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.