TechWonk Blog Subsection
TechWonk Blog
-
When the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT) proposed a new Standard Information Technology (IT) Contract Template in August, the agency also invited industry partners to offer their views for streamlining and improving the state鈥檚 procurement process.聽 Maryland鈥檚 effort is encouraging, as the information technology sector not only offers widespread system flexibility and cost savings, [...]
-
As a number of states have wrapped up their legislative sessions and completed their budget processes, this is an opportune time to review the Information Technology Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS) state level advocacy efforts so far this year on behalf of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. 聽Here is a mid-year summary of ITAPS鈥� legislative activity and what remains in play [...]
-
As the appropriations process moves toward the Senate, the federal contractor community has cause for concern with a series of amendments in Fiscal Year 2015 House appropriations bills that could mean mass debarment of federal contractors who have been involved in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings related to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This morning, the IT Alliance for Public [...]
-
Earlier this week, the President signed the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014 (S.1681 鈥� P.L. 113-126). The bill authorizes appropriations for intelligence and intelligence-related activities across 16 federal agencies in the intelligence community (IC).聽 The IT Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS) has been monitoring provisions of interest for contractors as it moved through the legislative [...]
-
Legislation intended to promote domestic firms that actually would cause more harm than good for U.S. businesses did not advance before the New Jersey legislature recessed for the summer.聽 Momentum on the bills 鈥� Senate Bill 1811 (Sweeney-D) and Assembly Bill 3059 (Egan-D) 鈥� waned as legislators learned that the proposals could unintentionally isolate New Jersey from U.S.-based businesses that are [...]
-
Earlier this year, I wrote about why it was important for the Florida legislature to bring back the position of state chief information officer (CIO) and reestablish (and also fully fund) a centralized agency focused on managing the state鈥檚 information technology.聽 State lawmakers agreed and passed legislation, H.B. 7073, which was signed into law by the governor and goes into effect today. Before [...]
-
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs today will be marking up H.R. 1232, the Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act, or FITARA. It鈥檚 significant because it is the first time the Senate will formerly consider the House鈥檚 signature acquisition reform bill. 聽What remains to be seen is how similar the Senate鈥檚 marked-up version of the bill will be to FITARA. [...]
-
Seven months ago, my colleagues and I joined 91快活林 to create a new division called the IT Alliance for Public Sector, or ITAPS as we are commonly known.聽 This week, leaders from across the industry in both the federal and state, local, and education markets participated in our inaugural executive council meetings to discuss our goals and focus for the future. These meetings were an opportunity to look [...]
-
A bill meant to promote domestic firms being considered by the New Jersey legislature could cause more harm than good for U.S. businesses. 聽Senate Bill 1811, a so-called 鈥淏uy American鈥� bill, would require state agencies, local jurisdictions, boards of education, and institutions of higher learning to only fulfill contracts with products manufactured in the United States. 聽However, requiring the state [...]
-
The House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today, June 9th, 2014, on H.R. 4228 - DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act. The Information Technology Alliance for Public Sector (ITAPS) issued a letter of support on April 29th as the bill advanced out of Committee. As the bill comes before the House today, we echo our previous support and remain 聽behind H.R. 4228. This bill would be [...]
- ...