Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

This bill would require federal agencies and Intelligence Community elements to conduct comprehensive assessments of their software inventories, including costs, contracts, and usage restrictions. Based on these assessments, agencies would be required to develop and submit plans to consolidate software licenses and implement more cost-effective acquisition strategies. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget would provide recommendations to Congress on modernizing government-wide software procurement to improve interoperability and reduce overall costs.

This bill directly affects federal agencies and elements of the Intelligence Community (IC), which are required to conduct comprehensive software inventory assessments and develop management plans. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) are also affected, as they must provide recommendations and reports to Congress regarding government-wide software procurement and management practices.

• Comprehensive software inventory assessments. Federal agencies and Intelligence Community elements must conduct detailed assessments of all software in use, including inventory lists, acquisition contracts, hidden costs, and interoperability restrictions.
• Development of software management plans. Agencies are required to create plans to consolidate software entitlements and implement cost-effective acquisition strategies, which must be submitted to Congress and the Office of Management and Budget.
• Government-wide procurement recommendations. The Office of Management and Budget must provide recommendations to Congress on improving software license interoperability, reducing costs, and modernizing oversight practices across the government.
• GAO reporting on asset management trends. The Government Accountability Office is tasked with reporting on government-wide trends in software asset management and comparing practices across different federal agencies.

The Office of Management and Budget must submit recommendations to Congress regarding software procurement policies and practices within two years of the bill's enactment.

The bill aims to modernize federal software management by requiring agencies to conduct comprehensive inventory assessments and develop cost-effective acquisition strategies. Its purpose is to reduce government costs, increase software interoperability, and improve the oversight of software assets across federal agencies and the Intelligence Community.