A recent StateRAMP dba GovRAMP webinar focused on the ways governments adopt GovRAMP, including Arizona’s own GovRAMP journey. The GovRAMP Provider Leadership Council Meeting on August 7 featured Errika Celsy, Chief Privacy and Compliance Officer for the Arizona Department of Homeland Security. She shared information on Arizona’s official transition to GovRAMP. She emphasized their dedication to compliance and security when working with vendors, along with the importance of meeting security requirements for their auditors. She said she views security as “an enabler and not a roadblock.”
Her advice on how to navigate GovRAMP authorization for those interested in going through the certification process, included these best practices:
During the webinar, GovRAMP leaders defined the three ways governments adopt GovRAMP—accept, prefer and require.
Accept: An organization allows a GovRAMP assessment to satisfy a business requirement in addition to other assessments.
Prefer: An organization offers preference or additional evaluation points for GovRAMP assessed products.
Require: An organization fully adopts GovRAMP from solicitation through award and contract management.
In addition, they highlighted participating government organizations, including those in Minnesota, Utah, Arizona, Indiana, New Hampshire and Texas. The GovRAMP website includes a full list of participating governments & public educational institutions working with GovRAMP to recognize a common standard for cybersecurity.
GovRAMP Executive Director Leah McGrath reported on GovRAMP’s AI Security Task force, with the aim to “bring innovations to the public sector faster.” She presented the timeline for that task force from Discovery (May-July) to Recommendations (July-September) to Adoption (November-December). Leah pointed listeners on the webinar to GovRAMP’s AI Security Task Force page for resources and timelines, along with executive council and task force members. GovRAMP explains the mission of the task force as: recommending “enhancements to the GovRAMP Security Program that address the unique cybersecurity and trust challenges introduced by generative AI.”
GovRAMP Provider Leadership Council member and GL Solutions’ CEO Bill Moseley applauds GovRAMP’s efforts around artificial intelligence. “The clear timeline for the AI Security Task Force reflects real momentum in bringing trusted AI to government.”
As part of their push to improve the technology procurement process, NASCIO recently published a brief on the issue. President Amanda Crawford’s 2025 presidential initiative, Demystifying State Technology Procurement, published in August, focuses on important topics, such as state required terms and conditions, along with data use and protection. The paper draws conclusions, based on research conducted and conversations with NASCIO state and corporate members. Recommendations include:
President and Texas state CIO Amanda Crawford discusses her president’s initiative procurement report on the latest NASCIO Voices podcast, that aired August 12. Listen to that podcast here.
Missouri ranks 50th overall for all states and Puerto Rico in the 2024 State Occupational Licensing Index from the Archbridge Institute and the Knee Regulatory Research Center; the score places the state 50th among states for the highest occupational licensing burden. Besides the overall ranking, the report also features a state profile ranking that puts states in one of five quintiles. Missouri ranks five in the quintile system, with one the “most occupational licensing” and five the “least occupational licensing.” The quintile system reviews several factors, including barriers and licenses, along with universal recognition reforms. The licensing index, released in August, contains information on 284 occupations.
See a listing of all state rankings in the latest edition of the State Occupational Licensing Index.
Regulation Matters: a CLEAR conversation
On the latest CLEAR podcast, economist Jeff Korzenik and keynote speaker for the upcoming CLEAR Annual Educational Conference offers a preview of his upcoming talk on participation in the labor force participation, second-chance hiring, and how other countries address workforce shortages.
The Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene Licensure Compact gains momentum
The American Association of Dental Boards (AADB) announced progress in the adoption of the Interstate Dental & Dental Hygiene Licensure (IDDHL) Compact.
No Excuses for Insecurity with GovRAMP ED Leah McGrath
