Policy

School cellphone bans are key to combating skyrocketing rates of adolescent anxiety and depression, author Jonathan Haidt said in a webinar. Performance increases follow, California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond said.

The Albuquerque City Council has approved a resolution directing administration to create an artificial intelligence working group to develop an official city policy shaping the technology’s use. Residents will be among its members.

Groveland Township leaders are working to set standards for a proposed battery storage facility before the state assumes control of project approvals. A recent state law effectively keeps locals from enacting renewable projects rules that are more restrictive than state laws.

A new executive order adds teeth to the state’s permit transparency and streamlining work. It instructs agencies to do more to simplify the user experience on their platform, and bring more approval processes on board.

Republican control of the Senate would likely tilt tech policy, ranging from regulation of artificial intelligence to expansion of high-speed Internet, toward industry-friendly terms, according to analysts.

Many schools do them, but lawmakers, law enforcement officials, parents and others are considering whether Connecticut should mandate active shooter drills. Concerns include the impact practicing for these scenarios has on schoolchildren.

The Montgomery County Attorney's Office has said it supports law enforcement in keeping parts of vehicle chase policies confidential, after a pursuit ended in a head-on collision. The incident occurred in early October.

Created by executive order at the start of the year, Virginia has now set its AI Task Force in motion, aiming to support and advise policymakers on the technologies. Ten members have been named; more may follow.

A report from the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology suggests that schools should update their sexual harassment policies to better handle deepfakes, which have become a common problem in institutions across the U.S.

A state-level Cybersecurity Commission, enacted by law in 2021, is required to meet quarterly at a minimum, and to report annually to Gov. Mike Parson. The governor, however, has not appointed any commission members.

One congressman is seeking to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program for several years, as opposed to the series of short-term extensions Congress has enacted since 2017.

Varying policies have sprouted since 2017, when the state adopted definitions of e-bikes with legislation that classified them separately as motorized vehicles and called for their use across bike paths.

From revitalizing the economy to confronting his city’s racial past, Tulsa, Okla., Mayor G.T. Bynum leaves office having created a focus on unity and progress. He is the fourth member of his family to serve as mayor.

The City Council is examining how the city’s famous views are being preserved. A recent study session on design and development standards included a proposal to use new software to examine how views would be impacted by proposed development.

Since a new state law required student phones to stow their phones and keep them turned off at school, teachers are seeing higher engagement, and many students who balked at first are admitting they're more engaged.

The bloc of Democratic House members from California, led by Rep. Zoe Lofgren, argued that the bill’s technical solutions were premised on standards that are still in development.

State Sen. James Maroney has spearheaded regular meetings with his counterparts from around the country. The goal: to create a common framework on AI and avoid a patchwork approach to legislation.

At the recent NASCIO 2024 Annual Conference, CIOs talked about the legal concerns that will help guide the development of AI and other technologies. Freedom of Information matters around public data are in the forefront.