Mental-health struggles remain concern for those seeking security clearances, survey shows

• Federal employees can now donate their unused annual leave to feds impacted by the fires in Hawaii. The Office of Personnel Management has established an emergency leave transfer program for feds working in both Maui and Hawaii Counties. The OPM program lets feds offer their time-off hours to those who may need additional time off during emergencies, so they can avoid dipping into their own paid leave. This is now the sixth emergency leave transfer program that OPM has established this year.
  (Emergency leave transfer for federal employees adversely affected by the 2023 Hawaii fires - Office of Personnel Management)
• Congress is weighing in on the process agencies follow as they move to the cloud. A new bill would require a review of agency progress in using multiple cloud instances and mandate new guidance from the Office of Management and Budget. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and a bi-partisan group of colleagues introduced the Multi-Cloud Innovation and Advancement Act of 2023. The lawmakers want to make it easier for agencies to implement multi-cloud computing to increase efficiency and interoperability within federal networks. As part of the legislation, the Government Accountability Office would study how prepared the federal workforce is to use digital tools and what gaps exist in feds' technology knowledge.
  (Eshoo, Timmons, Langworhty introduce multi-cloud innovation act - Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.))
• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is about to give agencies a big boost when it comes to securing their data. CISA will soon finalize secure cloud baseline configurations for the Microsoft 365 suite of products. That includes Exchange Online, Azure Active Directory and other applications used widely across agencies and other organizations. CISA has also developed an automated tool to help agencies evaluate their implementation of the recommended security controls. Next up for CISA’s Secure Cloud Business Applications project is the development of secure configuration baselines for Google Workspace applications.
  (Cybersecurity in the cloud coming into focus with CISA configurations, CSRB review - Federal News Network)
• The Army is adapting the way it trains non-commissioned officers to meet the needs of its increasingly technology-dependent forces. The service is expanding technical offerings in its professional education program and considering hiring adjunct professors to keep its senior enlisted leaders up-to-date on new technology. Non-commissioned officers say they have trouble keeping up with information on technology changes in order to train young soldiers and maintain their equipment. The Army is expanding its specialties in technical fields like cybersecurity and IT.
  (Army non-commissioned officers need more training to keep technical skills current - AFCEA)

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• The Biden administration is telling agencies to plan for a 2% federal civilian agency pay raise in fiscal 2025. As part of its new Circular A-11 budget preparation guidance, the Office of Management and Budget said this is a provisional estimate and the President will make a final determination as part of the 2025 request. The annually updated A-11 guidance also outlines new requirements for evidence-based policymaking, the continued transition to the technology business management framework and the justification of office buildings, including the use of co-working space. OMB and agencies will start negotiating the 2025 budget request this fall.
  (OMB Circular A-11 update - White House)
• Feds going on official travel will soon see a little more wiggle room in their reimbursable travel allowances. For the second year in a row, the General Services Administration is increasing per diem lodging rates for federal employees, from $98 to $107. Feds will not see any changes to per diem rates for meals and incidental expenses, which remain in the range of $59 to $79. The new per diem lodging rate will officially take effect October 1.
  (Feds with upcoming travel plans can expect an increase to per diem lodging rates - Federal News Network)
• Many security clearance applicants continue to be concerned that mental health struggles could upend their background investigation. That is the upshot from a new report released by Leidos this week on misperceptions and stigma surrounding mental health and the security-clearance process. A Leidos survey found nearly two-thirds of respondents were very or somewhat concerned about the role their mental health history could play in an investigation. Officials have made a concerted effort in recent years to assure individuals that seeking mental health treatment is not, by itself, a disqualifier for a security clearance.
  (Mental health and security clearances: Addressing misperceptions and stigma - Leidos )
• The Air Force opened a public comment period for feedback on a scorecard that rates how well different states do at helping military spouses transport their professional licenses from one place to another. The public has 60 days to comment on the way the scorecard works. The scorecard rates how easy it is for military spouses to get a license issued, including the amount of time and paperwork the process takes. Public comment periods allow the services to get feedback on policy and regulation updates, while improving and refining the Support of Military Families program.
  (DAF opens public comment period for Support of Military Families basing-decision scorecard updates - Air Force)

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