Modernization
Why do federal employee background checks take so long? Panel points to delayed IT system
The Defense Department agency responsible for vetting workers at most federal agencies originally planned to have a new background check system fully functional in 2019.
Lawmakers press VA to report on delays in burn pit registry revamp
An October 2022 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine said VA should “initiate a new phase” of its Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to make it “a user-friendly, efficient and effective resource.”
Lawmakers look to amend CHIPS Act to cover manufacturing gear
A bipartisan bill would add new language to the landmark CHIPS and Science Act to eliminate materials made by “foreign entities of concern” from semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S.
TMF announces new round of awards amid funding uncertainty
The $1 billion Technology Modernization Fund boost from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act is running out, and it remains to be seen whether Congress will keep the program afloat.
VA still needs to shore up usability of new EHR system, GAO says
More than one-third of the government watchdog's priority open recommendations for the Department of Veterans Affairs have to do with improving oversight and management of the new electronic health record system.
OPM’s retirement backlog hit an 8-year low last month
Efforts to streamline the processing of departing federal workers’ retirement applications continue to pay dividends, as the inventory of pending claims hit the lowest point since 2016.
Lawmakers look to restore TSA funding to speed screening tech deployment
The measure is one of three bipartisan proposals rolled out this week that seek to bolster funding for TSA’s deployment of new technologies and to limit invasive pat-downs of travelers.
House passes TMF reauthorization bill
The Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act includes changes around repayment to the TMF.
Exclusive
IRS is making headway on modernizing 1960s-era tax system, commissioner says
The IRS is currently testing a modernized Individual Master File system in the hopes it can potentially switch to the modern version for the next tax season.
Proposed deep cuts to VA’s tech budget rankle lawmakers
The Biden administration’s FY25 budget request for the Department of Veterans Affairs proposes steep cuts to the agency’s IT services, including a 99% reduction in VA’s development initiatives from FY24.
Lawmakers propose more scrutiny of VA's new EHR, reauthorize VET-TEC program
The bipartisan legislative package includes new oversight metrics for VA’s Oracle Cerner electronic health record system but would end the modernization effort if facilities using the software don’t show improvement.
Senators call for VA to tighten performance standards in new health records contract
Three lawmakers on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee are calling for the department to “add accountability and oversight provisions” in a renegotiated one-year contract with Oracle Cerner.
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