Policy

California is supplementing its traditional process of navigating public comments with AI, to do a better job of gathering actionable insight. Its model may inform similar engagement efforts by other governments.

Among nine bills signed this month by Gov. Brian Kemp were a ban on personal electronic devices in high schools, building on last year's K-8 ban, and a policy to deploy over 1,300 full-time literacy coaches for K-3.

After two years of task forces, collapsed deals and attempted overhauls, Colorado lawmakers are about to rewrite — and scale back — the state’s beleaguered AI regulations.

Whether the autonomous vehicle market develops as shared robotaxi fleets or individually owned cars could have large impacts on cities and land use. It may not be immediate, but planning is vital, experts said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to regulate large-scale data centers in Florida, promising consumers would not bear the burden of the AI boom with higher electric bills or more scarce water resources.

Plus, NYC has announced $2 million in funding to expand Internet, New Mexico launched a new broadband mapping tool, a bicameral bill could increase participation in the Lifeline program, and more.

The state transportation department will build an interstate flex lane for use when traffic is congested. A bill headed to the governor’s desk would enable its monitoring to catch drivers who break the rules.

A new Federal Emergency Management Agency transparency requirement may help counties gain visibility into funding requests, via a dashboard. Regular deadlines are expected to drive tracking.

Despite Gov. Ned Lamont's support and the bill's passage in the state House of Representatives, legislation to ban cellphones from schools met opposition from senators who favored leaving the issue to local districts.

A pair of recently signed laws have given Kansas the ability to offer shared IT and cyber services to local governments, schools, hospitals and others, while also requiring new cyber assessments for state agencies.

State Senate Bill 5 would create AI oversight committees, adopt workforce development programs and try to keep AI from discriminating in the hiring process. Gov. Ned Lamont is expected to sign it.

A proposed law, the Ratepayer and Resource Protection Act, would require data centers to pay the full cost of electricity and other resources they purchase, and safeguard the public against rate hikes.

The Panel for Educational Policy, which some have considered a rubber stamp for each mayor's agenda, is evolving away from mayoral control toward a model of "co-governance" with the mayor's schools chief.

State lawmakers voted down a bill that would have created exceptions to Colorado’s right-to-repair laws, which currently enable individuals other than manufacturers to repair electronics.

Congress is pushing to regulate the Internet for kids after decades of harms posed by an evolving digital landscape. Experts say this well-intended effort may fundamentally alter privacy protocol for every user.

The fate of the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, however, remains unclear, as state CIOs continue to call upon Congress to renew support.

The "Kids Over Clicks" bills would bar online platforms from sending notifications to minors at night and during the school day, and also limit the collection of personal data and the capabilities of chatbots.

Two bipartisan bills aimed at limiting warrantless access to Coloradans’ data by state government agencies have been defeated after both efforts crashed into stiff opposition from law enforcement.