The $308 billion 2022-2023 Fiscal Year state budget, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed nearly two months ago, promised to help Californians fight inflation and keep the lights on, per the Governor’s Office. It also offers nearly $20.3 billion for the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to continue serving residents and companies alike — and advance its work in technology and innovation. Among the areas of funding:
- $136 million ($68 million of that from the General Fund) in one-time monies to get underway on EDDNext, the department’s “comprehensive modernization initiative” aimed at replacing legacy systems with a new benefits system that is “modular, flexible, and customer-oriented” according to the budget — and to improve EDD’s customer service processes.
- $96.3 million (including $86 million from the General Fund) to continue ongoing vendor contracts in “anti-fraud, usability, and modernization”; $23.5 million from the General Fund to continue “expanded information technology staffing levels”; and $10.2 million from the General Fund to improve cybersecurity resilience. This, per the budget, is all part of “continued investments in unemployment and disability insurance programs.”
- In a separate line item, the budget indicates a little more than $23.5 million from the General Fund for “Information Technology Branch Resources Alignment” — likely a reference to those staffing levels. Under “Changes in Authorized Positions,” the budget includes $11.9 million for IT branch resources realignment.
- Under “Workload Budget Change Proposals,” there’s separate mention of the $10.2 million for cybersecurity resilience and instrumentation — and 29 positions during the 2022-2023 Fiscal Year. Those 29 positions include one Career Executive Assignment; eight information technology associate positions; six information technology manager I jobs; one information technology manager II position; 11 information technology specialist II positions; and one information technology specialist II position.
- In a “Detail of Appropriations and Adjustments” to state operations, there’s $150,000 in the 2021-2022 Fiscal Year for a “technical adjustment for Cradle-to-Career System.” That’s likely a reference to the Cradle-to-Career Data System, the state’s new data management system to manage resident information.
