Bill > A2219

This bill directs the Rutgers Discovery Informatics Institute, the Office of Information Technology, and the New Jersey Big Data Alliance, a consortium of several New Jersey universities focused on addressing big data challenges, to collaborate on developing a strategic plan for the state's advanced cyberinfrastructure. This plan will involve assessing existing public and private cyberinfrastructure, which includes computing power, data storage, specialized software, networks, and the expertise needed to manage them, and then creating a roadmap for improvements. Key components of this roadmap include developing a shared data cloud to integrate data infrastructure and analytics, and building a high-speed network, with the shared data cloud featuring an open data repository to tackle "big data" – large, fast-moving, and diverse information that requires advanced processing for better decision-making. The plan will also recommend strategies and policies to boost economic development through cyberinfrastructure, identify its benefits and applications, and propose workforce development initiatives to ensure the necessary skilled personnel are available, ultimately aiming to drive economic growth and foster public-private partnerships. The plan must be submitted to the Governor and the Legislature within one year of the bill's effective date, and $150,000 is appropriated to Rutgers for this fiscal year to support these efforts.