AI, Security, Sustainability: Public Sector
Innovation at Google Cloud Next '24
Dive into hands-on workshops, inspiring keynotes, and 500+ sessions
covering AI, security, citizen services, and more. Get exclusive discounts and
network with fellow public sector peers! READ
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ANNOUNCING CDG-NACo’s Digital Counties Survey 2024 The Center for Digital Government and National Association of Counties invite all U.S. counties to participate in the Digital Counties Survey. DIGITAL COUNTIES SURVEY ONLINE
Best Practices for Strengthening Mobility and Connectivity with a Public-private Approach For agencies focused on service delivery, getting the right connectivity approach in place is essential to meet current and future demands of public service. LEARN MORE
BlackRock Investment Closes RapidSOS’ $150M Funding Round The closing of the Series C round, with $75 million from BlackRock, could drive further integration of AI into RapidSOS’ products. The company is now one of the “highest-funded businesses” in public safety, an industry observer said. READ MORE
California’s Telework May End If Program Goes Unfunded Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget for 2024-2025 does not include any funding for the state’s Telework Compliance Office, which oversaw the rollout of telework during the pandemic and maintains telework data. READ MORE
Can Going Modular Fix Our Housing Shortage? Not Yet. Modular houses assembled from factory-built components are cheaper to build and the governor of Colorado is all in on them. They won’t solve the housing problem but can be part of the solution. READ MORE
Chattanooga Transit Agency Developing Improved
Operations Technology
Collaborations among transit agencies, research universities and big tech
companies like Google are using AI and cloud computing to harness tech for
operational efficiency. Projects aim for regional benefits. READ MORE
CISA: ‘No Specific or Credible’ Threats to Primary Elections A senior official said that a widespread social media outage on Tuesday appeared to be unrelated to the elections. By the afternoon, the disruption had mostly ended. READ MORE
College in Crisis: What Is IT’s Role During an Emergency? Chief information officers and their IT teams at colleges and universities have critical roles to play during an emergency, particularly when it comes to managing communications and campus security infrastructure. READ MORE
Colorado Senate Passes Bill Allowing Private Small Group MeetingsThe legislation would allow lawmakers to meet and communicate in groups small enough that they don’t constitute a voting majority of a committee or chamber, codifying practices that were longstanding prior to being challenged last year. READ MORE
Concern Over AI Interfering With Elections Remains Strong Elections officials and law enforcement officers are hashing out how to stop the threat by investigating who is behind the source and issuing correct information to the public. READ MORE
Could Tech Have Thwarted Pennsylvania Train Derailment? It’s unclear so far whether Positive Train Control, a technology that is deployed on railroad tracks to prevent such accidents, was in play during the March 2 incident and whether it would have stopped the derailment. READ MORE
Cybersecurity Event’ Delays County Utility Bills in Washington The Chelan County Public Utility District, which serves around 50,000 customers, said the incident kept a nationwide vendor from mailing and emailing statements last week. It’s unclear whether personal information was compromised. READ MORE
Deadline Driven: State and Local Govts Should Mandate Zero Trust Federal agencies must transition to zero-trust cybersecurity postures by September of this year. Establishing a similar deadline for state and local agencies would spur action to lock down systems. READ MORE
Digitizing Trash, Snow Services in Syracuse, N.Y.The Syracuse, N.Y., Office of Analytics, Performance and Innovation and its partnership with the Department of Public Works demonstrates the cascading effects of what happens when traditional services go digital. READ MORE
Elections Signal Return of ‘Tough on Crime’ Tuesday's election results demonstrated voter antipathy toward crime. Meanwhile, the field is set in the year's most competitive race for governor and Texas has gotten redder. READ MORE
Fact Sheet: Emergency and Routine Mass Notifications Expedite critical alerts, warnings, instructions, and routine updates so that you can keep citizens informed and safe in an emergency. DOWNLOAD THE FACT SHEET
Federal Cybersecurity Grants Vital for State, Local Collaboration States are allocating money from the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program toward training, multifactor authentication work and encouraging a move to .gov domains. But funding is currently set to run out in 2025. READ MORE
