An independent policy research and advocacy project based in San Diego, California — publishing original legislation, governance frameworks, and analysis on the intersection of technology and democracy.
What We Believe
The Department of Technology is an independent policy research and advocacy project. We publish analysis, draft legislation, and original frameworks on the intersection of technology, democracy, and governance — with one central argument: every official who makes technology policy should be accountable to voters.
The most consequential decisions of this era — about artificial intelligence, surveillance, autonomous weapons, student data, quantum computing, and digital infrastructure — are being made by people no one elected. We believe that is fixable, and we are doing the work to fix it.
“That means more than advocacy. It means writing the actual bills, building the actual frameworks, and showing exactly how elected technology leadership would function at the federal, state, county, and local level.”
What We Cover
Our research spans nine areas of technology governance. Every article on this site falls into one of the following categories.
The central proposal: governance models, legal frameworks, deployment roadmaps, and comparisons with California’s existing technology infrastructure.
Original draft legislation and analysis of existing bills — including why SB-1047, H.R. 3831, and the EU AI Act fall short of what is needed.
Blockchain voting architecture, gerrymandering reform through AI redistricting, and ballot initiative drafts for elected technology positions in California.
The Student Area Codes Act, MIOS AI operating system for K–12 classrooms, SCOPE mathematics, and a complete proposal for secure email communication for minors.
The Data Sovereignty Act and comparisons to the CCPA and GDPR, Central Bank Digital Currency audit frameworks, and tribal data sovereignty legislation.
The Sentience programming language, a No First Use Quantum Pledge, the International Treaty on Quantum Intelligence, and open-source quantum development.
EMP resilience planning, emergency student protocols during blackouts, drone policy for fire suppression and law enforcement, and infrastructure protection.
Draft international conventions on autonomous systems in armed conflict, updates to the UCMJ for robotic warfare, and physical AI labeling standards.
The SCOPE intelligence measurement framework, the ASPIRE plan for AI education, the AI Doomsday Clock, and original analysis of federal legislation including H.R. 1 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The Department of Technology Proposal
At the federal level, we propose a Secretary of Technology nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate — a cabinet-level position with real authority over national AI policy, cybersecurity standards, and digital infrastructure. At the state level, a directly elected Technology Secretary serving four-year terms. At the county and local level, elected technology supervisors and directors accountable to the communities they serve.
We have published governance models, legal frameworks, deployment roadmaps, and detailed comparisons with California’s existing California Department of Technology (CDOT) to demonstrate both what is working and what needs to change.
AI Legislation & Policy
We have drafted original legislation including the Federal AI Disclosure Act, the AI Whistleblower Protection Act, the AI Plagiarism Act, and the Artificial Intelligence Felonies Act (AIFA). We have also developed the RMS classification framework — Responsive, Memorable, and Sentient — for distinguishing types of AI systems in a legally precise way that legislators can actually use.
We publish detailed analysis of why existing bills fall short: where SB-1047 contradicts the First Amendment and the Stored Communications Act, why H.R. 3831 sets a low bar for disclosure, and what the EU AI Act gets wrong about governing frontier models.
Education Technology
Our education work centers on the Student Area Codes Act, which reserves area codes 444, 555, and 777 for K–12 students nationally — establishing a portable, secure identifier that follows a student through enrollment, school transfers, and grade transitions without exposing personal data to third-party EdTech vendors.
We have also proposed MIOS, an AI-powered operating system designed specifically for K–12 classrooms that helps students learn without enabling academic dishonesty, and the SCOPE mathematics framework for measuring intelligence in AI systems in ways students and educators can actually use.
Cybersecurity & Privacy
The Data Sovereignty Act is our comprehensive consumer privacy proposal — more enforceable than the CCPA and more practical than the GDPR. We have published side-by-side comparisons, a First Nation Data Sovereignty Act addressing indigenous data rights, and Central Bank Digital Currency audit frameworks that protect constitutional rights without prohibiting innovation.
Quantum Computing
Our quantum work includes the Sentience programming language for concurrent AI and robotics systems, a No First Use Quantum Pledge modeled on nuclear arms control precedent, and a full draft International Treaty on Quantum Intelligence governance. We have also made the case for treating quantum computing as a global public good and published a proposed Quantum Intelligence college degree curriculum.
Who Writes This
This project is written and published by the founders of the Department of Technology movement. We are not a think tank, a PAC, or a lobbying firm. We do not accept advertising. Every proposal on this site is our own work, published openly for legislators, researchers, educators, journalists, and voters to use.
Get Involved
If you are a legislator, researcher, educator, or advocate who wants to work with any of our frameworks, contact us at mail@department.technology. If you believe an elected Secretary of Technology should be on the ballot, share this work.
The AI revolution is not waiting. Neither are we.