Policy

DHS R&D arm to drive climate change response under new bill

The Science and Technology Directorate would take a leading role in climate change resilience research under a new bill.

Policy

VA's health record 'reset' has budget fallout

Secretary Denis McDonough told Senate appropriators on Wednesday that the "reset" of the massive electronic health record replacement project likely means tweaks to the agency's budget request.

Policy

Security a Top Priority in the Software Development Process, Report Finds

However, the government is lagging behind the private sector in using some of these tools.

Policy

House Democrats bring back customer experience bill targeting student loan, passport updates

A bill reintroduced Tuesday aims to codify parts of the White House’s 2021 executive order on making government services more user-friendly.

Policy

GOP Lawmakers Call for Congressional Ban on Members Using TikTok

A coalition of 17 House and Senate GOP lawmakers called for an amendment to both chambers’ rules to bar members of Congress from using TikTok for official purposes.

Policy

21-Year-Old Air Force IT Specialist Charged With Leaking Classified Security Documents

A team of Justice and FBI agents arrested 21-year-old Jack Teixeira in Massachusetts in connection with the widespread intel leak.

Policy

The Biden Administration Tells Agencies to Scale Back Telework

Federal employee unions and career agency HR leaders reportedly were left out of the development of a new Office of Management and Budget memo that instructs agencies to “substantially increase meaningful in-person work at federal offices.”

Emerging Tech

Senator Calls for Cybersecurity Audit of Law Enforcement Wireless Network

FirstNet is a cellular network built for first responders around the country, but at least one federal official told the senator’s office they had “no confidence” in the network’s security.

Policy

Proposed HIPAA Rule Would Restrict Law Enforcement Access to Abortion, Reproductive Health Data Across State Lines

The HHS published a proposed modification to HIPAA’s privacy rule, giving new protections to personal health information related to reproductive care history in the wake of Dobbs and the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Emerging Tech

FCC Officially Launches Its Space Bureau

The agency launched the Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs after reorganizing its International Bureau.

Policy

Paradigm Shift: Recruiting for Lifelong Careers or Public Service Stints

Both long- and short-term public servants can be beneficial for the government in technology and beyond.

Policy

Proposed Bill Would Ban Excessively Loud Streaming Commercials

The legislation would update the CALM Act of 2010 that tackled loud television ads.

Policy

Guiding Principles on Spyware Emphasize Human Rights, Accountability

The Summit for Democracy’s Guiding Principles aim to bring uniformity to how nations use surveillance technology.

Policy

GSA makes a case for Login.gov on Capitol Hill following scathing report

General Services Administration officials addressed allegations that the agency misrepresented identity proofing standards of Login.gov at a hearing Wednesday, as lawmakers pondered the potential for fraudsters in the system.

Policy

Another Democrat joins chorus of concerns about CBP’s mobile app

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) is the latest to express concerns about CBP's mobile application and its role in the asylum process. 

Policy

Senators Reintroduce Bill to Bolster Federal Data Center Security

The bipartisan legislation seeks to protect federal data centers from physical and digital threats by establishing minimum requirements to enhance the security of these critical facilities.

Policy

Senators try again to advance software license bill

Sens. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) have brought back the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act with a few new changes after the proposal came up short last fall.

Policy

US Needs Deeper Global Partnerships to Assert Tech Leadership, Report Argues

A report from the German Marshall Fund calls for “a new foreign policy of technology” that allows the U.S. to maintain its tech leadership on the global stage by working more closely with democratic nations.

Emerging Tech

Pentagon Office Tracking National Security Impact of Silicon Valley Bank Collapse

The director of the Pentagon’s office tasked with connecting relevant tech companies with private capital said in an email that the office is “monitoring national security-related impacts” stemming from the prominent startup lender’s demise.