IT Centers of Excellence program is signed into law
The program that helps agencies modernize their information technology by working with Centers of Excellence (CoEs) has been codified into law.
President Trump signed the IT Modernization Centers of Excellence Program Act into law Thursday afternoon, ensuring the General Services Administration program will be resourced moving forward.
The act requires the 10 existing and future CoEs to improve cooperation between agencies and industry in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud adoption, contact centers, customer experience, data and analytics, and infrastructure optimization.
“As technology continues to change and advance, it’s important that the federal government understands the significant impacts it will have on our country, economy and society,” said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, the legislation’s top sponsor, in a statement. He served as director of the Office of Management and Budget under President George W. Bush, giving him an inside view of how agencies think about technology modernization.
The bill “will help ensure that our government has the capabilities and expertise to help navigate the impacts of the latest technology in the coming years and decades,” Portman said.
The Senate unanimously passed the bill on Nov. 17, after the House version sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Mark Meadows, R-N.C., passed by voice vote on Sept. 30.
Matt Lira, special assistant to the president for innovation policy and initiatives, weighed in on the signing on Twitter:
