Digital Government

House Passes Bill to Permanently Authorize VA’s Tech Training Program

VA’s VET-TEC pilot ran out of funding last month, but lawmakers in the House and Senate are moving to permanently authorize the technology education program.

Digital Government

10 Vendors Receive Over Half of VA's IT Contracts, Drawing Lawmaker Concern

A Government Accountability Office representative told House lawmakers that Veterans Affairs’ IT obligations have been “increasingly concentrated with a small group of vendors.”

Policy

DHS Unveils Departmentwide Body Camera Policy

The new guidance restricts law enforcement agencies under DHS’s authority from using body-worn cameras “for the sole purpose of recording individuals who are engaged in activity protected by the First Amendment.”

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Want DHS to Assess National Security Risks of Doxing 

Proposed legislation would require the Department of Homeland Security to “evaluate risks posed to national security and civilian privacy” by the online release of individuals’ personal information.

Modernization

VA Lacks Goals to Assess Satisfaction With New EHR, Watchdog Finds

The report from the Government Accountability Office found that the absence of such goals has limited the agency’s ability to “objectively measure progress toward improving EHRM users’ satisfaction.”

Artificial Intelligence

Senators Introduce Bill to Create Digital and AI Oversight Agency

The legislative proposal would establish a so-called Federal Digital Platform Commission to regulate online services, including those that offer content “primarily generated by algorithmic processes.”

Cybersecurity

‘Continuing Significant Deficiencies’ Hamper VA’s Information Security Controls, Audit Finds

An audit released by the VA Office of Inspector General found that the department “needs to implement improved controls” to address persistent gaps in its information security program.

Cybersecurity

House Panel Advances Bills to Boost CISA’s Oversight of Open Source Software, Cyber Training

The two measures, which passed the committee with bipartisan support, would give CISA authority across DHS and the federal government.

Cybersecurity

DOD's Zero Trust Initiative is an Unique 'Unity of Effort,' Air Force CIO Says

The Air Force—along with the Pentagon—is also crafting guidance around the safe use of generative artificial intelligence tools and technologies, such as ChatGPT.

Cybersecurity

Lawmakers Reintroduce Legislation to Bolster Satellite Cybersecurity

The bipartisan proposal directs CISA to provide commercial satellite owners and operators with more resources and recommendations to improve their cyber protections.

Artificial Intelligence

House Bill Mandates Disclosure of AI-Generated Content in Political Ads

The legislation follows the Republican National Committee’s release of an entirely AI-generated video last week.

Artificial Intelligence

Biden Administration Examining How Companies Use AI to Surveil Employees

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy is seeking public feedback on companies’ use of artificial intelligence and automated systems to monitor employees.

Digital Government

Permanent Funding for VA’s Tech Training Program Heads to House Floor

VA’s VET-TEC pilot ran out of funding last week, but lawmakers on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have approved bipartisan legislation that would permanently reauthorize the program.

Cybersecurity

How Tax Credits Could Present Near-Term Motivation for More Secure Devices

As federal officials call for tech firms to take more responsibility for the security of their products, some members of Congress and industry voices have highlighted the potential of cyber investment tax credits as an incentive.

Artificial Intelligence

DOD’s Frontline AI Adoption Still Limited by Network and Data Collection

A U.S. Central Command official said that underlying “friction points” present challenges to the military’s widespread adoption of artificial intelligence technologies.

Modernization

House Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reform VA’s EHR Program

The bipartisan proposal would require VA to prioritize system improvements at the five medical facilities currently using the new software before deploying it at any additional sites.

Emerging Tech

Digital Authoritarianism Poses ‘Critical Threat’ to National Security, Intel Chief Says

The top U.S. intelligence official said democratic nations need to develop frameworks that “preserve, to the greatest extent, the promise” of emerging tech that could be used by repressive regimes to censor or surveil citizens.

Emerging Tech

DHS Outlines Cyber Priorities in Release of Delayed Review

The Department of Homeland Security’s long-delayed Quadrennial Homeland Security Review warned that “more complex” threats to the nation, such as crippling cyberattacks, could affect “multiple industries, sectors and national critical functions.”

Modernization

VA Pauses Future EHR Deployments Under ‘Larger Program Reset’

The Department of Veterans Affairs said it plans to delay future rollouts of the new EHR system until it is confident that the software “is highly functioning at current sites and ready to deliver for veterans and VA clinicians at future sites.”

Modernization

House Lawmakers Coalesce Around Bipartisan Fixes to VA’s EHR System

The top Democrat and Republican on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee have started bipartisan negotiations to address the Department of Veterans Affairs’ troubled rollout of its new electronic health record system.