A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) report has concluded that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) failed to take necessary steps to protect personal data and released that data to unauthorized contractors. FEMA has been taking steps to address the issue.

The Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association (FLEOA) has filed suit against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for their 2016 reinterpretation of federal retirement calculations. FLEOA alleges that the changes caused members of the association to lose significant retirement benefits and, in some cases, be required to back pay the OPM thousands of dollars.

The Trump administration has published part two of the “Budget for a Better America,” which expands upon previously introduced spending cuts. Last week, the president’s $4.75 trillion budget introduced cuts to federal employee retirement plans and the reorganization of the Office of Personnel Management.

The Department of Veterans Affairs Mission Act was passed into law to provide veterans with greater access to private sector care, but without the software to determine eligibility, this program may be in trouble. An independent report by U.S. Digital Service (USDS) indicates technology problems could severely hinder the efficacy of the program.

President Trump has put forward his proposed budget for FY2020. While presidential budget proposals rarely mirror the actual appropriations legislation passed through Congress, they do predict where spending battles will be and the president’s policy agenda for the next year. For FY2020, the president proposed deep cuts to federal employee benefits and a reorganization of the Office of Personnel Management.

For the last year, representatives from the intelligence community, Department of Defense, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) have been working to reform the security clearance process to combat massive backlogs. Over the next two weeks these groups will present the Trusted Workforce 2.0 framework to Congress and the president to address this issue.

Federal agencies will be working with the White House to pursue quantum research and development objectives through the National Quantum Coordination Office. The office was established under the National Quantum Initiative Act signed into law in December. Numerous agencies will be working with the White House to foster unified quantum efforts.

The Trump White House has released their first National Action Plan for Open Government, the fourth plan released by the U.S. This plan outlines how the U.S. will increase access to government information for “developers, academics, entrepreneurs, and everyday Americans” over the next two years. This plan differs greatly from previous plans, and while some elements of the plan are new, others are already underway.

Last week, negotiations concluded between the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) and Dell EMC for technology to modernize agency data centers. This deal is the result of several laws passed in 2015 and 2016 which sought to strengthen IT acquisition strategies.

A network of 375 Department of Justice employees and contractors wrote a letter to DOJ leaders last week expressing concern regarding the number of women in high profile leadership positions within the agency. The letter outlines the importance of a diverse workforce and highlights the department’s failure to hire and retain women in the workforce.

Maryland lawmakers are attempting to take precautionary steps to protect federal workers in their state in case of another government shutdown. Legislation which passed the state House of Delegates last week would provide essential government employees working without pay access to state unemployment insurance.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General’s Office of Audit and Evaluation released a report analyzing the 2018 end-to-end test done to prepare for the 2020 census. The report concluded that the Census Bureau must address several concerns before 2020 in order to complete a successful census.

Last month the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2017 passed Congress and was signed into law. Included in this legislation was the OPEN Government Data Act, which requires all non-sensitive government data to be made available to the public. The law established non-political Chief Data Officers (CDOs) to guide agencies in implementing this policy.

President Trump is encouraging federal agencies to buy American-made products with an executive order signed late last week. This order builds on a previous executive order calling for federal financial assistance awards to provide preference to goods, products, and materials produced in the United States. Under the expanded measure, “domestic preference” covers not only iron and steel, but also products containing aluminum, plastics, concrete, glass, and lumber.

The Government Accountability Office has launched the new Science, Technology Assessment and Analytics (STAA) team, dedicated to using cutting edge research methods to solve Congress’s problems. The team hopes to provide insight and analysis on how federal agencies employ science and technology in dealing with issues such as regenerative medicine, 5G wireless communication, and quantum computing, according to a GAO blog release on the subject.

Federal workers are returning to their offices after the longest government shutdown in US history. Over 800,000 workers who missed two paychecks as a result of the shutdown are expected to receive back pay this week; unfortunately, the stopgap spending measure only lasts until Feb. 15, setting up another possible shutdown next month.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is beginning their busiest season a few steps behind as employees return to work following the government shutdown. As the IRS works to recover, Americans all over the country may feel the impact of this backlog come filing season.