Emerging Tech

Warner, Blackburn team up to reestablish U.S. leadership in international tech standards

New bipartisan legislation would ask NIST to help the U.S. establish a stronger international presence in setting emerging technology standards.

Artificial Intelligence

Senate committees to start marking up AI bills soon, senator says

One of the Republican members of the bipartisan AI working group estimated that major Senate committees will begin marking up AI-related legislation “in March or April.”

Artificial Intelligence

Congressional Black Caucus launches AI Policy Series spotlighting discrimination

The new series of discussions hosted by the House’s Congressional Black Caucus will focus on ensuring AI systems are working for, not against, Black communities. 

Policy

Civil liberties groups urge Congress to keep 702 measures out of upcoming funding votes

Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act is set to expire on April 19 unless reauthorized by Congress.

Artificial Intelligence

IBM calls for stricter regulatory posture on deepfakes

The multinational tech company supported legislation that outlaws synthetic AI-generated content

Defense

US tech is still powering Russian weapons, experts warn

American components that have been found in the sanctioned country’s weaponry are “fueling and supporting the growing and gargantuan Russian war machine,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.

Artificial Intelligence

House forms new task force to tackle AI

The bipartisan collection of 24 lawmakers will work together to push policy on artificial intelligence forward.

Acquisition

VA pharmacy tech glitches put 250,000 veterans at risk, officials say

Data transmission errors in the VA's new commercial health record could potentially lead to providers missing important prescription information on patients who visit multiple agency facilities.

Acquisition

House Oversight lawmaker probes government purchase of Chinese security cameras

A letter to the General Services Administration's CIO asks why he signed off on the equipment purchase, despite alternatives being available.

Policy

Section 702 renewal could pass in funding bill, sources say

Backers of 702 reauthorization in the House Intelligence committee will likely use recent news of classified intelligence gathered using the surveillance power as a way to convince colleagues to support its renewal.

Defense

US reviews export controls in Britain, Australia for high-tech arms sales exemptions

A State Dept. official told a House panel that work to align AUKUS partners with U.S. export control requirements is ‘going very well'.

Digital Government

Senate bill proposes a public website for federal waterway data

New legislation from Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Angus King, I-Maine, would direct the Commerce Department to make “geographic information system data” on federal waterways available on a public website.

Emerging Tech

Senate lawmakers look to set standards for educating America’s AI workforce

New legislation would model emerging tech training on processes used to establish NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education.

Digital Government

Senators look to harden the unemployment system for the next crisis

The White House-backed framework for forthcoming unemployment insurance legislation will retool the way states go after fraud and allows for for oversight of federal investments in UI systems and technology.

Digital Government

House and Senate panels advance bills targeting federal tech

Bipartisan bills focused on government service delivery, contracting, custom code and more have recently been advanced out of committee.

Cybersecurity

Senators want NIST to create cyber guidelines for agencies’ use of civilian drones

The new bipartisan bill would also require that every agency using civilian drones “implement policies and principles based on the NIST guidelines.”

Artificial Intelligence

AI regulation will come from existing frameworks — not a new agency — lawmakers say

A single, overarching AI regulation package or a new AI regulatory agency is unlikely to emerge from Congress, members said.