House passes spending bill with outsourcing provisions

Agencies would have to create an annual inventory of services they’ve outsourced to the private sector and review whether to return the work to government employees.

The House has passed an appropriations bill that would require civilian agencies to take an inventory their services contracts.

The $24.1 billion fiscal 2010 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act (H.R. 3170) passed 219 to 208 on July 16.

The legislation would have agencies create an annual inventory of services they’ve outsourced to the private sector and review whether to return the work to government employees.

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The Senate’s version of the same appropriations bill (S. 1432) doesn’t include that provision. It instead refers to a similar but smaller inventory mandate from the fiscal 2008 omnibus spending bill. While the House wants all civilian agencies to create the inventory, the omnibus bill applies to at least three cabinet-level departments that the administration could choose. The Senate now wants a status report from the Office of Management and Budget on the inventory.

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its 2010 spending bill July 9.