Tech

SSA Beta Launches Redesigned Website

The Social Security Administration is collecting feedback on a website redesign before using it to replace the agency's current website later this year. A major goal: making it all less confusing.

Oversight

House Panel Launches Probe Into ID.me

The Committee on Oversight and Reform wants information about the identity verification company. At least nine other federal agencies and 30 state governments also use the service, the committee says.

Management

White House Takes Aim at Administrative Burdens

The Office of Management and Budget wants agencies to cut down on administrative burdens people have to endure to get government benefits. It's using the 1995 Paperwork Reduction Act to do it.

Tech

OPM Unveils a New Toolkit for Agencies to Hire Cyber Talent

A new resource hub from the Office of Personnel Management outlines what benefits agencies might be able to offer to fill cyber positions.

Tech

IRS Aims to Clear Backlogged Tax Returns by the End of Year

As of March 18, the backlog of unprocessed paper tax returns was at nearly 15 million but IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told lawmakers that he wants to get that to a “healthy” level. 

Workforce

Inglis Says He Won't 'Dictate' Cyber Workforce Policy

National Cyber Director Chris Inglis said that part of his job in the cybersecurity workforce arena will be ensuring that the roles of different agencies are coordinated.

Oversight

New Bill Takes Aim at Veterans Records Backlog

Some of the new bill's provisions had previously been included in the House version of the Build Back Better reconciliation bill.

Tech

The Labor Department Seeks $3.4B for Unemployment Insurance Programs, Including IT Modernization

The increase in unemployment funding would include $150 million for program integrity efforts including identity verification services for states.

Tech

Biden's 2023 Budget Includes $65B for Civilian Agency IT

The White House is looking for a $300 million boost for the Technology Modernization Fund and big increases in cyber and IT spending across the board.

Management

What Trends are Driving Public Sector Planning in 2022?

A new report identifies cooperation, resilience and service delivery as key themes as governments plan for a post-pandemic future.

Management

This New Bill Looks to Modernize a 50-Year-Old Rulebook for Federal-State Cooperation

A new Senate bill would require updated guidance and a strategic plan on intergovernmental cooperation, specifically how agencies can give technical and specialized services to states and local governments.

Workforce

CISA's Easterly Wants to Close the Cyber Workforce Gender Gap by 2030

Women currently constitute about one quarter of the global cyber field, according to estimates.

Oversight

There's No Final Number Yet for Pandemic Fraud, Oversight Leaders Tell Congress

Total fraud levels in pandemic relief programs are upwards of $100 billion, but getting a clear estimate is made difficult by data gaps and ongoing fraud recovery efforts, officials said at a Senate hearing.

Management

The IRS Plans to Add 200 Technologists

One of the things new techies at the IRS could work on is the modernization of its 60-year old core tax processing system, not slated to be done until 2030.

Management

Lawmakers Are Considering Updates to Records Management Legislation

Experts told lawmakers at a Senate hearing on Tuesday that updates to federal records legislation are needed to put the National Archives in charge of presidential records.

Workforce

Data and the Cyber Workforce

The co-chairs of a congressionally mandated report on the cybersecurity workforce say that a new office or bureau should be charged with compiling more granular data on the state of cyber employment.

Tech

USDA Looks to Modify a Key Nutrition Program for the Online Age

USDA wants to modernize WIC to allow for online shopping, but tech and regulatory hurdles need to be cleared.

Tech

The Technology Modernization Fund Announces Two New Awards

The U.S. Postal Regulatory Commission and the Selective Service System are in line for IT modernization funding boosts.

Workforce

The IRS Announces a New Office That Will Focus on Taxpayer Experience

One of several lines of effort at the IRS to improve customer experience is digital services, which will include efforts ranging from digital signatures to expanded online payment options.

Workforce

OMB: This Is the Year for Security Clearance Reform

Jason Miller, deputy director of management at the Office of Management and Budget, a key leader in security clearance reform efforts, says to expect major milestones in 2022.