Democratic Primaries

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(85,998 posts) Thu Mar 14, 2019, 10:39 AM Mar 2019

Kamala Harris introduces bill to give state & local govts funding to fix outdated tools and websites

WIRED @WIRED 2h2 hours ago
EXCLUSIVE: California senator Kamala Harris is introducing a bill that would give state and local governments access to $15 million a year in grant funding so they can fix the often outdated tools and websites Americans use every day. https://wired.trib.al/hgPE5aa

____The bill, called the Digital Service Act of 2019, is modeled after the United States Digital Service, an elite team of geeks inside the White House working on ways to make federal government technology less clunky and confusing—and maybe even good. Launched in 2014, USDS is one of the few Obama-era passion projects to survive the Trump administration. Now Harris wants to build on its success by giving state and local governments the resources they need to set up similar teams.

“We must do more to empower our state and local governments to tap into the power of technology to provide seamless, cost-effective services for the 21st century,” Harris told WIRED in a statement. “The Digital Service Act will help harness top talent for the government, save taxpayer dollars, and put the power of technology to work on behalf of the American people.”

Under the bill, government officials would be able to apply for two-year grants, ranging from $200,000 to $2.5 million per year, based on their population. At least half of that money would have to be spent on paying techies' salaries, and grant recipients could reapply once, and only once, for additional funding after the first two years are up. USDS would be responsible for distributing the grants, giving preference to state and local governments, as well as Indian tribes, with a proven track record of investing in tech and modernizing government; having a chief digital officer or chief technologist already in place is a plus. The federal grants would cover 80 percent of the program’s overall budget, with state and local governments kicking in the remaining 20 percent.

The Digital Service Act also includes another $50 million a year to help USDS continue its work at the federal level. Currently, Congress pays for USDS through the so-called Information Technology Oversight and Reform fund, which allows for funds to be carried over year to year. The Office of Management and Budget, which oversees the program, didn't respond to WIRED's request for comment.

read more: https://t.co/KXckdGZX3h