State and Federal Relations
Rural-focused $42B Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program becomes operational
Early signs of a massive federal broadband expansion effort are beginning to reach local communities.
Congress tries again on national preemptive data privacy law
House Republican leaders unveiled two new bills last week in the latest federal attempt to regulate data privacy, preempting states’ existing laws.
Florida Speaker kills DeSantis’ AI regulation, vaccine repeal bills on first day of special session
In social media posts, DeSantis accused House Republicans of catering to the “Big Tech cartel” and “the medical industrial complex” for killing his bills.
Lawmakers introduce consolidated AI bill package
The American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence Act takes provisions from previous bills and the 2024 Bipartisan AI Task Force report to move forward AI policies with support from both sides of the aisle.
States use data to ‘push back’ on federal immigration enforcement
Officials are launching public data reporting tools to gather community members’ reports on harmful and potentially unlawful actions from federal agents, which experts say could inform legal actions in the future.
A new Oregon law regulates police use of license plate readers. Here’s how it works.
The legislation empowers Oregonians to sue technology vendors who violate the law’s privacy protections.
Voting rights groups sue Trump administration to stop collection of voter data
So far, 12 states have voluntarily shared their full voter rolls with the Department of Justice.
Amid rule delay, website accessibility must be ‘ongoing practice,’ leaders say
Governments received a one-year extension to comply with a federal rule for their websites. Regardless of its future, experts said accessibility must be the norm.
Treasury is creating a database with pandemic aid recipients’ sensitive information
Critics say the scope established in the agency’s systems of record notice “is an astonishing and dramatic departure from prior Treasury practice.”
Nonprofit playbook looks to help SNAP leaders manage payment error rates
States could end up paying millions more to support the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program due to incorrect payments next year.
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Feds sue three states over prediction markets regulations
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission sued Arizona, Connecticut and Illinois for cracking down on the likes of Kalshi, Polymarket and others.
Missouri AI regulations stall as lawmakers fear loss of rural broadband funds
A Senate bill establishing liability guidelines for artificial intelligence harm has hit resistance from lawmakers who are worried it could provoke retaliation from the Trump administration.
Inside the government website accessibility lobbying push
The proposed rule is under review and could be delayed or scrapped. Meanwhile, government leaders and disability advocates are meeting the feds ahead of the April deadline.
Trump’s goal to create state-by-state citizenship lists isn’t feasible, experts say
A Tuesday executive order mandating that DHS create state-by-state citizenship lists is Trump’s latest effort to exert some control over state-run elections.
Data privacy emerges as a ‘core American value,’ expert says
As the federal government continues its fight to access state’s sensitive data on residents, a new report underscores Americans’ support for stronger data privacy guardrails and protections.
Louisiana scraps some, but not all, AI proposals after Trump threats
Six state legislators confirmed that they are shelving a total of seven bills related to AI. Two others said they weren’t sure whether they would continue to move their proposals forward.
Trump signs executive order setting rules for mail-in voting and eligibility lists
The president has long disputed the mail-in voting process since his 2020 election run. The order is very likely to face legal challenges.
House committee approves FirstNet reauthorization
The effort will now move to the House floor ahead of the February deadline to reauthorize the public safety communications network’s authority for another decade.
GOP policy leads highlight child safety as key step in national AI legislation
Legislators are still working through options for what that legislation will look like, including the possibility of reviving the proposed moratorium on state AI regulations.
Efforts to meet HR 1 Medicaid rules can also ‘build for the future’
Strategies to implement major changes to state Medicaid systems today could also help states better field future updates, experts explained during a recent webinar.
