Author Archive
Policy
Tech bills of the week: Improving maternal health; Expanding access for disabled Americans; and more
Lawmakers rolled out legislative proposals to enhance the IRS’ use of technology, require regulatory agencies overseeing financial systems to conduct technology assessments and codify a biometric-based program to identify dangerous individuals before they reach U.S. ports of entry.
Emerging Tech
Secret Service is embracing new solutions to combat malicious drones, director says
U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran explained that the agency is “looking at kinetic solutions — something that we haven’t done before, and something that I’ve asked our technology department to lean into.”
Artificial Intelligence
AI is helping VA speed up claims processing, but Dems worry about errors
“Speed does not equal success,” Rep. Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., said about VA’s use of automation and AI to process veterans’ benefits claims.
People
Pentagon announces senior appointments to CIO’s office
"Their collective expertise in cybersecurity, defense innovation, and enterprise-level strategy is exactly what we need to accelerate our mission,” Defense CIO Kirsten Davies said about her new leadership team.
Modernization
VA resumes EHR rollouts at four Michigan medical sites
The Department of Veterans Affairs previously paused most deployments of its modernized electronic health record system in April 2023 following a series of performance and technical issues.
Policy
Tech bills of the week: Boosting export controls; AI-focused workforce development; and more
During Congress’s final week in recess, new legislation and amendments that were proposed run the tech policy gamut.
Modernization
HHS replaces COBOL-based payroll system
The deployment of the new cloud-based system came after eight months of collaboration between HHS, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.
Artificial Intelligence
VA’s FY27 budget proposal seeks funding for additional AI adoption
VA’s decision intelligence and automation activities would see a 10.9% increase over FY26 enacted levels, with the growth “driven primarily by the AI Infrastructure solution.”
Artificial Intelligence
Secret Service is embedding AI experts across the agency
“I think having this internal team will really help us transform our [AI] adoption across the organization,” Secret Service CIO and CAIO Chris Kraft said about the push to bring fresh tech talent into the agency.
Policy
Tech bills of the week: Limiting adversaries’ access to US tech; and boosting cyber apprenticeships
This week’s proposals are focused on blocking adversaries from gaining access to critical U.S. technologies and manufacturing capabilities, as well as addressing the nation’s cyber workforce shortage.
Policy
Trump’s FY27 budget proposes boosts and cuts to tech operations
Agencies like CISA, NIST and the IRS would see notable reductions in their budgets for next year, while programs at Energy and the VA would get additional financial support.
Featured eBooks
Emerging Tech
State official to EU: Work with us on tech policy or fall behind a generation
“We're not willing to be politely silent, because we are not politely invested,” Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg said about the bloc’s tech regulations.
Policy
HHS reverses Biden-era restructuring of its IT and tech operations
The move includes transitioning oversight of the agency’s chief technology officer, chief data officer and chief AI officer back to the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker looks to award grants for veteran suicide prevention AI models
Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., told Nextgov/FCW that he wants to provide grant funding to figure out which risks “are the ones that we should be paying attention to most closely that contribute to incidents of suicide.”
Digital Government
CMS rule looks to kill faxed, mailed claims in favor of e-submissions
CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said the new rule “will modernize American healthcare by standardizing electronic claims attachments and enabling secure electronic signatures.”
Artificial Intelligence
Lawmaker calls for GAO review of threat actors weaponizing AI
In a letter to the federal watchdog, Rep. August Pfluger, R-Texas, warned that “the nature and scope of the challenges associated with countering these AI-enabled threats are not well understood.”
Policy
Tech bills of the week: Anti-AI moratorium efforts; Supporting small AI businesses; and more
Lawmakers rolled out a number of proposals this week focused on deploying or reviewing uses of AI, including legislation to leverage the tech in the energy grid and democratize the industry landscape.
Artificial Intelligence
CMS seeks to expand tech-driven fight against Medicaid fraud
The agency is looking at “testing new approaches and really being able to think outside of the box” to claw back improper payments, according to CMS COO Kim Brandt.
Artificial Intelligence
Safe AI pathfinding is essential for government adoption, officials say
GSA's architecture lead for AI services said standardized evaluation helps users identify the right models for their needs.
People
VA’s top tech and AI official announces departure
VA Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer Charles Worthington, who first joined the agency in 2017, said in a LinkedIn post that “the time is right for me to step down” from the agency.
