Brown, Mace, Fallon, and McClain Delaney Reintroduce SAMOSA Act to Streamline Federal Software Purchasing and Lower Costs

Washington, DC – Congresswoman Shontel Brown (OH-11), Ranking Member on the Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation has reintroduced the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets (SAMOSA) Act, legislation first filed this Congress by former Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Congressman Gerald Connolly. 

The SAMOSA Act is co-led by Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation, Congressman Pat Fallon (TX-04), and Congresswoman April McClain Delaney (MD-06). 

The SAMOSA Act requires agencies to conduct comprehensive assessments of their software licensing practices, allowing the federal government to streamline software purchasing and lower unnecessary costs. The legislation previously passed the House in December 2024.

“The SAMOSA Act is straightforward legislation to streamline federal software purchasing and make sure taxpayer dollars are used effectively. We all know how complicated it can be to manage software and this legislation will help agencies track and manage purchases. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation that our former Oversight Ranking Member Connolly championed, and look forward to building more bipartisan support for this bill,” said Oversight Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Ranking Member Shontel Brown.  

“This bill is a commonsense way to make sure the federal government keeps better track of its software purchases,” said Ranking Member Robert Garcia. “It will save taxpayer dollars, prevent waste, and improve transparency by stopping unnecessary purchases and protecting against vendor price gouging. This is just one step in our plan to bring our government into the 21st century and make it work better for everyone.”

“The GAO has found the federal government spends more than $100 billion annually on information technology and cybersecurity, including software licenses. Far too often, taxpayer dollars are wasted on these systems and licenses agencies fail to use. Our SAMOSA Act requires agencies to account for existing software assets and consolidate purchases: reducing redundancy, increasing accountability, and saving potentially billions for American taxpayers. By modernizing federal IT procurement, this legislation ensures greater oversight and demonstrates our responsibility to be faithful stewards of every taxpayer dollar,” said Congresswoman Nancy Mace. 

“Our government spends billions on software, but outdated purchasing practices lead to waste and inefficiency,” commented Rep. Pat Fallon (TX-04). “The SAMOSA Act requires agencies to assess their software assets in depth, cutting redundant spending and boosting transparency. This bill is a critical step toward modernizing federal IT while protecting hard-earned taxpayer dollars.”

"I’m proud to co-lead this common-sense, bipartisan legislation to reduce wasteful spending and promote efficient government operations. The SAMOSA Act requires in-depth assessments of how agencies buy and use software, ensuring that decisions are data-driven and that taxpayer funds will be used effectively and transparently,” said Congresswoman McClain Delaney. “It’s a pragmatic solution to improve our government’s work for the American people, all while saving their taxpayer dollars.”

The U.S. federal government is the largest software customer in the world, spending billions of dollars every year on purchases, renewals, and license modifications. However current management and procurement processes do not provide agencies with adequate transparency and often lead to wasteful spending on duplicative purchases of software licenses.

To increase agency oversight of software purchasing, improve efficiency, and reduce costs, the SAMOSA Act would require:

• Agencies to create a comprehensive software inventory and undergo an independent assessment of software license management practices and contracts;
• Agency Chief Information Officers (CIOs) to develop a plan to adopt enterprise licensing agreements, improving negotiating power against software vendors, and reduce costs;
• OMB to publish a governmentwide strategy for software modernization based on the aforementioned audits and plans; and
• Agencies to include their respective plans and performance assessments in annual budget submissions.

The SAMOSA Act is supported by the following organizations: The Coalition for Fair Software Licensing, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, NetChoice, and the Alliance for Digital Innovation.

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