Florida Lawmakers Reject Extreme Heat Protections for Workers Miami-Dade introduced a first-of-its-kind policy that would require employers to provide water, rest and shade to outdoor workers on hot days. The Legislature quickly sought to pre-empt such rules. READ MORE
Hedra Operator Workspace Maestro - A Secure Control Room SolutionTake control of your critical data to consolidate multiple displays for better focus, workflow, and ergonomics. LEARN MORE
How to Cyber Secure a Modernizing, Greener Energy Grid As the U.S. continues to shift toward using more renewable energy sources, officials are starting to grapple with how to keep a changing infrastructure cyber secure.READ MORE
Human Brain Chip Implants: Helpful? Safe? Ethical? Major developments regarding implanting chips in human brains have been announced in 2024. Will this procedure become widespread? Are precautions — or even regulations — needed? READ MORE
In Texas, $1B Extra for Water Is Just a StartA new $1 billion fund will help Texas communities fix crumbling water infrastructure. Advocates say much more will be needed due to population growth and climate change. READ MORE
In the Show Me State, a New K-12 Transparency Tool Missouri launched a data visualization tool last month after educators and families repeatedly requested an easier way to view and understand student achievement and growth indicators for local schools. READ MORE
Is Now the Right Time for a Ransomware Payment Ban? Experts have long debated a nationwide ban on paying cyber extortionists. But any ban must be paired with measures to help targets improve defenses, cybersecurity experts say. READ MORE
Making AI Work for Government: It All Comes
Down to Trust
Experts say safe and effective use of artificial intelligence requires
transparency, explainability and auditability. Users of the tech also have to
trust the people who made it. READ MORE
Master Your Workspace with Hedra: Your Secure Command Center Solution Gain command over your vital data, streamline displays for enhanced concentration, productivity, and comfort. DISCOVER MORE
Missouri Considers ‘Anti-Red Flag’ Bill to Protect Gun Rights State lawmakers considered legislation that calls any federal order to confiscate firearms, gun accessories or ammunition a violation of a law-abiding citizen’s Second Amendment rights. READ MORE
Navigate, Equip, Learn, Connect: Your Public Sector Launchpad at Google Cloud Next '24 Learn from real-world leaders and get hands-on experience on AI, security & citizen services. Network, collaborate & launch your mission forward. READ MORE & REGISTER NOW
New Educational Enrichment Company to Promote STEM After School A new company that has already partnered with 1,100 schools aims to provide project-based learning and STEM activities like programming robots and developing computational skills outside of school hours. READ MORE
New Jersey Takes Stock of Cybersecurity Threats, Protections With a new threat assessment report, state CISO Michael Geraghty recently raised warnings about cyber attacks with systemic impacts, geopolitical hacktivism and more. READ MORE
New Jersey Works to Stay Nimble Amid Changing Tech Landscape CTO Chris Rein discusses the work of adjusting to a fast-evolving tech environment, as well as the progress his state has made on identity access and management, mainframe as a service and data sharing. READ MORE
New Research: How Outdated Business IT Is Holding States Back You can’t serve the public effectively with manual processes and obsolete technologies. This is especially true in government, where business applications for functions like budgeting, procurement, payments, permitting and grants management are long overdue for replacement. READ MORE
New York County Protests Using Farm Land for Solar Projects State lawmakers and local elected officials have spoken out against using farm land in Schoharie County for solar farm projects. The state aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent by 2030. READ MORE
Opinion: Crafting a Vision and Creative Persona as a CIO Two of the most important jobs of CIOs in higher education are to have a vision and align it with the institution’s goals. Going on a listening tour is a good place to start, as it helps forge trust and relationships. READ MORE
Oregon Becomes 4th State With Right-to-Repair Law The state will now give consumers a legal right to fix their own home electronics and requires manufacturers to provide access to the tools, parts and manuals to repair them. Oregon’s law goes further with its protections than other states’ rules. READ MORE
Oregon Pursues Natural Solution to Reducing Emissions The pilot release of a first-of-its-kind mapping tool is a step toward understanding carbon storage in Oregon estuaries, supporting long-term goals to preserve them. READ MORE
