GovTA 1.7.9
Reference Number: NFC-26-1773851118
Published: May 1, 2026
Effective: Pay Period 08, 2026
Summary
This bulletin announces GovTA release versions 1.7.6-1.7.9. Details of the changes are provided in the Implementation section of this bulletin.
To enhance security, the multi-factor authentication (MFA) for GovTA versions 1.7.6 forward has been modified. MFA is now required for all U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/National Finance Center (NFC) hosted customers. MFA provides an additional layer of security when users log in to GovTA.
Note: While MFA is available in Pay Period (PP) 08, enforcement of MFA is scheduled to be mandated in PP 10.
As part of this update, users who currently access GovTA with a user ID and password will be required to register an authentication application within their GovTA employee profile. Upon registration, the application will generate a temporary one‑time password (TOTP), which users must enter each time they log in. This additional verification step helps safeguard accounts against unauthorized access and reinforces NFC’s commitment to securing Federal systems. Users will only need to register an authentication application during their initial login following the implementation. Employees who currently access GovTA using Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials or Login.gov accounts will not be required to complete this registration, as these methods already meet MFA requirements.
Note: All USDA customers are required to reauthenticate using MFA every time they access the application.
Affected System
|
System |
System Impact Status |
|---|---|
|
GovTA |
Updated to GovTA version 1.7.9. |
Implementation
Note: GovTA may only be accessed on Government-issued equipment.
Timesheet/Select Timesheets
The look of the Timesheet and Select Timesheets pages has been updated in the 1.7.6 version.
MFA
Employees must register for MFA via an authenticator application (app). MFA Authentication Frequency establishes how often MFA users must obtain the second factor of authentication. User roles are assigned to low, medium, or high security levels with default values that specify the frequency of obtaining the second factor of authentication for NFC hosted GovTA environments.
MFA provides an additional layer of security when users log in to GovTA. The user must first enter their ID and password. Employees that were using username and password are now required to enroll a device for MFA. After enrolling the device, a time-based TOTP will be sent to the employee to receive the MFA code. Upon registration, the application will generate a TOTP, which users must enter each time they log in. Users will only need to register an authentication application during their initial login following the implementation. Employees who currently access GovTA using Personal Identity Verification (PIV) credentials or Login.gov accounts will not be required to complete this registration.
- MFA launches after one (1) minute once the user is logged out.
- GovTA will time out and automatically log users out after 15 minutes of inactivity.
For more information on registering for MFA, see the GovTA Employee procedure manual.
Dual Appointments
Employees who hold more than one position simultaneously in the Federal Government are considered dual appointment employees. These employees have a unique Social Security number and Agency combination for dual appointments. The employee must be flagged as Active in the employee profile in order to be a dual appointment employee.
Note: Employees that have a dual appointment will be directed to an interim page where they will select which profile or timesheet they are accessing when logging in to GovTA.
Inbox
A note has been added to the Inbox page informing users that: Messages on this page are now marked as read.
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)/FMLA Military and Paid Parental Leave
Two new sections, Rolling Leave Balances and Rolling Leave Balance Table, have been added to the Timesheet Summary page.
- The Rolling Leave Balances table includes a Leave Type link that opens the Details of Leave page with information on the FMLA and Paid Parental Leave balances. The Details of Leave Balance table includes an entry for each day that the leave balance was used.
Note: The Manual Adjustment option is not available for rolling leave balances.
- The Rolling Leave Balance Total for the Past 12 Months table displays roll up totals of FMLA usage for the past 12 months. The FMLA table row includes FMLA and Paid Parental Leave. The table includes separate rows for FMLA Military and Parental Bereavement Leave.
Delegating a Timekeeper/Supervisor
A note has been added to the Delegating a Timekeeper/Supervisor pages informing users that a notification will be sent to delegates when a timekeeper or supervisor delegate is added or removed.
The timekeeper and master timekeeper roles have been updated. Users assigned to the roles can now search for and select supervisors and timekeepers on the Employee Profile > Settings page and Employee Profile > Timesheet Details page.
Leave Request/Premium Pay Request
Start Time and Stop Time now populate in the Work Start and Word End field on the timesheet for leave or premium pay requests.
Tiles
Tiles may now be dragged and dropped on the dashboard, allowing users to reorder them according to their preferences.
Resources
The procedure manuals for this application, which are available online at the National Finance Center (NFC) website, are being updated to include the information in this bulletin. To view and/or print this procedure, select HR and Payroll Clients from the MyNFC drop-down menu on the NFC Home page. At the HR and Payroll Clients page, select the Publications tab and select NFC System Documentation from the Publications Library section.
Inquiries
For questions about NFC processing, authorized Servicing Personnel Office representatives should contact the NFC Contact Center at 1-855-NFC-4GOV (1-855-632-4468) or via the customer service portal at ServiceNow Portal for Federated Users and at ServiceNow Portal for Non-Federated Users.