Policy

As use of new technology by government continues to increase, experts and advocates in the space say that public servants should be keenly aware of the potential to exacerbate long-standing biases.

The Portland Association of Teachers has proposed giving teachers one day a week for planning and virtual office hours during which students would learn remotely, though some are concerned about potential learning loss.

Massachusetts could soon roll out a digital COVID-19 vaccination passport, Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday afternoon, noting that Massachusetts is part of a coalition of states working to develop the technology.

Fearing it has already fallen behind neighboring Indiana and Michigan, the Ohio House has voted overwhelmingly to create a 10-member commission to help drive electric vehicle production in the state.

A California Environmental Protection Agency tool gives certain areas an "economically disadvantaged" label for funding. But stakeholders in San Francisco argue the tool is keeping money from communities that need it.

Plus, GAO discusses value of a federal academy for developing a pipeline of new tech talent, and the Federal Communications Commission seeks comments on its new affordable connectivity program.

The Iowa school district will spend $2.2 million of $32.4 million in federal money intended for pandemic costs, as Linn County's seven-day average positivity rate is 15.2 percent and transmission is at epidemic level.

A University of Massachusetts Amherst professor is collaborating with Gizmodo, the American Civil Liberties Union and other universities to make the Facebook Papers available to the public.

Some Internet service providers in New York believe the billions of broadband dollars from the federal infrastructure bill could make the state a national leader in terms of finally closing the digital divide.

The Ohio House of Representatives voted in favor of the Ohio Computer Crimes Act, which, among other things, will allow for faster prosecution of cyber criminals by removing the need to calculate damages to victims.

The Coalition of City CISOs aims to fill a professional networking gap by helping CISOs of cities and counties share advice and threat intelligence, and presents the local perspective to federal partners and policymakers.

Most states don't mandate that their agencies report any cyber incidents that occur. However, a new legislative trend shows that state lawmakers are gradually recognizing the importance of incident reporting.

A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the U.S. Department of Education to work with CISA on updating cyber threat response plans for K-12 schools that are more than a decade old.

In the near future, residents of Mercedes, Texas, may be able to pay their utility bills using a form of cryptocurrency. The Mercedes City Commission voted for city staff to research the issue further.

The federal infrastructure bill may be murkier than it appears. The large piece of legislation seems to include multiple exceptions to the Freedom of Information Act. Some of the exceptions may be illegal.

Yesterday, Mississippi announced two new types of digital identification. The first is an app that allows Mississippians to use a digital driver's license. The second is a digital certificate of COVID-19 vaccination.

If signed into law, House Bill 4778 would ban state agencies from using apps like Signal, Telegram and Whatsapp on government-issued devices to avoid Freedom of Information Act requirements.

While the lion's share of the funding available to state government in the just-passed bipartisan infrastructure bill will be dished out based on formulas, the majority of the grant programs will be competitive.