Modernization
FedRAMP to announce major overhaul next week
The initiative would seek to automate much of the cloud security program’s approval workflow and shift more control to the private sector.
IRS is evaluating its tech investments and modernization
The agency has been trying to update a tax processing system that uses an outdated programming code for over a decade.
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SSA weighs axing payments to 170,000 beneficiaries
The move to cease making payments to people without Social Security numbers would imperil the benefits of thousands of immigrants’ children with disabilities.
VA needs updated cost estimate and rollout schedule for EHR, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said VA is making “incremental improvements” to its new electronic health record system during an operational pause on additional deployments but added that “much more remains to be done.”
VA plans to deploy new EHR at 13 medical facilities in 2026
The department said it will be adding nine sites to its 2026 deployment schedule, although it added that it will announce the specific facilities later this year.
Lawmakers want VA to nail down total EHR modernization cost
Estimates for how much it would cost VA to fully deploy its new electronic health record system have ranged from $16.1 billion to almost $50 billion.
Employees helming the U.S. nuclear stockpile among those terminated
Probational employees at Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration were fired on Thursday as concerns over DOGE access to sensitive information mounts.
PSI wins $156M Veterans Affairs testing recompete
Planned Systems International conducts tests and manages projects related to the rollout of the new Oracle Cerner electronic health record.
DHS watchdog investigating TSA’s use of facial recognition
The review comes after a bipartisan group of senators previously called for the watchdog to look into TSA’s use of biometric tools “from both an authorities and privacy perspective.”
HHS pause on external comms delaying upcoming health summits
Two planned events have been indefinitely postponed as a result of the Trump administration’s freeze on HHS-related mass communications and public appearances.
VA plans to restart EHR rollouts in mid-2026, despite viability concerns
VA Secretary Denis McDonough previously told Congress that the department was looking to end its pause on new deployments of the Oracle Cerner software in fiscal year 2025.
Ramaswamy cites legacy tech and fraud as early DOGE priorities
Department of Government Efficiency Co-Chair Vivek Ramaswamy called IT modernization “low-hanging fruit,” but reaping cost savings will take up-front investment — and time.
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Experts recommend using TMF to focus on product — not project — delivery
The memo is one of several “Day One” ideas for the incoming Trump administration from the Federation of American Scientists.
Education launches 2025-26 FAFSA following weeks of testing
The public release of the online form follows a delayed and glitchy version released last year.
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review
A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”
SSA taps TMF to upgrade online services
The General Services Administration announced $50 million in new investments Tuesday, covering tech upgrades at the Social Security Administration and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
FCC adopts georouting rules for national suicide and crisis lifeline
The Federal Communication Commission's new rules will require U.S. wireless providers to automatically route calls and text messages to the 988 lifeline to local crisis centers based on the callers’ physical locations.
Officials describe rosy future for problem-plagued background check system overhaul
One interagency official said a long-awaited implementation strategy for the National Background Investigation Services system would be released this week.
HHS to crack down on providers blocking access to electronic medical records
The Department of Health and Human Services has received more than a thousand claims of blocked or stymied access to electronic health record information in recent years.
