Links to selected items concerning government operations posted on the Internet during the week ending July 12, 2024

A Nationwide Effort to Put More Women on the Force  Women make up only 12 percent of police officers nationwide. One initiative aims to triple that. READ MORE

 

After Supreme Court Allows Penalties for Homelessness, Not Everyone in Law Enforcement Is  applauding.  The court’s recent ruling prompted concern in some quarters that police could become the primary face of homeless response. But some chiefs worry they’re caught in the middle of societal problems they aren’t equipped to handle. READ MORE

 

AI-Powered Productivity for Your Government Workforce Empower your employees to deliver their best work from anywhere with Surface devices designed for the era of AI. DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC »

 

All Access: Customer Experience and Accessibility Collide  From principles of human-centered design to adhering to web accessibility best practices, the new issue of Government Technology explores what it takes to make online government truly work for all residents. READ MORE

 

Amazon Web Services Makes a New Play in Public-Sector AI  Backed by $50 million worth of rewards, this new push from the cloud operator aims to spark innovation in generative AI projects. The move comes as Amazon’s AWS keeps expanding in government. READ MORE

 

America’s Biggest Education Experiment Is Happening in Houston  The changes in Houston Independent School District rival some of the most significant shake-ups to a public school system ever. Could it change schools nationwide? READ MORE

 

Beryl Only the Latest Billion-Dollar Disaster to Strike Texas This Year  People associate climate effects more with California and Florida, but Texas has seen flooding, wildfires and devastating thunderstorms in addition to this week's hurricane. READ MORE

 

Beryl Will Be ‘Trial Run’ for This Year’s Hurricane Season  Before making landfall, Hurricane Beryl had already made history as the fastest-growing hurricane to form this early in the season. But experts recommend treating Beryl as the new normal for this upcoming hurricane season. READ MORE

 

Boom or Bust? Deciphering Mixed Messages on the Tech Job Market  Why so many layoffs? Are technology jobs plentiful or lacking? With unemployment relatively low, why are many cyber pros and tech experts struggling to get an interview? READ MORE

 

Building Entrepreneur Ecosystems With Technology — ICYMI  HUUB founder and CEO Jenny Poon explains how cities can re-envision technical assistance programs to bring education and resources to their small businesses. READ MORE

 

California’s Depleting Groundwater Threatens Community’s Future  In the Cuyama Valley, north of Santa Barbara, water continues to be heavily pumped to irrigate thousands of acres of farmland. A plan to prevent over-pumping has sparked a legal battle. READ MORE

 

Central Florida Uses First-in-U.S. Tech to Keep Roads Clean  The Central Florida Expressway Authority is using four autonomous devices similar to dashcams to monitor road debris in real time while keeping drivers anonymous. Created in England, this is their first use on American roads. READ MORE

 

Colorado Has the Most Women Leading Local Governments  The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers ranked the state first in terms of the share of women who serve in municipal government, at 46.1 percent. The center also ranked Colorado second among states for women legislators. READ MORE

 

Connecting Older New Yorkers Through Skills Training, AI  The New York State Office for the Aging is giving older adults more options to connect with each another and the world by providing them with a variety of technologies — and the skills they need to use them. READ MORE

 

Contactless Payment Arrives for Boston Transit in August  The $935.4 million system upgrade will launch on Aug. 1, allowing riders on the Green Line and Mattapan Line trolleys to tap their credit/debit card, phone or watch to pay for fares. READ MORE

 

Corporate Landlords Put Pressure on Rents in Key Markets  The nation suffers from a housing shortage of between 1.5 million and 5.5 million units. Renters occupy about 15.9 million single-family homes and corporate landlords own about 3 percent of them. READ MORE

 

Digital Counties 2024: Winners Push Transparency, Engagement  The first-place finishers in this year's Digital Counties Survey from the Center for Digital Government are those that have focused on modernizing major systems while also championing innovation. READ MORE

 

Emory University Brings AI Education to the Public With Statewide Tour  Emory faculty are working with the nonprofit Rowen Foundation and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce to host free AI training sessions for the general public in 19 locations across Georgia. READ MORE

 

Empty Storefronts? Let Entrepreneurs Make Things There.  New York and other cities are changing their zoning codes to allow clean, small-scale production in their commercial corridors. Opening up retail spaces to “artisanal manufacturing” has many benefits for communities. READ MORE

 

Feds Allow Oregon to Offer Medicaid to Those Behind Bars  The new program aims to close health-care gaps when people are released and tackle addiction problems. READ MORE 

 

Feds Award $18.2M in Cybersecurity Grants to Tribal Nations  The Department of Homeland Security's Tribal Cybersecurity Grant Program is set to send the money to 32 tribal nations, aiming to help strengthen cybersecurity postures against rising threats. READ MORE

 

