Senate appropriators on Aug. 2 announced a bipartisan plan to keep the government funded through Dec. 11, while extending authorization for the Technology Modernization Fund (TMF), the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015), and the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act.
The draft continuing resolution (CR) would largely maintain current government funding levels through Dec. 11 and prevent several key federal technology and cybersecurity authorities from expiring at the end of the fiscal year.
TMF gets extension
The TMF extension comes days after a coalition of leading technology organizations sent a July 30 letter urging Senate appropriators to continue the program.
Created under the Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2017, the TMF provides agencies with funding for technology modernization projects that they can repay over time.
The letter, spearheaded by the Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI), warned appropriators that the TMF’s authorization is set to expire on Sept.30 without congressional action. It explained that the Technology Modernization Board would be unable to make new investments if the Sept. 30 deadline passes, but it could continue oversight of existing investments.
The letter cited a recent Government Accountability Office report, which found that the fund had achieved “small savings” so far but is expecting “substantial future savings.” Of the 68 TMF projects approved so far, GAO said, 11 have saved a total of $13.5 million, with 24 expected to save a combined $1.06 billion over time.
“We were thrilled to see the Senate include the TMF authorization language in the CR, so the fund can deliver on the savings that technology modernization brings to the taxpayer,” Ross Nodurft, executive director of ADI, told MeriTalk.
“We understand that this extension only lasts until December 11th, and we will continue to work with Congress to authorize and support this important fund going forward,” Nodurft said.
CISA 2015, Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act also get extensions
In addition to the extension of the TMF, the CR also includes extensions of CISA 2015 and the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act through Dec. 11.
CISA 2015 established a legal framework for government and the private sector to share cybersecurity threat data.
The Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act formally codified and authorized the National Cybersecurity Protection System (NCPS). The extension reauthorizes the NCPS program, which helps agencies detect and prevent cyber threats from compromising the federal civilian government’s IT infrastructure. The program is overseen by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The Senate’s CR comes after the House passed a bill on July 21 to temporarily fund the government through Dec. 4, seeking to avoid a potential government shutdown before the midterm elections in November. The Senate bill would extend funding through Dec. 11, one week longer than the House proposal.