State AI Laws

With Congress not acting, states have written most AI rules. Legislators introduced more than 1,000 AI bills in 2025, and about 38 states enacted more than 100 measures. Many target specific harms: sexual deepfakes, deceptive election deepfakes, AI use by government agencies, chatbots that pose as humans or interact with minors, and AI used in hiring, insurance, or health care decisions.

A few states passed broader laws. Colorado's AI Act, passed in 2024 and delayed to June 30, 2026, requires developers and users of high-risk AI systems that make major decisions about jobs, housing, lending, and similar matters to take reasonable care to prevent algorithmic discrimination. California's SB 53, in effect since January 2026, requires the largest frontier AI developers to publish safety frameworks and report serious incidents. Texas, Illinois, Utah, and others have their own laws, and New York's RAISE Act targets frontier models starting in 2027.

In July 2025 the Senate voted 99 to 1 to strip a proposed 10-year moratorium on state AI laws from the budget bill. In December 2025 the President ordered the Justice Department to challenge state AI laws through an AI Litigation Task Force and tied some federal broadband money to state restraint, and in March 2026 the White House asked Congress to preempt burdensome state rules. Supporters of preemption say a patchwork of 50 laws will slow innovation, while states and many lawmakers of both parties say states must protect residents until Congress acts.