Digital Government
Lawmakers introduce bill to digitize government permitting
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., called the paper-based permitting process “an archaic waste of time.”
Digital Government
Agencies to ‘redouble’ efforts to rightsize their workforces following Supreme Court ruling, White House official says
Agencies are still finalizing decisions on whether they have "too many people in the wrong place," official says.
Digital Government
GSA plans to optimize operations following cost-cutting, agency head says
GSA’s acting head Stephen Ehikian said “phase two” of the agency’s approach will prioritize becoming “much more efficient, much more effective and [with] much more of an eye towards our stakeholders, which is the American taxpayer.”
Digital Government
Justice pushes agencies to use AI-assisted translations, when offering them at all
The July 14 memo encourages agencies to determine which services would be better operated exclusively in English and to make use of AI where translations are needed.
Digital Government
Government is making moves on mobile drivers licenses, GSA administrator says
Login.gov is planning on adding mDLs by March of next year.
Digital Government
Social Security signals potential benefit disruptions this fall for those still getting paper checks
Over half a million people still get their Social Security benefits via paper checks. They’ll need a waiver by the end of September to continue to do so, SSA says.
Digital Government
Inside efforts to capture federal data after ‘the big takedown’
America’s Data Index aims to serve as a “weather forecast” on the state of government data.
Digital Government
Trump’s 'big, beautiful bill' directs Treasury to find a replacement for Direct File
The IRS debuted Direct File — which enabled taxpayers to file online with the agency for free — as a pilot in 2024 and it received largely positive reviews from those that used it.
Digital Government
VA is overlooking accessibility requirements when procuring IT, watchdog says
VA’s Office of Inspector General said the agency “did not establish a control environment that makes accessibility a priority” when it acquires new systems.
Digital Government
Portal of federal employment metrics to get a facelift, OPM announces
The announcement comes months after the removal of race and ethnicity data from the statistics about federal employees.
Digital Government
Mass layoffs likely to remain blocked, for now, thanks to a Supreme Court footnote
The Trump administration is cheering a SCOTUS ruling and its impact on the federal workforce, but attorneys on a key reduction-in-force case say its impact on feds is currently limited.
Digital Government
SSA head wants to beef up agency tech as it sheds thousands of staff
Some experts are skeptical that technology can make up for staffing losses in critical parts of the agency.
Digital Government
Lawmakers spar over DOGE as Republicans look to lock in cuts
Republicans again blocked an attempt to subpoena billionaire and former DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Digital Government
Lawmakers propose digital delivery option for GI Bill documents
Bipartisan legislation seeks to provide veterans and their beneficiaries with the ability to receive electronic correspondence about their GI Bill education benefits.
Digital Government
IRS isn’t sufficiently checking the performance of its identity proofing vendor
The identity validation service, ID.me, is the only option for taxpayers looking to access the more sensitive online services offered by the IRS.
Digital Government
Civic tech leaders worry DOGE is ‘tarnishing’ its tools to improve government
USDS, the White House team DOGE took over in January, was a flagship civic tech organization. Six months later, civic tech is figuring out what’s next.
Digital Government
Trump guts Biden-era digital identity policies, citing false claims about immigrants
The rollback of policies that were intended to help counter fraud comes even as the Trump administration says that fighting fraud is a top priority.
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Digital Government
Direct File is 'beloved by its users,' internal IRS report says
The IRS is reportedly ending the Direct File, but a report obtained via the Freedom of Information Act says that 94% of users rated their experience as “excellent” or “above average.”
Digital Government
USDA wants to modernize farmer services, even as staffing cuts could hurt the effort
The department plans to digitize farmer-facing applications that are still on paper.
Digital Government