DGO and DTS Ask Legislators to Fund Digital Identity, AI and High‑Resolution Imagery
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Summary
The Department of Government Operations and Division of Technology Services briefed the committee on multiple budget requests: $1.588M for a state endorsed digital identity (SETI), $1.86M one‑time for a core AI team, and $600K one‑time for high‑resolution aerial imagery to avoid a six‑year mapping gap; lawmakers asked follow‑up on a Dead Horse Point radio site.
Department of Government Operations executive director Marvin Dodge and Division of Technology Services CIO Alan Fuller presented a package of technology and data requests to the subcommittee.
Fuller described the state endorsed digital identity initiative (SETI) as a privacy‑focused program to deliver verifiable digital credentials and secure, user‑controlled digital wallets. "When we build this, individuals will hold these digital credentials in a secure user controlled digital cryptographically verified wallet of their choosing," Fuller said, and he noted previous pilot work including mobile driver’s license efforts.
Fuller also outlined a one‑time AI funding request to sustain the central AI/core team and pilot high‑value applications. He cited current usage metrics for the state's Google Gemini deployment and said the team tracks roughly 50,000 hours of monthly productivity gains from tools adopted so far.
On geospatial imagery, Fuller and Senator Weiler (joined on camera) urged a $600,000 one‑time allocation to piggyback on the National Agriculture Imagery Program for higher‑resolution imagery. Fuller warned that without the state contribution Utah would face a six‑year gap in updated aerial imagery used by 9‑1‑1, UDOT, elections and local planning.
The committee discussed visuals and data display in COBIE and the fee/ISF dashboards; the legislative fiscal analyst, Yvonne Jamboff, warned staff found inconsistent fee entries that will be flagged and recommended items withheld from approval if not corrected. Members also asked DTS to coordinate with Grand County and DNR/DFCM on a proposed Dead Horse Point radio installation; Fuller said DTS has already been engaged with local IT staff and will facilitate interagency coordination.
The committee did not take an immediate funding vote on these requests; members asked for follow‑up details and scheduled RFA presentations at the posted hearing time.