HB 178: Limit government use of AI systems - Montana

HB0178_3(11).pdf → HB0178_X.pdf · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a draft version to an enrolled, enacted law. The substantive policy content remains identical, but the formatting was standardized to remove internal markup symbols (like brackets and capitalization for emphasis) and added official certification signatures.

Scope change

The scope of applicability and all policy requirements remain unchanged; only the document status changed from draft to final law.

TECHNICAL

Removed internal drafting symbols (e.g., [sections 1 through 4]) and standardized capitalization in definitions and section titles.

Added official certification text and signature lines for the Chief Clerk, Speaker of the House, and President of the Senate.

Corrected minor spacing and alignment inconsistencies in the header and section numbering.

HB0178_2(14).pdf → HB0178_3.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill number was updated from HB 178.2 to HB 178.3, indicating this is a revised version of the legislation. The changes are primarily technical, consisting of formatting updates and page numbering adjustments without any substantive alterations to the bill's policy, scope, or legal requirements.

TECHNICAL

The bill identifier was changed from HB 178.2 to HB 178.3 to reflect the updated version of the document.

Page headers and footers were updated to correspond with the new bill number, including adjustments to page numbering sequences.

HB0178_2(5).pdf → HB0178_2(6).pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill includes minor formatting adjustments to section definitions and adds a requirement for government entities to disclose when artificial intelligence systems are used in public interfaces. These changes ensure consistency in legal terminology and introduce transparency obligations for AI usage in government services.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on government and state officer conduct, with a new requirement added regarding AI disclosure in public interfaces.

DEFINITION

Formatting changes were made to the numbering and spacing of definitions for 'Government entity', 'Human in an appropriate responsible position', and 'State officer' to improve consistency.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added mandating that government entities or state officers must disclose if an artificial intelligence system is used in any public interface.

HB0178_1(7).pdf → HB0178_2.pdf · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly restructured to redefine the core purpose of the legislation. The original text focused on prohibiting AI use for cognitive behavioral manipulation and requiring general disclosures. The new version replaces these prohibitions with a specific definition of 'cognitive behavioral manipulation' and introduces a major exemption: government entities are no longer required to disclose AI use in public interfaces if a peace officer is investigating serious crimes like flight from prosecution or evidence tampering.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a broad prohibition on AI manipulation to a framework that defines manipulation and carves out significant exceptions for law enforcement investigations, effectively limiting transparency requirements in those specific scenarios.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL MANIPULATION' to specifically describe the use of AI to influence thoughts or emotions without informed consent.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the general prohibition on using AI for manipulation with a specific list of prohibited uses, including manipulation and deceptive purposes.

Modified the disclosure requirements for AI-generated material and public interfaces to include the new exemption for law enforcement activities.

EXEMPTIONS

Added a new exemption clause stating that peace officers investigating crimes like flight from prosecution or intimidation of witnesses are exempt from disclosing AI use in public interfaces.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the bill structure, moving the 'Required review' section to later in the document and updating section numbering.

HB0178.001.004_combo_final-condensed.pdf → HB0178_1(4).pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reorganized and expanded to include new definitions for 'government entity' and 'state officer,' ensuring these terms align with existing state law. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a requirement for human review of AI-generated recommendations or decisions that affect a person's legal rights or privileges. Additionally, the bill now explicitly prohibits using AI for surveillance of public spaces, with specific exceptions for locating missing persons and continuous facial surveillance under current law.

Scope change

The bill's scope was broadened by adding new definitions to clarify which entities and individuals are subject to the AI regulations, and by expanding the list of prohibited uses to include public space surveillance.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for 'government entity,' 'state officer,' and 'human in an appropriate responsible position' to clarify who must comply with the bill.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that any AI-generated recommendation or decision impacting a person's rights, duties, or privileges must be reviewed and approved by a human in an appropriate responsible position.

Added a prohibition on using AI systems for the surveillance of public spaces, except for locating missing persons or in compliance with existing facial surveillance laws.

STRUCTURE

Reordered and renumbered sections to integrate new definitions and provisions into a cohesive structure.

HB0178_1(3).pdf → HB0178.001.004_combo_final-condensed.pdf · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered and reorganized, with a new definition added for 'cognitive behavioral manipulation' to explicitly ban AI systems that influence thoughts or emotions through deception or coercion. The scope of prohibited surveillance was narrowed to allow AI use for locating missing, high-risk, or wanted persons, and a new exemption was created for peace officers investigating crimes to protect evidence and safety. The disclosure requirements were restructured to specifically exempt peace officers from mandatory notifications when revealing AI use could endanger lives or compromise investigations.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly define and prohibit 'cognitive behavioral manipulation' by AI, while the applicability of surveillance prohibitions and disclosure rules was narrowed to exclude specific law enforcement investigative activities.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'cognitive behavioral manipulation' to clarify that using AI to influence thoughts or emotions via deception or exploiting psychological vulnerabilities is prohibited.

REQUIREMENT

Modified the surveillance prohibition to allow AI use for locating missing, high-risk, endangered, or wanted persons, rather than just missing persons.

Restructured the disclosure requirements to integrate the peace officer exemption directly into the rule about when AI use must be disclosed to the public.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new exemption for peace officers, allowing them to use AI without disclosing it when doing so could endanger lives, cause flight from prosecution, destroy evidence, or intimidate witnesses.

LC1339.pdf → HB0178_1.pdf · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from LC1339 to HB 178 and sponsored by a new group of legislators. The core text of the bill remains substantively unchanged, retaining the same definitions for artificial intelligence systems, prohibitions on using AI for manipulation or discriminatory classification, and requirements for disclosure and human review of AI decisions.

Scope change

The scope and applicability of the bill remain unchanged; it continues to apply to state and local government entities in Montana.

TECHNICAL

The bill number changed from LC1339 to HB 178, and the list of sponsors was updated to include B. Mitchell, D. Zolnikov, C. Hinkle, G. Lammers, J. Gillette, T. Falk, and K. Bogner.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the header and title page layout, including spacing and alignment of the bill title and sponsor names.

Limit government use of AI systems

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