Rep. Foushee Introduces Legislation to Help Local Governments Access Modern Technology

WASHINGTON, DC (May 20, 2026) — Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) introduced the State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act, which would establish a federal grant program through the U.S. Department of Commerce to modernize the technology infrastructure utilized by state and local governments to improve security and efficacy of public services. “Modernizing public institutions and utilizing technology to improve the administration of public services is a necessity in today’s growing digital age. While technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, state and local governments are too often left behind without the proper infrastructure and training to keep up,” said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) . “Many jurisdictions hoping to make these improvements simply lack the funding required to properly implement technological advances that will help improve public services. I’m proud to introduce the State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act to ensure our federal government is providing proper support to state and local governments seeking to modernize their technology infrastructure.” “These proposed investments would protect critical infrastructure and individual privacy, optimize state resources, and ensure local governments can provide a meaningful digital experience,” said N.C. Department of Information Technology Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Nate Denny . Specifically, the State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act would: Establish a grant program which would provide state and local government’s technology departments to modernize technology utilized by government entities. Grant funds can be utilized to purchase or upgrade existing technology and related infrastructure to upgrade cybersecurity systems, hire staff, update permitting processes to facilitate further modernization, and train staff to support technology modernization. 70% of grant funds provided to a state are required to be dispersed to local governments under the state jurisdictions. The Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce will allocate a portion of funding for regulatory enforcement. The State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act is endorsed by the National Association of Counties. The full bill text of the State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act is available here . Print Email Share Tweet