Federal Government

The federal data privacy bill under consideration is weaker than the privacy laws on the books in California and contains a provision that says the federal policy would override state laws. That’s unacceptable.

The federal government has unveiled a new resource, the Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal, which aims to help communities assess climate risks and plan resilience projects accordingly.

A White House listening session this week explored the possible negative impacts related to social media platforms, and the Biden administration offered six core principles to increase accountability moving forward.

Plus, the Colorado Broadband Deployment Board distributes a historic amount of funding; the New York Digital Inclusion Fund announces five innovation grants; a new program offers broadband support training for communities; and more.

The short answer, according to industry experts, is yes, it can. In fact, some states are already expanding their broadband workforces with the help of new federal and state government funding.

California lawmakers are working to block or amend a federal privacy proposal that could upend their state’s more comprehensive existing law. The federal proposal has the support of the tech industry.

A multipronged proposal to advance home-grown agricultural technology, job training and support for small-scale farmers in the central San Joaquin Valley received a major boost in the form of a $65.1 million award.

Plus, funding for broadband continues to make its way from the federal government through the states, the Federal Communications Commission has announced even more broadband support, and more.

At its core, a broadband advisory board is made up of individuals from different sectors who advise state broadband programs, governors or legislatures. However, not all advisory boards are the same.

Energy industry leaders and elected officials are eyeing West Virginia as the potential site of massive federal investments to support the White House's plan to decarbonize the industrial sector.

Alteryx, based in California, serves various types of public agencies with automated data analytics technology. The move reflects the need for better data security and data-driven recommendations for government.

The National Skills Coalition has released an informational resource to support states in their implementation of the Digital Equity Act and Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program.

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 that was recently signed into law includes incentives to help consumers buy electric vehicles — as long as they meet strict criteria — but that’s not necessarily the ultimate goal.

Plus, Georgia allocates $240 million toward broadband grants; the Public Library Association is hosting digital literacy workshops at 160 libraries; every state has applied for the Internet for All Initiative; and more.

Some 150 transit agencies to receive new federal infrastructure funding to purchase zero-emission or low-emission buses, nearly doubling the number of electrified buses on American city streets.

The newly formed office is one of three initiatives announced by Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy that are aimed at expanding high-speed Internet access to unserved and underserved areas throughout the state.

A $23.5 million competitive federal grant will help Boeing scale up an apprenticeship program that could ultimately create a recruitment pipeline for hundreds of cybersecurity and other tech jobs.

Steve Nichols, chief technology officer at Georgia Technology Authority, offers his observations and predictions for what's trending and what's to come with regard to cyber incident notification laws.