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5d ago

House Passes SAMOSA Act to Overhaul Federal Software Buying, Sending Measure to Senate

The bipartisan bill would require agency-wide software inventories and enterprise licensing plans to curb duplicative spending, with the next step pending before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

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Rep. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, speaks at a Democratic Women's Caucus (DWC) press conference in Washington D.C., on Feb. 7, 2025. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Lawmakers approved H.R. 5457 by voice vote after Oversight Committee clearance, alongside H.R. 5810 to strengthen federal supervisor training.
  • The legislation mandates comprehensive software inventories and independent assessments within 18 months to reveal what agencies own, use, and pay for.
  • Agency CIOs must develop consolidation and enterprise licensing plans, submit assessments to OMB, GSA, and Congress, and inform an OMB-issued government-wide software modernization strategy.
  • The effort is co-led by Reps. Shontel Brown, Nancy Mace, Pat Fallon, and April McClain Delaney, building on work initiated by the late Rep. Gerry Connolly.
  • The bill now awaits consideration in the Senate, where a companion has backing from Sens. Gary Peters, Joni Ernst, Bill Cassidy, James Lankford, Ron Wyden, and Thom Tillis; supporters cite cybersecurity gains and potential savings up to $750 million annually.