Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed the Bell to Bell, No Cell Act into law. The legislation bans smartphones and other personal electronic devices like smart watches from all public schools in Arkansas. The legislation will go into effect at the beginning of the 2025-2026 school year. 

The cybersecurity nonprofit StateRAMP will transition to GovRAMP. The organization said the rebrand reflects its “ongoing mission to unify cybersecurity frameworks across all levels of government, including state, local, tribal, and educational institutions, while continuing to bridge the public and private sectors.”

The state of New York has launched a new website and interactive tree tracking tool that will help document progress towards the state’s goal of planting 25 million trees by 2033.

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has launched the Online Report Card, which will make K-12 public education data more accessible for students, families, and community members.

The New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is asking state lawmakers to approve a $140.6 million budget request that includes $9.5 million of funding aimed at improving security and customer service for taxpayers and local governments.

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is urging U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to prioritize improvements to the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program.

Louisiana Economic Development (LED) launched its new Louisiana Innovation (LA.IO) division on Feb. 6, and said the new organization aims to position the state as a leader in the development of more high-growth, technology-enabled startup companies.

Calvin University has received a $50,000 contribution from AT&T to purchase devices to close the digital divide among students.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul issued a statewide ban on the Chinese artificial intelligence program known as DeepSeek from being downloaded on government devices and networks, citing concerns about DeepSeek’s connection to foreign surveillance and censorship as well as the program’s data harvesting practices.

The Maryland Department of Transportation, Maryland State Police, and Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) have landed a five-year, $13.2 million Federal grant to upgrade the state’s crash reporting system and streamline the exchange of data across local, state, and Federal agencies.