The Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act, introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) and in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), was incorporated into the conference report on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY2018, which the Senate passed on Nov. 16. The NDAA now awaits the president’s signature to become law.
The bipartisan MGT Act will enable the federal government to modernize its information technology (IT) systems to provide improved cybersecurity protections, according to Hurd’s office.
“The fact that our federal government continues to waste billions of hard-earned taxpayer dollars each year maintaining outdated, legacy IT systems is absolutely outrageous,” Hurd said last week. “It’s 2017.”
The MGT Act, he said, will incentivize federal agencies to transition to the cloud via advanced technologies.
Hurd, who spent two years working on the bill, also represents the burgeoning technology and cybersecurity sector in San Antonio and called the MGT Act the biggest IT reform package in decades.
In fact, Sen. Moran noted that nearly 75 percent of the $80 billion the nation spends annually on federal IT systems goes toward maintaining older IT rather than making lasting improvements.
“Improved efficiencies will end that practice and ultimately save billions of taxpayer dollars by reducing long-term spending,” Moran said.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) commended Hurd’s efforts.
“Will Hurd has used his expertise and passion to lead the House in policy reforms that bring the federal government into the 21st century,” McCarthy said. “Today’s vote on the National Defense Authorization Act – which includes MGT – brings the federal government one step closer to better serving and protecting our citizens.”
The MGT Act is endorsed by numerous IT industry stakeholders and trade associations, among them the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the IT Alliance for the Public Sector, the Professional Services Council, TechNet, Amazon Web Services, Cisco, Adobe, Microsoft, Intel and the Business Roundtable.
Rep. Hurd, chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Information Technology, introduced H.R. 2227 with Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). In the Senate, Moran was joined by Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM) in introducing S. 990. Both Moran and Udall are members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, Innovation, and the Internet. Cosponsors included Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Mark Warner (D-VA).