Department of Technology: state digital equity plan.

Existing law establishes the Department of Technology within the Government Operations Agency, which is supervised by the Director of Technology. Existing law charges the director and the department with various duties in creating and managing the information technology policy of the state. This bill would require the department, by January 1, 2024, in consultation with the public, the Public Utilities Commission, and the California Broadband Council, to develop a state digital equity plan. The bill would require the plan to include, among other things, the identification of barriers to digital equity faced by specified populations, including, among other barriers, the availability and affordability of access to fixed and wireless broadband technology. The bill would additionally require the plan to include measurable objectives for documenting and promoting digital equity among those populations and an assessment of existing digital navigator programs, as specified. The bill would require the department, to the extent practicable, to obtain all available federal funding for purposes of developing and implementing the plan.