Rhode Island Creates AI Task Force, Data Centers With an executive order Thursday, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee called for creation of an Artificial Intelligence Task Force and centers of excellence for AI and data. Goals include operational efficiencies and improved service delivery. READ MORE
Santa Fe’s 911 Center Slowly Fills Huge Staff Vacancies Two years ago, vacancy rates at the Santa Fe Regional Emergency Communications Center climbed to more than 65 percent. Since then, the number of unfilled positions has declined, though gaps remain. READ MORE
Special: Securing America's Digital Infrastructure We round up industry best practices on topics such as security, threats, and privacy. See how companies are helping state and local agencies tackle and prepare for all things cybersecurity. NEWS, CONVERSATIONS AND RESOURCES
State Gaming Board Replatforms After Cyber Incident The Nevada Gaming Control Board worked with the Nevada Office of the Chief Information Officer to move its website to a new platform, after a cyber incident in late January. An investigation found no personal information was accessed. READ MORE
States Invest to Save Rural Grocery StoresLawmakers hope grant and loan programs can help small towns keep their markets open. READ MORE
Tennessee Bill on AI in Schools: A Hint of What's to Come? Sen. Joey Hensley said his legislation allows public K-12 districts and universities to make their own choices regarding if and how artificial intelligence should be used for learning, pending state approval. READ MORE
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers released a report Wednesday examining data literacy in state government. All state employees must have a “certain minimum level of understanding of data,” it said. READ MORE
The Need to Protect Unspent Affordable Housing Money Local governments face a year-end deadline for obligating American Rescue Plan Act funds. To keep funds earmarked for housing from being plundered, they need to make some decisions now. READ MORE
Transforming Community Infrastructure for Water ConservationLocal governments can drastically improve water conservation with a comprehensive approach to water management. READ MORE
Treatments Resume After Alabama Gov Signs IVF Protection Bill Gov. Kay Ivey signed a bill that provides legal immunity to doctors and patients undergoing IVF treatment. However, the new law does not address the state Supreme Court’s recent ruling that frozen embryos are considered people. READ MORE
TroutSpotter App Uses AI to Track Coldwater Fish Populations The free app that identifies and tracks individual fish will launch in the spring through tu.org, allowing the national nonprofit to put its members to work helping researchers spot trends in coldwater fish populations. READ MORE
Using HHS Data and Best Practices to Change Lives This thought leadership paper covers three major best practices, along with corresponding real-world examples, around how to use data more effectively for health and human services programs. The paper also explains the value of cloud-based tools for data transformation. DOWNLOAD
Utah Bills Would Let Parents Sue Social Media
Companies
Amendments to the Utah Social Media Regulation Act would allow lawsuits if
it can be proven that “addictive social media algorithms” contributed to the
worsening of a child’s mental health. Related laws have been stopped in two
other states. READ MORE
Washington State Lawmakers Approve AI Task
Force Bill
The legislation would create an Artificial Intelligence Task Force to
convene technology experts and other stakeholders, and address areas of concern
around AI. It’s expected to head to the governor’s desk this week for a
signature. READ MORE
What’s New in Digital Equity: How to Build a Public Broadband Network Plus, Pennsylvania announces millions of dollars in new broadband funding, the FCC aims to expand Internet choice for residents of apartment buildings, and more. READ MORE
Where to Start with AI? Cities and States Offer Use Cases Building an AI program is a daunting proposition, but government has to start somewhere. From strengthening cybersecurity to improving 311, a handful of early adopters are finding safe and practical uses. READ MORE
Why Are Florida GOP Lawmakers Targeting Community ID Cards?Legislators are supporting a bill that would prohibit county and municipal governments from accepting IDs or documents provided to undocumented individuals by community programs. READ MORE
Will Newsom’s $16B Water Tunnel Destroy California’s Delta? The Delta Conveyance Project is a 45-mile tunnel that would run beneath the delta and move more water from Northern California to cities further south. Opponents worry about the tunnel’s impact on the delta’s fragile ecosystem. READ MORE
Wyoming Interim CIO TR Sheehan Focused on Meeting Residents’ Needs Sheehan, a long time Wyoming executive serving for a second time as interim CIO, is working to understand what citizens need from their government and providing them with technology-based solutions to do just that. READ MORE