The White House has proposed a bill that would create a $3.1 billion revolving fund to help federal agencies update their legacy information technology systems and bolster the government’s cybersecurity posture.
U.S. Chief Information Officer Tony Scott, a 2016 Wash100 recipient, wrote in a blog entry posted Friday the White House’s proposal calls for the General Services Administration to oversee a government-wide Information Technology Modernization Fund.
He added the bill would also establish an independent board of experts to help identify agency IT systems that face the highest risk for potential cyber attacks as well as strategies to facilitate adoption of common platforms and cybersecurity best practices across the government.
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Friday he plans to introduce the White House’s legislative ITMF proposal to the lower chamber this week.
The initiative is “a major step toward transforming the way our government invests in upgrading its infrastructure to serve the American people more effectively and to keep their private information safe,” Hoyer added.