Federal Newscast

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency has new leadership in place. Justin Overbaugh has been serving as acting director of DCSA since November. Overbaugh was confirmed by the Senate in September to serve as deputy under secretary of defense for intelligence and security. His appointment to also lead DCSA comes after full-time director David Cattler stepped down in September. Overbaugh is a retired Army colonel with 25 years of intelligence and special operations experience.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Department of Homeland Security is looking to cut down on the number of paper Freedom of Information Act requests it receives. Under a final rule set to go into effect next month, DHS will require most people to submit FOIA and Privacy Act requests electronically. DHS will allow for alternative submission methods in limited circumstances where an electronic request isn’t feasible, such as for incarcerated people. The department says the new rule will allow FOIA officers to spend less time on data entry and more time searching for and reviewing records.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Veterans Affairs will no longer perform abortions in emergency cases in light of a new legal opinion from the Justice Department. The VA started providing abortions to veterans in certain life-threatening circumstances in fall 2022. This comes after the Supreme Court ruling on the Dobbs v. Jackson case. The department began the process of rolling back the policy this summer. That process is still making its way through the official rule-making process. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency would be required to create a universal disaster assistance application under a bill passed by the Senate last week. The goal of the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act is to make it easier for disaster survivors to access federal aid. Lawmakers say the current process is complex and time consuming, with different agencies using different forms. The bill would also require all information shared between FEMA and partner agencies to meet federal data security standards. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Defense Department failed to pass its annual audit once again. Auditors found 26 material weaknesses and “two significant deficiencies related to the DoD’s internal controls over financial reporting.” The review covered the department’s $4.7 trillion in assets and another $4.7 trillion in liabilities. The Pentagon has failed every audit since launching its first agency-wide review in 2018. Congress has set a goal for the DoD to achieve a clean audit by fiscal 2028. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.