AG Kaul joins bipartisan letter to Congress opposing budget amendment prohibiting states from enforcing artificial intelligence regulations
May 16, 2025
Contact: DOJCommunications@doj.state.wi.us
MADISON, Wis. – Attorney General Josh Kaul today joined a bipartisan coalition of 40 attorneys general in urging Congress to reject a sweeping U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that would impose a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems
“I strongly oppose this proposal, which would benefit the AI industry—and in particular those who misuse AI—with serious costs to those who are harmed by the misuse of AI,” said AG Kaul “States shouldn’t be barred from acting to stop harms associated with the use of AI.”
AI has the potential to revolutionize America’s economy, spur achievement and innovation, and improve lives across the country. However, the rise of such technology presents real, immediate dangers ranging from explicit material to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers. In the absence of federal leadership, states have been at the forefront of ensuring AI is not abused and that consumers are protected.
As the letter to Congress emphasizes, state laws and regulations “have been developed over years through careful consideration and extensive stakeholder input from consumers, industry, and advocates. And, in the years ahead, additional matters—many unforeseeable today given the rapidly evolving nature of this technology—are likely to arise.”
If enacted, the amendment would strip away state protections without replacing them with a viable federal regulatory framework. The bipartisan coalition of attorneys general respectfully urges Congress to reject the AI moratorium added to the budget reconciliation bill.
Led by the attorneys general of Colorado, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Vermont, AG Kaul joins American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, and Washington in the bipartisan letter to Congress.
Read the full letter here.
View this press release on the DOJ website here.
