California companies must carefully review 17 AI laws passed last year in the state, while U.S. businesses generally should “prepare for comparable laws from other states in the future, blogged Cozen O’Connor attorneys Andrew Baer and Robert Rubenstein on Monday. The California AI laws -- covering deepfakes, training data, healthcare, watermarking AI-generated content and the entertainment industry -- show “the state’s assertive stance in addressing both the potential benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence,” the lawyers wrote.
The Virginia Senate passed a reproductive health data privacy bill on Friday. Then on Monday, the Virginia House Communications Committee advanced multiple AI and privacy bills. However, legislation that would add a private right of action and make other changes in Virginia’s comprehensive privacy law appeared to stall in a subcommittee.
"A strong data privacy bill must include a private right of action to allow … individuals to bring a lawsuit when they suffer actual damages,” Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark (D) said Monday. At a livestreamed press conference, Clark supported state Rep. Monique Priestley (D) in reintroducing a privacy bill that Gov. Phil Scott (R) vetoed last year. Priestley said the 2025 bill will also include data minimization rules, despite business concerns stemming from Maryland’s law, which includes such requirements.
Two broad data privacy bills surfaced in the Mississippi Senate this week. Sen. Bart Williams (R) introduced SB-2500, while Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D) proposed SB-2779, a much shorter measure, in the Republican-controlled legislature.
California Assembly Privacy Committee Chair Rebecca Bauer-Kahan (D) wants a state confidentiality law updated that would reduce other states’ power to demand disclosure of medical information. The lawmaker introduced AB-302 on Thursday.
New York Senate Internet Committee Chair Kristen Gonzalez (D) Thursday reintroduced the New York Privacy Act (S-3044) that Sen. Kevin Thomas (D) proposed last year. Thomas departed the legislature at the end of 2024.
The Indiana Senate voted 42-7 to approve an age-verification bill on Thursday, sending it to the House. The proposed online safety measure (SB-11) would prohibit kids 15 years old and younger from accessing social media unless they have parental permission.
Connecticut's state government should follow "the same data protection and privacy laws and standards that are required of private sector businesses,” says a Connecticut bill (HB-6002) filed Wednesday. Connecticut was one of the earliest states with a privacy law covering the private sector. However, the public-sector bill by Rep. Vincent Candelora (R) might face political headwinds in the Democratic-controlled state.
Nebraska legislators introduced kids online safety bills that Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) and Attorney General Mike Hilgers (R) endorsed.
A South Dakota age-verification bill passed the state House Tuesday. Members voted 61-5 for HB-1053 with an amendment, sending the measure to the Senate.