State Government

A multibillion-dollar plan to develop 10,000 miles of broadband infrastructure has hit financial headwinds, forcing the state to consider what not to build. Some construction is already underway.

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.

State lawmakers have approved three bills that refresh areas of the law pertaining to minors, and to artificially generated images of “sexual depiction” – redefining such depictions to include those generated by AI.

The state’s chief information officer of more than five years has a varied background that includes 25 years in the U.S. Air Force. In Hawaii, he helped modernize and consolidate IT infrastructure.

The state Legislature has set aside $250,000 this year to study underground water levels and ensure they don’t run dry amid increased demand from data centers and a multiyear drought.

The state program would match private dollars in an effort to build out the technology ecosystem with project funding. Areas of focus could include data centers, operations support or backing lab space.

The state will issue every sworn officer in its Department of Corrections a body-worn camera. This will make it just the second department in the country to equip state corrections officers with the devices.

Tech leaders are being deliberate about the adoption of generative artificial intelligence and “trying to not follow the rush,” Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong told a state commission.

A new mobile-responsive web page from the New York state Department of Environmental Conservation lets the public more easily report harmful algal blooms. Features include an updated map and reporting system.

Technology like mobile apps and data visualization dashboards is helping the state serve more of its residents — often without them having to leave their homes.

Two bills related to artificial intelligence governance were passed in the California state Senate on Thursday with unanimous support. Now, Senate bills 892 and 893 will head to the Assembly.

Signed by the state’s governor, the new law criminalizes distributing “materially deceptive media.” A first violation would be a misdemeanor, but subsequent violations would be treated as felonies. The law takes effect Oct. 1.

The assessment and educational tool offers insights and solutions for improving government web performance. Based on its criteria, many state and federal agencies have updated their sites.

State economic development and university officials joined private-sector EV leaders in an online discussion of “The Path to True Electrification.” For Michigan, that will include a focus on infrastructure, job training and shaping public policy.

State data released one year after the launch of California vs. Hate, the hotline and online portal for reporting hate crimes and incidents, shows its impact. People statewide reported more than 1,000 acts of hate.

A new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation advises states and regions to consider a range of connectivity issues, before deciding how to best spend federal infrastructure funding on high-speed Internet.

The federal government’s approval of the second part of the state’s planning document clears the stage for its final proposal. The cycle will unlock nearly $1.2 billion to connect all Pennsylvania residents to the Internet.

A new claims portal is in place and call center upgrades are ongoing as state officials make large-scale changes to the technology behind Employment Development Department services. Next up: an RFP to replace the mainframe.