Senate Acts to Invest in Cybersecurity, Online Accessibility, New Technology

(BOSTON 7/25/2024) – Yesterday, the Massachusetts Legislature enacted the FutureTech Act, taking action on a $1.26 billion bond authorization to modernize the Commonwealth’s digital infrastructure and create safer and more accessible experiences for residents and employees alike.

Funding and projects included in H.4889, An Act to provide for the future information technology needs of Massachusetts, would allow state agencies to deliver services more efficiently to residents, enhance cybersecurity on statewide platforms, and broaden access to services used by hundreds of thousands of residents statewide. The bill would also invest in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and create a fund to secure anticipated federal funding to bolster health and human services-related projects.

“It is difficult to avoid digital systems when interacting with government in the modern era. We owe it to the people of Massachusetts to ensure those systems are easy to navigate while also maintaining the highest levels of security against cybercriminals and other bad actors,” said Senator Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “I’m pleased to see investments be made to update our digital infrastructure like those in the FutureTech Act. As we keep an eye to the future, I am hopeful that we can pair important investments like these with high cybersecurity standards like those established by the Cybersecurity and AI bill my committee advanced late last year.”

During Senate debate, Senator Michael Moore secured two amendments to the FutureTech Act, both of which were included in the final bill. The first provision authorizes five $50,000 bonds to each of the towns of Auburn, Grafton, Millbury, Shrewsbury, and Westborough to fund information technology infrastructure modernization. The second provision authorizes a $250,000 bond to allow the Worcester Police Department to purchase equipment to access the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). The NIBIN provides law enforcement partners at all levels of government with an automated ballistic imaging network that can match ballistics evidence with other cases across the nation. This process can also help reveal previously hidden connections between violent crimes in different communities and states.

The FutureTech Act lays a foundation for technology innovation in the Commonwealth by implementing transformative projects like the Business Enterprise Systems Transformation (BEST) and the Commonwealth Digital Roadmap, both of which would be targeted at streamlining state operations and making essential government services quicker and more efficient.

It would support a new project to consolidate and modernize the Division of Occupational Licensing’s (DOL) licensing database, which currently relies on outdated infrastructure, paper files, and manual data entry. Once full implemented, new systems will accelerate licensing and renewals.

The bill also includes authorizations to continue investments for the Employment Modernization Transformation (EMT) rollout, which will provide employers and those seeking unemployment insurance with a new portal to manage unemployment insurance claims. With phase one already rolled out, future improvements will include easier uploads, a mobile-friendly design, and enhanced accessibility features.

The FutureTech Act builds on Massachusetts’ longstanding leadership in emerging technology by allocating funds for future AI projects and supporting initiatives like the Municipal Fiber Grant Program, which boosts innovation and extends efficiencies to cities and towns.

Having passed both branches of the Legislature, the legislation will now be sent to the Governor’s desk for her signature.

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