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Policy
Tech bills of the week: Creating data privacy standards; Securing critical infrastructure from drones; and more
Congressional lawmakers introduced a raft of proposals this week, including bills to balance the power needs of data centers with consumer energy costs and to establish guidelines on the types of advanced semiconductors that can be sold to China.
Artificial Intelligence
White House accuses China of ‘deliberate, industrial-scale campaigns’ to steal US AI models
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy told federal agencies that the Trump administration will be enhancing its engagement with the private sector to counter foreign-led distillation campaigns designed to undermine U.S. AI advances.
People
GSA announces latest cohort of Presidential Innovation Fellows
The 17 experts chosen to participate in the program will be detailed to selected federal agencies to help them develop and scale technology-focused projects.
People
Trump nominates third VA CIO since the start of his administration
Gary Shatswell, a senior advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins, was nominated by President Donald Trump to serve in the role of CIO and assistant secretary for information and technology.
Modernization
‘Faster and more disruptive’ tech underscores need to revamp the Fed's operations, its governor says
“The pace of technological change today means that the Fed does not have the time to sit back and ruminate about changes for months and years on end,” Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said.
Emerging Tech
US needs to flesh out strategy to counter China’s robotics advances, lawmakers say
“We can and still must lead in the field of robotics, but to achieve that goal, we need a concerted national effort to support innovation across the full robotics system,” Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., said.
Modernization
House FY27 VA funding bill allocates $3.4B for EHR rollout
The measure, which was voted out of the House Appropriations Committee, withholds 25% of the funds for the EHR modernization project until July 1, 2027, contingent upon VA providing lawmakers with additional information and meeting performance requirements.
Emerging Tech
AI capabilities are needed to counter drone threats, senator says
Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said the use of drones has changed modern conflicts and the U.S. needs to respond to this shifting environment by better leveraging artificial intelligence.
People
FAA sets records in effort to hire gamers as air traffic controllers
The agency received over 12,000 applications in less than two days, making the effort “wildly successful,” according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
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.”
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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.
