Policies and Regulations

Resources on Policies and Regulations

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
Guide to the Paperwork Reduction Act —A plain language guide which answers the most common questions to the PRA
OMB Memos, Circulars, Executive Orders and Other Policies —Tech- and digital-related policies, memos, circulars and executive orders.
OMB Circular A-130 —Managing Information as a Strategic Resource
OMB M-17-06 —Policies for Federal Agency Public Websites and Digital Services
Required Web Content and Links —If you manage a public website in the federal government’s executive branch, various policies require you to have certain content—or …
Checklist of Requirements for Federal Websites and Digital Services —Links to relevant laws, policies, and regulations for federal agencies.
M-23-07, Update to Transition to Electronic Records —M-23-07 updates the previous target dates described in M-19-21 to June 24, 2024.
The website standards —as defined in 21st Century IDEA
21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act —21st Century IDEA aims to improve the digital experience for government customers and reinforces existing requirements for federal public …
Connected Government Act —Resources to help your agency comply with the Connected Government Act.
Government Customer Service Policies & Requirements: 1993 to Present —A list of government customer service policies and requirements.
Implementation of the Government Paperwork Elimination Act —The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provided this guidance to implement the Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA). GPEA required …
2012 Digital Government Strategy —The Digital Government Strategy complements several initiatives aimed at building a 21st century government that works better for the …
Requirements for Accepting Externally Issued Identity Credentials —This memo dated October 6, 2011, from the Federal CIO to the CIO’s of Executive Departments and Agencies, mandates that “agencies are to …
OMB Final Guidance on Implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (M 11-15) —Provides final guidance on implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010 and is designed to promote the goals of the president’s Open …
OMB Memo on Testing and Simplifying Federal Forms —This memo set forth that “To the extent feasible and appropriate, especially for complex or lengthy forms, agencies shall engage in advance …
Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information —Openness in government strengthens our democracy, promotes the delivery of efficient and effective services to the public, and contributes …
Dept. of Justice Memo Reaffirming the Mandates of EO 13166 —Executive Order 13 1661 was issued in August of 2000 and this memorandum reaffirms its mandate. The Executive Order has two primary parts: …
Improving Access to Services for People with Limited English Proficiency (EO 13166) —On August 11, 2000, the president signed Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency”, …
Guidance for Implementing the Privacy Provisions of the E–Government Act of 2002 (M-03–22) —This guidance provides information to agencies on implementing the privacy provisions of the E-Government Act of 2002. It addresses privacy …
GOV Domain Registration Process Final Rule —This final rule provided a new policy for the .GOV domain that will be included in the Federal Management Regulation.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act —The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual …
U.S. Trademark Law —United States trademark law is mainly governed by the Lanham Act. “Common law” trademark rights are acquired automatically when a business …
Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) —The Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995 requires that agencies obtain Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval before requesting …
Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government —In September 2009, the President released his Strategy for American Innovation, calling for agencies to increase their ability to promote …
Guidelines for Secure Use of Social Media —Guidelines and recommendations for using social media technologies in a manner that minimizes risks are analyzed and presented in this …
Antideficiency Act Implications of Certain Online Terms of Service Agreements —This memo contains the opinion by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and sheds light on specific, …
Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 – Presentation to the 2003 FISSEA Conference —The head of the agency delegates to the CIO a number of information security responsibilities. The CIO in turn designates a senior agency …
Guidelines on Securing Public Web Servers —The World Wide Web (WWW) is a system for exchanging information over the Internet. At the most basic level, the Web can be divided into two …
FY 2004 Reporting Instructions for the Federal Information Security Management Act —This memorandum provides updated instructions for agency reporting under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA). …
NARA guidance on Managing Social Media Records —This Bulletin provides high-level record keeping requirements and best practices for capturing records created when federal agencies use …
NARA guidance on Managing Web Records —Managing web records properly is essential to effective web site operations, especially the mitigation of the risks an agency faces by using …
NARA Guidance for Implementing Section 207(e) of the E-Government Act of 2002 —This bulletin provides Federal agencies with the National Archives and Records Administration’s (NARA) approach to improve the management of …
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts 1220-1238 —Subchapter B of the CFR specifies polices for federal agencies records management programs relating to proper records creation and …
Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA”) —The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule,imposes certain requirements on operators of websites or online services directed to children …
Appendix I to OMB Circular No. A-130 Federal Agency Responsibilities for Maintaining Records About Individuals —This Appendix describes agency responsibilities for implementing the reporting and publication requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, 5 …
Guidance for Agency Use of Third-Party Websites and Applications —This Memorandum requires Federal agencies to take specific steps to protect individual privacy whenever they use third-party websites and …
No FEAR Act —The No FEAR Act requires a Federal agency to post on its public Web site summary statistical data pertaining to complaints of employment …
Guidance on President’s Management Agenda Scorecard Meetings —This memorandum provides Resource Management Offices and PMA Initiative Leads with instructions for preparing for the quarterly PMA …
Social Media, Web-Based Interactive Technologies, and the Paperwork Reduction Act —Inspired by the goal of promoting flexible and open interactions between federal agencies and the public this memo clarifies when and how …
Executive Order 13571–Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service —The Executive Order 13571 on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service “requires agencies that provide significant …
M-11-24 Implementing Executive Order 13571 on Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service —Memo M-11-24 is guidance to Implement Executive Order 13571.
M-10-22 Guidance for Online Use of Web Measurement and Customization Technologies —On January 21, 2009, the President issued a memorandum calling for the establishment of “a system of transparency, public participation, and …
M-11-26 New Fast-Track Process for Collecting Service Delivery Feedback Under the Paperwork Reduction Act —The new Paperwork Reduction Act Fast Track Process will allow agencies to obtain timely feedback on service delivery while ensuring that …
U.S. Access Board Section 508 Standards —The Section 508 Standard for Electronic and Information Technology requires that when a federal agency shares information digitally, …
Plain Writing Act of 2010 —The law requires that federal agencies provide clear communication about government information and services for the public.
Implications of Recent Web Technologies for NARA Web Guidance —This document explores some of the emerging web applications and their impact on records management. In its early days, the web was seen …
Federal Plain Language Guidelines —The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) put together these federal guidelines to help implement the Plain Language Act of …
E-Gov Act of 2002 —The E-Government Act of 2002 (Pub.L. 107–347, 116 Stat. 2899, 44 U.S.C. § 101, H.R. 2458/S. 803), is a United States statute enacted on …
Freedom of Information Act Memo 2009 —The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is the law that gives anyone the right to access information from the federal government. It is often …
Paperwork Reduction Act Fast Track Process —Protect Your Customer’s Privacy Federal agencies must follow various laws and regulations, including the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) and …
Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) —The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities. Web …

Tools and Services

Resources.Data.gov —An online repository of policies, schema standards, tools, best practices, and case studies to provide agencies with resources for federal …
Section508.gov —Guidance for Federal agencies on IT accessibility compliance.

News and Events on Policies and Regulations

163 posts

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 DOI Revenue Data

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