The American FROST Act: Leading the World in Open Government Technology

The American "Free, Open Source and Transparent" (FROST) Act represents a bold legislative proposal aimed at fundamentally reshaping how the United States federal government and all taxpayer-funded entities interact with technology. This proposed federal law would mandate that all government departments and organizations transition away from proprietary, licensed software solutions toward free and open source alternatives. Additionally, the Act would establish new standards for transparency in government communications and transactions, creating a more accountable public sector that serves as a global model for digital governance.

A government that hides its code from its citizens cannot claim to be truly transparent, just as a democracy that outsources its technological sovereignty cannot claim to be fully independent.

I. Background: The Need for Change in America

A. The Proprietary Software Problem in America

Currently, the United States federal government, along with state agencies, counties, municipalities, and school districts nationwide, spend tens of billions annually on proprietary software licenses, maintenance fees, and vendor lock-in arrangements. Microsoft Windows dominates approximately 85% of government workstations across the nation, creating dependencies that limit competition and innovation while draining public resources that could be better invested in American communities. These arrangements not only represent massive ongoing costs but also create technological dependencies that can compromise national security and sovereignty.

B. America's Transparency Opportunity

Despite numerous open government laws, current technological practices often obscure government operations from citizens. Proprietary systems frequently hide how data is handled, stored, and shared, while closed-source code prevents independent security audits. America has the opportunity to lead the world by aligning its technological practices with democratic values of transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement.

II. Key Provisions of the American FROST Act

A. Open Source Software Mandate

1. Prohibits the procurement of proprietary licensed software in all federal agencies, and provides incentives for state and local governments to adopt similar policies when viable open source alternatives exist
2. Requires the phased replacement of Microsoft Windows with open source operating systems (e.g., Linux distributions) across all federal government workstations and servers, with implementation support for state and local adoption
3. Establishes a 5-year transition period for full federal implementation, with benchmarks for compliance and incentive programs for state and local participation

B. Government Transparency Requirements

1. Mandates that all non-classified government communications and transactions be stored in accessible, machine-readable, open formats
2. Creates the American Open Government Data Portal where citizens can access government documents, communications, and transaction records from all participating entities
3. Establishes uniform standards for data retention, accessibility, and machine readability across all American government entities
4. Requires the establishment of publicly addressable Git-based code repositories for all government-developed software, applications, and scripts, excluding only those containing security-sensitive information
5. Mandates that all government software development follow open source licensing practices, making code freely available for public inspection, audit, and reuse
6. Implements self-hosted blockchain systems for creating immutable audit trails of government transactions, document modifications, and administrative decisions
7. Requires blockchain-based timestamping and verification for all official government documents and communications to ensure integrity and prevent tampering
8. Establishes smart contract capabilities for automating transparent government processes such as procurement, licensing, and regulatory compliance

C. Implementation Framework

1. Creates the American Office of Open Technology (AOOT) within the General Services Administration to oversee the transition and provide technical support
2. Establishes grants for state and local governments to facilitate compliance and adoption
3. Funds expanded training programs for government IT staff through partnerships with American universities and community colleges
4. Creates the National Open Source Government Initiative to coordinate implementation across federal, state, and local levels

D. Infrastructure Management and Workforce Development

1. Mandates a strategic transition from on-premise hardware to virtualized and service-oriented architecture where appropriate for American government entities
2. Requires the express use of microservices architecture when feasible for hosting web applications and web services, promoting modularity, scalability, and reduced vendor dependencies
3. Mandates the implementation of Secure DevOps practices including continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, automated security testing, and code review processes for all software development
4. Requires the establishment of self-hosted blockchain infrastructure using open source blockchain platforms for document integrity, audit trails, and transaction transparency where applicable
5. Requires each government organization to maintain direct accountability for their information systems within their budgets
6. Mandates the establishment and maintenance of IT departments staffed with qualified engineers for routine maintenance and troubleshooting
7. Places strict limitations on outsourcing to large consulting firms, with caps of 30% of IT budget allocated to external consultants
8. Creates incentives for hiring and training American IT professionals, including apprenticeship programs and educational partnerships with American institutions
9. Establishes competitive technical career paths within government service to attract and retain talent
10. Requires government IT staff to receive training and certification in Secure DevOps methodologies, version control systems, blockchain technologies, and collaborative software development practices

