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.

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has signed an executive order (EO) establishing a data center working group that will evaluate the impacts of data centers on Washington’s economy, tax revenue, energy use, and the environment.

The Illinois Generative AI and Natural Language Processing Task Force has released a new report highlighting the effects of Gen AI technologies in Illinois.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a ban on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and social media apps affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on devices issued by the state government.  

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has awarded two grants to foster the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in school districts and county vocational schools throughout the state.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has introduced a bill that would restrict student cellphone use during the school day.

Minnesota has created a centralized state fraud investigations unit operated by law enforcement at the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and intends to use new technologies, including AI, to curb fraud.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) declared an abrupt reversal today of its Jan. 27 order to freeze trillions of dollars worth of Federal grant and loan program payments after the short-lived order created nearly universal confusion over and drew opposition from several states who successfully petitioned a Federal judge to block the order from taking effect.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has begun her official push to restrict smartphones in schools, to “ensure distraction-free learning” statewide.

The California Department of Technology (CDT) is partnering with the U.S. General Services Administration to help victims of the Los Angeles firestorms more easily access Federal, state, and local government benefits and services through Login.gov.