First Federally Funded EV Charging Station Opens in Ohio  The first electric vehicle charging station funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act opened for business last December in London, Ohio. More are set to open in Maine, Colorado and Vermont this year. READ MORE

 

Gen Z Makes Its Entrance Onto the Political Stage  Members of the youngest generation of adults are starting to hold office. READ MORE

 

Generative AI in Health Care: Opportunities and Cautions  Generative AI (GenAI) is transforming healthcare by enabling new possibilities in data analysis, patient care, and administrative tasks. However, its implementation raises concerns about bias, cybersecurity, and ethics. This research brief provides an overview of GenAI's capabilities, use cases, and potential drawbacks in healthcare. DOWNLOAD

 

Georgia First in the Nation to Require Police Training in Election Law  There are penal provisions in every state's election codes. Most officers don't know that they exist. READ MORE

 

How Are States Addressing Chronic Absenteeism?  Absenteeism rates in K-12 schools are falling but remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. READ MORE

 

How Contact Centers Can Innovate Without Disruption  Contact centers are essential to creating a satisfying customer experience (CX) for government agencies and their constituents. In this Government Technology Q&A, Jerry Dotson, vice president of public sector, Avaya Government Solutions, explains how the right CX platform lets government organizations implement new contact center technologies easily and efficiently. READ MORE

 

How K-12 Districts Can Prepare for FCC's New Cybersecurity Program  The FCC expects to open the application window for the three-year $200 million Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program this fall and urges prospective applicants to start preparing now. READ MORE

 

How to Navigate IT Challenges in Government  The public sector faces some unique challenges when it comes to IT management. Here’s what government IT organizations are doing to tackle problems and deliver a great user experience. READ MORE

 

How to Secure Your Agency's Microsoft 365 Environment  While Microsoft 365 prioritizes security, the platform's native capabilities only go so far. Organizations using Microsoft 365 still need to implement adequate security measures to avoid cybersecurity gaps. This report from CoreView offers practical solutions to address M365 security, governance and license management challenges. DOWNLOAD

 

Improving Financial Equity  Nearly 6 million U.S. households don't have traditional checking or savings accounts. Yet many agencies continue to issue payments using paper checks or methods such as direct deposit that are difficult for unbanked residents to use. This paper explains how agencies can expand their options for issuing payments to constituents, providing equity for unbanked residents and better convenience and more payment choices for everyone. DOWNLOAD

 

Iowa Residents, Businesses React as Cyber Crime Rises  As cyber attacks increase, more Iowa residents face having their personal information stolen as Iowa businesses risk having their computers shut down — or paying a ransom to stay up. READ MORE

 

Louisiana’s High Court Ruling a Victory for Public Records  The 4-3 decision ensures that the public is “guaranteed access to public records unless a law specifically and unequivocally provides otherwise.”  READ MORE

 

Maine Joins 9 Other States to Improve Reliable and Clean Energy  The state has joined with other Northeastern states in an effort to plan and develop regional transmission infrastructure. READ MORE

 

More Software Companies Sign Federal Secure by Design Pledge  Nearly 160 software companies have now signed CISA’s voluntary Secure by Design Pledge, which is a promise to work on seven key goals that could better protect their customers from hackers. READ MORE

 

N.J. Unveils AI Training, Tool for State Government Workers  The state has been an early adopter of artificial intelligence, and is now equipping staff with the skills and knowledge they need to leverage AI securely. Training is free and voluntary. READ MORE

 

NC Lawmakers Have Until End of Year to Resolve Hot-Button Issues  Several major bills went unresolved when the main legislative session ended in June. Now lawmakers have just a few days remaining in session each month. READ MORE

New Haven, Conn., Getting ‘Back on Track’ After 2023 Hack  Michael Simeone, who became the city’s inaugural chief technology officer in March, said his focus has been “getting the Board of Education and the city back on track” after a June 2023 breach. READ MORE

 

Oakland Overstates Reductions in Crime Due to Faulty Data  The Bay Area city had recently touted a 33 percent year-over-year decrease in crime. But a review of police data found that the city overstated the improvements and has been using incomplete information for years. READ MORE

 

Often Overlooked, Printers Require Protection Strategies  We rely on printing and document sharing so often it’s easy to overlook the security vulnerabilities inherent to them. However, both pose significant risks. DOWNLOAD

 

Old Pipes Lose Texas Cities 88B Gallons of Water  The lost water costs the cities millions and heightens the state’s water supply challenges. READ MORE

 

Oregon to Require Graduates to Pass Financial Literacy and Career Prep  The state’s Board of Education agreed to require high schoolers to take and pass stand-alone classes on financial literacy and college and career preparation to graduate, starting with this fall’s sophomores. READ MORE

 