III. Benefits of the American FROST Act

A. Economic Advantages for America

1. Elimination of recurring license fees across all American government entities
2. Reduced hardware requirements allowing extended use of existing equipment
3. Competitive bidding for support contracts rather than vendor lock-in
4. Innovation through collaborative development with international open source communities
5. Microservices architecture enabling incremental upgrades and replacements, reducing the cost of major system overhauls
6. Improved system reliability through distributed architecture, reducing downtime costs and maintenance expenses
7. Secure DevOps practices reducing deployment time, minimizing human error, and decreasing the cost of bug fixes through early detection
8. Automated testing and deployment processes reducing manual labor costs and improving development efficiency
9. Self-hosted blockchain systems eliminating expensive third-party verification and audit services
10. Smart contract automation reducing administrative overhead and manual processing costs for routine government transactions
11. Reduced fraud and compliance costs through cryptographically verifiable audit trails

Conservative estimates suggest American federal agencies alone could save $15-25 billion annually after the transition period, with additional billions in savings possible at state and local levels.

B. Job Creation and Workforce Development in America

1. Estimated creation of 100,000-150,000 new technical positions within American government entities
2. Development of American technical talent through government-sponsored training programs
3. Retention of American graduates by creating attractive technology career paths in public service
4. Creation of new business opportunities for American technology firms focused on open source support and implementation
5. Investment in American technological self-sufficiency and reduced dependence on multinational technology corporations
6. Positioning America as the global leader in government technology innovation
7. Creation of specialized blockchain development and administration positions, establishing America as the pioneer in government blockchain implementation
8. Development of smart contract auditing and security expertise within American government
9. Training programs for blockchain technology creating a skilled workforce that can support both government and private sector blockchain initiatives

C. Security Enhancements

1. Transparent code allows for independent security audits by American institutions
2. Rapid community-led patching of vulnerabilities
3. Reduced risk of backdoors or hidden vulnerabilities
4. Greater control over American government data storage and transmission
5. Microservices architecture providing improved security isolation, limiting the impact of potential breaches to individual services rather than entire systems
6. Enhanced ability to apply security updates to specific services without affecting the entire application ecosystem
7. Secure DevOps practices ensuring automated security testing, vulnerability scanning, and compliance checks throughout the development lifecycle
8. Version control and audit trails through Git repositories providing complete accountability for all code changes and deployments
9. Continuous monitoring and automated security response capabilities built into the development and deployment pipeline
10. Blockchain-based immutable audit trails preventing tampering with government records and providing cryptographic proof of data integrity
11. Distributed consensus mechanisms ensuring data authenticity and reducing single points of failure in critical government systems
12. Enhanced identity and access management through blockchain-based authentication systems

D. Democratic Accountability and American Values

1. Enabling more effective citizen oversight of government operations
2. Providing American researchers and journalists with better access to government activities
3. Creating a culture of accountability within American government
4. Aligning technological practices with American democratic principles and constitutional values
5. Allowing citizens, developers, and security researchers to inspect, audit, and contribute to government software through public code repositories
6. Providing complete transparency in how taxpayer-funded software is developed, maintained, and deployed
7. Enabling collaborative improvement of government services through community contributions and peer review
8. Blockchain-based systems providing citizens with cryptographic proof that government records have not been altered or tampered with
9. Real-time transparency of government transactions and decisions through blockchain audit trails accessible to the public
10. Enhanced voter confidence in government processes through verifiable, immutable record-keeping
11. Smart contract implementation ensuring consistent, transparent application of government policies and procedures

IV. Implementation Challenges and Considerations

A. Technical Transition

1. Legacy system compatibility and data migration across diverse American government entities
2. Training requirements for government employees nationwide
3. Initial deployment and support infrastructure appropriate for America's scale and geographic diversity
4. Application compatibility and alternatives suitable for America's complex governmental needs

