Sen. Ted Cruz eyes a regulatory AI sandbox program within OSTP; Drew Myklegard stepping down as deputy federal CIO

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz said he would introduce legislation to establish AI sandboxes to allow companies “room to breathe” without running up against regulations. Cruz announced that proposal as well as a legislative framework for AI policy ahead of a Wednesday hearing before the Subcommittee on Science, Manufacturing, and Competitiveness on the administration’s recent AI Action Plan. The concept of regulatory sandboxes were among the more than 90 policy recommendations outlined in that document. Cruz said during the hearing: “Under the Sandbox Act, an AI user developer can identify obstructive regulations and request a waiver or a modification, which the government may grant for two years via a written agreement that must include a participant’s responsibility to mitigate health or consumer risks,” adding that “a regulatory sandbox is not a free pass. People creating or using AI still have to follow the same laws as everyone else.”

Drew Myklegard is stepping down from his role as deputy federal CIO after nearly four years, FedScoop has learned. Two sources with knowledge of the matter said Myklegard told colleagues he’s taking a role in the private sector and that his last day will be Sept. 22. A holdover from the Biden administration, Myklegard was appointed to the deputy federal CIO role in early 2022, after a more than eight-year stint in supporting IT operations at the Department of Veterans Affairs. During his time in the Office of the Federal CIO, he championed a number of key governmentwide technology modernization initiatives, including rolling out a new policy reforming federal cloud security authorizations under FedRAMP and guidance on how agencies acquire and inventory AI tools, among others. On Monday, Myklegard was recognized with a FedScoop 50 award in the Golden Gov: Federal Executive of the Year category.

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