The House has introduced a bill that would authorize $3 billion for the Technology Modernization Fund to help agencies support information technology updates in response to the coronavirus pandemic, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

A Democratic aide to the House Appropriations Committee told the publication the funds “would be used for technology-related modernization projects designed to cut costs and drive efficiencies across the Federal government, which is particularly relevant as more federal workers are working remotely because of the pandemic.”

The measure would allow agencies to seek funds for IT updates and use the money by the end of September 2022. The proposal is part of the House supplemental budget request that would direct $2.5 trillion in funds to support emergency response initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Suzette Kent, federal chief information officer and a 2020 Wash100 Award winner, told Nextgov in an interview published Tuesday how the federal information technology community responds to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The IT leaders in the federal community, our contractor partners and our vendors are stepping up in incredible ways,” Kent told the publication. “They are part of answering the question, ‘How can we?’ They’re being bold, they’re thinking forward.”

A new Office of Management and Budget guidance is pushing agencies to look at telework from a different light to achieve continuity in operations. The guidance directs federal departments and agencies to “offer maximum telework flexibilities to all current telework eligible employees, consistent with operational needs of the departments and agencies as determined by their heads” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Start with the frame of what mission—what thing—am I trying to do, and then let’s figure out how we get there,” Kent said. “Asking the question backwards: ‘Why can’t we do the thing that enables continuity and remote work?’”

President Trump on Monday signed into law a bill that directs the executive branch to come up with a strategy to ensure the security of 5G networks, Fifth Domain reported Tuesday.

Under the Secure 5G and Beyond Act, the Trump administration has 180 days to develop and submit to Congress a “whole-of-government” strategy to address local security concerns faced by 5G and future generation networks. The strategy should outline the branch’s plan on how it will coordinate with allies to facilitate risk information sharing.

The White House should also evaluate the vulnerabilities and competitiveness of U.S wireless technology manufacturers. The House passed the measure on March 11, a week after the Senate approved the bill.

NASA has launched a competition in search of a new lunar soil collection tool for a certain digging robot under development.

The Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot or RASSOR requires a new bucket drum for storage of lunar soil, also known as regolith, the space agency said March 17.

NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate calls for the masses to submit designs for a bucket drum that is shaped to accommodate more amounts of regolith. The contest offers a total prize pool of $7K.

The agency considers the use of RASSOR units for lunar excavation efforts under the Artemis program that aims to revive manned exploration.

Interested parties may submit design proposals through April 20. NASA will select five winners. GrabCAD, a 3D model community website, serves as the contest's host.

RASSOR is under testing at Florida-based Kennedy Space Center.

Sean Frazier, advisory chief information security officer for federal at Cisco’s Duo Security arm, has said that agencies must implement multifactor authentication approaches to ensure security in telework setups, Fifth Domain reported Monday.

Frazier told the publication that agencies need to deploy “consistent, easy to use” application security tools to ensure constant security at par with personal identity verification cards, which the government uses for physical access. He added that agencies’ technology heads must anticipate employees’ use of their own devices when teleworking.

“If a user is moved to remote status and these basic protections don’t exist, a threat vector will be created,” he noted.

Frazier’s comments come after the Office of Management and Budget issued memos on allowing agency personnel to work remotely amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The guidance recommends agencies to use alternate authentication tools in lieu of PIV cards if they are unable to issue such credentials.

The Expedition 62 crew performed a set of different biology research experiments at the International Space Station and supported preparations for the facility's next crew members.

Astronauts Andrew Morgan, Jessica Meir and Oleg Skripochka explored the areas of genetics, biological manufacturing and ergonomic conditions in experiments aboard ISS, Mark Garcia, a social media consultant supporting NASA, said in a blog posted Tuesday.

Morgan tested how microgravity affects the genetic expression of mice in space. His research may help humans determine how to survive longer space exploration missions.

Meir trialed the use of a bioprinter that NASA intends to use for in-space food and medicine production. The bioprinter is under testing to produce human organs. Lastly, Skripochka supported a study on ISS' ergonomic factors.

The astronauts also read characters on a computer-based vision chart as doctors on Earth supervised a vision test for the three.

Morgan, Meir and Skripochka also prepared life support equipment and computers for a launch in April where astronaut Chris Cassidy and cosmonaut Ivan Vagner will travel to ISS.