•  Summary 
  •  
  •  Actions 
  •  
  •  Committee Votes 
  •  
  •  Floor Votes 
  •  
  •  Memo 
  •  
  •  Text 
  •  
  •  LFIN 
  •  
  •  Chamber Video/Transcript 

A07611 Summary:

BILL NOA07611
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORSlater
 
COSPNSRMorinello, Smullen, McDonough, Brown K
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add Art 5 §§501 - 503, St Tech L
 
Enacts the "New York State Digital Government Modernization Act"; establishes the digital government modernization initiative and the digital government enhancements pilot program.
Go to top    

A07611 Actions:

BILL NOA07611
 
04/01/2025referred to governmental operations
05/20/2025held for consideration in governmental operations
Go to top

A07611 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A7611
 
SPONSOR: Slater
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the state technology law, in relation to establishing the digital government modernization initiative and the digital govern- ment enhancements pilot program   PURPOSE: To modernize New York State's digital infrastructure by enhancing online government services, improving accessibility, and streamlining processes for residents and businesses.   SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS: Section 1: Establishes the short title as the "New York State Digital Government Modernization Act. Section 2: Declares legislative intent, emphasizing the need to improve efficiency, accessibility, and responsiveness of government services through digital modernization. Section 3: Adds a new Article 5 to the state technology law to: *Establish the Digital Government Modernization Initiative within the Office of Information Technology Services. *Create a two-year Digital Government Enhancements Pilot Program to test and implement various digital improvements, including online DMV services, tax payment processing, business licensing, and public bene- fits applications. *Develop a centralized digital government portal with secure login, AI-powered virtual assistance, mobile-friendly access, and multi-lan- guage support. *Implement a unified digital payment system compatible with modern payment platforms. *Require biannual reports to state leadership assessing the pilot program's effectiveness. Section 4: Establishes the effective date as immediate upon enactment.   JUSTIFICATION: New Yorkers rely on government services for various essential trans- actions, yet many systems remain outdated and inefficient. By moderniz- ing digital services, this bill aims to reduce wait times, enhance user experience, and ensure government interactions are more secure and accessible. The proposed pilot program will allow for strategic improve- ments and data-driven decision-making, leading to a more efficient government.   LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: New Bill.   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: To be determined.   EFFECTIVE DATE: Immediately.
Go to top

A07611 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          7611
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                      April 1, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced by M. of A. SLATER -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Governmental Operations
 
        AN  ACT  to  amend the state technology law, in relation to establishing
          the  digital  government  modernization  initiative  and  the  digital
          government enhancements pilot program

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  the "New York State Digital Government Modernization Act".
     3    §  2.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature finds and declares that:
     4  Modernizing the state's digital infrastructure is crucial for  improving
     5  the   efficiency,   accessibility,   and  responsiveness  of  government
     6  services.  A unified digital portal can significantly reduce wait times,
     7  streamline processes, and enhance user satisfaction.  Therefore,  it  is
     8  the  intent of the legislature to establish a digital government modern-
     9  ization initiative to achieve these goals through innovation and strate-
    10  gic investment in technology.
    11    § 3. The state technology law is amended by adding a new article 5  to
    12  read as follows:
    13                                  ARTICLE V
    14             NEW YORK STATE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION ACT
    15  Section 501. Definitions.
    16          502. The digital government modernization initiative.
    17          503. Digital government enhancements pilot program.
    18    § 501. Definitions. For the purpose of this article:
    19    1. "Initiative" shall mean the digital government modernization initi-
    20  ative established under section five hundred two of this article.
    21    2.  "Pilot  program"  shall  mean  the digital government enhancements
    22  pilot program established under section five hundred three of this arti-
    23  cle.
    24    3. "Office" means the office of information technology services.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD11294-01-5

        A. 7611                             2
 
     1    § 502. The digital government modernization initiative.  1.  There  is
     2  hereby  established  within the office the digital government moderniza-
     3  tion initiative.
     4    2. The initiative shall:
     5    (a)  improve  the  accessibility  and  efficiency of online government
     6  services.
     7    (b) reduce wait times for  resident  inquiries  and  applications  for
     8  governmental services.
     9    (c) ensure secure, user-friendly, and mobile-optimized digital experi-
    10  ences for governmental services.
    11    §  503.  Digital government enhancements pilot program. 1. The office,
    12  through the initiative, shall conduct a two year pilot program to assess
    13  the feasibility and effectiveness of certain digital government enhance-
    14  ments.
    15    2. The pilot program shall include:
    16    (a) Department of motor vehicle services, including, but  not  limited
    17  to,  online driver's license renewals, vehicle registrations, and permit
    18  applications.
    19    (b) Tax payments and filings, including, but not limited  to,  stream-
    20  lining digital payment processing for state taxes.
    21    (c)  Business  licensing  and  permits,  including but not limited to,
    22  streamlining applications for business certifications.
    23    (d) Public assistance and benefits,  including  but  not  limited  to,
    24  automating applications for Medicaid, the supplemental nutrition assist-
    25  ance program, and the home energy assistance program.
    26    (e)  A centralized digital government portal to provide residents with
    27  a single, secure login through a  digital  identification  system.  Such
    28  portal  shall  integrate artificial intelligence-powered virtual assist-
    29  ants capable of providing around-the-clock support for common  questions
    30  and  requests.  All digital services offered through the portal shall be
    31  designed to function  seamlessly  on  smartphones,  tablets,  and  other
    32  mobile  devices. Additionally, the portal shall deploy artificial intel-
    33  ligence to assist with processing applications, permits, and  inquiries,
    34  with  human  oversight to ensure accuracy, fairness, and compliance with
    35  all applicable laws. Accessibility shall be  a  core  component  of  the
    36  initiative,  with  real-time  translation  available  in  at  least  ten
    37  languages and full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities  Act,
    38  including  support for screen readers, voice navigation, and text resiz-
    39  ing.
    40    (f) A unified payment system that accepts widely used digital  payment
    41  platforms,  including, but not limited to, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo,
    42  PayPal, and major credit and debit  cards.  Such  payment  system  shall
    43  reduce  the need for physical paperwork and in-person visits for routine
    44  government transactions. Such payment system shall also implement  tools
    45  to gather feedback from users and shall publicly display key performance
    46  metrics, such as processing times and user satisfaction, through a real-
    47  time digital dashboard.
    48    3.  The  pilot  program  shall  be  implemented within one year of the
    49  effective date of this section and shall end two years after such  date.
    50  The pilot program shall be continuously evaluated over such period.
    51    4.  Throughout  the pilot program, the office shall provide reports to
    52  the governor, the majority and minority leaders of the senate,  and  the
    53  speaker  and  minority  leader  of  the  assembly every six months. Such
    54  reports shall include, but not be limited to,  data  on  service  usage,
    55  user  satisfaction,  processing times, and cost savings achieved through
    56  modernization efforts. Such reports shall  also  include  feedback  from

        A. 7611                             3
 
     1  residents  and  businesses  regarding  the  usability of the new digital
     2  systems. Upon completion of the pilot program, a final report  shall  be
     3  submitted  assessing  the success of the initiative and providing recom-
     4  mendations  as  to whether the program should be expanded or made perma-
     5  nent.
     6    § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Go to top