The SAMOSA Act passes the House; the Senate introduces bipartisan National Quantum Initiative reauthorization

Legislation to improve federal agency oversight and management of software purchases passed the House on Wednesday, keeping top IT and software trade groups’ hopes alive that the bill will get through the Senate and become law before this congressional term is up. The Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act (H.R.1695) – better known as the SAMOSA Act — was introduced by Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., last year and co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of 20 House lawmakers. Calling the rooting out of waste, fraud and abuse a “signal mission” of the House Oversight Committee, Cartwight said the bill would ensure that federal agencies are required to conduct a “comprehensive assessment of their current software assets and restructure their operations to reduce unnecessary costs.”

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to reauthorize and refocus the National Quantum Initiative after certain research and development activities in its initial five-year run lapsed in September. The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act would authorize $2.7 billion for quantum R&D at federal agencies for the next five years and shift the initiative’s focus “from basic research to practical applications.” It would also expand the initiative to include agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the State Department and the Small Business Administration, according to a news release.

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