Senate Passes H.R. 2458, the "E-Government Act of
2002"
On November 15, 2002, the Senate passed H.R. 2458, the
"E-Government Act of 2002" and cleared it for the President. This
legislation establishes a broad framework that requires using
Internet-based information technology to enhance citizen access to
Government information. As presented to the President, the bill
includes the following provisions:
Management and Promotion of Electronic Government Services
- Establishes an Administrator of a new Office of Electronic
Government within the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to
provide overall leadership and direction to the executive branch
on Electronic Government (E-Gov) initiatives.
- The Administrator will advise the OMB Director on resources
needed for Federal Information Systems and recommend changes in
E-Gov strategies and priorities.
The Office of E-Gov
will:
- Promote innovative uses of information technology by agencies,
particularly initiatives involving multiagency collaboration,
through support of pilot projects, research, experimentation and
use of innovative technologies.
- Oversee the development of an integrated Internet-based
information system by agencies and assist in overseeing that
agency E-Gov activities have adequate security.
- Establish policies to support Information Technology (IT)
standards, including standards for interconnectivity and
interoperability, for categorizing Federal electronic information,
and for computer system efficiency and security.
Chief
Information Council
- Establishes a Chief Information Council. The Council will:
- Develop recommendations on Government information resources
management policies and requirements.
- Share experiences, ideas, best practices and innovative
approaches related to information resources management.
- Assist in identification, development, and coordination of
multiagency projects to improve Government performance through use
of IT.
E Gov Fund
- Establishes an E Gov Fund in the U.S. Treasury. GSA is to
administer the fund to support projects approved by OMB that
improve the ability of the Federal Government to conduct
activities electronically using the Internet and other electronic
methods.
- Provides that projects funded may include efforts to make
information and services more readily available to the public,
make it easier for the public to conduct transactions with the
Federal Government, and improve information sharing among Federal
agencies.
Federal Management and Promotion of Electronic Government
Services
- Requires agencies to develop E-Gov performance measures and
consider measuring performance in customer service, agency
productivity, and use of innovative technology.
- Provides that when promulgating policies and implementing
programs, agencies should consider the impact on persons without
access to the Internet.
- Requires agencies to ensure that their methods for the use and
acceptance of electronic signatures are compatible with OMB
policies and procedures.
- Directs OMB to work with agencies to maintain and promote an
integrated Internet-based system to give the public consolidated
access to government information and services from a single point,
and organized according to function rather than agency
jurisdiction.
- Directs Federal agencies to improve public online access to
agency information including all information required to be
published in the Federal Register and requires that agencies
accept public rulemaking comments by electronic means.
- Requires OMB to work with agencies to ensure the development
and maintenance of a website repository with detailed information
about federally funded research and development (R&D). Each
R&D task will include dates, summaries, objectives,
researchers, funds, information restrictions and other information
- Requires agencies to conduct privacy impact assessments before
collecting information, or developing or procuring information
technology that collects, maintains, or disseminates such
information.
Federal Information Technology
Workforce
- Requires that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) analyze
the IT personnel needs of the Federal Government, identify where
current training is inadequate, and oversee the development of
curricula, training methods and training priorities.
- Initiates an Office of Personnel Management program, under
which a Federal employee may be detailed to a non-Federal
employer.
Share in Savings Contracts
- Authorizes government-wide use of IT share in savings
contracts to pay contractors from the savings realized. Through
these contracts agencies can lower their costs and improve service
delivery without large "up front" investments as the contractor
provides the technology and is compensated by receiving a portion
of the savings achieved.
Information Security
- Provides effective Governmentwide management and oversight of
IT security risks including coordination of IT security efforts
throughout the civilian, national security, and law enforcement
communities.
- Requires agencies to provide information security protections
commensurate with the risk and magnitude of the harm resulting
from the unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption,
modification or destruction of information collected or maintained
or information systems used.
- Requires that each agency report on its information security
activities in budget and management reports and requires each
agency perform an annual independent evaluation of the information
security program by either its Inspector General or an independent
auditor.
Federal Information Security Incident Center
- Directs OMB to oversee a central Federal information security
incident center which will:
- Provide timely assistance to agencies;
- Compile and analyze information security incident
information; and
- Inform agencies about security threats and vulnerabilities.
Inventory of Major Information Systems
- Requires each Agency to develop and maintain an inventory of
major information systems.
- Provides that the inventory include an identification of the
interfaces between each system, and all other systems or networks,
including those not operated by or under the control of the
agency.
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical
Efficiency
- Requires that OMB coordinate and oversee the confidentiality
and information sharing policies and rules established by the
various agencies.
- Protects the confidentiality interest of individuals or
organizations that provide information for federal statistical
programs.
- Allows disclosure only when it will be used by agencies for
statistical purposes, when approved by an agency head and where it
is not otherwise prohibited by law.
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