The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved two bills on Wednesday that could have lasting effects on the federal information technology community if made into law.
The first is Congressman Darrell Issa’s Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, known as FITARA. The bill aims to reorganize the way the federal government acquires information technology products and services.
In short, the bill calls for a restructuring of the federal chief information officer system to introduce more accountability into technology purchases along with the use of more strategic sourcing, among many other recommendations.
The second bill is the Federal Information Security Amendments Act of 2013 that looks to update the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, which created FISMA.
The bill establishes a mechanism for stronger oversight through a focus on automated and continuous monitoring of cybersecurity threats and the implementation of regular threat assessments.
“These critical bills lay the groundwork for saving taxpayer money and protecting our information from cyber attacks,” said Issa, the committee chairman. “Our update to the decade old Federal Information Security Management Act will enhance our cybersecurity. Our IT purchasing reform legislation will not only help eliminate as much as $20 billion in waste, but improve our ability to make government work for the American people.”
