Big Bucks for Tech: California Budget Targets IT Upgrades Across Agencies

The dust has settled, and state agencies and programs have a clear view of the budgetary road before them, especially where project allocations for the new fiscal year are concerned.

As is normally the case in the Golden State, the single-party majority didn’t mean the budget was firmed up quietly. The governor and lawmakers had to navigate a multibillion-dollar deficit, policy pressures from the federal government and an outsized appetite for spending.

In any case, the finalized budget is chock-full of IT project allocations, not all of which will be covered in this piece. Here are some of the allocations that caught our eye.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will see one-time funding of $11.2 million for its Firearms Information Technology Modernization project, now in its third phase. That modernization effort is aimed at enhancing existing systems to accommodate new legislative mandates around firearm ownership and transactions.

The state has one of the most extensive background processes for those looking to purchase or transfer a firearm and a laundry list of ever-expanding laws regarding the legality of certain weapons and accessories.

Also for DOJ, $1.9 million and $3.1 million were allocated for the finalization and transition of the License 2000 gaming license system and the connection between the California Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (CLETS) and the California Department of Motor Vehicles, respectively.

In the labor arena, several projects received eight- and nine-figure allocations. Chief among them was a one-time allocation of $124.2 million for the ongoing unemployment benefits system, known as EDDNext, through the Employment Development Department. That project is in the fourth year of implementation.

Similarly, the Department of Industrial Relations will receive $25.8 million for its Electronic Adjudication Management System upgrade, $19.1 million for its Public Works IT system enhancements and $18.2 million for the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) data modernization project.

The Cal/OSHA project is expected to be complete by 2027, and was one of several recommendations of a recent audit to improve the division’s case management processes.

Finally, several tech-focused investments are being made in the higher education space. The California Community College system will receive $12 million in one-time Proposition 98 funding for a cloud-based student data reporting platform.

The budget also lists several other allocations related to battery storage, clean energy, connectivity, and research and innovation work.