Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act
U.S. Government · Public domain · source
Name	Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act
Enacted by	United States Congress
Enacted	2014
Effective	2014
Public law	Public Law 113-291
Signed by	Barack Obama
Committees	United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Related legislation	Clinger–Cohen Act, Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, Paperwork Reduction Act

Contents

Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act is a United States federal law enacted in 2014 to reform acquisition, procurement, and management of information technology across federal civilian agencies. Modeled on prior statutes and executive initiatives such as Clinger–Cohen Act, Presidential Management Agenda, and Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002, the Act created new roles, reporting requirements, and governance structures intended to reduce waste and improve cybersecurity. Sponsors and advocates included members of the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, with enactment signed by Barack Obama as part of omnibus legislation.

Background and Legislative History

Passage followed high-profile failures and investigations by entities such as the Government Accountability Office, Office of Management and Budget, and hearings before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The legislative effort responded to reports on cost overruns at agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of Defense IT programs, and to cybersecurity incidents involving systems overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services and Internal Revenue Service. Drafting drew on recommendations from think tanks and watchdogs like the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Brookings Institution, and American Enterprise Institute, and aligned with executive orders issued by Barack Obama addressing federal cybersecurity and IT modernization. The measure was incorporated in the omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2015 and enacted as Public Law 113-291.

Key provisions established the position of agency Chief Information Officer reporting lines influenced by precedents in the Clinger–Cohen Act and created the role of Federal Chief Information Officer within the Office of Management and Budget. The Act mandated development of portfolio management practices informed by methodologies used by Defense Information Systems Agency and private-sector firms such as Gartner and McKinsey & Company. It required consolidated acquisition vehicles for commodity IT drawing on models like the General Services Administration schedules and the Alliant contract framework. The statute strengthened requirements for incremental development and lifecycle cost estimation similar to standards from the Project Management Institute and aligned metrics with National Institute of Standards and Technology guidance. Cybersecurity accountability and breach reporting linked to frameworks from NIST Special Publication 800-series and coordination with agencies including the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.

Implementation involved the Office of Management and Budget issuing memoranda and directives, coordination with the General Services Administration, and oversight by the Government Accountability Office and congressional committees such as the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Agencies developed IT dashboards and portfolio reviews modeled after practices at the Department of Defense and NASA, with centralization efforts coordinated through the Federal Acquisition Service and policy guidance from the Office of Personnel Management on staffing for Chief Information Officers. Interagency councils including the Federal CIO Council and advisory bodies like the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council played roles in rulemaking and best-practice dissemination. Implementation timelines intersected with appropriations measures and oversight hearings in the United States Senate and United States House of Representatives.

The Act influenced consolidation of contracts under the General Services Administration and shaped procurement strategies at agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, and Social Security Administration. Reported outcomes included increased use of shared services, reductions in duplicative systems identified by the Government Accountability Office, and adoption of modular contracting and agile methodologies promoted by advocates such as the U.S. Digital Service and 18F. Procurement reforms affected relationships with major contractors including Lockheed Martin, IBM, Booz Allen Hamilton, Accenture, and Leidos, and spurred growth of small-business participation under Small Business Administration programs. The law also intersected with federal efforts to modernize legacy systems at agencies like the Internal Revenue Service and Department of Education.

Critics from advocacy organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Project On Government Oversight, and commentators at the Heritage Foundation argued that the Act centralized authority excessively, risked procurement delays, or lacked sufficient enforcement mechanisms. Industry groups including the Professional Services Council and contractors like SAIC raised concerns about transition costs and contract continuity, while legal analyses by scholars at Harvard Kennedy School and Georgetown University questioned statutory ambiguity and administrative discretion. Litigation and congressional inquiries focused on implementation disputes and oversight, with hearings before the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and reports by the Government Accountability Office documenting both progress and shortcomings.