Code For America Labs

CODE FOR AMERICA IS A NONPROFIT THAT BELIEVES GOVERNMENT CAN WORK IN THE DIGITAL AGE.

SAFETY NETWE'RE MODERNIZING THE DIGITAL DELIVERY OF BENEFITS FOR EQUITABLE OUTCOMES WITH THE GOAL OF DELIVERYING $30 BILLION IN BENEFITS TO 13 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS 15 STATES.IN 2022 WE:-LAUNCHED OUR FIRST COHORT OF THE SAFETY NET INNOVATION LAB AND SECURED COMMITMENTS FOR OUR SECOND COHORT, REPRESENTING 10 OUR OF 15 TOTAL STATE PARTNERSHIPS. WE COMPLETED DISCOVERY AND IDENTIFIED EFFECTIVE DELIVERY INTERVENTIONS FOR THE FIRST COHORT AND WILL KICK OFF DISCOVERY FOR THE SECOND COHORT IN EARLY 2023. WE ALSO DEVELOPED AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK THAT WILL HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE FOR TRULY DELIVERING IMPACT AND ADVANCING EQUITY ACROSS ALL OUR STATE PARTNERSHIPS.-IDENTIFIED FOCUS AREAS ACROSS OUR FIRST FIVE COHORT STATES. WE ARE INCEASING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) IN CALIFORNIA, INMPROVING THE INTEGRATED BENEFITS JOURNEY FOR CLIENTS AND CASEWORKERS IN LOUISIANA, IMPROVING THE INTEGRATED BENEFITS APPLICATION EXPERIENCE IN COLORADO, REDUCING SNAP CHURN IN CONNECTICUT, AND PROCESSING STREAMLINED MEDICAID RENEWALS AND REDUCING CHURN IN MINNESOTA.-HANDED OFF TO THE STATE OF MINNESOTA THE MNBENEFITS PLATFORM, WHICH ENABLES RESIDENTS TO APPLY FOR 9 DIFFERENT BENEFITS PROGRAMS.

MOBILING OUR NATIONAL NETWORKTHROUGH OUR NETWORK, WE'RE MEETING COMMUNITY NEEDS AND CHANGING INEQUITABLE SYSTEMS. IN 2022 WE:-HELPED BUILD A COMPREHENSIVE ONLINE DATA RESOURCE ABOUT 911.OUR FIRST NATIONAL ACTION TEAM, REIMAGINE911, BUILT TOOLS THAT ENABLE LOCAL AGENCIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND 911 DATA SO THAT CALLS CAN BE CHANNELED MORE ACCURATELY, WITHOUT AUTOMATICALLY RESORTING TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. -LED IMPACT SPRINTS THAT BUILT A FOUNDATION FOR STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP, PARTNERING WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO DEVELOP PROTOTYPES AND ENGAGE VOLUNTEERS ACROSS DIVERSE ISSUE AREAS.-PILOTED BROADBAND-RELATED ACTIVITIES TO CLOSE THE DIGITAL EQUITY GAP.

EITC (EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT)OUR TAX BENEFITS PORTFOLIO SEEKS TO FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE HOW AMERICANS WITH LOW OR NO INCOMES ACCESS THE TAX CREDITS AND FLEXIBLE CASH OWED TO THEM. OUR GOAL IS TO CLOSE THE $40 BILLION TAX BENEFITS GAP AND SIMPLIFY THE TAX FILING PROCESS. IN 2022, WE:-RELAUNCHED GETCTC IN THE U.S. AND EXPANDED TO PUERTO RICO. IN 2022, PUERTO RICAN FAMILIES WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE CHILD TAX CREDIT FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. WE UPDATED GETCTC TO ACCOMMODATE PUERTO RICAN RESIDENTS, ESTABLISHING AN APPLICATION PATH FOR NEARLY 300,000 NEWLY-ELIGIBLE PUERTO RICAN FAMILIES.-ADVOCATED FOR POLICIES THAT SIMPLIFY THE TAX PROCESS. THANKS TO OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS AND THOSE OF OUR PARTNERS, THE IRS ALLOWED THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) TO BE INCLUDED IN SIMPLIFIED FILING THIS YEAR. WE EXPANDED GETCTC TO INCLUDE THE EITC, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF TAX BENEFITS FAMILIES RECEIVED WHEN FILING WITH US. WE ALSO SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED FOR THE IRS TO ENGAGE IN OUTREACH TO NON-FILERS, AND IN OCTOBER, THE IRS SENT OVER 9 MILLION LETTERS TO PEOPLE WHO HAD NOT FILED A 2021 TAX RETURN AND WERE ELIGIBLE FOR TAX CREDITS.

CLEAR MY RECORD70-100 MILLION PEOPLE IN AMERICA HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD HOLDING THEM BACK. OUR WORK SEEKS TO HAVE END-TO-END AUTOMATIC RECORD CLEARANCE THE STANDARD IN ALL 50 STATES. IN 2022, WE:-PARTNERED WITH THE STATE OF UTAH TO CLEAR CONVICTIONS OF ELIGIBLE PEOPLE. UTAH HAS ADOPTED THE CODE AND TECHNICAL PROCESS WE BUILT TO IDENTIFY AND CONTINUALLY CLEAR RECORDS AS THEY MEET ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. THIS IS A FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT TOWARD AN AUTOMATIC PROCESS THAT ACHIEVES RECORD CLEARANCE EQUITABLY, EXPEDITIOUSLY, AND AT SCALE.-INCREASED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RECORD CLEARANCE. WE WORKED WITH ADVOCATES AND PARTNERS IN SEVERAL STATES, INCLUDING RHODE ISLAND AND OKLAHOMA, TO WRITE LEGISLATION THAT EXPANDS RECORD CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY AND USES AN AUTOMATIC CLEARANCE PROCESS TO DELIVER RELIEF. THIS HELPS US REACH MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS AND REDUCE THEIR BURDEN IN SEEKING RELIEF. WE KNOW THIS WORK CAN BE FRUITFUL-AFTER JUST FOUR YEARS OF WORK IN CALIFORNIA, SB 731 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW, GREATLY EXPANDING RECORD CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY WITH THE POTENTIAL TO IMPACT MILLIONS OF CONVICTIONS.-MADE IT EASIER FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO IMPLEMENT AUTOMATION. IN NEVADA, WE WERE CONTRACTED BY CLARK COUNTY TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY REGARDING AUTOMATICALLY SEALING CANNABIS AND OTHER ELIGIBLE RECORDS, AND IN COLORADO, WE STREAMLINED THE AUTOMATIC PROCESS TO REDUCE THE COMPLEXITY. IN CALIFORNIA, WE COMPLETED A KEY RESEARCH PROJECT AROUND HOW PEOPLE FIND OUT THEIR RECORD HAS BEEN CLEARED.