Tech
Senate Democrats push an accessibility refresh
A new bill would revamp the decades old law requiring the government be accessible online, where many agencies are still falling short
Management
Federal employees exposed to lead and bacteria in water due to delayed GSA response, IG says
A new report found that water quality at a federal building in Detroit included potentially harmful levels of lead, copper and Legionella bacteria, and the Public Buildings Service did not respond to the threat promptly.
Management
Senators take another crack at solving over-classification
The bipartisan Classification Reform for Transparency Act would establish a new task force to narrow the criteria for classifying documents and make it harder for agencies to exempt records from automatic declassification.
Management
Senate bill could reduce feds salary to $1 if they don’t respond to congressional requests
The Upholding Standards of Accountability Act would require agency leaders to testify before congressional committees after publishing any new major rule, among other provisions, in the wake of the Chevron deference decision.
Management
White House roadmap looks to guide emerging tech standardization
The Biden administration unveiled a to-do list for federal agencies developing standards for cutting-edge technologies, focusing on external communications.
News
Biden urges term limits for U.S. Supreme Court justices, new ethics rules
The president proposed a new constitutional amendment that would place term limits and other legal guard rails on Supreme Court justices following recent controversies.
Management
The General Services Administration celebrates 75 years as the federal government’s landlord
The agency is central to efforts to promote green buildings and right-size the federal real estate portfolio.
Oversight
FBI lacks strategy for sharing information with social media platforms about foreign influence threats to U.S. elections
The Justice Department inspector general warned about the risk of sharing information with foreign-owned social media platforms, the FBI not maintaining relationships with companies outside of Silicon Valley and disinformation created using artificial intelligence.
Workforce
Federal worker union shifts presidential endorsements to Harris
Labor groups at federal agencies touted Harris’ record both as a senator and vice president, particularly her co-chairwomanship of a White House task force on union issues.
Management
25 states file an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court to halt EPA’s carbon rule
The rule could end coal-fired power plants in America, attorneys general argue.
Tech
Biden to receive AI national security memo outlining forbidden uses, opportunities for innovation
The memorandum expected to be delivered Friday to President Joe Biden will build upon existing artificial intelligence guidance while highlighting workforce needs and prohibited use scenarios.
Management
House panels review ‘startling’ allegations at Bureau of Indian Education university
An April 2024 report said the school did not act on sexual abuse claims, lacks institutional control to prevent theft and other abuses and is unresponsive to student complaints.
Tech
HHS reorg seeks to streamline tech and cyber policy
A new assistant secretary post will consolidate management of technology, data, AI and health IT.
Pay & Benefits
OPM finalizes rule to ensure temporarily promoted feds are paid properly
A two-decades old Office of Personnel Management advisory opinion capping increased pay for federal workers temporarily performing duties of a higher-graded position at 120 days inadvertently penalized workers rather than their errant employer.
Pay & Benefits
Roadblocks to TSP participation
Federal employees need to have a basic understanding of their retirement benefits from day one on the job.
Oversight
House sends the Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act to president's desk
The chamber also approved two other bills to improve oversight of federal agencies.
Management
Cost overruns and delays plague VA’s new integrated financial management system
The rollout of VA’s modernized financial management and acquisition system has been affected by delays in the department’s new electronic health record system, since “multiple deployments” depend on the EHR’s launch at medical facilities.
Workforce
Gen Z is underrepresented in the federal workforce. Here’s how some experts would fix that
People younger than 30 represent 7% of the full-time civil service despite being 20% of the overall U.S. labor force.
Management