Below is a concise, practical summary of the main U.S. government compliance requirements and guidance that apply when using or providing cloud services for government workloads, followed by a short checklist you can use to assess readiness and next steps.

Core federal frameworks and requirements

• FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program): standardized security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring process for cloud services used by federal agencies. Agencies must use FedRAMP-authorized cloud services when the service is in-scope; FedRAMP defines impact baselines (Low / Moderate / High) mapped to NIST controls. Key elements: security package, 3PAO assessment, Agency ATO or FedRAMP JAB authorization, and continuous monitoring. (FedRAMP.gov)

• FISMA and NIST Risk Frameworks: FISMA (statute) requires agencies to secure federal information systems; NIST publishes the technical standards and controls (most relevant: NIST SP 800-53 families for federal systems and RMF process for authorization). FedRAMP baselines map to NIST SP 800‑53 controls. (cloud.google.com)

• NIST SP 800-171 / Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI): applies to non‑federal systems (contractors, third parties) that process, store, or transmit CUI. If your cloud workload contains CUI, agencies and contractors must meet SP 800‑171 (and related DFARS/NIST requirements for DoD contractors). (csrc.NIST.gov)

• DoD Cloud Security Requirements (DoD SRG / Impact Levels): the Department of Defense uses its own cloud security requirements (DoD SRG and Impact Levels) for DoD workloads — additional constraints may apply beyond FedRAMP (e.g., IL2–IL6 requirements and special handling for classified/CUI). (FedRAMP.gov)

• CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services) Security Policy: state/local law enforcement and contractors handling Criminal Justice Information (CJI) must meet FBI CJIS requirements (personnel background checks, encryption, audit/logging, facility controls, CJIS addendum with CSPs). CJIS often requires state-level agreements in addition to CSP controls. (cloud.google.com)

• Privacy & sector-specific laws: HIPAA (health data) and related HHS guidance apply to PHI; the Privacy Act and agency privacy policies apply to personally identifiable information (PII). GDPR may apply if processing EU persons’ data. Also consider executive orders and OMB guidance on cybersecurity (e.g., “Cloud Smart” guidance and more recent OMB memos that affect FedRAMP scope and agency responsibilities). (FedRAMP.gov)

• Accessibility and procurement rules: Section 508 accessibility requirements apply to federal procurements and public-facing services; Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)/agency procurement rules and contract clauses (including security clauses) must be followed. (FedRAMP.gov)

What agencies and cloud providers must do (high level)

• Agencies (customers): determine FedRAMP scope for the intended use; select the appropriate impact level; require a FedRAMP Agency ATO (or JAB approval) or document why an exception applies; drive SSP/system-level requirements, integrate cloud service with agency enterprise security (IAM, logging, SIEM); and perform continuous monitoring and POA&M management. (FedRAMP.gov)

• Cloud Service Providers (CSPs): map services to FedRAMP/NIST control baselines; engage a FedRAMP 3PAO for assessment; produce a complete SSP/security package and enable continuous monitoring telemetry; support agency audits and provide required contractual addenda (CJIS addendum, HIPAA BAA if applicable); implement physical, personnel, encryption (FIPS/CMEK), and logging controls required by the applicable policy. (AWS.Amazon.com)

Minimum technical/security controls commonly required

• Baseline controls from NIST SP 800‑53 (as mapped in FedRAMP): access control (least privilege, MFA), configuration and vulnerability management, patching, encryption in transit and at rest (FIPS validated), logging and centralized audits, incident response and notification, continuous monitoring and reporting, personnel security/background checks (for CJIS), and data segregation/multi‑tenant protections. (cloud.google.com)

Practical compliance checklist (use when procuring or assessing cloud services)

1. Identify data classification (public, PII, CUI, CJI, PHI, classified) and applicable statutes/policies (FISMA, CJIS, HIPAA, DFARS, etc.). (csrc.NIST.gov)
2. Determine FedRAMP scope and required impact level (Low/Moderate/High) for the intended use; require FedRAMP authorization if in-scope. (FedRAMP.gov)
3. For DoD workloads, check DoD SRG/Impact Level requirements (and any IL mapping). (FedRAMP.gov)
4. Require third‑party assessment evidence: 3PAO report, SSP, POA&M, test results, continuous monitoring feeds. (AWS.Amazon.com)
5. Verify encryption standards (FIPS 140‑2/140‑3) and key management (CMEK options if required). (cloud.google.com)
6. Confirm personnel/security background requirements (CJIS: FBI fingerprint-based checks) and whether CSP personnel access is restricted to US persons and US locations when required. (cloud.google.com)
7. Ensure logging/forensics and audit access meet agency needs and that CSP will provide timely incident notification and cooperation with investigations. (le.FBI.gov)
8. Include required contractual addenda: FedRAMP terms, CJIS Security Addendum, HIPAA BAA, DFARS clauses, Section 508 accessibility clauses, and any OMB-mandated clauses. (cloud.google.com)
9. Plan continuous monitoring: vulnerability scanning, monthly/quarterly reporting, control re‑assessments, and POA&M remediation tracking. (FedRAMP.gov)

Where to get authoritative, up‑to‑date guidance (recommended sources)

• FedRAMP official site (FedRAMP.gov) — program rules, marketplace of authorized offerings, templates. (FedRAMP.gov)
• NIST Computer Security Resource Center (NIST SP 800‑53, SP 800‑171 pages). (cloud.google.com)
• FBI CJIS Security Policy and CJIS resources for CJI-hosting requirements. (le.FBI.gov)
• Agency-specific guidance and OMB memoranda (e.g., “Cloud Smart,” and OMB memos on FedRAMP scope and responsibilities). See agency CIO/authorizing official guidance for procedural details. (FedRAMP.gov)

Quick notes and common pitfalls

• FedRAMP applicability depends on use-case, not just the product: a cloud service can be in-scope for one agency use and out-of-scope for another — agencies are responsible for scope determination. (FedRAMP.gov)
• Meeting a CSP’s published compliance page is not the same as an Agency ATO: agencies must ensure the system-level integration and agency-specific configuration are authorized. (AWS.Amazon.com)
• State and local rules: in addition to federal rules, states may impose extra requirements (e.g., state CJIS policies). Verify state-level addenda and agreements. (cloud.google.com)

If you want, I can:

• produce a one‑page FedRAMP compliance checklist you can hand to procurement/security teams, or
• map your specific dataset (e.g., CUI, PHI, CJI) to the exact standards and required documents (FedRAMP baseline, NIST SP 800‑171/53 controls, CJIS addendum, DFARS clauses, HIPAA BAA).

Which of those would be most useful?