Policies and Regulations

The relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.

An introduction to the Digital Experience Council

The Digital Experience (DX) Council plays a critical role in coordinating governmentwide efforts and assisting agencies in delivering digital experiences that meet the public’s needs and expectations.
An introduction to web security

Guidance on meeting security requirements for federal websites.
An introduction to ATOs

What is an Authorization to Operate? Before you use software in government, you need to make sure it is allowed. You should know what an ATO is and when you need one.
An introduction to security and privacy controls

What do the control families of NIST 800-53 mean? Here’s an overview of the control families that create the foundation of federal security compliance.
M-23-10: The Registration and Use of .gov Domains in the Federal Government

Provides guidance to all federal agencies on the acceptable use and registration of Internet domain names as required by the DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2020.
DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of 2020

Title IX of Public Law No. 116-260, §§ 901-907 (DOTGOV Act of 2020), which outlines responsibilities, authorities, duties, strategies, and requirements related to the process of creating top-level .gov domains, authorizes the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to manage the domain registration process for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.
M-19-17 Enabling Mission Delivery through Improved Identity, Credential, and Access Management

This 2019 memorandum sets forth the federal government’s Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) policy.
Chief Information Officer (CIO) Handbook

This handbook aims to give CIOs important information needed to be a technology leader at their respective agency.
OMB M-20-19

Harnessing Technology to Support Mission Continuity
OMB Circular A-11 Section 280: Managing Customer Experience and Improving Service Delivery

Guidance on how to measure customer experience, including questions on satisfaction and confidence and trust in section 280.7

Resources.Data.gov

An online repository of policies, schema standards, tools, best practices, and case studies to provide agencies with resources for federal data management.
Section508.gov

Guidance for federal agencies on IT accessibility compliance.

News and Events on Policies and Regulations

21 posts

Progress towards delivering a digital-first public experience

Each year, more than 400 million individuals, families, businesses, organizations, and local governments get information and services from about 430 federal agencies and sub-agencies. The Biden-Harris administration is driving a bold vision for how government agencies serve their customers digitally with OMB’s ten-year roadmap for a modern digital experience. Agencies have already made significant strides. Learn about recent successes by the IRS, CDC, NASA, and FEMA, and how OMB will continue to collaborate with agencies to ensure ongoing improvement in digital government services. — via The White House

Apr 17, 2024

Justice department to publish final rule to strengthen web and mobile app access for people with disabilities

On April 8, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure the accessibility of web content and mobile applications for people with disabilities. This final rule clarifies the obligations of state and local governments to make their websites and mobile applications accessible. Learn more about this rule and why the Attorney General believes it will “break down barriers that have kept people with disabilities from fully participating in American Life.” — via Department of Justice

Apr 08, 2024

Who is controlling your control system?

Best practices for security administration of control systems and their components. Specific guidance and lessons learned from a federal information system manager.

Michael Marin

Oct 31, 2023

Navigating the NIST industrial control systems overlay

A quick-start user guide for information technology professionals to begin using overlays as a part of their regular security assessments.

Michael Marin

Oct 25, 2023

Why the American People Deserve a Digital Government

OMB released new policy guidance for government that includes a variety of actions and standards to help federal agencies design, develop, and deliver modern websites and digital services. Memo M-23-22, Delivering a Digital-First Public Experience, will make it seamless for the public to obtain government information and services online, and help agencies fully implement the 21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act (21st Century IDEA). — via The White House

Sep 22, 2023

A digital accessibility catalyst for your next policy refresh

Use GSA’s IT Accessibility Policy Framework to update digital accessibility language in your agency’s policies.

Andrew Nielson

May 15, 2023

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience

Measuring and Justifying the Government Experience—Private sector organizations use revenue as the primary measurement to justify improving experiences. Many government services don’t have revenue as a lever, so how can we justify work to improve experience? The Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) leveraged a few metrics on their team that fall into three categories: laws and regulations, improving the experience for users, and saving time for employees. — via Office of Natural Resources Revenue

Aug 19, 2022

The DOD released a policy that for the first time spells out, from the highest levels of the defense community, how DOD military and civilian personnel should use official social media accounts to best advance the mission of the U.S. military and further instill trust in the credibility of the DOD.

Aug 15, 2022

Five Procurement Strategies for Diverse Digital Services

Modern digital services require a close connection between federal agencies and contractors, as well as customers and other stakeholders. Use these five practical tips to attract and empower contractors who value diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Stephen Carroll

Jun 30, 2022

Policy

Go-Live Checklist for Federal Websites

Covering the breadth of federal web policy, the new downloadable checklist organizes policy requirements into nine categories and explains what your agency needs to do to meet each requirement.

Rachel Flagg

Jan 13, 2022

The Weekly Ship: What It Is, Why Useful, and How To Create Your Own

The Weekly Ship: What It Is, Why It’s Useful, and How To Create Your Own—The weekly ship has been a staple of 18F projects for years. It is a way to engage partners, inform teammates, and reflect on our work. — via 18F

Oct 21, 2021

Next for the U.S. Web Design System

What’s Next for the U.S. Web Design System—In 2020, we brought together researchers, designers, engineers, and policymakers to conduct research across dozens of federal agencies to help support emergency response efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today we released a new and exciting report and strategy that outlines what’s next for the design system and our community. — via U.S. Web Design System

Mar 11, 2021

Website standards

GSA officially released the ‘website standards’ referenced in Section 3(e) of 21st Century IDEA. The U.S. Web Design System (USWDS) is key to new website standards. — via General Services Administration

Jan 23, 2020

Tori Garten will explore the multi-tiered challenge of understanding and governing federal digital policy in a complex and ever-changing digital world.

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Tori Garten

Prototyping Engagement Workshops for the Future of Federal Data, Dashboards, and Storytelling

User-centered design is critical for meetings—from the front lines to C-suite. How might we host more hands-on learning sessions and experience exchanges to improve and customize the way the federal workforce communicates to diverse stakeholders?

Davar Ardalan

Nina Bianchi

Maria Dayton

Aug 21, 2019

New Guide

Introducing a Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act

A guide to navigating the PRA process with confidence.

Jun 18, 2019

A Design Challenge to Improve How School Data is Reported

Join ED for two days of sketching, prototyping, and building solutions to help states design family-friendly approaches that make school data more transparent and accessible.

Office of Educational Technology

Sep 26, 2018

Federal employees who have been involved in running a prize competition for their agencies at any point during fiscal years 2017 and 2018 should attend this information session on prize reporting.

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Jennifer Shieh

Shirley Han

Tammy White