A bill passed the House to reauthorize the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, according to congressional documents on November 18. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) supports reauthorization of the State and Local Cybersecurity Program in H.R.5078 – The PILLAR Act. In a press release, NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson stated that “Continued and predictable funding for SLCGP is critical to sustaining a ‘whole-of-state’ approach to cybersecurity. The PILLAR Act reflects the priorities we’ve outlined to ensure states can protect essential services and support local governments facing growing cyber threats.” NASCIO reiterated that cybersecurity remains the top priority for CIOs.
Track the bill: According to Congress.gov, as of November 18, the latest action includes: “received in the Senate and read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
A new checklist from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers provides a ten-step process to ensure that accessibility receives consideration in each stage of the procurement life cycle. IT accessibility made its first appearance on NASCIO’s annual list of CIO priorities in NASCIO’s 2025 State CIO Top Ten Priorities. NASCIO said that signaled the need for “state technology leaders to rethink how their organizations leverage, benefit from and are transformed by digital accessibility on all fronts.” NASCIO’s Accessibility and Procurement 101: Checklist also includes an addendum to help guide CIOs, vendors and other stakeholders. For the first step, NASCIO suggests building the case for accessibility; “share the benefits of digital accessibility with leadership,” the organization explains. Other steps in the process include reviewing existing procurement guidelines, performing market research and vendor assessments, as well as defining and integrating clear accessibility requirements. The article references relevant laws, such as the 2024 Department of Justice’s Final Rule.
Report author and NASCIO Policy Analyst Kalea Young-Gibson discusses the report in further detail on the November 12 NASCIO Voices podcast, IT Accessibility’s Big Moment in State Government.
A new white paper from the National Association for Regulatory Administration presents quality indicators for Child Care and Early Education (CCEE). In Key Quality Indicators, NARA introduces the Child Care & Early Education (CCEE) Program Quality Tool. “Built on more than two decades of empirical research,” says NARA, “this innovative tool strengthens the connection between licensing and quality while supporting differential monitoring through: key compliance indicators, risk assessment, regulatory compliance scales, validation and key quality indicators.” Tested in Saskatchewan in 2023, the tool demonstrates integration of quality indicators into human care monitoring plans.
The paper offers guidance on the research behind KQIs and demonstrates how these indicators help predict overall quality by addressing both structural and process dimensions. While the examples come from the Child Care and Early Education (CCEE) field, NARA explains, the underlying approach and methodology apply across a wide range of human service systems.
