Digital Government
House passes SHARE IT Act aimed at custom code in government
Agencies could save money if they shared such code, lawmakers say.
People
Tech modernization, civil service protection big priorities for Virginia's new House Democrat
Virginia’s first Indian-American congressman-elect will bring some tech policy chops to Capitol Hill.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers targeted in encrypted messaging phishing scam
Officials have been urging Americans and federal staff to pivot to encrypted messaging services amid a recent Chinese breach into telecommunications networks.
Artificial Intelligence
Forthcoming House AI report will call for incremental regulation
Rep. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., said he hopes the House AI Task Force’s report will debut sometime in the coming week.
Acquisition
House passes agency software licensing bill
Saving on software licensing appears to also be on the radar of the new DOGE caucus.
Cybersecurity
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Emerging Tech
Senators introduce quantum reauthorization bill with little time left in this Congress
The bill would provide resources across multiple federal agencies to continue advancing quantum information sciences research following the original 2018 program launch.
Cybersecurity
Lawmakers want to enhance HHS cyber engagement with health care orgs
The bipartisan proposal, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., came out of the efforts of a working group focused on protecting medical institutions from digital attacks.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker wants FCC to create AI tool for identifying scams
The measure from Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah., would direct the FCC to develop an online platform that can assess submitted communications and then rate the likelihood that they are scam attempts.
Digital Government
Lawmakers propose electronic tracking system for federal grant applications
The legislation from Rep. Stephanie Bice, R-Okla., would also explore the use of artificial intelligence “to rapidly identify” duplicative or fraudulent grant applications.
Digital Government
Senators call for watchdog to investigate TSA’s use of facial recognition
In a letter to the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General, 12 senators warned that the deployment of facial biometrics at every U.S. airport could create “one of the largest federal surveillance databases overnight without authorization from Congress.”
Modernization
House passes veterans’ package without EHR accountability measures
A spokesperson for the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee said measures related to the electronic health record system were removed from the legislation “due to a lack of political viability in both the House and Senate.”
Emerging Tech
Bipartisan quantum funding bill advances from committee
The Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2024 will head to the Senate floor as part of a push to continue federal investment into quantum computing research and development.
Cybersecurity
New TSA cyber rules leave lawmakers, industry hopeful for happy medium regulations
The agency argues its Nov. 8 proposed rulemaking will dually address the transportation industry’s regulation concerns while ensuring they’re suitably protected from hackers. Others want to wait and see.
Cybersecurity
Hackers nabbed emails between congressional staff and Library of Congress
Affected staff were notified Friday afternoon, according to an internal email. Capitol Hill communications with the Congressional Research Service frequently involve confidential legislative drafts or policies still in the brainstorming stage.
Modernization
Lawmaker looks to improve SBA’s IT modernization after critical GAO review
A proposal from Rep. Nydia Velázquez would require that the Small Business Administration “establish and implement policies and procedures to govern information technology modernization projects.”
People
Senate confirms Biden’s ethics czar, who will remain under Trump
Senate Democrats use dwindling floor time to confirm a new head for the government's ethics office, with whom Trump administration often butted heads in his first term.
Artificial Intelligence
House AI Task Force wants to marry light touch regulations with sector-specific policy
Members of the bipartisan House AI Task Force discussed their priorities for artificial intelligence-focused legislation and how that might impact regulations.
Cybersecurity
Intelligence community briefed Congress on Chinese telecom intrusions
It’s believed the hackers, dubbed Salt Typhoon, accessed call records on numerous Americans, including officials and staff affiliated with President-elect Trump.
Artificial Intelligence