New IT reform bill introduced

An IT procurement reform bill similar to Title I of the Federal IT Acquisition Reform Act, or FITARA, was introduced in the Senate on Dec. 17, according to FCW.

FITARA had passed the House as an amendment to the 2014 annual defense spending bill, but was ultimately excluded in the final version. This new reform bill, called the Federal Information Technology Savings, Accountability, and Transparency Act is backed by Sens. Tom Udall (D-N.M.) and Jerry Mordan (R-Kan.), and will put agency CIOs at the top of the IT authority structure, and will make the position a presidential appointment reporting to agency heads, FCW reported.

CIOs would additionally have budget-authority over acquisition of off-the-shelf technology and over the hiring of IT personnel. The bill also requires agencies to disclose cost and performance information for at least 80 percent of their IT portfolio, making exceptions when it is a matter of national security, FCW reported.