This was in my Facebook feed today from one of my fellow GIS professionals. We need to find out what the heck is going on. It seems that a new bill has been proposed by Warren Hatch that would "Limit federal contracts to A&E firms for almost any mapping-related data collection, analysis, or use activity at the exclusion of vast swaths of current GIS, IT, and mapping industries and related organizations." According to this article by American Association of Geographers
the bill would limit the “geospatial data” services proposed for restrictive procurement open only to licensed A&E firms by the GDA (see section 2 of the bill for the full laundry list) is wildly broad and encompasses data such as:
No, the language in the bill has not changed. Section 11 b and c are still the same: https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/1253/text . Perhaps the language in 36.601-4 in the FAR's has changed? https://www.acquisition.gov/far/html/Subpart%2036_6.html#wp1075548
mike
The bill has been revised and introduced under a new bill number(s).
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/2128
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/4395
These appear to have removed the objectionable portions.
Nice! Section 11 gone!