Websites

Iowa Child Care Connect, a new website unveiled by state Gov. Kim Reynolds, comes out of a recommendation from a task force she created to look into improving the access to and affordability of child care.

The local government, the state’s fifth largest by population, has migrated to a new website with a “.gov” domain address. The protocol meets federal recommendations and has advanced security features.

The federal Department of Justice’s final rule in April updated the Americans with Disabilities Act, requiring accessibility for all government content. Here’s what that means for state and local entities.

Eric Goldman, associate dean of research at Santa Clara University School of Law, assesses concerns around the impending TikTok ban or buyout. It faces significant First Amendment challenges, he said.

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.

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.

AskCOS, the city of Colorado Springs’ new artificial intelligence-enabled chatbot, was trained using Colorado city government information alone. The virtual assistant can answer constituent questions in 71 languages.

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.

The state’s DMV Transformation Effort, commenced in late 2021 with a gradual rollout of online service offerings, may not end on schedule. A lack of staff availability is requiring extended outside support.

Committee on House Administration Chairman Bryan Steil queried Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar on a state website malfunction. The site showed mail-in ballots had been submitted for the presidential primary when they hadn’t.

The department went live Monday with Frances Online, a claims processing solution replacing a COBOL-based legacy system. Officials acknowledged some callers have experienced long hold times but said the replacement is “working well” for most.

As the state of South Dakota works to transform outdated IT systems, enhance cybersecurity and explore emerging technologies, state IT leadership is keeping the citizens’ experience at the heart of these efforts.

According to a Government Technology analysis of CISA data, only 42 percent of counties have registered .gov domains. Now that the federal government is making it easier than ever to get a .gov domain, will more agencies make the change?

Washington County officials are moving over to a more secure .gov extension. The domain can be used only by U.S.-based government organizations and is managed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

Massachusetts has appointed Ashley Bloom as the state’s new chief IT accessibility officer, a role in which she will be responsible for improving the accessibility of the state’s digital services.

Santa Clarita, Calif.'s recent website redesign features improved navigation for users on desktop and mobile devices and integrates the AI chatbot, Ask Sammy, to help users find exactly what they need.

The single sign-on portal for government benefits and services is set to be expanded to all 50 states. The program was initially piloted in Arkansas in 2022 and has since been adopted by more than 40 federal and state agencies.

The California Civil Rights Department’s new online interactive guide will help residents understand the Fair Chance Act, which aims to reduce employment barriers for individuals with criminal histories.