House e-gov bill OK'd

<FONT SIZE=2>&#009;The House version of the E-government Act of 2002, H.R. 2458, was approved by voice vote of the House Government Reform Committee. </FONT>

The House version of the E-government Act of 2002, H.R. 2458, was approved by voice vote of the House Government Reform Committee.

The bill codifies a new Office of E-government within the Office of Management and Budget and includes appropriations for an e-government fund that increases from $45 million in 2003 to $150 million in 2006.

The House and Senate are negotiating to resolve differences between H.R. 2458 and the Senate version of the bill, S. 803. The Senate bill calls for the top e-government official to be Senate-confirmed; the House bill does not.

The two bodies also are negotiating about share-in-savings contracting, which the House bill authorizes on a limited basis, said David Marin, spokesman for Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the House Government Reform subcommittee on technology and procurement policy.

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