Pennsylvania

State and municipal agencies and one of the nation’s most populous counties are integrating AI and GIS into their permitting systems, adding automation and enhancing transparency to improve service and accountability.

Proposed legislation approved in the Pennsylvania State Senate would give school districts money for lockable pouches to store student phones if those districts ban cell phone use during the school day.

The legislation would establish a 13-member Agriculture Innovation Board to distribute grants to farms, agribusinesses and agricultural support services that have plans to implement innovative practices.

Gov. Josh Shapiro on Friday signed the legislation that also requires notification to the state attorney general when more than 500 state residents are impacted by a breach.

Legislation expanding access to telemedicine in Pennsylvania received final Senate approval and is now set to be signed into law by Gov. Josh Shapiro, Sen. Lisa Baker said Thursday.

Plus, the USDA is providing $25 million for rural broadband; Pennsylvania offers $20 million worth of devices; Raleigh, N.C., gets a state grant; and more.

Legislation recently advanced by the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee would enlist various districts to participate in a two-year pilot program to test the impact of locking up student cellphones during the day.

Two newly introduced bills in the Pennsylvania Legislature would prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to impersonate political candidates in campaign literature and advertising.

Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed Senate Bill 37, bipartisan legislation that makes Pennsylvania the 29th state to ban distracted driving. It prohibits using handheld devices when driving.

Officials plan accurate speed tests to determine where high-speed Internet is lacking — and where best to deploy federal funding. The state is due to receive nearly $1.2 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment funding.

Pennsylvania state senators are planning to introduce Alyssa's Law, which would require all public schools to be equipped with silent panic alarms that directly notify law enforcement of school-based emergencies.

A handful of Pennsylvania senators have expressed support for legislation that would require student cellphones to be placed in secure lockable bags in all public schools during the school day.

Plus, $204 million is made available for Internet expansion in Pennsylvania, New York’s ConnectALL launches its County Partnerships program, and more.

A divided state House on Tuesday passed a bill that would have Pennsylvania do something all its nearby neighbors have done — ban the use of handheld cell phones by drivers.

The bill would prevent kids younger than 16 from creating a social media account without parental consent as well as compel social media companies to better monitor group chats with minors.

With the state Legislature back in action this week for the first time in months, there is considerable talk but little action on bills that could stymie harmful uses of artificial intelligence, or AI.

Pennsylvania Lottery upgrades also include test environments, communications networks and back-office systems, in a migration starting late Monday and lasting much of Tuesday. The purchase of many game tickets will be impacted.

Some universities have wholeheartedly embraced the technology, such as the University of Pennsylvania, which now offers an AI degree. Others like Penn State and Duquesne University leave it to the professors' discretion.