DATA Act Passes: A New Era for Government Transparency and Efficiency
The Data Transparency Coalition recently gathered in Washington, D.C., for the Data Transparency Summit. The event marked the passage of the DATA Act and explored its future implementation. This significant legislation, passed by both the House and Senate, aims to enhance government efficiency and combat fraud.
The DATA Act, passed as H.R. 2061 in the House and S. 994 in the Senate, standardizes and publishes federal government's financial reporting and spending data in machine-readable formats. This enables large-scale analysis of government data, fostering new businesses and fighting fraud.
Rep. Darrell Issa, a key sponsor of the DATA Act, argued that data-driven efficiency could significantly reduce the national debt. Industry leaders at the summit discussed how automated compliance software could improve government efficiency under the DATA Act. Sponsors Sen. Mark Warner and Sen. Rob Portman also shared their visions for the bill's applications in data-driven governance.
The DATA Act represents a substantial stride in federal data governance. While more work lies ahead to maximize its benefits, the coalition's summit highlighted its potential. As of October 2025, a draft law for implementation has been presented, with the Bundesnetzagentur planned as the central supervisory authority. However, the lack of a national law currently creates legal uncertainty regarding supervision and sanctions.
