, and license compliance.
• Requires agency modernization plans within one year after assessment to consolidate licenses, automate management, train staff, and restrict purchases without CIO approval.
• Directs OMB and GSA to share best practices and support standardized assessments and plans.
• Requires GAO to report within three years on government-wide software asset management trends, agency comparisons, OMB harmonization, and contractor restrictions.
• Provides no additional funds for carrying out the Act.