PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 4098: Secure Federal File Sharing Act

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 4098: Secure Federal File Sharing Act

111th Congress · introduced 2009-11-17 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2009-11-17 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 1 recorded vote in our records. Latest: House roll call 183 (2010): On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended, HR4098 (2010-03-24), Passed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Secure Federal File Sharing Act

Plain summary

Secure Federal File Sharing Act - Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance to: (1) prohibit the download, installation, or use by government employees and contractors of open-network peer-to-peer file sharing software on all federal computers, computer systems, and networks, unless approved in accordance with procedures under this Act; and (2) address the download, installation, or use by government employees and contractors of such software on home or personal computers as it relates to telework and remotely accessing federal computers, computer systems, and networks. Requires the Director to develop a procedure for receiving requests from heads or chief information officers of agencies for approval for use by government employees and contractors of specific open-network peer-to-peer file sharing software programs that are: (1) necessary for day-to-day business operations, for use in the course of a law enforcement investigation, or to perform official agency business; or (2) instrumental in completing a particular task or project that directly supports the agency's overall mission. Requires the Director to direct agencies to: (1) establish or update personal use policies to be consistent with the guidance issued under this Act; (2) require contracts to require contractor compliance with that guidance; (3) update their information technology security or ethics training policies to ensure that all employees are aware of the requirements of that guidance and the consequences of engaging in prohibited conduct; and (4) ensure that proper security controls are in place to prevent, detect, and remove file sharing software that is prohibited. Requires the Director to report annually to specified congressional committees, including: (1) a justification for each open-network peer-to-peer file sharing software program that is approved under this Act; and (2) an inventory of the agencies where such programs are being used. Requires the budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, to be determined by reference to the latest statement titled "Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation" for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Secure Federal File Sharing Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Towns, Edolphus [D-NY-10] · 11 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4098, Secure Federal File Sharing Act (2010-03-10); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4098, Secure Federal File Sharing Act (2010-03-10); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4098, Secure Federal File Sharing Act (2010-03-22); CBO cost estimate: H.R. 4098, Secure Federal File Sharing Act (2010-03-22)

Cosponsors on this site

Peter Welch (D-VT), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Danny K. Davis (D-IL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)

Recorded votes

Words on this page, explained (2)
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Statute
A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong111-hr4098 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111