VA Software Overhaul: New Rule Mandates Sweeping Inventory and License Crackdown to Save Taxpayer Dollars

The Veterans Affairs Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act of 2025, or VAMOSA Act, is essentially a massive, mandated spring cleaning for the VA’s digital infrastructure. It’s aimed squarely at stopping the government from wasting money on software licenses it doesn’t need, doesn’t use, or has bought multiple times.

The Mandate: Stop Buying Software Twice

This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a comprehensive, department-wide policy for managing all its software assets (SEC. 2). Think of every app, every cloud service, every subscription, and every API the VA pays for—it all has to be tracked. The core requirement is creating a complete inventory that goes beyond existing lists, detailing every account, subscription, and usage entitlement. The goal is simple: eliminate waste. The VA must regularly compare what it owns against what it’s actually using and what it paid for to find discrepancies, redundant purchases, and under-used licenses.

For the taxpayer, this means less money spent on shelfware—those expensive licenses sitting unused in a digital closet. If you’ve ever paid for a subscription service for months before realizing you never logged in, you know the feeling. The VA is doing this on a colossal scale, and this bill aims to plug that financial leak. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs must report annually on the estimated cost savings realized from implementing this new policy, putting a clear metric on success.

Putting the CIO in Charge of the Shopping Cart

The bill also puts the VA’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) squarely in the driver’s seat for major tech purchases. The CIO must coordinate with relevant officials on any “significant software acquisition” (SEC. 2, Policy Requirements). While the bill doesn’t define “significant”—which is a bit of a vague spot that might cause headaches for procurement teams—the intent is clear: no more rogue departments buying expensive software without checking if another department already owns it or if it even works with the VA’s existing systems. This is about better governance and making sure the tech works together, which ultimately translates into better service for veterans.

To back this up, the VA must ensure that every employee involved in acquiring or managing software gets annual training. This isn't just a refresher course; the training must cover complex topics like negotiating contract terms to reduce vendor restrictions, comparing commercial off-the-shelf software versus custom development, and evaluating different cost models (SEC. 2, Employee Training). This is the policy equivalent of giving the procurement team better tools for a tough negotiation, which could reduce how much leverage software vendors have over the VA.

The Catch: Do More With Less, and a Sunset Clause

Here’s where it gets real for the VA’s IT and procurement staff: the bill explicitly states that this massive new inventory and compliance system must be implemented using “existing personnel, systems, and funds.” No new budget, no new office, just a significantly increased workload for the current team (SEC. 2, Implementation and Reporting). This is a common challenge in federal mandates, forcing staff to absorb a huge compliance effort without additional resources. If the VA’s current IT teams are already stretched thin, this could lead to delays or incomplete implementation.

Interestingly, the entire authority for this new policy terminates five years after the Act is enacted. This is a temporary mandate, effectively giving the VA a five-year deadline to fix its software management problems and prove the system works. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will review the VA’s progress and report back to Congress within three years, evaluating the cost savings and duplication reduced. This built-in review and sunset clause suggests a trial run approach—if the VA can show real savings and efficiency gains, the policy might be made permanent.