The House on Wednesday approved the $500 million Modernizing Government Technology (MGT) Act to improve federal information technology (IT) systems and bolster cyber security accountability.
The bill (H.R. 2227), sponsored by House Oversight and Government Reform Information Technology Subcommittee Chairman Will Hurd (R-Texas), passed by a voice vote.
The legislation is intended to reduce wasteful technology spending and speed up the federal government’s move towards modernized systems, such as cloud computing, according to a press release from Hurd’s office.
“The MGT Act will enhance cyber security, increase government accountability and help government be more efficient in serving the American people,” Hurd said in a statement.
Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.) are set to introduce identical companion legislation in the Senate.
The bill will help strengthen the government’s data protection efforts and help avoid situations such as last week’s global ransomware attack, according to Moran.
The bill allocates a capital fund for each federal agency to update their individual IT system, as well as a government-wide fund to modernize technology systems and make them more secure. The MGT Act authorized appropriations of $250 million per year for FY 2018 and 2019 to cover the costs of the bill, which will also set up a board of managers to oversee and evaluate federal IT spending, according to the Congressional Budget Office.