Alaska House passes bill aimed at software vendor lock-in

The Alaska House passed a bill Wednesday to limit software vendor lock-in for state and local governments.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 258 passed 26-13.

The bill addresses contracts for licensing software applications. Supporters said some software contracts require government units to move software to the cloud or bar them from using competing cloud platforms.

Ashley Carrick carried the bill on the House floor. She said those requirements can limit flexibility, raise costs and reduce government's ability to choose the most practical technology for public business.

Carrick said the bill preserves state and local decision-making over technology, security and budget priorities. She said it promotes competition, flexibility, fiscal responsibility and long-term cost control.

The measure now moves to the Senate after House changes.