Digital Government

Native American Advocates Discuss Barriers To Broadband Before Senate

A Senate Committee hearing focused on the digital divide in rural tribal areas, and where federal programs are falling short.

Cybersecurity

House FISMA Reform Would Empower Federal CISO With Budgeting Authority

Corresponding Senate legislation doesn’t mention the federal chief information security officer but shares other key elements—including a shorter incident reporting window—with a discussion draft issued by the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Digital Government

OPM To Publish Rule Implementing Law Protecting Feds from Discrimination, Whistleblower Retaliation

The Elijah E. Cummings Federal Employee Antidiscrimination Act requires agencies to publish instances when they discriminated or retaliated against federal workers and encourages agencies to punish federal employees responsible for such acts.

Cybersecurity

Corrected: FedRAMP Bill Includes Transparency Provisions for New Advisory Council

The legislation would create a public-private advisory council that would be subject to most of the provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

Cybersecurity

Watchdog Security Reviews Not Guaranteed in FedRAMP Revamp

Legislation recently clearing a key Senate committee stops short of requiring the Government Accountability Office to review vendors’ encryption practices and supply chains.

Digital Government

Cyber Workforce Bill Clears Senate

The bill aims at helping federal offices recruit top cybersecurity talent amid digital threats.

Cybersecurity

Senators Ready to Write Clarifying Legislation to Maintain U.S. Leadership in Crypto

Stakeholders fear an overly broad application of the tax provisions beyond virtual currency exchanges.

Digital Government

Legislation Could Mandate DOD to Review How it Categorizes Drones

The lawmaker that proposed it said he hopes to make it easier for the military to operationalize new UAS technologies.

Policy

Data Broker Sales To Law Enforcement Violate Fourth Amendment, Senator Argues

A Democratic senator promoted his pending privacy legislation as he spoke about the sales of American data to law enforcement agencies.

Policy

Senate Hearing Tackles Harms Caused by Social Media Algorithms

Senators are pushing for more accountability from social media platforms over their algorithms.

Digital Government

NDAA Inclusions Prioritize Pentagon Emerging Technology Pursuits

The legislation’s inclusions would mandate new investments across AI, quantum information science, biotechnology and more.

Emerging Tech

Defense Spending Bill Contains ‘Most Significant’ UFO Legislation Since 1960s

The legislation calls for details on reported health issues connected to UAP sightings, ‘transmedium objects,’ those that hover near military nuclear sites—and more.

Emerging Tech

Senator Doubles Down On Data Privacy, Sends Letter to CFPB

Sen. Ron Wyden asked the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to tighten its rules regarding data broker sales.

Cybersecurity

House Passes NDAA Without Cyber Incident Reporting Legislation

The bill still includes what the House Armed Services Committee referred to as the widest empowerment of CISA since SolarWinds.

Emerging Tech

ACLU Calls for Halt of Homeland Security’s Use Of Facial Recognition Technology

The civil rights organization said that the biometrics technology can lead to discriminatory arrests based on race.

Cybersecurity

OMB Guidance Heralds Automation of FISMA Reporting

The new Federal Information Security Modernization Act guidance also prioritizes security testing and doubles down on CISA’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program.

Emerging Tech

Report: Government Inaction on 6G Risks Ceding More Tech Ground to China

A new report makes the national security case for overseas talent and increased research and development for a 6G infrastructure.

Policy

House Science Committee Ponders Ways to Strengthen U.S. Semiconductor Industry

The United States has lost significant ground manufacturing semiconductors in recent years.