Payments as a Gateway to Improved Utility and Local Government Customer Experience  In this fast-paced digital era, the expectations of constituents are evolving at an unprecedented rate. However, attempting to constantly keep up with shifting experiential standards is a costly, time-consuming, and nearly impossible task for billers. Maintaining a positive customer experience is key to keeping call volumes down, customer satisfaction scores high, and ensuring constituents are willing to make desired actions like signing up for paperless billing and AutoPay. DOWNLOAD

 

Plummeting Enrollment Leads More Colleges to Close  College enrollment levels were already projected to decline due to lower birth rates. Recent difficulties with federal financial aid and teens' growing concerns about cost haven’t helped. READ MORE

 

Protect Digital Identities from Fraud  Discover strategies to enhance digital identity security and reduce fraud risks. READ THE WHITE PAPER

 

Ransomware Attack Hits Florida Department of Health This new cyber attack has disrupted the state’s ability to issue death and birth certificates, and the breach might be putting sensitive patient data at risk. READ MORE

 

Soon Gas Taxes Won’t Pay for Roads. But Amazon Deliveries Might  As cars become more fuel efficient and EVs become more prominent, states will not be able to rely on gas taxes for much longer. But some states are considering fees on Amazon deliveries as part of their road-funding solution. READ MORE

 

States Need Stronger Identity Verification as Online Services Grow  New research shows reliance on outdated identity verification methods. READ MORE

 

States Should Think Beyond Mobile Drivers' Licenses for Digital Identity  Other forms of digital ID will also be important for serving constituents online and preventing fraud. READ MORE

 

Strengthen Your Digital Identity Today  Learn effective methods to safeguard digital identities and prevent online fraud.  ACCESS THE FULL WHITE PAPER

 

Strengthening Supervision for Safer Communities  Staff shortages and rising caseloads are contributing to an increase in the average time adults remain incarcerated. Supervision software can streamline pretrial, probation and parole processes and help officers manage cases more efficiently. This paper explains how modern supervision software can help improve outcomes and protect communities. DOWNLOAD

 

The Emerging Leader in EV Production: Georgia, not Michigan  From cars to school buses to battery manufacturing, no state can match Georgia's corporate investments. They’re making a real impact in communities across the state, creating thousands of permanent jobs. READ MORE

 

The Growing Role of the City-Level Chief Data Officer  Just a few years ago, only a handful of cities had chief data officers. Now that the position is more prevalent, experts take stock of what it takes to build an effective, data-driven local government. READ MORE

 

Trying to Strengthen Congress, the Supreme Court Has Weakened It There are reasons Congress writes vague laws. Giving courts more latitude to strike them down will ultimately limit the power of Congress, not just the agencies that interpret those laws. READ MORE

 

Updates to the CJIS Security Policy – What You Need to Know  Join the GovTech Cybersecurity July 11, 2024 webinar to learn about the new baseline security standards and changes in the CJIS Security Policy. REGISTER NOW

 

Utah Launches Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy  The Office of Artificial Intelligence Policy at the Utah Department of Commerce has opened roughly four months after its creation. It will explore the most effective methods of AI regulation and guide development of responsible policies. READ MORE

 

Voters in Several States Can Cut — or Abolish — Property Taxes This Fall  Voters in at least seven states will decide property tax measures in November. Most would limit what homeowners have to pay, but two would eliminate the tax completely. READ MORE

 

What are the top technology trends in Government in 2024? By 2026, over 70% of government agencies will use AI to enhance human administrative decision making. Learn what actions you can take today in this complimentary report from Gartner®. READ THE REPORT »

 

What Does AI Mean for Human-Centered Design?  As governments increasingly put end users at the forefront of how they're developing digital services, we checked in with state CIOs to see where that effort intersects with the rise of artificial intelligence. READ MORE

 

What Government Can Learn from the Private Sector About AI  A new survey reveals a significant lag in generative AI adoption compared to the private sector. The findings highlight the need to address knowledge gaps, embrace innovative solutions and develop robust AI governance policies. READ MORE

 

What Happens to States’ Leftover Broadband Funding?  The list of potential uses for any leftover BEAD funding includes digital equity, and one state has a plan that would direct the money toward the work for years to come. READ MORE

 

What Kids Behind Bars Need: Mentors Who’ve Been There  Peers who have been through the juvenile justice system can help put incarcerated young people on a path to rehabilitation and redemption, but these mentors need access. States should give it to them. READ MORE

 

When Using GenAI to Empower, Push Against Its Limitations  A new paper from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers explores the role of generative AI in improving accessibility for people with disabilities. It finds use cases and limitations alike. READ MORE

 

Why Some Politicians Can’t Resist the Lure of Corrupt Acts  Do some politicians get into trouble because they believe they can get away with anything? READ MORE

Wyoming Lawmakers Split on AI Governance, May Draft Second Bill  The state Legislature’s Select Committee on Blockchain, Financial Technology and Digital Innovation Technology is considering a bill on “unlawful dissemination of misleading synthetic media.” READ MORE