Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1695, the SAMOSA Act. I thank my friend and distinguished, imminent, erudite, and eloquent colleague, Mr. Cartwright of Pennsylvania, for his vigorous leadership on this bipartisan bill that will achieve big cost savings for the American people.

The government will spend tens of billions of dollars this year on software purchases and maintenance, which is a big chunk of the estimated $100 billion that they will spend on IT annually.

Previous efforts to increase oversight and transparency of expenditures on software, including the MEGABYTE Act of 2016, have helped the agency save hundreds of millions of dollars over just 3 years.

Serious challenges remain. For example, a recent audit by GAO found that software license data reported by the agencies was inconsistent due to wide variation in how agencies track and maintain their computer inventories and contracts.

Current software contract and asset management practices fall short of achieving enough transparency to allow the agencies to purchase software products and services that actually will meet their needs and priorities.

H.R. 1695, the SAMOSA Act, would require Federal agency chief information officers to conduct comprehensive assessments of the software paid for by government or in use in government or being deployed there. These assessments would update and expand the software inventories required by the MEGABYTE Act.

The bill would require agencies to submit these comprehensive assessments to GSA, OMB, GAO, and Congress to facilitate more effective oversight of Federal software contracts.

Agencies would be required to use these assessments to develop a plan to better manage software procurement and management, which would be required to include remediation of deficiencies, automation of management processes, and workforce training.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security says the bill could save taxpayers up to $5 billion a year. This bipartisan legislation would enable the Federal Government to operate more effectively, efficiently, and transparently. I am happy to support its passage.

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Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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