The bill could be added into the annual defense policy bill now progressing through Congress.
Michele Sandiford
- Two Democrats and two Republicans have teamed up on a bill that would give military families more time to make important financial decisions after a service member dies. Endorsed by groups like Gold Star Spouses of America, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, the bill would give families three years instead of one to roll over death gratuities and life insurance into tax-advantaged savings accounts. Supporters say the language would give families more flexibility as they work through difficult choices. The bill could be added into the annual defense policy bill now progressing through Congress.
- Securing cloud services remains a challenge for four agencies. The departments of Veterans Affairs, State and Transportation and the Small Business Administration fell short in meeting three key cloud security practices. A new report from the Government Accountability Office said in a review of selected cloud-based systems, the agencies were inconsistent in implementing continuous monitoring, incident response and recovery capabilities and service level agreements. GAO made 12 recommendations in all to the four agencies. The VA, for example, is already making changes by deploying a new monitoring capability to enhance the agency’s ability to continuously monitor the selected software and platform-as-a-service systems, to include collecting and reviewing audit logs.
- The Consumer Product Safety Commission is relocating to Washington, D.C., from suburban Maryland. The agency will move into the Government Accountability Office’s building in early October. Currently, CPSC employees have been working in a privately-owned building in Bethesda, Maryland. GAO’s building is owned by the government and CPSC said that change will save the government money and reduce the agency’s physical footprint by approximately 30%. CPSC’s National Product Testing and Evaluation Center in Rockville, Maryland, will not be affected by this move and will continue to operate at its current location.
- An amendment to the fiscal 2027 defense policy bill that seeks to restrict some defense contractors from buying back their stock is drawing fierce pushback from major industry groups. Industry associations led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged lawmakers to reject an amendment that would prohibit the Pentagon from contracting with certain companies unless they agree not to repurchase their own stock. The lobbying push to kill the amendment comes ahead of a House Rules Committee meeting on Monday night where lawmakers will decide whether the proposal will advance to the House floor. The groups urged Congress to “reject any further attempts to prohibit public companies from making decisions that are in their best long-term interests.”
- The Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board has an all-new slate of faces who will advise Secretary Pete Hegseth on national security. It’s led by Robert Lighthizer, who served as U.S. Trade Representative during President Donald Trump’s first term, and former Minnesota Republican Sen. Norm Coleman, who guided Hegseth through his confirmation on Capitol Hill. The new board combines tech investors like Marc Andreessen with conservative figures like former National Security Council Spokesman Michael Anton and military experts including Charles Richard, a retired Navy admiral who ran U.S. Strategic Command from 2019 to 2022. The 15-person board was created in 1985.
- The Office of Personnel Management is giving many employees in its healthcare and insurance division another chance to accept voluntary incentives and leave their jobs, ahead of their busy season. OPM is telling employees in its healthcare and insurance division that most of them will have another shot at opting into the deferred resignation program or early retirement. Employees who apply and are accepted by OPM will go on paid administrative leave for six months before separating from the agency. Eligible employees have until close of business on July 13 to accept the offer. OPM employees approved for the DRP program will go on paid administrative leave starting Aug. 31, 2026, and will officially separate from the agency on March 1, 2027.
- The Defense Department now has a website that offers a detailed look at its industrial base investments dating back to 2015. The Investment Intelligence Center, managed by the office of the assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, maps out projects funded through the Defense Production Act and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment programs. DoD officials said the website will improve transparency and help “send a clear demand signal to industry and private capital markets about its most critical national security priorities.” The platform includes an interactive map and search tools that allow users to filter investments by technology sector, location, year and funding mechanism.
- Federal courts will temporarily raise record access fees to help fund the modernization of a new case management system. The federal judiciary approved a two-cent per page increase — from 10 cents to 12 cents — that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2027. The increase for the Public Access to Court Electronic Records, or PACER, system will be in place for five years. It’s the first adjustment to PACER fees in nearly 15 years. The Judiciary said it’s needed to finance a more modern, secure case management system that’s estimated to cost up to $800 million through 2030.
- The Education Department continues to send more of its personnel and programs to other agencies, the latest step in plans to dismantle its operations. The department is sending about 60 employees from its Office of Elementary and Secondary Education to the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. Education has signed interagency agreements to transfer its core duties to six other federal agencies. More than 20 attorneys general are suing to block the reorganization plans.
- The Homeland Security inspector general said the Secret Service’s lax mobile security practices may be putting sensitive data at risk. In a new report, the IG found Secret Service agents had frequently used their personal phones for work because their government-issued phones lacked key operational capabilities. The report also found the Secret Service’s processes for securing mobile devices for international use were insufficient, while the agency also lacked a policy of testing mobile device app code before installation. The Secret Service agreed with recommendations to update its mobile device policies.
Copyright
© 2026 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
