U.S. Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX), Robin Kelly (D-IL), and Gerry Connolly (D-VA) recently introduced the Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, which aims to reduce wasteful spending in information technology (IT) while strengthening information security by expediting the federal government’s transition to modern, cloud-based computing.
A companion bill was introduced in the Senate by U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KA) and Tom Udall (D-NM).
The bill would place the savings obtained by streamlining IT systems, replacing legacy products, and transitioning to cloud-based computing into a three-year working capital fund for various modernization initiatives. Hurd’s office said in a release that this approach would eliminate the traditional use it or lose it approach that has “plagued government technology for decades.”
“The federal government spends $80 billion each year on IT systems and 80 percent of which is spent maintaining outdated, legacy systems,” Hurd said. “Our government needs to be able to introduce cutting edge technology into their networks to improve operational efficiency and decrease operational cost. The MGT Act does just that.”
Connolly said the legislation builds upon the successes of the bipartisan Federal IT Acquisition and Reform Act and ensures the savings and efficiencies created by the bill will provide the investment needed for agencies to transition to the cloud.
Since the bill’s introduction, it has received public support from the IT Alliance for Public Sector, the Professional Services Council, and Dell EMC Federal.