Congress Passes Continuing Resolution to Avoid Federal Government Shutdown

Congress passed a continuing resolution (CR) to extend current funding levels into the new year, avoiding a federal government shutdown that was set to trigger this week. Under the “laddered” CR, federal funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Energy, Veterans Affairs, Transportation and several other agencies is extended until January 29, 2024. Funding for all other federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Labor, Department of Defense, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and more, is extended until February 2, 2024. Despite this positive step, Congress has yet to make significant progress toward negotiating a deal on final fiscal year (FY) 2024 spending bills. House Republicans had worked to pass their versions of FY 2024 spending bills over recent weeks, though those efforts have hit several obstacles and setbacks.

 

SIOP Hosts Webinar for DOJ COPS Office Awardees

GREAT Chair Kristin Saboe and members of SIOP’s Policing Initiative presented a webinar on “Utilizing Science-Based Practices to Enhance Police Recruiting and Hiring” for grantees of the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office). The webinar, part of the efforts around SIOP’s ongoing memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the COPS Office, featured members of the Policing Initiative sharing practices grounded in I-O research and how they can be utilized in law enforcement recruitment and retention. The webinar was followed by a robust question and answer session, with the attendees demonstrating significant interest and appetite for additional information on I-O psychology. The SIOP Policing Initiative continues to identify additional opportunities to translate I-O research into practice and embed I-O principles into state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.

 

White House Issues Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence to Drive Innovation While Reducing Risks

On October 30, President Biden issued an Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence. The Executive Order is an attempt to develop a more comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to drive innovation in Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications while managing risks, especially in national security, public health and safety, and job displacement. Specific provisions in the Executive Order address AI’s potential harms and benefits to employees’ well-being; AI-related collection and use of employee data; nondiscrimination in hiring involving AI and other technology-based systems; training law enforcement on responsible use of AI; and federal hiring flexibilities to recruit individuals with expertise in AI and data science. SIOP had previously responded to a Request for Information (RFI) from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and highlighted the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel Selection Procedures and the Considerations and Recommendations for the Validation and Use of AI-Based Assessments for Employee Selection. SIOP and Lewis-Burke are currently developing plans to engage with federal agencies and policymakers to discuss implementation of the Executive Order.

Publication Type
Washington InfO

Topic
Government Relations