S. 1443Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Department of Defense Software Management Improvement Act of 2017

Introduced June 27, 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 4:40 PM UTC

The Department of Defense Software Management Improvement Act of 2017 aims to make the DoD’s custom‑developed software more open and reusable. It requires new software created under DoD contracts to be treated as open‑source and placed in an approved public repository, and it encourages the reuse of existing software through prizes and reverse‑engineering projects. The bill affects DoD contractors, the Secretary of Defense, and agencies that manage DoD software.

Key Provisions

  • All unclassified custom‑developed software and related technical data produced under DoD contracts after 180 days from the law’s enactment must be managed as open‑source unless a service acquisition executive waives the requirement.
  • Contractors must release the source code and technical data to a DoD‑approved public repository under a license that allows anyone to use, study, modify, and distribute the software.
  • The Secretary of Defense must apply open‑source licenses to existing custom‑developed software where appropriate and make that code publicly available.
  • The Secretary must establish prize competitions to (a) capture and store existing DoD software and (b) improve, repurpose, or reuse that software for DoD missions.
  • DARPA is tasked with a project to develop methods for locating and reverse‑engineering DoD software when source code is not available.
  • The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) must be amended within 180 days to implement these requirements.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

June 27, 2017

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

June 27, 2017

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

June 27, 2017

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued June 27, 2017

II

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1443

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 27, 2017

Mr. Rounds introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services

A BILL

To improve Department of Defense software management, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Department of Defense Software Management Improvement Act of 2017.

2.

Use of open source software

(a)

Open source software

(1)

In general

Chapter 137 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 2320 the following new section:

2320a.

Use of open source software

(a)

Software development

All unclassified custom-developed computer software and related technical data that is not a defense article regulated pursuant to section 38 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2778) and that is developed under a contract or other transaction awarded by the Department of Defense on or after the date that is 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section shall be managed as open source software unless specifically waived by the service acquisition executive.

(b)

Release of software in public repository

The Secretary of Defense shall require the contractor to release source code and related technical data described under subsection (a) in a public repository approved by the Department of Defense, subject to a license through which the copyright holder provides the rights to use, study, reuse, modify, enhance, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose.

(c)

Applicability to existing software

The Secretary of Defense shall, where appropriate—

(1)

apply open source licenses to existing custom-developed computer software; and

(2)

release related source code and technical data in a public repository location approved by the Department of Defense.

(d)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Custom-developed computer software

The term custom-developed computer software means human-readable source code, including segregable portions thereof, that is first produced in the performance of a Department of Defense contract or other transaction, or is otherwise fully funded by the Federal Government.

(2)

Technical data

The term technical data has the meaning given the term in section 2302 of this title.

.

(2)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding after the item relating to section 2320 the following new item:

2320a. Use of open source software.

.

(b)

Prize competition

The Secretary of Defense shall create a prize for a research and develop program or other activity for identifying, capturing, and storing existing Department of Defense custom-developed computer software and related technical data. The Secretary of Defense shall create an additional prize for improving, repurposing, or reusing software to better support the Department of Defense mission. The prize programs shall be conducted in accordance with section 2374a of title 10, United States Code.

(c)

Reverse engineering

The Secretary of Defense shall task the Defense Advanced Research Program Agency with a project to identify methods to locate and reverse engineer Department of Defense custom-developed computer software and related technical data for which source code is unavailable.

(d)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Custom-developed computer software

The term custom-developed computer software means human-readable source code, including segregable portions thereof, that is first produced in the performance of a Department of Defense contract or other transaction, or is otherwise fully funded by the Federal Government.

(2)

Technical data

The term technical data has the meaning given the term in section 2302 of title 10, United States Code.

(e)

Regulations

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall amend the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement to carry out this section and the amendments made by this section.