Bill > S234

This bill establishes an "Innovative Communities Program" within the executive office for administration and finance to connect startups with innovative technology solutions to municipalities. To qualify as an innovative community, a municipality must pass a resolution accepting the program's principles, make non-personal municipal data publicly available online, attend technology marketing events, and agree to beta test at least one approved technology annually, sharing the results with other participating municipalities. The program's secretary will develop educational materials for both municipalities on purchasing innovative technology from startups and for startups on navigating municipal procurement processes, and will organize marketing events and competitions to showcase technologies and identify municipal needs. The bill also creates an advisory board composed of industry leaders, investors, and government representatives to guide the program, and a special commission to investigate and report on potential barriers to adopting innovative technologies within state and local government procurement laws, with recommendations for legislative changes.