This session, the General Assembly considered legislation aimed at regulating generative AI chatbots, including HB 1250/SB 827. The proposal sought to establish a broad framework for chatbot oversight, including data privacy protections, transparency requirements, and ongoing reporting obligations.
Although the bills remain in the Economic Matters and Finance Committees, respectively, and did not meet the crossover deadline, the discussions surrounding them underscore the growing importance and complexity of this issue.
While MACo recognizes the need for thoughtful consumer protections in a rapidly evolving and complex digital landscape, counties raised important concerns about how such regulations would practically apply to local government operations.
Local governments are increasingly considering the use of AI-powered tools in 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 non-emergency systems to reduce burdens on human dispatchers and improve response times for routine matters. These tools are evolving to allow automated escalation and routing during emergency situations. In this context, the bill’s operational impositions and administrative hurdles may prevent counties from successfully adopting and scaling these life-saving technologies in the near future.
MACo’s proposed amendments reflected a balanced approach: maintain strong consumer protections for AI tools in the public marketplace, while ensuring that local government operations, particularly those tied to public safety, are not unintentionally hindered.
Although the bills did not meet the crossover deadline, the conversation around AI governance is far from over. If anything, this year’s legislative efforts highlight just how nuanced and far-reaching these policy questions have become.
Ultimately, an important distinction is necessary: local government chatbots are limited, curated tools designed to improve access to public services. They are fundamentally different in nature from most private sector chatbots and are used primarily to reduce administrative burden on employees and – most importantly – to enhance the public’s access to information and services.
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, policymakers, local governments, and stakeholders will need to work collaboratively to strike the right balance between innovation, accountability, and practicality and ensure one-size-fits all frameworks are not applied across all AI-powered chatbots.
One thing is clear: this is not a one-session issue. Rather, AI regulations represent an ongoing dialogue that will shape how governments serve their communities in the years ahead.
