BOSTON (WWLP) – Early last month, the Governor announced wide-ranging legislation addressing IT capital spending.
A public hearing on the Future Tech Act was held on Tuesday. The bill is a comprehensive IT plan totaling more than $1 billion that would ultimately modernize IT systems across the executive branch over five years.
Congressman Michael Finn of West Springfield opened the hearing, and Jason Snyder, director of the Office of Technology Services and Security, was the first to testify.
The $1.23 billion plan aims to make it easier to access government websites and services. The spending measure includes $110 million to support the overall user experience of state agencies' websites, $30 million for municipal fiber-optic networks, and $25 million for artificial intelligence projects.
Sen. Paul Mark of Pittsfield, vice chair of the Senate Joint Committee that considered the bill, believes it is important to make government more accessible to residents of Western Massachusetts.
“I think this bill is certainly necessary, and I think the governor is proposing some pretty good investments in IT infrastructure upgrades. And some even help municipalities, especially in Western Massachusetts, where we have funding to help some municipalities complete their network construction and complete their fiber optic construction. This is so important to people like me and the people I represent,” said Senator Mark.
This comes at a time when the state's revenue growth is very slow. But the administration believes now is the time to invest. The bill, which is currently in committee, needs favorable review to be introduced in Congress.
Ellen Fleming is a reporter for the Boston State Capitol and will be part of the 22News team starting in 2022. Follow Ellen on X @EllenFlem Check out her bio to see more of her work.
