The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) continues its push on health data interoperability with a proposed rule, HHS Acquisition Regulation: Acquisition of Information Technology; Standards for Health Information Technology. Specifically, HHS proposes to modify the Health and Human Service Acquisition Regulation (HHSAR) to implement an HHS-wide policy to align requirements related to the procurement of health IT with standards and implementation specifications adopted by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) or compliance with the voluntary ONC Health IT Certification Program. This proposed rule was published on August 9, 2024, just 4 days after the ONC proposed HTI-2 rule was published in the Federal Register.Continue Reading HHS Proposes Using Procurement Policy to Push Health IT Standards
Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence
On October 30, 2023, President Biden released an Executive Order (EO) on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). This landmark EO seeks to advance the safe and secure development and deployment of AI by implementing a society-wide effort across government, the private sector, academia, and civil society to harness “AI for good,” while mitigating its substantial risks.Continue Reading Biden’s Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence
A Brief Primer on the Impact of a Federal Government Shutdown
I. Introduction
A U.S. federal government shutdown creates a number of direct and indirect consequences that impact U.S. companies, individuals and virtually every aspect of the U.S. economy. Although the federal government has experienced previous lapses in funding that have led to shutdowns of all or part of the federal government, the current funding impasse and impending shutdown raise a number of unique and unprecedented questions for government workers, government contractors and businesses, and the public at large.
A U.S. federal government shutdown can have serious consequences because of the size of federal spending and its impact on the U.S. economy. The U.S. government spent $6.27 trillion dollars in fiscal year 2022 which amounted to approximately 25% of total gross domestic product. The federal government funds over 2,200 federal assistance programs for the public. There are over 2.2 million federal employees who will be directly impacted in some way by a federal government shutdown with the majority facing a furlough of an undetermined length. There are over 11 million U.S. federal government contracts signed every year and they may be impacted by a shutdown. Finally, the federal government spends approximately $1.2 trillion dollars every year, or about 19% of all federal spending, on programs that fund or are related to the states.
The purpose of this Client Alert is to explain the consequences of a government shutdown in general, why this one may be different, and to also offer insights to the regulated industries, government contractors and others on what to expect this time around. Our team is ready and available to help advise companies through this shutdown process.Continue Reading A Brief Primer on the Impact of a Federal Government Shutdown
Coronavirus Update: Recent FTC Guidance on the Use of Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms in the Age of COVID-19
On April 8, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a blog post titled, “Using Artificial Intelligence and Algorithms,” that offers important lessons about the use of AI and algorithms in automated decision-making. The post begins by noting that headlines today tout rapid improvements in AI technology, and the use of more advanced