Author Archive
Digital Government
Agencies have struggled to meet IDEA Act requirements, watchdog finds
The Government Accountability Office found that only 70% of the 24 agencies covered by the IDEA Act submitted annual reports between December 2019 and December 2023.
Digital Government
Lawmakers want government to promote use of digital IDs
Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., told Nextgov/FCW that he’s hoping to get his Improving Digital Identity Act included in the House AI Task Force’s list of recommended policy proposals.
Digital Government
Commerce launches initial phase of its space traffic coordination system
The new system will provide conjunction data messages “for approximately 1,000 space objects six times a day” during phase 1.0.
Modernization
VA officials say they can finish the digital GI Bill platform without more delays, cost overruns
Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., said the Department of Veterans Affairs is “batting zero” when it comes to finishing major IT modernization projects on time and within budget.
Digital Government
VA offers veterans nationwide access to emergency telehealth care
The department said the new tele-emergency care resource will allow veterans to connect with clinical triage nurses for timely medical evaluations.
Digital Government
FCC to vote on georouting for suicide and crisis lifeline calls
The FCC plans to vote on rules during its Oct. 17 open meeting that would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting for calls to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
Modernization
VA's EHR clocks more than 800 'major performance incidents' since go-live, watchdog finds
VA’s Office of Inspector General identified 826 outages, degradations and functionality gaps that meet the definition of a major performance incident outlined in the EHR modernization project’s contract.
Artificial Intelligence
House bill looks to expand Energy’s AI research and development
Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., said the bipartisan proposal would “position the Department of Energy to develop high-performance platforms, responsibly cultivate training data and improve energy efficiency to support safe AI innovation.”
Modernization
Agencies score record number of A's on latest FITARA scorecard
GAO Information Technology and Cybersecurity Director Carol Harris said the biannual review has saved the government a total of roughly $31.4 billion since it first began in 2005.
Digital Government
Veterans Crisis Line looks to balance anonymity with location tools
Matthew Miller, the executive director of VA’s office of suicide prevention, said crisis line responders “want to be very careful how much we pursue information from the veteran, unless it's absolutely necessary to provide them with the highest quality care.”
Modernization
VA needs stricter oversight for EHR deployment, top Republican says
Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., who chairs the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization, said he appreciated VA’s engagement with Congress “about establishing some metrics that Oracle has to abide by in order to keep this moving forward.”
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Artificial Intelligence
Agencies have met all AI mandates for management and talent, watchdog says
The Government Accountability Office said agencies’ compliance with 13 key AI benchmarks in the 2023 executive order “is likely to increase AI expertise in high-priority areas quickly and more efficiently.”
Modernization
Space missions rely on private sector engagement, NASA official says
The space agency needs to work more closely with its commercial providers to meet critical flight requirements.
Artificial Intelligence
CIA looks to fast track AI adoption through cloud contract
A CIA official said the agency is working with the five recipients of its Commercial Cloud Enterprise contract to “get commercial [large language models] up into our high-side environments.”
Emerging Tech
FCC rule grants drone operators spectrum access for navigation
The agency said assigning spectrum access in the 5GHz band is an initial step toward integrating drones into the National Airspace System.
Digital Government
Cost of VA’s Digital GI Bill has nearly doubled amid delays and contract challenges
The agency’s Office of Inspector General said in a new report that initial contract requirements for the Digital GI Bill platform “were unclear and included unrealistic expectations.”
Digital Government
AI can help FOIA offices combat onslaught of bot-powered requests, report says
According to a report from software firm OPEXUS, 93% of FOIA officers believe “AI has a key role to play in helping to review, sort and deduplicate requests.”
Acquisition
DOJ suit claims Georgia Tech ‘knowingly failed’ to meet cyber standards for DOD contracts
The Justice Department has joined onto a whistleblower lawsuit filed by two senior staffers on Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity compliance team that was filed in 2022.
Digital Government
VA should offer more support for Veterans Crisis Line personnel, watchdog says
VA’s Office of Inspector General found that the Veterans Crisis Line successfully prepared for the launch of the streamlined “988 then press 1” call option for those in crisis but strained supervisors’ ability to guide responders.
Cybersecurity
FAA proposes new cyber rules for airplanes and aviation equipment
The rules are designed to combat cybersecurity threats targeting aircraft, engines and networks aviation systems.
