Code for America

10/13/2026

Couldn’t make it to FormFest 2026? Or want to revisit your favorite sessions? 🎥

Recordings from this year’s event are now available on our YouTube channel. Explore rich insights and best practices from some of the people leading the future of form design and government service delivery. Catch up here! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbIgGlrsdpMw

Cohosted with Beeck Center

Better government, one form at a time. Watch the sessions from FormFest 2026—a free virtual event that showcases governments working to make services accessi...

10/12/2026

SNAP is a household benefit. When a parent or caregiver loses eligibility, kids lose food assistance too. With new eligibility and paperwork requirements under H.R. 1, research shows that more than 1 million children have already lost access to SNAP benefits.

Watch the full video to learn why: https://bit.ly/4ztyejD

10/09/2026

Plug-in solar is not a new technology. We’ve known how to do this for years, but adoption has taken time. This week on The Government Fix, host Amanda Renteria sat down with Utah State Representative Ray Ward to discuss why outdated policies have slowed adoption in the U.S., and what it will take to make clean energy easier for more people.

🎧Tune is wherever you get your podcasts.

10/08/2026

To support maternal health outcomes, New Jersey used digital forms to make it easier for doulas to serve families on Medicaid. At , the New Jersey Innovation Authority, New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority, and AAVE Doula Collaborative shared how they turned an hours-long registration process into one that only takes about 20 minutes to complete.

The resulting Doula Assistant tool makes it easier for more doulas to register with the state and support the 30,000 families whose births Medicaid covers each year.
https://www.route-fifty.com/customer-experience/2026/09/how-better-forms-could-help-new-jersey-improve-maternal-health-care/416085/

Route Fifty

The New Jersey Innovation Authority has prioritized making online registration forms for doula practitioners easier to navigate and ultimately connect with expecting patients.

10/07/2026

Accessibility is a core principle of our design process.

When it comes to government forms and services, we are mindful that people may access them during stressful moments like losing benefits coverage, responding to an emergency, clearing a criminal record, or filing their taxes.

When UX expertise works alongside government services, we empower people to get through that process with confidence, not stress.

What are some ways your team takes a human-centered approach to making government services more accessible?

10/06/2026

What if lowering your electric bill was as easy as plugging something into the wall?

It might sound too simple, but plug-in solar is already helping households around the world lower energy costs. This week on The Government Fix, Amanda Renteria talks with Utah State Representative Ray Ward about how this emerging technology could make solar power more affordable and accessible, especially for renters and people who don't own their homes. They discuss why outdated policies have slowed adoption in the U.S., and what it will take to make clean energy easier for more people.

🎧 Episode 3 is out now. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or visit https://codeforamerica.org/podcast/the-plug-in-solar-movement-that-could-lower-your-energy-bills/

10/05/2026

At , more than 2400 government practitioners, technologists, and civic tech enthusiasts pushed us to rethink what forms are for, how they’re designed, and what they can become. Thanks to all the attendees and speakers who helped shape this year’s event. Here are a few highlights.

We want to hear from you! What's the smallest change you've seen make a form easier to fill out?

https://bit.ly/4xSjjOM

10/02/2026

Tune in next week on The Government Fix! Code for America CEO Amanda Renteria is sitting down with Utah State Rep. Ray Ward to talk about plug-in solar. With energy prices soaring and increasing concerns about how we engage with the environment, people are thinking differently about energy.

Learn more about how plug-in solar is helping households lower energy costs, and how these simple innovations are changing the way people power their lives.

🎧Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or visit thegovernmentfix.org.

10/01/2026

Implementing new work requirements will require more than updates to eligibility systems. States also need to make sure people understand what’s changing, what’s required of them, and what steps they need to take next.

Our Work Requirements Implementation Toolkit includes practical resources to help states navigate implementation and communicate with clients. The toolkit draws on over 15 years of working alongside states to improve public benefits delivery.

Learn more here:

Code for America's Work Requirements Implementation Toolkit will help states comply with Medicaid and SNAP work requirements imposed by H.R. 1.

10/01/2026

To access many government benefits like Medicaid or SNAP, people have to track down pay stubs or other financial documents to prove their income qualifies for the program. This can be a time-consuming, manual process for both clients and caseworkers. Consent-based verification (CBV) can be a solution, allowing applicants to grant a state permission to check their income directly with an employer or payroll provider.

Is your state program thinking about launching CBV? What are some of the considerations you’re weighing?

Here are our recommendations based on what we've learned from helping other states implement it: https://bit.ly/4hVRYGA