E-Government
In 2002 the federal government passed and signed into law the E-government Act, which seeks to promote greater use of Internet-based information technology across the federal government. The law authorizes $345 million for an e-government fund over the next four years. The bill, spearheaded by Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), marks the first comprehensive effort aimed directly at dealing with electronic information, covering a wide range of issues such as information security and disaster preparedness, the digital divide and government employee training, and information management and dissemination.Of particular interest, the bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to designate up to five pilot projects to "integrate data elements." At least one of these projects must eliminate duplicative data collection and integrate databases maintained by multiple agencies to facilitate public access.
The administration, which is responsible for implementation, must be vigilant if the E-Government Act is to be successful. The legislation is a positive step, but only a first step, which could yield very little without Presidential commitment. Days after the bill's signing, the General Accounting Office released a report questioning the administration's implementation of its own e-government plan, which includes 24 initiatives selected by an OMB task force.
Federal Government Information and Websites
Analysis and Reports
Resource Pages
Legislation
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