The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced the 2026 federal advocacy priorities, highlighting where state CIOs seek collaboration with Congress, federal agencies, the White House and strategic partners. The 2026 federal advocacy priorities from NASCIO focus on enhancing cybersecurity and advancing technology capabilities nationwide; they include:
For each priority they provide issue background, along with recommendations. For artificial intelligence, NASCIO lists as a recommendation: “Blanket bans on state efforts to cultivate sensible AI policy do not provide appropriate policy outcomes for citizen consumers of government services and will prove harmful to the responsible use of this technology in the long run. Congress and federal agencies must work closely with states as they continue to develop AI legislation and regulations.”
NASCIO released the 2026 federal advocacy priorities, approved by NASCIO’s Executive Committee, on January 27. According to NASCIO, the organization, representing state chief information officers and information technology executives from states, territories and the District of Columbia, remains the “premier network and resource for state CIOs” and an advocate for technology policy in government.
In our 2025 interview with Alex Whitaker, Director of Government Affairs for NASCIO, he explains how these priorities relate to your regulatory agency – with most on the list in 2026 the same as those in 2025.
The Public Technology Institute and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers presented their annual preview of the issues and priorities impacting state and local government IT in the coming year; the January 22 webinar, 2026 Tech Forecast for State & Local IT: Navigating the Ever-Changing Technology Landscape, featuring Doug Robinson, Executive Director of NASCIO, unpacks the 2026 State CIO Top 10 Priorities, including a deep dive on GenAI regulation, policies and challenges.
“There’s concern about AI,” says Robinson. “It’s a double-edged sword. It can be very beneficial for states in terms of the use embedded in their security tools and many of them already have those tools in place. But it also creates opportunities for more sophisticated phishing attacks and more sophisticated social engineering by using generative AI to spoof citizens and employees.”
Robinson also reviews the challenges states face related to GenAI adoption. These include:
Darryl Polk from PTI tackles those topics related to local government; he reveals the Top 10 Priorities of Local Governments, with cybersecurity, AI, budget and modernization topping the list.
“But although the focus differs from state to state, the common thread is a deliberate push to retool key systems and processes, improving service delivery while trimming costs,” Pew reports on January 16 as part of their series on state fiscal policy. Across the country, Pew notes that states focus on modernizing government by streamlining services, digitizing operations, and rethinking employee workflows. Despite tighter budgets, states look to improve efficiency by using GenAI; for instance, a report from Iowa revealed that automating tasks with AI could allow state employees to save 6.3 million hours, enabling them to dedicate more time to higher-value work.
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.