This week, President Joe Biden signed into law the GSA Technology Accountability Act, a landmark piece of legislation designed to enhance transparency and accountability within the General Services Administration (GSA) concerning its technology projects. The new law mandates that the GSA’s administrator deliver an annual report to Congress, detailing all major technology initiatives funded by the Federal Citizen Services Fund (FCSF) and other revenue sources through the Acquisition Services Fund (ASF).
The GSA is responsible for managing numerous shared digital services across the federal government, and the FCSF plays a key role in funding these initiatives. Meanwhile, the ASF generates revenue from business portfolios like Technology Transformation Services (TTS), which has been central to driving the digital transformation efforts within the government.
Key Provisions of the GSA Technology Accountability Act
Under the new law, the GSA will now be required to submit a comprehensive report that outlines key details about each technology project, including:
- Project funding sources
- Detailed project descriptions
- Cost breakdowns
These reports are aimed at increasing transparency and ensuring that taxpayers and Congress are well-informed about the costs and benefits of federal technology initiatives, particularly those run by the GSA’s Technology Transformation Services. The legislation will hold the GSA accountable for demonstrating that the funds allocated for these projects are being spent efficiently and effectively.
The push for this bill was sparked by a report from the GSA Office of Inspector General, which revealed issues related to the Login.gov platform—a single sign-on solution provided by TTS. The report indicated that the GSA had misled customers regarding the platform’s compliance with digital identity standards. In response, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), who chairs the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce, initiated an investigation into the matter.
“Americans deserve to know exactly what their government is spending on technology and whether they’re getting value for it,” Rep. Sessions said in a statement. “This bill is designed to answer fundamental questions about what projects TTS is working on, how much they cost, and whether federal agencies are receiving the services they paid for.”
The GSA Technology Accountability Act aims to provide Congress with the oversight tools needed to assess the effectiveness of the GSA’s technology projects and ensure that the agency remains accountable to both taxpayers and its customers.
Despite the concerns raised by the Inspector General’s report, GSA officials have defended the agency’s role in leading digital transformation efforts within the federal government. Dave Shive, GSA’s Chief Information Officer, has repeatedly highlighted the importance of Login.gov and similar initiatives as part of the U.S. government’s broader strategy to be a global leader in digital innovation.
In October, Shive spoke at the ACT-IAC Imagine Nation ELC conference in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where he emphasized that the U.S. government is increasingly viewed as a leader in large-scale digital transformation, particularly in comparison to other countries such as Estonia and Singapore. He pointed to U.S.-led initiatives like Login.gov as evidence of the federal government’s success in implementing scalable technology solutions.
“We’re setting the global standard,” Shive remarked, “and projects like Login.gov are examples of how we’re transforming government services for the digital age.”
Read more: