Assembly Bill A7611

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7611
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               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:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "New York State Digital Government Modernization Act".
   §  2.  Legislative  intent.  The  legislature finds and declares that:
 Modernizing the state's digital infrastructure is crucial for  improving
 the   efficiency,   accessibility,   and  responsiveness  of  government
 services.  A unified digital portal can significantly reduce wait times,
 streamline processes, and enhance user satisfaction.  Therefore,  it  is
 the  intent of the legislature to establish a digital government modern-
 ization initiative to achieve these goals through innovation and strate-
 gic investment in technology.
   § 3. The state technology law is amended by adding a new article 5  to
 read as follows:
                                 ARTICLE V
            NEW YORK STATE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION ACT
 SECTION 501. DEFINITIONS.
         502. THE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE.
         503. DIGITAL GOVERNMENT ENHANCEMENTS PILOT PROGRAM.
   § 501. DEFINITIONS. FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS ARTICLE:
   1. "INITIATIVE" SHALL MEAN THE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION INITI-
 ATIVE ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION FIVE HUNDRED TWO OF THIS ARTICLE.
   2.  "PILOT  PROGRAM"  SHALL  MEAN  THE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT ENHANCEMENTS
 PILOT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED UNDER SECTION FIVE HUNDRED THREE OF THIS ARTI-
 CLE.
   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
 
   § 502. THE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE.  1.  THERE  IS
 HEREBY  ESTABLISHED  WITHIN THE OFFICE THE DIGITAL GOVERNMENT MODERNIZA-
 TION INITIATIVE.
   2. THE INITIATIVE SHALL:
   (A)  IMPROVE  THE  ACCESSIBILITY  AND  EFFICIENCY OF ONLINE GOVERNMENT
 SERVICES.
   (B) REDUCE WAIT TIMES FOR  RESIDENT  INQUIRIES  AND  APPLICATIONS  FOR
 GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES.
   (C) ENSURE SECURE, USER-FRIENDLY, AND MOBILE-OPTIMIZED DIGITAL EXPERI-
 ENCES FOR GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES.
   §  503.  DIGITAL GOVERNMENT ENHANCEMENTS PILOT PROGRAM. 1. THE OFFICE,
 THROUGH THE INITIATIVE, SHALL CONDUCT A TWO YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO ASSESS
 THE FEASIBILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS OF CERTAIN DIGITAL GOVERNMENT ENHANCE-
 MENTS.
   2. THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE:
   (A) DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLE SERVICES, INCLUDING, BUT  NOT  LIMITED
 TO,  ONLINE DRIVER'S LICENSE RENEWALS, VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS, AND PERMIT
 APPLICATIONS.
   (B) TAX PAYMENTS AND FILINGS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED  TO,  STREAM-
 LINING DIGITAL PAYMENT PROCESSING FOR STATE TAXES.
   (C)  BUSINESS  LICENSING  AND  PERMITS,  INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO,
 STREAMLINING APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS CERTIFICATIONS.
   (D) PUBLIC ASSISTANCE AND BENEFITS,  INCLUDING  BUT  NOT  LIMITED  TO,
 AUTOMATING APPLICATIONS FOR MEDICAID, THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSIST-
 ANCE PROGRAM, AND THE HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
   (E)  A CENTRALIZED DIGITAL GOVERNMENT PORTAL TO PROVIDE RESIDENTS WITH
 A SINGLE, SECURE LOGIN THROUGH A  DIGITAL  IDENTIFICATION  SYSTEM.  SUCH
 PORTAL  SHALL  INTEGRATE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-POWERED VIRTUAL ASSIST-
 ANTS CAPABLE OF PROVIDING AROUND-THE-CLOCK SUPPORT FOR COMMON  QUESTIONS
 AND  REQUESTS.  ALL DIGITAL SERVICES OFFERED THROUGH THE PORTAL SHALL BE
 DESIGNED TO FUNCTION  SEAMLESSLY  ON  SMARTPHONES,  TABLETS,  AND  OTHER
 MOBILE  DEVICES. ADDITIONALLY, THE PORTAL SHALL DEPLOY ARTIFICIAL INTEL-
 LIGENCE TO ASSIST WITH PROCESSING APPLICATIONS, PERMITS, AND  INQUIRIES,
 WITH  HUMAN  OVERSIGHT TO ENSURE ACCURACY, FAIRNESS, AND COMPLIANCE WITH
 ALL APPLICABLE LAWS. ACCESSIBILITY SHALL BE  A  CORE  COMPONENT  OF  THE
 INITIATIVE,  WITH  REAL-TIME  TRANSLATION  AVAILABLE  IN  AT  LEAST  TEN
 LANGUAGES AND FULL COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES  ACT,
 INCLUDING  SUPPORT FOR SCREEN READERS, VOICE NAVIGATION, AND TEXT RESIZ-
 ING.
   (F) A UNIFIED PAYMENT SYSTEM THAT ACCEPTS WIDELY USED DIGITAL  PAYMENT
 PLATFORMS,  INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, APPLE PAY, GOOGLE PAY, VENMO,
 PAYPAL, AND MAJOR CREDIT AND DEBIT  CARDS.  SUCH  PAYMENT  SYSTEM  SHALL
 REDUCE  THE NEED FOR PHYSICAL PAPERWORK AND IN-PERSON VISITS FOR ROUTINE
 GOVERNMENT TRANSACTIONS. SUCH PAYMENT SYSTEM SHALL ALSO IMPLEMENT  TOOLS
 TO GATHER FEEDBACK FROM USERS AND SHALL PUBLICLY DISPLAY KEY PERFORMANCE
 METRICS, SUCH AS PROCESSING TIMES AND USER SATISFACTION, THROUGH A REAL-
 TIME DIGITAL DASHBOARD.
   3.  THE  PILOT  PROGRAM  SHALL  BE  IMPLEMENTED WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION AND SHALL END TWO YEARS AFTER SUCH  DATE.
 THE PILOT PROGRAM SHALL BE CONTINUOUSLY EVALUATED OVER SUCH PERIOD.
   4.  THROUGHOUT  THE PILOT PROGRAM, THE OFFICE SHALL PROVIDE REPORTS TO
 THE GOVERNOR, THE MAJORITY AND MINORITY LEADERS OF THE SENATE,  AND  THE
 SPEAKER  AND  MINORITY  LEADER  OF  THE  ASSEMBLY EVERY SIX MONTHS. SUCH
 REPORTS SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO,  DATA  ON  SERVICE  USAGE,
 USER  SATISFACTION,  PROCESSING TIMES, AND COST SAVINGS ACHIEVED THROUGH
 MODERNIZATION EFFORTS. SUCH REPORTS SHALL  ALSO  INCLUDE  FEEDBACK  FROM
 A. 7611                             3
 
 RESIDENTS  AND  BUSINESSES  REGARDING  THE  USABILITY OF THE NEW DIGITAL
 SYSTEMS. UPON COMPLETION OF THE PILOT PROGRAM, A FINAL REPORT  SHALL  BE
 SUBMITTED  ASSESSING  THE SUCCESS OF THE INITIATIVE AND PROVIDING RECOM-
 MENDATIONS  AS  TO WHETHER THE PROGRAM SHOULD BE EXPANDED OR MADE PERMA-
 NENT.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.