SPOTLIGHT: What the Economic Stimulus Plan means for government IT

Today is a pivotal day for the recovery of the U.S. economy, and the future of government information technology and tech oversight. Later this afternoon in Denver, President Barack Obama will sign into law the $787 billion stimulus bill recently approved by Congress.

FierceGovernmentIT has been covering the development of this bill closely, and noting its many implications for government IT. Finally we have a finished product to pour over; here is a PDF of the final bill. The bill contains hundreds of provisions and totals 1,073 pages. Fortunately, the Wall Street Journal compiled a complete rundown of how much money is being spent on each initiative.

The package will dedicate $19 billion to the development and adoption of electronic medical records. While the technology associated with this initiative may be crafted in the private sector, execution and compliance will be a major concern for government IT workers.

Discussions about the privacy of such a program are underway, which is both a relief to citizens and a daunting task for federal employees. Under the plan, patients can request an audit of their electronic record, showing the disclosures of their health information, reports a Nextgov.com article.

Interestingly enough, an E-Verify mandate is missing from this legislation. This is a major victory for those who think the E-Verify program is unnecessary. It also heralds the end of the program when it is set to expire on March 6, 2009, reports a Computerworld.com article.

As government agencies work with contractors in the private sector on projects aimed to stimulate the economy, there will be some tough decision making when it comes to distributing funds and allocating employees to oversee new projects. What's more, in keeping with Obama's push for transparency, such efforts should be clear to the American people.

For more on the Economic Stimulus Plan see our continuous coverage.