Government That Delivers

2026 was a significant year for passing legislation to improve government delivery. This report showcases how leaders in nine states are committing to government delivery excellence and focusing the lived experiences of their constituents by implementing solutions that resolve common frustrations.

States already require employers to report quarterly wage data for tax and unemployment insurance purposes. But this data may be “too old” to be used for work requirement compliance — forcing states to impose burdensome paperwork requirements on eligible Americans and/or buy data from expensive private data brokers. Responsive Gov's Hannah Garden-Monheit, Marisa Bremer, Dan Meuse, and Gnora Mahs are joined by Code for America's Rebecca Piazza to discuss the benefits of switching from quarterly to pay-period income reporting.

Examining just 46 drugs known to have significant PBM markups, we find that 13 states could save at least $100,000 to $29 million annually by shifting these drugs to fee-for-service payments — savings that come from reducing corporate markups, not from cutting benefits or pharmacy reimbursements.

A number of states took different actions to ensure prioritization of hiring people in government job pools while tackling inefficiencies that led to curating quality talent. This report reflects recommendations from Responsive Gov while showcasing states leading the way in robust government hiring practices.

With USCIS announcing use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system as a single source for verifying U.S. citizenship, some are showing concern, citing issues with unreliable data and more. Already, the Federal Data Services Hub is a trusted central federal system to verify U.S. citizenship for Medicaid and health insurance marketplace coverage.