Tech-sector trade group Alliance for Digital Innovation (ADI) sent a letter to the House and Senate Armed Services committees on Oct. 20 asking lawmakers to reconsider a provision in the forthcoming national defense policy bill that would require vendors to provide a software bill of materials (SBOM) on the technology they provide government agencies. […]
Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., have introduced new legislation that aims to counter the influence of foreign adversaries on the United States telecommunications infrastructure – and beyond the current sanctions on China-based equipment makers including Huawei and ZTE. […]
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., requested information on Oct. 17 from the Department of Transportation (DoT) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) about cyberattacks that targeted the U.S. aviation sector last week. […]
Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, and Frank Lucas, R-Okla., have sent a letter to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Director, Arati Prabhakar, requesting details on how OSTP plans to implement new guidance that directs Federal agencies to make Federally-funded research publicly accessible. […]
President Biden on Oct. 17 signed into law the Artificial Intelligence Training for the Acquisition Workforce Act, which aims to improve the Federal workforce’s understanding of AI and ensure its ethical and safe use. […]
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va. – who know better than many about national security risks – likes the recently enacted CHIPS Act both as an eventual cure for semiconductor supply chain disruptions, and as a way to create effective competition against suppliers from China that pose potential national security risks to the United States. […]
Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., formally opened deliberation for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on the Senate floor on Tuesday. However, a final vote on the bill is unlikely to occur until after the midterms. […]
Richard Revesz – President Biden’s nominee to become the Administrator for the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) – told senators at a September 29 nomination hearing that he is targeting updates to existing regulatory analysis standards if he is confirmed to the new post. […]
Officials from academia and the private sectors told senators last week that the United States needs to speed its efforts to develop advanced technologies – including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum information science (QIS), and distributed ledger tech (DLT) – to stay ahead of rapid development in those areas by China. […]
The House last week voted to approve an updated version of legislation that would codify into law and update the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP). […]
President Biden on September 30 signed into law the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Extension Act of 2022, which extends the programs for another three years. They had been scheduled to expire on September 30. […]
Several House Democrats introduced legislation late last week to limit the ability of law enforcement agencies to use facial recognition technologies. […]
The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress voted on September 29 to adopt 24 recommendations aimed at improving the performance of legislative member offices and committees. […]
The House today voted to approve continuing resolution legislation that will fund the Federal government – mostly at fiscal year 2022 spending levels – until December 16. The House approved the bill by a vote of 230-201, with ten Republicans voting for the measure. […]
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on September 28 approved by voice vote the Securing Open Source Software Act, which aims to put more Federal government muscle behind protecting open source software following the emergence of the Log4J vulnerability late last year. […]
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is on track to release the first version of its Artificial Intelligence (AI) Risk Management Framework by January 2023, NIST’s IT Laboratory Chief of Staff told lawmakers on Thursday. […]
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on September 28 voted to approve the Access for Veterans to Records Act of 2022, which aims to cut down on the existing backlog of service records requests by U.S. military veterans. […]
President Biden signed the Chips and Science Act into law just last month, but Department of Commerce (DoC) Secretary Gina Raimondo said this week that Americans need to see tangible benefits from this legislation “as fast as possible” to build needed long-term support for domestic semiconductor production. […]
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted on Sept. 28 to advance the Federal Contracting for Peace and Security Act, which would prohibit Federal government procurement from companies that operate within Russia. […]
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted today to advance the Computers for Veterans and Students (COVS) Act, which would open a new pipeline for the Federal government to send computer gear to students and veterans. […]
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved by voice vote today a bill that would order Federal government agencies to undertake an inventory of all software used by the government – with a view toward eventually creating strategies to consolidate government software contracts, create governmentwide software licenses, and move toward adopting open-source software. […]
The legislative push to develop digital identity systems took another step forward today when the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted today to advance the Improving Digital Identity Act. […]
House leadership has teed up votes for this week on legislation to extend the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, and a bill shepherded by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., to provide for Federal workforce safety measures during health-related emergencies. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, […]
The Biden-Harris administration last week appointed six policy leaders to the newly established CHIPS for America offices – which are housed within the White House and the Department of Commerce (DoC) – to lead the way in implementing the CHIPS and Science Act. […]
There is a great amount of concern on both sides of the aisle surrounding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ability to ensure timely access to healthcare. […]
The nomination hearing for the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Archivist took place amidst pressure from government officials to modernize the agency’s record-keeping capabilities. […]
Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., reintroduced the Chai Suthammanont Remembrance Act for the third time in hopes that the bill designed to protect Federal employees during health emergencies will finally pass the Senate. […]
Witnesses at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing on September 14 urged action by lawmakers to wall off access to personal data of United States citizens by foreign powers who are hostile toward the U.S. […]
The House of Representatives voted 225-204 on Sept. 15 to approve the Preventing a Patronage System Act, which aims to block any future moves to assign Federal workers to newly created “excepted” service schedules. […]
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is working closely with industry and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to finalize its cyber performance goals, an agency official told lawmakers on September 15. […]