SB 1214 Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use by public bodies, report.

Summary

High-risk artificial intelligence; development, deployment, and use by public bodies; work group; report. Creates requirements for the development, deployment, and use of high-risk artificial intelligence systems, as defined in the bill, by state public bodies. The bill also directs the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth (CIO) to develop, publish, and maintain policies and procedures concerning the development, procurement, implementation, utilization, and ongoing assessment of systems that employ high-risk artificial intelligence systems that are consistent with such requirements created by the bill. The bill directs the CIO to convene a work group to examine the impact on and the ability of local governments to comply with the requirements of the bill. The substantive requirements of the bill have a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027.

Issues: ✓ Technology

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 18, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

General Laws and Technology Substitute → Finance and Appropriations Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from the Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology to the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations. The substantive policy content regarding high-risk artificial intelligence regulations remains identical, but the document formatting was adjusted to reflect the Finance and Appropriations committee's markup style, including changes to the bill number and committee attribution.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope, applicability, or policy content. The changes are primarily related to committee attribution and document formatting conventions.

TECHNICAL

Committee attribution changed from 'General Laws and Technology' to 'Finance and Appropriations' with a revised bill number (25106630D instead of 25106036D).

Document formatting and layout were adjusted to match the Finance and Appropriations committee's markup style, including repositioning of headers and page numbering.

POLICY

All substantive policy provisions regarding high-risk artificial intelligence definitions, operating standards, exemptions, and reporting requirements remain identical to the original version.

Introduced → General Laws and Technology Substitute · 9 edits

MAJOR

This bill introduces new regulations for high-risk artificial intelligence systems used by Virginia public bodies, establishing requirements for developers, deployers, and integrators to assess and mitigate algorithmic discrimination risks. The substitute version adds a work group requirement to examine local government compliance capabilities and adjusts the effective date to July 1, 2026. The changes matter because they create legal obligations for government agencies to ensure AI systems don't discriminate against protected groups while maintaining innovation.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on public bodies (state agencies) but adds specific requirements for a work group to assess local government compliance, potentially expanding practical applicability to county and city governments through the work group's recommendations.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for CIO to convene a work group consisting of representatives from local government associations, law enforcement, and legislative branches to examine local government compliance capabilities

Established mandatory impact assessments before deploying high-risk AI systems that make consequential decisions affecting consumers

Required public notice to consumers when high-risk AI systems are used to make decisions that affect them, including adverse decisions

Mandated procurement contracts include AI compliance clauses starting July 1, 2026 for systems negotiated after that date

Required annual reporting by public bodies on AI system assessments and inventories to appropriate oversight bodies

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from unspecified to July 1, 2026, providing a one-year implementation period for new AI regulations

DEFINITION

Added comprehensive definitions for high-risk AI systems, algorithmic discrimination, consequential decisions, deployers, developers, and integrators to clarify regulatory obligations

ENFORCEMENT

Added exemptions for law enforcement, research, and public health activities while maintaining burden of proof for claiming exemptions

TECHNICAL

Incorporated references to NIST AI Risk Management Framework and ISO/IEC 42001 standards as presumptive compliance benchmarks

Floor votes · Senate Feb 3, 2025

How they voted

40–0

Passed

Total votes 40

Feb 3, 2025

D Democratic21

21 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

19 Yea

100% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Communications, Technology and Innovation and referred to Appropriations (13-Y 8-N)

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends reporting and referring to Appropriations (7-Y 3-N)

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

Assigned CT & I sub: Communications

lower

Feb 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day

upper

Jan 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (14-Y 0-N)

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors