House bill to modernize government data, extend CDO Council moves out of committee

Legislation from a bipartisan pair of House lawmakers that would extend the Chief Data Officers Council past the end of the year passed out of committee Wednesday after being introduced Monday. 

The Modernizing Data Practices to Improve Government Act (H.R. 10151), introduced by Reps. Summer Lee, D-Pa., and Nancy Mace, R-S.C., which cleared the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, is the companion piece to a Senate bill that was introduced in September. Under the bill, the CDO Council would be kept alive until 2031. It would also have to assess data governance and data-sharing issues that prevent “adoption and interoperability of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence across agencies,” according to the bill’s amendment in the nature of a substitute.

The legislation would also require the council to report to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget’s director with best practices and recommendations for agencies to use AI. In response to the council’s recommendations, the OMB director must issue or update guidance to a previous statutory requirement that OMB has yet to publicly address.

Additionally, the bill would have the council include an “ex officio” senior official for privacy.

“As the CDO Council approaches this 2025 sunset date, its role has never been more critical,” Lee said during the bill’s markup.

“This bill ensures we’re not just chasing innovation,” she continued, “but creating the solid foundation needed for innovation to succeed and serve people equitably.” 

The original bill from Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Todd Young, R-Ind., passed out of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in September. In an emailed statement, a HSGAC aide told FedScoop that “we’re continuing to have conversations with [House Oversight and Accountability] about moving the bill forward before the end of the Congress.”