State of California · AI governance
How California departments can govern staff use of Claude and Poppy
Short answer: In June 2026, California made Claude available to state agencies at half price through CDT's SITeS portal, alongside CDT's own Poppy assistant. Buying licenses is the easy part.
Each department still needs one standard for how staff use these tools: approved uses, data rules, an owner for every agent, and a way to review results. That standard has to work where the work actually happens, not only on paper.
11:59 helps departments put that standard in place with ITSD and run it, contracted through CMAS or the TDDC MSA.
What changed in 2026
- Claude at half price. California reached an agreement with Anthropic to offer Claude to state agencies at half price. It is the first AI productivity tool available through CDT's Statewide Information Technology Shared Services (SITeS) portal.
- Poppy is expanding. CDT's in-house assistant, which gives staff access to several models, is rolling out more broadly across the state workforce.
- Local agencies are included. Counties and cities can also access Claude at the lower price.
The result is that many departments will have staff using more than one AI tool at once, often before a department-level standard exists.
Five things a department AI standard should cover
- Approved uses and data rules. Which tasks staff can use AI for, and which data classifications can and cannot go into a prompt.
- An owner for every agent. Each agent or shared tool has a named owner who sets what "working correctly" means.
- An autonomy level. Every agent starts human-led, moves to assisted, and runs on its own only when its owner signs off.
- A record of what it did. Agents run under the department's identity and audit rules, so their actions can be shown to auditors and oversight bodies.
- An inventory of what already exists. Tools staff have already built are found and brought under the standard, rather than banned or ignored.
How 11:59 helps
11:59 is a Sacramento AI and cloud firm with 23+ years of work for California departments, including Public Health, Employment Development, Justice and Covered California. It is an AWS Advanced Tier Partner with the AWS Generative AI Competency.
Common questions
Does a department standard replace statewide guidance from CDT?
No. It applies statewide guidance at the department level: which uses are approved, which data can be used, who owns each agent and how results are reviewed.
What happens to AI tools staff have already built?
They are inventoried and assessed. Tools that meet the standard are kept and given an owner; the rest are fixed or retired. 11:59 runs this as an Onboarding Assessment.
Can cities and counties use the same approach?
Yes. Under the June 2026 agreement, counties and cities can also access Claude at the lower price, and the same governance questions apply.
How do departments contract with 11:59?
Through the California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS 3-24-01-1044) or the TDDC MSA #5-22-70-25-189, as a SOW under an existing agreement.
Start here
An AI Rapid Scan focused on governance inventories the AI already in use in your department, sketches the standard with your ITSD lead, and names the first two programs to move. It is scoped to the effort and quoted before we start.
Schedule an AI Rapid ScanSources
GovTech: State strikes Anthropic deal, with Poppy expansion close behind · The Next Web: Anthropic and California · CDT: Poppy