In a September 9 press release, GovRAMP announced Georgia’s adoption of GovRAMP as the state’s primary framework for the authorization and continuous monitoring of third-party cloud services. Starting October 1, 2026, new state procurements and contracts that include cloud services must align with Georgia’s new statewide requirements. “Georgia is committed to delivering secure and innovative digital services. Our partnership with GovRAMP provides a trusted framework for evaluating and monitoring cloud solutions, helping agencies adopt technology faster, strengthen cybersecurity and better protect the systems and data that support state government,” said Shawnzia Thomas, State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and GTA Executive Director.
Georgia joins a community of participating government organizations using GovRAMP to support cloud security across the public sector. Beginning July 1, 2027, full compliance with the state’s GovRAMP verification requirements will be mandatory for all procurements containing a cloud service component, according to the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) Office of Information Security (OIS). Existing contracts containing cloud services will align with GovRAMP verification requirements upon renewal, extension, major modification or new solicitation.
“By establishing a common framework for authorization, security verification and continuous monitoring, Georgia can reduce duplicative assessments while providing agencies greater visibility into the security of the cloud services they use,” said Leah McGrath, Executive Director of GovRAMP.
See the full details on the state’s GovRAMP program page, as well as the State of Georgia’s Enterprise IT Policies, Standards and Guidelines.
The Beeck Center at Georgetown University argues that public debate about AI in government focuses on the amount of AI deployed, along with the risk of AI, while missing the most useful question: does AI measurably improve people’s experience of government? The authors point to how eligible Americans forgo over $140 billion in federal benefits annually in part because of a difficult process. “AI could help reduce that burden, but it is not the problem government AI is truly being built to solve,” the September 2 article explains. Rather than using AI to improve public access or reduce administrative burdens, the authors argue in Governments Are Counting AI Tools. They Should Be Measuring Public Value, many government efforts target enforcement needs, like fraud detection, compliance monitoring and operational risk. That choice reveals where agencies currently see AI’s value, but leaves fewer resources focused on faster service, simpler processes and better user experiences. The report suggests that state and local governments study the federal patterns carefully before adopting the same approach.
A NASCIO Voices’ episode, “The Digital Accessibility Renaissance in State Government,” discusses findings from NASCIO’s new survey of state digital accessibility officers. The August 26 conversation, featuring report author, Kalea Young-Gibson, highlights how accessibility moved from a grassroots effort to an enterprise-level responsibility shaped by the 2024 DOJ final rule. State programs continue to make progress, but capacity and staffing challenges slow work on document remediation, high-traffic system compliance and vendor accessibility verification. “Half of states in this report say that they don’t have the resources or the staff to remediate everything statewide—and this is even under the DOJ extended rule,” explained Young-Gibson. The episode also explores how artificial intelligence helps state agencies accelerate compliance. Young-Gibson notes, however, that states only use AI when no judgement is required; states use AI for repetitive and high-volume tasks, such as:
“Here to Stay, Here to Grow: A National Portrait of State Digital Accessibility Officers” offers an analysis of the inaugural NASCIO State Digital Accessibility Officer Survey.
Renee Moseley joined GL Solutions in 2016 with an educational and professional background in research and writing, along with software documentation. At GL Solutions she produces informative content to help regulatory agencies stay current on news and information that supports their success.
