Contracts
VA plans to restart EHR deployments before the end of FY25, secretary says
Despite VA’s fiscal year 2025 budget request not allocating any money toward the deployment of its new EHR at additional medical facilities, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said it has “existing money” that will be made available to resume system rollouts.
Companies
Space operations likely to be shaped by sustainable emerging tech, report says
Innovative capabilities that promote reusability, safety and longevity are likely to dictate the future of space exploration, according to a recent white paper from Forecast International.
Contracts
Lawmakers eye 2025 defense bill for AI proposals
A leader of the Senate’s bipartisan AI working group said that next year's must-pass defense policy bill could include some substantive AI proposals, but the Senate is “not ready” for a comprehensive AI bill at this time.
Companies
Pentagon names new top official for digital and AI
Like her predecessor, Radha Plumb brings commercial sector experience to the role with her background including stints at Google and Facebook.
Contracts
Biden's $1.67 trillion budget boosts tech, AI
The Biden administration’s FY2025 budget request provides agencies with $3 billion “to responsibly develop, test, procure and integrate transformative AI applications across the federal government.”
Companies
Bill enhancing contractor whistleblower protections advances to full Senate
The bipartisan proposal would close loopholes that have left federal contractors vulnerable to retaliation.
Contracts
State is taking an ‘important step’ for planned EHR, as key lawmaker moves to speed it up
State’s Bureau of Medical Services has been working for more than a decade to replace its current paper-based medical record system with an electronic solution to better meet the healthcare needs of its diplomatic corps.
Contracts
A minimum viable CJADC2 is ‘real and ready,’ DOD official says
The initial version of the Pentagon’s effort to create an interoperable information-sharing network across all of its military domains is “low latency and extremely reliable,” according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Contracts
US reviews export controls in Britain, Australia for high-tech arms sales exemptions
A State Dept. official told a House panel that work to align AUKUS partners with U.S. export control requirements is ‘going very well'.
Contracts
Contracts featuring automation, built-in security can boost agencies’ cyber defenses, VA officials say
As the federal government looks to harden its cyber resilience, officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said agencies should work to modernize outdated technologies and ensure that vendor contracts include more rigorous security standards.
Companies
More tech sector collaboration is key to U.S. global leadership, DOD official says
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said “the future of our nation depends” on closer ties between the Pentagon and the private sector.
Contracts
Bipartisan bill strives for ‘more nimble and meaningful’ federal contracting
Legislation from Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, would “streamline procedures” for both solicitation and awards by slimming down the procurement process.
Contracts
Experts expect some support for small businesses facing CMMC compliance
The Pentagon’s draft CMMC rule doesn’t exempt small firms from the security standards for defense contractors and subcontractors, but that doesn’t mean they won’t receive any help meeting the requirements.
Contracts
DOD’s AI adoption efforts are starting to pay off, Pentagon official says
The Defense Department considers emerging technologies at “the center of how we think about planning for what the future of the military should look,” according to the head of the Pentagon’s Force Development and Emerging Capabilities office.
Contracts
Ongoing ‘reset’ looks to put VA’s EHR deployment back on track
An agency spokesperson said VA is "committed to resuming the system rollout" but performance and productivity goals need to be hit before additional deployments are rescheduled.
Contracts
Senate bill would limit federal contracts with foreign-linked biotech firms
The legislation from Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., comes after he objected to a more focused provision in the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act that sought to limit government contracts with one specific Chinese biotech company.
Contracts
The defense industrial base is 'in crisis,' expert tells Hill panel
The defense establishment is not equipped to develop, acquire and onboard emerging technologies at scale, according to a draft report from the Pentagon, and witnesses at a recent House hearing called for deeper, stronger ties between government and industry.
Contracts
AI’s military use is limited by maturity concerns, CENTCOM official says
A U.S. Central Command official noted that “performance is still quite up and down” with AI, even as officials continue to experiment with the emerging technologies.
Contracts
NIST releases revised cyber requirements for controlled unclassified information
The proposed revisions will ideally serve as a “balanced, strong starting point” for agencies and contractors that deal with sensitive information, a NIST official said.
Contracts