On May 10, 2021, the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) issued an Interim Final Rule to provide long-awaited guidance on the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (“the Fiscal Recovery Funds”) established under the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”). The Rule became effective on May 17, 2021. To facilitate the implementation of these funds, this Interim Final Rule establishes a framework for determining the types of programs and services that are eligible under the ARPA along with a list of eligible uses that State, local, and Tribal governments may consider.
Continue Reading Treasury Issues Guidance on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds under the American Rescue Plan Act
The Latest Insights into Suspension and Debarment Activities Across the Federal Government
The annual Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee (ISDC) recently issued its annual report to Congress. The report, found here, contains details describing improvements to the federal suspension and debarment process and a summary of each agency’s suspension and debarment activities in Fiscal Year 2019. Throughout FY2019, the ISDC pursued a strengthened understanding and awareness
Advancing America’s Dominance in AI: The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act’s AI Developments
On January 1, 2021, the 116th Congress enacted the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which established, among other things, the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (Division E, Title LI, §§ 5101-5106) (hereinafter “the Initiative”), a program to award financial assistance to National Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes (Division E, Title LII,
Executive Order 13960 Establishes Government-wide Principles for its Use of AI
On December 3, 2020, the President issued Executive Order 13960, Promoting the Use of Trustworthy Artificial Intelligence in the Federal Government. The Executive Order signals yet again the Federal Government’s emphasis on the use of AI and the importance of ensuring that AI is used in a manner that does not violate Americans’ privacy,
JAIC Has More Work To Do in Developing Artificial Intelligence Standards, while DoD Components and Contractors Must Implement Security Controls Around Artificial Intelligence, Says DoD OIG
On July 1, 2020, the Department of Defense (DoD) Office of Inspector General (OIG) published its audit report. The report assessed the DoD Joint Artificial Intelligence Center’s (JAIC) progress in developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance framework and standards, as well as DoD components’ implementation of security controls to protect AI data and technologies
DoD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center Seeks Tools to Test Artificial Intelligence
Consistent with the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy, as we previously reported on here, on April 13, 2020, DOD published a Request for Information (RFI) requesting assistance from academia and industry with the development and planning of a potential new requirement for DOD’s Joint Artificial Intelligence Center’s (JAIC) Testing &
Compliance Tips for and Enforcement Risks of Accepting CARES Act Stimulus: Lessons For Federal Fund Recipients from Past Disasters
In signing the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act) into law, President Trump injected more than $2 trillion into the economy. In the coming days, weeks, and months, businesses and individuals across the country will apply for and receive aid from the federal government. The Administration promises that funds will be released
The Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force
Virginia law enforcement agencies have created a new task force to address the increased threats of fraud associated with the COVID-19 outbreak. Specifically, the Virginia Coronavirus Fraud Task Force is a joint federal and state initiative that will be led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin G. Cooke in the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant U.S.
OMB Issues Additional Guidance to Grant Recipients
As signaled as a possibility in its March 9, 2020 guidance in Memorandum M-20-11, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued Memorandum M-20-17 on March 19 to provide short term administrative, financial management and audit relief from the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Guidance requirements to a broader scope of recipients of grants
Department of Defense Issues Defense Industrial Base Memorandum
Following the March 19, 2020 guidance issued by the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) on “essential” critical infrastructure workers during COVID-19, the Department of Defense (DoD) issued a memorandum today reiterating that the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is identified as a critical infrastructure sector by DHS, and that those who