The Senate said no to computerized solitaire Thursday night, approving a measure requiring federal employees to remove all games from government computers.
The measure, an amendment to the Treasury and general government appropriations bill, would force agencies to delete computer game programs "not required for official business" within six months after the bill passes. The bill would also prevent employees from putting games on their computers in the future.
Furthermore, the bill prohibits agencies from buying computers that are pre-loaded with games. If complying with that provision is not cost-effective, the agency can conduct a cost-benefit analysis and submit certification and supporting documentation to Congress showing why.
Sen. Lauch Faircloth, R-N.C., proposed the computer game ban after his staff took the senator on a tour of his Web site and he saw how easy it was to switch from games to work areas on the computer, a spokesman said.
Faircloth said the computer game ban "could save the taxpayers millions of dollars recovered from lost productivity."
The Senate is expected to conclude work on the Treasury bill Monday night.
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