Sens. Gary Peters D-Mich., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, have introduced legislation that looks to speed up and streamline the Federal procurement process for agencies and their contractors.
The Federal Improvement in Technology (FIT) Procurement Act would primarily focus on removing red tape and obstacles to acquiring products and services cost-effectively, while simultaneously increasing competition for Federal contracts.
“Simplifying the federal buying process will boost government productivity and save taxpayer money,” said Sen Peters.
“My legislation will guarantee that the best and most innovative businesses, including new and small businesses, can compete for federal contracts so that the federal government can keep pace and stay on the cutting edge as it serves the American people,” the senator said.
Among other aims, the bill would remove obsolete and restrictive procurement requirements and enable contractors to bid on Federal contracts in a more simplified fashion. The legislation would also strengthen the training process for the Federal acquisition workforce in newer technologies like cloud services and artificial intelligence.
“Increasing competition within the procurement process for emerging technologies is essential for encouraging innovation and ensuring taxpayers get the most for their money,” said Sen Cruz. “I am proud to work alongside Sen. Peters to introduce this bipartisan legislation to reduce barriers hindering government access to the best technologies at lower costs.”
The legislation is receiving support from tech trade organizations such as the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) and the Professional Services Council.
“This legislation will provide the U.S. government with much-needed flexibility when purchasing cloud computing, data center solutions and services, and other cutting-edge technologies, and leverages public-private partnerships to target barriers to entry in contracting and develop a skilled government acquisition workforce,” said Megan Petersen, Vice President of Public Sector Policy and Counsel at ITI.
“ITI believes this legislation will positively impact the federal technology acquisition process for both today’s commercial solutions and the emerging technologies that will power government in the future,” she added.
“This bill will improve those outcomes and expand access to more businesses with innovative solutions. Competition is the key to delivering successful federal IT contracting,” said David Berteau, Chief Executive Officer of the Professional Services Council.
