Austin News

U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) has announced the successful passage of the Source Code Harmonization And Reuse in Information Technology (SHARE IT) Act in the Senate. The legislation, introduced alongside U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Gary Peters (D-Mich.), is now set to be presented to President Biden for approval.

The SHARE IT Act aims to mandate federal agencies to share custom-developed source code, reducing redundant government contracts for software development. A companion bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.-23), which also passed earlier this month.

Senator Cruz remarked on the significance of the act: “American taxpayers deserve government efficiency wherever possible. Congress should take advantage of every opportunity to reduce duplicative spending and boost government transparency in procurement. I am proud to have worked with Chairman Peters and Rep. Langworthy to advance the SHARE IT Act and bring greater fiscal responsibility and accountability to the federal government’s information technology needs.”

Senator Peters highlighted the potential benefits: “By facilitating custom code sharing among federal agencies, we can significantly cut costs for taxpayers, enhance the efficiency of government services, boost security and foster software innovation. This bipartisan legislation enhances the federal government’s digital capabilities and will benefit Americans as they access government services online."

Rep. Langworthy added his support: “The SHARE IT Act’s passage in the Senate is a win for American taxpayers and the first step toward President Trump’s agenda of making our government more efficient and accountable." He emphasized that by eliminating unnecessary spending on redundant software, "we’re streamlining our federal government while delivering real savings for the American people."

Currently, around $12 billion is spent annually by federal agencies on software purchases, including custom-developed applications like websites and analytical models. Despite much of this code not being classified or sensitive, it remains largely inaccessible between agencies due to existing inefficiencies.

The SHARE IT Act seeks to update federal source code policy by requiring agencies to list their custom code publicly and share it across governmental bodies unless exceptions apply related to national security or privacy concerns.

Importantly, no additional funding is required for implementing these changes as existing infrastructure such as code.gov or platforms like GitHub are already available for use.