http://www.fcw.com/online/news/150986-1.html 

By Matthew Weigelt
FCW.com
December 4, 2007

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the E-Government 
Reauthorization Act could cost the government about $29 billion over a 
four-year period, mainly for securing agencies information systems.

The Office of Management and Budget said agencies spent about $5.5 
billion in fiscal 2006 to meet the Federal Information Security 
Management Act, according to a CBO cost estimate report released today 
about the reauthorization legislation.

Continuing the same updates, FISMA requirements would consume $27.9 
billion of the $29 billion that the legislation would cost the 
government between 2008 and 2012, which includes adjustments for 
anticipated inflation, according to CBO. It also estimates that 
continuing current activities and starting new programs authorized by 
bill would make up the remaining $1.1 billion.

But CBO believes agencies could save administrative costs through 
e-government as they collect information from the public and provide 
government services. CBO has no way to calculate how much, though, 
according to the report.

The bill would authorize money for programs that improve how the 
government deploys services and accesses information. It also would 
centralize many agencies Internet-related activities.

Specifically, it would authorize the General Services Administrations 
E-Government Fund for interagency projects and the Office of Personnel 
Managements IT personnel needs for the federal workforce. It would also 
authorize the National Institutes of Standards and Technologys research 
related to information security.

The e-government authorization expired this year. The Senate Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the reauthorization 
act Nov. 14, but there is no House companion bill.

CBO also released a cost estimate today for the Inspector General Reform 
Act, which the committee also approved Nov. 14.

CBO estimates the bill would cost the government $83 million to 
implement.

The reforms would make IG offices separate agencies, give them the same 
authority as the agencies they monitor and authorize them to submit 
their own annual budgets. Those provisions, among others, could cost 
about $53 million from 2008 to 2012, according to the report.

The bill would establish an IG council to discuss areas of weakness in 
the IG community and investigate fraud allegations against IGs. CBO 
estimates that setting up the council would cost $25 million.

Estimates for increasing salaries for IGs would cost $4 million, and 
semiannual reports to Congress would cost $1 million, according to CBO.


__________________________________________________________________      
Visit InfoSec News
http://www.infosecnews.org/