A2614

An Act concerning the modernization of State government websites, supplementing Title 52 of the Revised Statutes, and amending P.L.2007, c.56.

Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

1. (New section) This act shall be known and may be cited as the “21st Century Integrated Digital Experience Act.”

2. (New section) The Legislature finds and declares that:

a. Ensuring New Jersey’s global leadership position in technology and electronic government requires an approach that narrows the growing gap between the digital demands of citizens and the methods by which the government provides digital services to New Jersey.

b. The enhancement of citizen-facing digital experiences can change the paradigm for the delivery of government services and dramatically reduce the cost of government operations.

c. Many State websites are not equipped to provide an enhanced experience to the growing number of citizens who access government services through a mobile device.

d. Government lags far behind the private sector in providing a modern, seamless, personalized, and consistent digital experience that provides useful information and services to citizens, businesses, and other stakeholders.

e. The implementation of modern customer service experiences, such as citizen-centric design, comprehensive self-service capabilities, and uniform mobile rendering will be key to facilitating the transition to from an analog, paper-based government to a digital government that delivers information and government services in an efficient and effective manner.

f. Transitioning from paper processes to adaptive and intuitive digital forms would significantly improve government services.

g. All State websites should be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

3. (New section) As used in this act:

"Agency" means any of the principal departments of the Executive Branch, including the Department of the Treasury, and any division, office, board, bureau, commission, authority or entity therein or allocated thereto to comply with the provisions of Article V, Section IV, paragraph 1 of the New Jersey Constitution.

“Information technology modernization and improvement plan” or “plan” means the plan prepared by each agency pursuant to

section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

4. (New section) Not later than one year following the date of enactment of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), each agency shall develop and submit to the Chief Technology Officer and Chief Innovation Officer for the State of New Jersey an information technology modernization and improvement plan. The plan shall describe how the agency will improve the provision of digital services by leveraging data analytics and related tools to ensure an effective rendering of all publicly facing websites on mobile devices, increasing the use of data analytics to improve website operation, enhancing the delivery of digital services, promoting the use of intuitive and adaptive electronic forms (HTML-5), utilizing electronic signatures, and digitizing government processes and workflows. The plan shall outline a process to be utilized by the agency to ensure that each State website intended for public use is mobile-friendly and accessible by persons with disabilities within one year following the submission of each agency’s plan. The plan shall be developed within the limits of fiscal and other resources available to the agency. Each agency shall make its plan available to the public electronically through a link displayed on its website.

5. Section 12 of P.L.2007, c.56 (C.52:18A-230) is amended to read as follows:

12. The Chief Technology Officer, in consultation with the Chief Innovation Officer, shall:

a. be authorized to establish the internal organizational structure of the Office of Information Technology in a manner appropriate to carrying out the duties and functions, and fulfilling the responsibilities, of the office;

b. be authorized to coordinate and conduct all information technology operations in the Executive Branch of State Government, including agency technology operations;

c. be authorized to draft and establish Service Level Agreements with each department and agency in the Executive Branch of State Government;

d. be authorized to review and analyze the results of the Statewide Information Technology Assessment Study; [and]

e. be authorized to enter into agreements, in accordance and consistent with applicable law, regulations, and existing contracts, with private and public entities or individuals to effectuate the purposes of sections 6 through 16 of P.L.2007, c.56 (C.52:18A-224 through C.52:18A-234);

f. in consultation with the New Jersey Information Technology Project Review Board, evaluate the feasibility of using artificial intelligence and machine learning by State agencies to provide public services and the development of data analytics capabilities to enable data-driven policy development by State agencies; and

g. promulgate a set of metrics to assess each agency’s implementation of a modern digital experience.

(cf: P.L.2013, c.253, s.44)

6. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

This bill, titled the “21stCentury Integrated Digital Experience Act,” requires the Office of Information Technology and agencies in the Executive Branch of State Government to provide citizens with a modern, digital experience by updating the platforms through which these agencies provide services to business and members of the general public.

The bill requires each Executive Branch agency to submit, within one year following its enactment, an information technology modernization and improvement plan to the Chief Technology Officer for the State of New Jersey. The plan shall describe how each agency will improve the provision of digital services by leveraging data analytics and related tools to ensure an effective rendering of all publicly facing websites on mobile devices, increasing the use of data analytics to improve website operation, enhancing the delivery of digital services, and digitizing government processes and workflows.

The bill also requires the plan to outline a process to be utilized by the agency to ensure that each agency website intended for public use is mobile-friendly and accessible by persons with disabilities within one year following the submission of each agency’s plan. Each agency’s plan is to be developed within the limits of fiscal and other resources available. Each agency shall make its plan available to the public electronically through a link displayed on its website.

The bill requires the Chief Technology Officer to consult with the Chief Innovation Officer in conducting certain responsibilities. The bill adds the following responsibilities to the role of Chief Technology Officer: to consult with the New Jersey Information Technology Project Review Board to evaluate the feasibility of using artificial intelligence and machine learning by State agencies to provide public services and the development of data analytics capabilities to enable data-driven policy development by State agencies; and to promulgate a set of metrics to assess each agency’s implementation of a modern digital experience.