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DoJ: SLGs Must Ensure Web and Mobile App Access for People with Disabilities
  • N.Y. Overhauling Outdated DMV Tech to Improve CX
    The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is preparing to undertake a multi-year project to replace and modernize its outdated technology systems. The DMV said the project will provide its customers with more efficient, secure, and convenient services, and will enable the agency to implement future technology advancements more efficiently.
  • New Mexico Unveils ARPA, BIL Funding Dashboard
    New Mexico has launched a new Federal funding dashboard that allows users to track and analyze statewide and community projects and services funded through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).
  • Lawmakers Debut Water Systems Cybersecurity Bill
    Following fresh warnings from the Federal government that foreign hackers are targeting U.S. water systems for possible cyberattacks, two House members this week introduced legislation that would focus greater government attention on that threat.
Recent News
  1. CISA, FBI, ODNI Issue Guidance on Securing Election Infrastructure
    The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), FBI, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) issued guidance on Wednesday that details how to protect election infrastructure from foreign malign influence operations.
  2. Philadelphia Mayor Names New CIO
    Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has tapped Melissa Scott to become the city’s new chief information officer (CIO). Scott will also lead the city’s Office of Innovation and Technology.
  3. Vanderbilt Cyber Chief Elevated to CIO
    Vanderbilt University has looked in-house for its next chief information officer (CIO) and has tapped Shane Callahan for the role.
  1. Civil Rights, Education Orgs Push for School AI Surveillance Curbs
    The No Tech Criminalization in Education Coalition (NOTICE) and more than 40 other civil rights and education organizations sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education (ED) last month calling for a ban on Federal funding for school surveillance systems that rely on algorithms and other artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology for predictive policing and other harmful practices.
  2. College System of Tennessee Launches Employment Data Dashboard
    The College System of Tennessee has launched a new interactive online data dashboard with the goal of helping its community and technical colleges learn more about graduates’ post-college employment and earnings.
  3. fraud DoL Pitches UI Transformation Plan, Sends Congress Funding Beg
    The Labor Department (DoL) went public with its latest plans to modernize unemployment insurance (UI) programs that it operates with state government partners, and requested that Congress do its part by funding the plan.
  4. California Releases GenAI Procurement Guidelines
    Following California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order on Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) signed in 2023, the California Government Operations Agency has released procurement guidelines and a new toolkit for state agencies and departments as they consider and procure GenAI technology for state operations.
  1. Mountain State CIO a Home-Grown Commodity
    Heather Abbott, who was named West Virginia’s CIO and head of its Office of Technology (OT) last summer, knows a thing or two about staying power.
  2. New Data Privacy Bill Draft Features Algorithm Pushback
    House and Senate committee leaders unveiled a discussion draft of their latest effort to create a national data privacy law via the American Privacy Rights Act of 2024, which notably features provisions that would allow people to opt out of the use of their data for creating algorithms that could impact a host of major life decisions.
  3. XDR Helps State and Local Government Security Teams Remediate Threats Quickly
    Cyberattacks against state and local governments can interrupt critical infrastructure, leak sensitive information, and cause significant financial damage. Agencies are using more security tools to thwart increasingly sophisticated attacks, but this has led to a level of complexity that overburdens security teams. MeriTalk recently sat down with Kenny Holmes, cybersecurity senior leader for government and education at Cisco, to discuss how integrated, automated solutions can help analysts quickly detect, prioritize, and remediate threats.
  4. Ohio Community College Offers Cybersecurity Course for K-12 Administrators
    Sinclair Community College in Dayton, Ohio, is teaming up with education technology company D2L to offer a free cybersecurity course for K-12 school system and technology leaders. The goal of the course is to help school leaders better understand cyber threats and identify key mitigation and prevention steps.
  5. Connecticut Public Schools Land Free Chromebooks
    Norwalk (Conn.) Public Schools (NPS) announced that five additional schools will receive free Chromebook devices thanks to NPS expanding its participation in Verizon Innovative Learning.
  6. D.C. Launches Public Beta of AI-Powered ‘Compass’
    The District of Columbia’s Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) has launched a public beta version of the “DC Compass,” which uses generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to answer data-oriented civic questions and create maps from thousands of open data sets.
  7. Vermont Using High-Res Data for Better Conservation
    The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is using high-resolution data to find and protect important habitat features like wildlife road crossings.
  8. Baltimore Mayor Issues GenAI EO for City Employees
    Joining a chorus of other states and localities looking to address the use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has issued an executive order (EO) designed to govern the use and development of AI within city operations.
  9. Achieving Cyber Resilience With Unified Threat Detection and Response
    Security analysts in the education sector must contend with evolving cybersecurity threats despite limited resources. MeriTalk recently sat down with Helen Patton, cybersecurity executive advisor for education at Cisco, to discuss how an open, collaborative approach to threat detection and response can help streamline processes for overburdened security teams.
  10. San Jose Seeking Government Partners GovAI Coalition
    The city of San Jose, Calif., has established the GovAI Coalition to help shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI) in government. The city said it welcomes state, local, and other municipal government agencies to join the coalition.