Resource Format: Report
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Direct File, Integrated State Filing, and FileYourStateTaxes 2024 Findings Report
This report summarizes Code for America's experience and results working with AZ and NY to build FileYourStateTaxes.
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Human-Centered Design Improving Access to Public Benefits and Customer Experience: Key Actions and Best Practices
Comprehensive and sustained improvement in benefits access and customer experience requires changes across policy, operations, technology, staffing, procurement, and more. This guide offers a collection of actions and best practices for states to apply.
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Digital Identity Biometric Identification Technologies: Considerations to Address Information Gaps and Other Stakeholder Concerns
Biometric identification technologies—such as facial recognition and fingerprinting—can affect underserved communities, including low-income and minority communities. GAO interviewed academics, advocacy groups, and technology experts to find out how.
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Policy Building Resilience: A Plan for Transforming Unemployment Insurance
In recognition of the UI system’s challenges both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in June 2022 placed the UI system on its High Risk List, recommending that the DOL develop and implement a plan to transform the UI system. This transformation plan details the activities and strategies already completed and those underway and being pursued by the Department of Labor. It also contains recommendations for needed legislative action that directly address the critical challenges identified by GAO. This plan is structured according to the DOL’s key action areas that together will build a resilient UI system, capable of responding effectively to future economic challenges.
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Diversity, Equity + Inclusion Voices of Washington’s Unemployed: Highlights and Analysis From 100 Interviews with Recent Unemployment Benefits Claimants in Washington State
Through the interviews, ULP sought to capture details of claimant experience, see how and why system failures occurred, and make recommendations for reform now—before another financial or public health crisis suddenly causes state unemployment rates to spike.
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Policy Building a Stronger Foundation for American Families: Options for Child Tax Credit Reform
Our existing maze of family tax benefits — including the CTC, Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), and head of household (HoH) filing status — has several structural deficiencies that make overhauling the system a prerequisite for any effort to boost support for families with children. The report offers several options for expanding and streamlining family tax benefits to address these issues.
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Policy Evaluation of the USDA Summer EBT Demonstrations: Lessons Learned From More Than a Decade of Research
FNS conducted evaluations of multiple pilot programs to strengthen access to food during the summer when school is out of session. Evaluations found that Summer EBT reduces childhood food insecurity by a significant amount, including the most severe form of food insecurity; some eligible households do not redeem some or any of their benefits; and parents and caregivers have positive opinions of Summer EBT.
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Management Data Literacy Within State Government: Building a Knowledgeable Workforce That Knows How to Use Data for Better Decisions
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) convened a panel of state chief data officers who shared their approaches and experiences with data literacy. The panel provides recommendations for establishing a state-level data literacy program, ensuring that employees understand how to use data effectively for better decision-making.
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Diversity, Equity + Inclusion System Alignment for Young Families: Shifting Human Services to Improve Well-Being for Parents Under 24 and Their Children
Building on previous work to develop a roadmap for system-level change to better support young families, the System Alignment for Young Families Learning Academy (SAYF) set out to support cross-systems teams from state and local human services agencies in establishing a System Alignment Plan (SAP) to support young families.
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Policy An Updated Measure of Poverty: ReDrawing the Line
This report recommends updating the methodology used by the Census Bureau to calculate the Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM) to reflect household basic needs and replace the current Official Poverty Measure as the primary statistical measure of poverty. The report assesses the strengths and weaknesses of the SPM and provides recommendations for updating its methodology and expanding its use in recognition of the needs of most American families such as medical care, childcare, and housing costs.
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Automation + AI AI-Powered SNAP Modernization
This report explores how AI is currently used, and how it might be used in the future, to support administrative actions that agency staff complete when processing customers’ SNAP cases. In addition to desk and primary research, this brief was informed by input from APHSA’s wide network of state, county, and city members and national partners in the human services and related sectors.
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Automation + AI OECD Framework for the Classification of AI systems
To help policy makers, regulators, legislators and others characterize AI systems deployed in specific contexts, the OECD has developed a user-friendly tool to evaluate AI systems from a policy perspective.