S257 - 2026 Appropriations Act. (SL 2026-41)

• Provides the capability to issue, manage, and verify digital credentials across multiple widely adopted open standards, including World Wide Web Consortium Verifiable Credentials, OpenBadges, and AnonCreds, within a single platform.
• Supports secure, persistent communication channels that enable authenticated, peer-to-peer interactions between parties.
• Meets or exceeds National Institute of Standards and Technology Identity Assurance Level 3 standards for identity proofing to ensure high confidence identity verification.
• Is designed as a decentralized deployment operating as a network appliance within the State's controlled cloud environment rather than as a multi-tenant Software as a Service offering to ensure data sovereignty, reduce long term operational costs, and eliminate dependency on third party hosted infrastructure.
• Includes a noncustodial mobile digital wallet that allows individuals to maintain sole control of their credentials.
• Includes configurable, standards-based workflows that extend agency processes directly to credential holders.
• Incorporates advanced capabilities for workforce matching, including artificial intelligence driven analysis that aligns verified credentials with employment opportunities.
• Includes trust and verification systems anchored using blockchain based mechanisms solely for publishing tamper resistant public keys and service endpoints, without storing any personally identifiable information or credential data-on-chain.

This section became effective July 1, 2026.