V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea Joins Bipartisan Letter to Congress Opposing Budget Amendment Prohibiting States from Enforcing Artificial Intelligence Regulations

U.S. Virgin Islands—V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea today joined Colorado Attorney
General Phil Weiser, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, New Hampshire Attorney
General John Formella, and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and 35 other state attorneys
general in a bipartisan letter to Congress voicing opposition to a sweeping and dangerous U.S.
House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that
imposes a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing
artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems.
“As technology evolves, it is crucial that states maintain the ability to protect their citizens from
the risks of artificial intelligence. Federal inaction shouldn’t leave consumers unprotected—our
laws are essential to ensuring safety and fairness in a rapidly changing landscape,” said Attorney
General Rhea.
AI promises 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 and election interference to deception, exploitation, and
harassment against consumers. In the absence of federal leadership, state legislatures and
attorneys general have continued to be 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 the 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 essential state protections without replacing them
with a viable federal regulatory framework and silence state leaders who are best positioned to
respond. Any effort to prohibit states from enacting and enforcing laws aimed at regulating AI
and protecting consumers will leave AI entirely unregulated at any level and Americans
completely exposed to its known harms and evolving, real-world risks—ultimately leading to
dangerous consequences for the American people. 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, V.I.
Attorney General Rhea 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, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin in the bipartisan letter to
Congress.