H.R. 8408: Legacy IT Reduction Act of 2026

This bill, known as the Legacy IT Reduction Act of 2026, aims to reduce the reliance and spending of the Federal Government on outdated information technology systems, referred to as legacy systems.

Key Provisions

• Inventory Requirement: Federal agencies are required to create and maintain an inventory of all legacy information technology systems they use. This inventory must be compiled within one year of the bill’s enactment and updated every five years. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) of each agency is responsible for this task.
• Modernization Plans: Agencies must develop modernization plans for their legacy systems. These plans are to be submitted to Congress as part of the agency's strategic information resource management plan every five years. The plans must outline priorities for upgrading, retiring, or disposing of outdated systems, along with required steps, estimated costs, and any impacts of these changes.
• Transparency: The bill mandates that inventories and modernization plans be made available upon request to specific congressional oversight committees and the Comptroller General. This provision aims to ensure accountability and oversight of the modernization efforts.
• Guidance from the Office of Management and Budget: The Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination with the Administrator of the General Services, must provide guidance on the implementation of this bill. This includes criteria for identifying legacy systems and templates for reporting required data.
• Exemptions: The bill protects sensitive information from disclosure and exempts national security systems from the inventory and modernization requirements.
• No New Funding: The bill does not provide additional funds for its implementation, indicating that agencies must work within their existing budgets to comply. Furthermore, the bill sets a sunset provision, meaning it will cease to be effective six years after it is enacted.

Accountability and Review

The Comptroller General is required to submit a report to Congress three years after enactment to review the implementation of the bill and assess how it interacts with existing technology modernization initiatives.

Protection of Information

The bill includes provisions to protect sensitive information from being disclosed and ensures that there is no requirement to share information that could compromise the security of governmental operations.

Relevant Companies

None found.