Senate Bill Denies AI Section 230 Immunity Jun 16, 2023 | 11:50 am This week, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., introduced the No Section 230 Immunity for AI Act, aiming to clarify that Section 230 immunity should not apply to generative AI. […]
House Panel Unanimously Passes FAA Reauthorization Act, Major Tech Provisions Jun 15, 2023 | 3:29 pm The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Wednesday approved bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and aviation safety and infrastructure programs for the next five years, by a unanimous 63-0 vote. […]
Senate HSGAC Clears Federal AI Transparency Bill Jun 15, 2023 | 9:24 am The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on June 14 voted to approve the Transparent Automated Governance Act, which would require Federal agencies to notify people when they are interacting with – or subject to critical decisions made using – artificial intelligence (AI) and other automated systems. […]
Senate Bill Aims to Establish Office of Global Competition Analysis Jun 12, 2023 | 11:43 am A new Senate bill aims to establish an Office of Global Competition Analysis to assess how the United States fares against other countries in emerging technologies such as AI. […]
Senators Introduce Bipartisan Cybersecurity Partnership Bill Jun 9, 2023 | 12:59 pm Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and James Lankford, R-Okla., introduced on June 7 a bipartisan piece of legislation that would strengthen the ability of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to work with international partners on matters of cybersecurity. […]
Rep. Comer Pushes White House to Fill Agency IG Vacancies Jun 9, 2023 | 9:38 am House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is urging President Biden to promptly nominate candidates to fill inspector general (IG) vacancies at the Department of State, the Department of Treasury, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). […]
Interior Dept. Raked Over Cyber Coals; GAO Calls for Permanent NCD Jun 8, 2023 | 12:38 pm The Interior Department took a beating at a House hearing on June 7 delving into the agency’s ineffective password protections revealed earlier this year, while a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official called on President Biden to solidify Federal agency cybersecurity leadership by appointing a permanent National Cyber Director. […]
Congress Still Near Square One on Possible AI Regulation Jun 7, 2023 | 3:24 pm As the pros and cons of emerging generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have become a hot topic of policy debate in recent months, Congress appears to be just lining up at the starting gate with its own efforts to explore possible regulation of the technology. […]
Debt Ceiling Bill Wraps up, Skinny Fed Civ Budgets Come Next Jun 2, 2023 | 2:43 pm The Senate late on June 1 voted to approve the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which would increase the national debt limit through early 2025 and avoid the government hitting its borrowing limit early next week. […]
Senate Bill Aims to Strengthen Cybersecurity in Abraham Accords Jun 1, 2023 | 2:02 pm A bipartisan group senators wants to authorize cybersecurity cooperation between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and nations that have signed onto the Abraham Accords countries through a new piece of legislation introduced on May 31. […]
Senate Pledges Speedy Action on Debt Ceiling Bill Jun 1, 2023 | 9:59 am Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., today pledged to waste little time in Senate consideration of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 bill approved by the House on Wednesday evening. […]
Lawmakers Seek to Balance Economic, Tech Interests with China May 31, 2023 | 4:30 pm As China continues on its path to become the leading cyber adversary to the United States, lawmakers and government officials are looking for ways to strike a balance that will cater to benefits of economic partnerships with China while not exposing American security interests in the process. […]
DHS CIOs Chart Paths to Ditch Legacy IT Systems May 31, 2023 | 3:44 pm The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is in the process of updating its Information Technology Strategic Plan for fiscal years (FY) 2024-28, with an emphasis across the agency on moving away from older legacy IT systems, the agency’s chief information officer (CIO) said today. […]
House Oversight Republicans Hammer Away on Telework Rates May 26, 2023 | 2:50 pm House Oversight and Accountability Committee Republicans led by Chairman James Comer, R-Ky. sent letters to 25 Federal agencies this month to conduct oversight on Federal telework and remote work rates and policies – and to get more granular data on telework rates. […]
