Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

This bill, titled the "Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act," seeks to improve the visibility, accountability, and oversight of federal agency software asset management practices. It mandates that each agency's Chief Information Officer (CIO), 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 include a detailed accounting of software entitlements, contracts, and usage, identifying any unused or duplicative software and analyzing interoperability. Following the assessment, agencies are required to develop a software modernization plan . This plan focuses on consolidating software entitlements, adopting cost-effective acquisition strategies like enterprise licensing, and restricting unapproved software acquisitions. Key elements of the plan include strategies for remediating deficiencies, automating license management, and providing training for agency personnel on software acquisition and negotiation to minimize restrictive contract provisions. Both the comprehensive assessment and the modernization plan must be submitted to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Administrator of General Services (GSA), and relevant Congressional committees. OMB, in coordination with GSA, will establish processes to harmonize definitions and requirements across agencies and will report to Congress on recommendations for leveraging procurement policies to improve software management. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will also provide a report on government-wide trends and agency compliance with the new requirements.