Committee advances bill creating Artificial Intelligence Regulation Task Force

Chairman Williams, chair of the Technology Committee, introduced legislation to create the Artificial Intelligence Regulation (AIR) Task Force and the committee voted to advance the bill.

The task force would be a seven‑member, time‑limited body that “sunsets in ’27,” Chairman Williams said, with authority to study topics including intellectual property, deepfakes, workforce development and education, and to produce recommendations for future legislation. The bill’s sponsor said the panel is intended as a nimble “sandbox” to examine AI as the technology evolves rather than to impose immediate, permanent regulations.

Committee members asked how the task force would relate to a governor’s executive order issued earlier this year. Chairman Williams said the task force is intended to “complement the governor’s leadership” and that the Information Technology Services (ITS) director will be a designee on the board to coordinate the ITS inventory work with the panel’s study.

Data privacy, anonymization, bias and ethical use of AI were raised repeatedly. Chairman Williams said protecting personally identifiable information and ensuring models are “as objective and unbiased as they can be” are “top of mind,” and that the panel could consider how state agencies can share anonymized data while maintaining HIPAA and other privacy requirements.

Committee members also asked whether the task force would address procurement guidance for AI tools used by state agencies. Chairman Williams said procurement is not specifically mandated in the bill but is within the task force’s purview if the members choose to study it and make recommendations.

The sponsor emphasized that the intent is to promote, not stifle, innovation: “The intent is for it to promote it,” he said, adding that the panel should avoid over‑regulation that could hinder industry growth while still protecting citizens.

After discussion, a motion to pass the bill out of committee was called and the measure advanced by voice vote.

The bill’s text references models used in other states and anticipates future sessions will see additional AI legislation; the sponsor said the task force’s work will evolve as new models and use cases emerge.

Votes at a glance: Committee advanced the AIR Task Force bill by voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the transcript.

Provisions requiring follow up: the committee indicated coordination with the governor’s executive order and ITS inventory, and the sponsor said any specific future proposals emerging from the task force would be brought back to the committee for discussion prior to floor action.