This week, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) released it annual State CIO Top Ten Policy and Technology Priorities list for 2026, signaling where state technology leaders are focusing their efforts, and limited resources, in the new year. This year’s list is reflective of the current policy, priority, and funding shifts that have affected SLED agencies most, coupled with the apparent drive towards innovation and modernization.

On December 11, 2025, President Trump signed a new executive order that could reshape how AI is governed in the U.S. This executive order titled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence,” aims to limit the ability of individual states to enact their own AI regulations, thereby establishing a unified and “minimally burdensome” approach to AI policy nationwide (up until this point, there has been a patchwork of state-level AI regulations).

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently released a new AI strategy to transform agency operations. Reflecting the federal government’s increasing emphasis on AI adoption, HHS is looking to expand the use of the rapidly advancing technology and encourage workforce development. It outlines a department-level transformation focused on more coordinated enterprise efforts, centralization and shared resources in a vision they are calling OneHHS.

Over the last decade, technology has profoundly transformed U.S. state, local government, and higher education (SLED). As digital landscapes evolve, a skilled workforce is crucial. Pluralsight has proudly supported state and local governments for a decade by partnering with NASCIO through sponsorships and workforce development initiatives. Explore the top ten tech trends reshaping public service, and see how Pluralsight helps leaders build resilient, future-ready teams.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBA), enacted on July 4, 2025, is a significant piece of legislation outlining President Trump's executive agenda and guiding future U.S. tax and spending policies.

On July 23, 2025, the Trump administration released an AI Action Plan, highlighting 90 federal policy directives across three key pillars: Accelerating Innovation, Building American AI Infrastructure and Leading in International Diplomacy and Security. The Plan also supports the tenants of the President’s earlier January 23, 2025, Executive Order 14179, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence.”

In August, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) held the annual Department of the Air Force IT Conference (DAFITC) in Montgomery, Alabama. They brought together leading voices from the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, industry and academia centered on the theme “Lethality, Readiness and Efficiency.” The event spotlighted how modern IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, data and workforce development are all coming together to shape a more agile, secure and mission-ready force.

In early June, President Trump released an Executive Order designed to modify sections of Orders 13694 and 14144 previously released by former administrations and “strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity by focusing on critical protections against foreign cyber threats and enhancing secure technology practices.” We’ll look at the latest provisions and implications therein specifically to software, quantum and AI development.

The Samosa Act, a bipartisan piece of legislation which passed the House in December 2024, has been reintroduced in the senate after advancing through the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in May 2023 but failing to reach the Senate floor for a final vote.

The 2025 fiscal year-end is right around the corner for 46 states, which means that it’s time to take advantage of those end-of-year opportunities before they are gone. SLED decision-makers are already looking ahead to next year’s budget process and are working to identify the most pressing technology policy and priority areas that will shape future downstream requirements.