Policy

Lawmakers press Commerce to restrict Americans from aiding foreign spy agencies

A bipartisan group says unfinished export control rules leave civilian intelligence services able to obtain U.S. cyber, surveillance and AI assistance.

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Trump administration softens demand for hospitals to share emergency room medical records

A consumer safety agency is assuring hospitals that participation in an injury surveillance system overhaul is voluntary despite earlier correspondence obtained by Nextgov/FCW claiming they are required to join.

Policy

Tech bills of the week: Overseeing algorithm-set rental prices; and halting federal overreach in data center construction

Legislation introduced this week seeks to police the use of algorithmic price-setting for home rentals and rein in how the federal government influences new data center construction.

Policy

The watchdog gets watched: GAO’s hiring process length faces scrutiny

In a new report by the inspector general for the Government Accountability Office, investigators also found that in fiscal 2024 the agency excluded certain data from time-to-hire calculations and was inconsistent about when the hiring process started.

Policy

White House S&T strategy calls for new approaches to safeguard US research

The new guidance says the U.S. "will further strengthen its workforce by attracting and retaining top-tier global talent in critical national security S&T fields” — a departure from last year’s National Security Strategy that said global talent “undercuts American workers.”

Policy

Tech Bills of the Week: Leveraging AI for environmental evaluations; crafting a report on China’s AI ecosystem; and more

Recently proposals look, in part, to deploy artificial intelligence solutions to prevent natural disasters from impeding U.S. military operations and evaluate China’s AI chip manufacturing sector.

Policy

GAO official suggests addressing AI risks through existing legislation

Nick Marinos, the managing director of IT and cybersecurity issues at GAO, said leveraging existing avenues for cybersecurity information sharing can expedite getting AI safety policies into law.

Policy

Senate’s short-term funding bill provides temporary extensions for TMF, cyber data-sharing law

The continuing resolution that overwhelmingly passed the upper chamber this weekend would push the federal government’s funding deadline until Dec. 11.

Policy

Tech Bills of the Week: Deterring AI distillation; Taxing AI developers; and more

This week’s bills addressed how to fortify the U.S. AI ecosystem through penalizing adversaries for model distillation, taxing large developers for AI-driven layoffs, and more.

Policy

Tech bills of the week: Support for quantum sciences; Child-chatbot protections; and more

Bills introduced this week feature bipartisan efforts to bolster emerging technologies, specifically quantum information sciences and AI’s impact on nuclear security, plus more chatbot regulations.

Policy

FCC blocks approval of new foreign-made robots, power inverters

National security agencies said the devices could create supply-chain vulnerabilities, threaten critical infrastructure and enable surveillance or remote manipulation.

Policy

Tech Bills of the Week: Regulating chatbot-child communication; AI in the VA; and more

Bills this week focused on how minors — and seniors — engage with generative AI, gauging AI’s efficacy at the VA and addressing a myriad of policy issues.

Policy

Tech bills of the Week: Screen time standards for kids; Teaching elementary school students about AI; Modernizing agriculture and more

Bills this week aim to regulate how children interact with and learn about AI, give America’s farmers more AI equipment and add AI regulation to Medicare claim denials.

Policy

Feds tie counterterrorism grants to election security measures

The new guidance from FEMA would require states to take various steps on elections before receiving funds. Government groups criticized the move as an overreach.

Policy

Tech Bills of the Week: Leveraging AI for cancer research; Securing chatbots for underage users; and more

Congress’ latest bills look to apply AI for both public benefit and enhanced federal operations, namely safeguarding AI chatbots, helping the government strengthen pediatric cancer research and securing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Policy

Trump empties out election commission leadership just months before midterms

The shake-up raises questions about voting system certification, federal election security coordination, and the commission’s ability to approve key policy decisions.

Policy

As DOGE formally sunsets, its public record is still evolving

The temporary organization behind the Department of Government Efficiency sunsets on July 4, but the real closeout question is what, exactly, is ending and what public record is left behind?

Policy

Trump says Pulte can declassify ‘whatever’ he wants, sparking fears of exposing intelligence secrets

“If he doesn’t care about blowing up cyber exploits, putting foreign relationships at risk, or getting people killed, he could declassify a lot,” one former official said.

Policy

Tech bills of the week: Labeling AI-generated content; AI standards for private sector companies; and more

This week’s proposals include a measure to create a reporting process for dangerous AI systems and legislation to collect data on AI’s impact on the U.S. workforce.

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Top House cyber lawmaker plans to introduce DHS overhaul bill by next year

In an interview, Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., also said she plans to ask officials about how export control measures would affect government agencies’ access to advanced AI models.