House Okays Bill to Cement Popular VA Tech Training Program May 26, 2023 | 1:31 pm The House of Representatives on May 24 voted to approve legislation that would permanently authorize the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VEC-TEC) program, which is run by the Department of Veterans Affairs and subsidizes tuition for veterans training in technology fields. […]
New Bipartisan Bill Eyes Evidence-Based Policy Group May 26, 2023 | 12:51 pm A bipartisan group of House members on May 24 introduced a resolution to establish a bipartisan Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. […]
Lawmakers are Looking for Online Passport Renewal Answers May 23, 2023 | 2:48 pm Lawmakers are demanding answers on the backlog of American passport applications – as well as the Online Passport Renewal (OPR) system – being processed by the Department of State in a recent letter to Rita Bitter, assistant secretary for consular affairs at the State Department. […]
Bipartisan Senators Reintroduce NTIA Cybersecurity Bill May 22, 2023 | 3:15 pm A bipartisan pair of senators have reintroduced a piece of legislation that looks to strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure across the U.S., by creating a new cybersecurity office as part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act. […]
Republican Senators Introduce Bill to Curb Telework for Feds May 22, 2023 | 9:21 am Various Republican senators are joining their House colleagues in looking to put an end to pandemic-era remote work for Federal employees with a new piece of legislation aimed at curbing what they call “laziness” in the Federal workforce. […]
Senate HSGAC Clears Software Oversight, AI Training, Satellite Cyber Bills May 19, 2023 | 9:52 am The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on May 17 voted to approve three bills that would increase oversight of Federal government software contracts, create an artificial intelligence training program for Federal officials, and gather cybersecurity best practices for the satellite sector. […]
House Homeland Security Okays Open Software, Training Bills May 18, 2023 | 9:41 am The House Homeland Security Committee approved two notable cybersecurity-related bills during a markup session on May 17, sending them to the full House for further consideration. […]
OpenAI CEO Suggests AI Regulations During Subcommittee Hearing May 16, 2023 | 3:08 pm Samuel Altman, chief executive officer (CEO) for OpenAI, – the company that created the famed ChatGPT AI tool – testified before Congress about the need for quick and robust AI regulations. […]
Senate Bill Aims to Create Agency-Level Emerging Tech Leaders May 15, 2023 | 12:09 pm Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., has introduced legislation that would require Federal agencies to designate senior officials to ensure that the Federal government’s use of emerging technology is consistent with “democratic values.” […]
King, Gallagher Back Walden for Permanent NCD May 15, 2023 | 11:43 am House and Senate lawmakers called on President Biden last week to expedite the nomination of Kemba Walden to head the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), which she has run in an acting capacity since February. […]
GOP Bill Would Make it Easier to Fire Federal Employees May 15, 2023 | 9:43 am Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate have reintroduced a bill that would make it easier to fire Federal employees, making them at-will workers. […]
New Congressional Voice on Cyber Calls for CISA Oversight May 15, 2023 | 9:33 am A new congressional voice on cybersecurity issues is vowing to heighten oversight of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to help fight the growing threat of cyberattacks. […]
Senators File Bill to Overhaul Security Classification System May 12, 2023 | 12:15 pm A group of senators introduced bipartisan legislation this week that aims to reform the security classification system to reduce overclassification, prevent mishandling of classified information, promote better use of intelligence, and enhance public trust – including investing in new technology to do just that. […]
MeriTalk Q&A: Cornelius Leaves HSGAC, Previews Busy Legislative Menu May 12, 2023 | 9:27 am Matthew Cornelius, who for the past 20 months has been a high-energy force – mainly behind the scenes – for a good deal of the IT and cybersecurity legislation that has come out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), pulled up stakes last week and departed government service. […]
Bipartisan Senators Introduce Voting IT Security Bill May 12, 2023 | 9:26 am A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation that would strengthen the IT security of many voting systems across the country. […]
Lawmakers Worry About U.S. Capabilities to Counter China Tech Dominance May 11, 2023 | 1:26 pm Lawmakers voiced their concerns about U.S. capability and progress in countering the increasing threat of China dominating the technology sector. […]