The Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), a five-year, $50 billion federal initiative, offers state regulatory agencies funds for system modernization tied to rural health outcomes, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Administered through state health departments, RHTP funds support upgrades to licensing, compliance, inspections and case management systems when projects improve access, efficiency or workforce capacity in rural communities. Eligible grants include: planning, administrative readiness and full implementation. Year one funds must be obligated by October 30, 2026. The funds provide multiple benefits for state regulatory agencies.
Each state’s governor’s office coordinates the funding opportunity, with states responsible for administering the funds in ways that best meet their local needs. In Oklahoma, for example, Gov. Kevin Stitt designated the Oklahoma State Department of Health as the lead agency.
A paper published in the Journal of Regulatory Economics (JRE) on March 17 explores the impact of occupational licensing on self-employment. With more than 20% of workers in the US needing a license to work, the authors explain that the self-employed also face those requirements. The research suggests that needing a license negatively correlates with self-employment, as well as changing jobs. Report co-author, Edward Timmons, in a LinkedIn post, explains that “in a nutshell, occupational licensing is particularly harmful to unemployed workers and their upward economic mobility.” Is occupational licensing a barrier to self-employment? suggests that policymakers improve the business climate by reducing barriers to entry; they suggest reviewing occupations with high self-employment rates, such as cosmetology, construction and real estate, to balance public safety with encouraging entrepreneurship.
Digital accessibility ranks number six on the 2026 State CIO Top 10 Priorities from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers. A new publication from NASCIO, published in March, highlights how partnerships between state CIOs and IT accessibility officers strengthen accessibility policies in a variety of IT operating structures. The paper presents three accessibility strategies to implement across all IT operating structures.
These strategies, as outlined in the NASCIO paper, Leveraging The State CIO and Statewide Accessibility Officer Partnership Across State IT Operating Structures, include:
According to NASCIO, “Accessibility policies and programs are strongest when the CIO and accessibility officer (AO) are partnered. Together, the statewide accessibility officer and CIO can create and implement a clear digital accessibility policy that is easy to maintain over time. This partnership is critical across operating structures and should be leveraged fully.”
State CIO Bill Kehoe and Chief of Staff Amy Pearson highlight accessibility in their wrap up of the NASCIO Top 10 Priorities for State CIOs, covering priorities six through 10.
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.
