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Congress·In Committee·9 months ago

Congress pushes agencies to inventory software and cut duplicate licenses, with new oversight reports

Also known as: Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

Legislative Progress

✓ Filed
Review
Senate
House
President

Impacts

Mixed Impacts(1)
Federal Employee
Neutral

Key Points

  • Within 18 months of enactment, each federal agency must do a detailed review of all software it pays for or uses, including unused licenses and extra cloud fees.
  • Agencies must report their findings to federal oversight offices and to Congress, aiming to spot duplicate tools, waste, and hidden costs in software contracts.
  • Agencies must create a modernization plan to consolidate software licenses, set buying rules that reduce extra licenses, and improve how well different software works together.
  • The plan can limit smaller parts of an agency from buying or building software without approval from the agency’s top technology official, to avoid one-off and duplicate purchases.
  • The Government Accountability Office must later review government-wide trends and how well agencies follow these requirements; the bill provides no new funding to do the work.
TechnologyCybersecurityEconomy

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Jun 4, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Jun 4, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

Soon after the bill becomes law

Agencies start the comprehensive software assessment work

Federal offices begin pulling contract and software-use data; employees may get new requests for inventories, usage checks, and contract details.

After the assessment is submitted

Agencies create a software modernization plan based on the assessment

Expect new rules for buying software, more enterprise-wide licenses, more automation for tracking usage, and required training for staff involved in software deals.

Related News

8 articles
Nextgov/FCW·3 months ago

House passes measure to help reduce federal software spending

Coverage of House passage of the SAMOSA Act, detailing required agency software inventories, independent assessments, and enterprise licensing plans aimed at reducing wasteful software spending.

C=
Rep. Nancy Mace (official site)·3 months ago

Rep. Nancy Mace’s SAMOSA Act Passes House

Announcement of House passage describing the bill’s requirements for comprehensive software license reviews, consolidation/modernization plans, CIO authority, and an OMB strategy for governmentwide software oversight.

R+
Federal News Network·9 months ago

Sen. Peters believes the time is right for SAMOSA

Explains the Senate introduction and rationale for the bill to improve software asset visibility and management, with emphasis on repeatable processes and oversight to curb waste and improve security/modernization.

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Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

Bill NumberS 1956
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(5)
D: 1R: 4

Analysis generated by AI. While we strive for accuracy, this should not be considered legal or professional advice. Always verify information with official government sources.