B. Infrastructure Transformation

1. American government organizations must develop plans for appropriate virtualization and cloud adoption using open source technologies
2. Data sovereignty must be maintained, with clear requirements that American government data remains under American control
3. Agency-specific requirements for computing performance, security, and reliability must guide infrastructure decisions
4. Internal expertise must be developed for each infrastructure model adopted, with consideration for America's diverse geographic and operational requirements
5. Microservices architecture implementation must include proper service discovery, load balancing, and monitoring systems using open source solutions
6. Government entities must develop containerization strategies using open source platforms (such as Docker and Kubernetes) to support microservices deployment
7. API standardization across American government services must be established to ensure interoperability and data sharing between agencies
8. Secure DevOps pipelines must be implemented using open source CI/CD tools (such as Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar) with automated testing, security scanning, and deployment processes
9. Git-based version control systems must be established for all code, configuration files, and infrastructure-as-code implementations
10. Code review processes and pull request workflows must be implemented to ensure quality control and security compliance before deployment
11. Self-hosted blockchain networks must be implemented using open source platforms (such as Hyperledger Fabric, Ethereum, or similar) with appropriate consensus mechanisms for government use
12. Blockchain nodes must be distributed across American government entities to ensure redundancy and prevent single points of failure
13. Smart contract development and deployment procedures must be established with proper testing, auditing, and governance frameworks
14. Integration between blockchain systems and existing government databases must be planned and implemented securely

C. In-House Technical Capacity

1. Each organization must maintain minimal staffing ratios of qualified IT professionals relative to system size and complexity
2. American agencies must establish competitive salary structures and career advancement opportunities for technical staff
3. Educational partnerships with American universities, community colleges, and technical schools must be established to create talent pipelines
4. External consultants can only be engaged for knowledge transfer, specialized projects, or temporary capacity needs, not routine operations

D. Exemption Framework

1. National security applications without viable open source alternatives
2. Specialized scientific or technical software without open equivalents
3. Temporary exemptions where immediate transition would cause significant disruption to essential services
4. Systems required for international cooperation where open source alternatives are not acceptable to partner nations

E. Cost of Transition

1. Technical infrastructure upgrades across America's vast government enterprise
2. Staff training and certification programs nationwide
3. Migration services and support
4. Temporary parallel systems during transition

V. Addressing Potential Criticisms

A. "Open Source Is Less Reliable"

Many of the world's most critical systems already run on open source software, including much of the internet's infrastructure. Major corporations including Google, Amazon, and Facebook rely heavily on open source technologies for their core operations.

B. "America Is Too Large for This Initiative"

America's scale actually provides advantages for open source adoption. The large user base will accelerate development and testing of open source solutions, while the savings from license elimination will be proportionally larger. Additionally, America's implementation will establish global standards and best practices.

C. "We'll Lose Access to Expert Support"

By building internal capacity and creating competitive technical career paths in American government service, agencies will develop greater expertise than what is typically provided by vendor support contracts. This also strengthens America's technological independence and resilience.

D. "The Transition Costs Outweigh Benefits"

While upfront costs exist, the long-term savings are substantial for America. The FROST Act's phased implementation allows costs to be spread over multiple budget cycles, while savings accumulate permanently once the transition is complete.

E. "This Threatens Private Sector Innovation"

The American FROST Act applies only to government procurement and would actually expand opportunities for American innovative companies to compete for government contracts without the barrier of established vendor relationships.

F. "Total Transparency Creates Security Risks"

The Act includes appropriate exemptions for genuinely sensitive information while focusing transparency on information that should already be accessible to American citizens under existing laws.

G. "Blockchain Technology Is Too Complex and Unproven for Government"

Blockchain technology has matured significantly and is already being successfully implemented in various government applications worldwide. Self-hosted blockchain systems provide greater security and control than traditional centralized databases while offering unprecedented transparency and auditability.

VI. Conclusion: America Leading the Digital Future

The American FROST Act represents an opportunity to position the United States as the global leader in open government technology while realigning government technology practices with American values of independence, fiscal responsibility, and transparency. By embracing open source solutions and strengthening transparency, American government at all levels can better serve citizens while reducing costs and enhancing security.

This transformation would establish America as the world's premier example of digital democracy and create new opportunities for innovation and collaboration between government, citizens, and America's technology sector. The American FROST Act is not merely a procurement policy but a fundamental reimagining of how American government can operate in the digital age—open by design, transparent by default, and accountable to the American people.

When America entrusts billions of taxpayer dollars to systems we cannot examine, maintained by vendors we cannot replace, we are not practicing the fiscal responsibility our citizens expect—we are surrendering technological sovereignty. The American FROST Act is not simply about software choice; it is about America reclaiming democratic control over the digital infrastructure that increasingly shapes our civic life.

This article represents a proposal for potential federal legislation and does not reflect any current bills before the United States Congress.