Good yuletide cheer for all in this last Weekly WHAT before we go on hiatus until the new year. Uncle Sam is dishing out quite a spread for the holidays, including a few key NASCIO priorities for 2013, including: long-sought grant guidance reforms from OMB, NASCIO comments on the preliminary cybersecurity framework, and more! Grab yourself a cup of Glögg, get close to the fire, and start making your holiday wish list. Here’s the last Weekly WHAT of 2013...
Key Takeaway: All I Want For Christmas.... Is An OMB Omni-Circular
Once upon a time--February 1, 2013, to be exact--the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) put out proposed guidance to reform how the federal government gives grant funding to outside entities, including states. Today, it released for public inspection the final reforms to OMB Guidance. The final guidance will be “officially” published in the December 26th edition of the Federal Register. This is quite a gift to those such as NASCIO that has made grant reform an advocacy priority for years. NASCIO is still reviewing the reforms, but submitted positive comments regarding the proposed guidance. More analysis to come...
Other Buzz:
NASCIO Submits NIST Framework Comments
NASCIO submitted comments to the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) released on its Preliminary Cybersecurity Framework. NASCIO’s comments were positive about the framework, and urged the federal government to “collaborate with NASCIO in creating a state and local government overlay that clearly outlines federal regulations and program requirements with information security requirements that states must consider when implementing a comprehensive cybersecurity plan and to better inform risk management decisions.”
Budget Deal Passes, May Require Some States To Tweak UI Systems
The Senate passed a two-year budget deal on Wednesday by a vote of 64-36, following the 332-94 the House last week. The deal trimmed the across-the-board budget cuts set to begin next month by $63 billion over two years and takes a necessary step to avoid a government shutdown. The bill now is awaiting the President’s signature.
Included in the budget agreement is a requirement that states join the Treasury Offset Program (TOP) to recover certain unemployment insurance overpayments. It appears only 15 states have not previously enrolled in the program, but this could mean some states will need to adjust their current UI systems to interact with the U.S. Treasury program. More information on the TOP program is available here. For a fuller analysis of the federal budget, check out this National Association of State Budget Officers’ Washington Report article, and this Federal Funds Information for States (FFIS) budget brief, available for subscribers.
FirstNet Board
The FirstNet Board met on December 17, approving agreements with the State of New Jersey and Adams County, Colo. allowing them to lease access to FirstNet’s spectrum. The Board also took steps toward securing official offices in Colorado and Northern Virginia. In addition, FirstNet General Manager Bill D’Agostino made clear that “excess capacity and arbitrage of the spectrum will be part of our strategy” to make the public safety network sustainable and cost-effective. This confirms that secondary use of the spectrum will be part of the business model
Your Weekly Techbytes:
House Homeland Security Leaders Introduce Cybersecurity Legislation
Federal IT Reform Bill Introduced in House
Government IT in 2014: More connections, more exposure, more risk
2014: A Tipping Point for Password Authentication
Government by Design: Four Principles for a Better Public Sector
Nearly Half of Feds Deemed Eligible to Telework
Federal Job Satisfaction Drops to 10-Year Low
A Balancing Act for Public CIOs