Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

This bill, titled the "Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act," seeks to enhance the visibility, accountability, and oversight of software asset management practices across federal agencies. It mandates that each agency's Chief Information Officer, in consultation with other key officials, conduct a comprehensive assessment of all software paid for, in use, or deployed within the agency. This assessment must detail the current software inventory, including entitlements, contracts, associated costs, interoperability, and compliance with existing management policies. Following the assessment, agencies are required to develop a software modernization plan . This plan will focus on consolidating software entitlements, implementing cost-effective acquisition strategies such as enterprise licensing, and restricting unauthorized software acquisition within the agency. Key components of the plan include strategies for remediating deficiencies, automating license management, providing adequate training for personnel on software acquisition, and maximizing software effectiveness through analytics and interoperable capabilities. The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the Administrator of General Services, will establish processes to standardize definitions and requirements to support agencies in developing and implementing these plans. The bill also requires a report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on government-wide trends and agency compliance with these new requirements. Importantly, the Act specifies that no additional funds are authorized for its implementation, and it includes special provisions for the intelligence community to ensure national security protection during assessments.