House passes measure to help reduce federal software spending

House lawmakers passed bipartisan legislation on Monday that aims to push the federal government to enhance oversight of its software licensing agreements to reduce waste and save money on duplicative purchases.

The bill — known as the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets, or SAMOSA, Act — would require agencies to create comprehensive software inventories and undergo independent assessments of their software management practices.

Agencies’ chief information officers would also be directed to develop enterprise licensing agreements that can enhance their negotiating powers with software vendors.

The SAMOSA Act has been introduced by lawmakers in the past three Congresses. The measure passed the House last December, but did not receive a vote in the Senate before the end of the session. 

The latest bill was introduced in September by Reps. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Pat Fallon, R-Texas, and April McClain Delaney, D-Md. The group of lawmakers brought their proposal to the House floor after then-Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. — who introduced similar legislation earlier this year — passed away in May.

The federal government spends more than $100 billion annually on IT services, according to a January report from the Government Accountability Office. Efforts to cut down on waste across the federal government have received heightened attention during the second Trump administration, with the Department of Government Efficiency, in particular, being tasked with slashing federal spending. 

A report released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in December 2022 said “taxpayers could expect to see up to $5 billion in cost savings annually over the life of this Act.”

Lawmakers behind the proposal have highlighted the estimated cost savings as a particular need for the legislation. 

“With House passage of the nonpartisan SAMOSA Act, we're one step closer to improving oversight of software procurement, eliminating waste and duplicative purchases, and ensuring the federal government serves as a faithful steward of taxpayer dollars," Mace said in a statement.

Last week, Mace also introduced similar legislation focused on reducing waste when it comes to the roughly $1 billion that the Department of Veterans Affairs spends annually on software.

Several advocacy groups and trade associations have already voiced their support for the Senate to vote on the measure.

In a statement following House passage of the bill, Ryan Triplette — executive director of the Coalition for Fair Software Licensing — said the proposal is “critical to strengthening security, cutting waste, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used wisely.”

“Today’s vote is a major step toward greater transparency and oversight in federal spending and software management,” he added. 

Sen Gary Peters, D-Mich., the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, also introduced the SAMOSA Act in the upper chamber in June with a bipartisan group of his colleagues.