Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) rejected a bill regulating his state’s AI (AI) on Monday.
Youngkin said he rejected HB 2094 to establish an “burdened” framework for AI.
The bill introduced in early January would have created requirements for the development, deployment and use of “high-risk artificial intelligence systems.” It would have created a civil penalty for violations and enforced by the state’s attorney general.
If it had been signed into law by Youngkin, it would have come into effect on July 1, 2026.
Youngkin said in his veto explanation that his administration and Virginia have already established protection and oversight of AI use.
He pointed to the state task force of industry experts who worked with his administration on the issue.
“Our administration has made tireless efforts to build a federation in a place where businesses of all sizes, including AI innovators, can flourish. We have secured our goal to help launch 10,000 new startups in August 2024,” he said in a statement.
Youngkin said his administration’s AI efforts have added thousands of jobs to the state, adding “multiple millions” to new economic growth.
“The regulatory framework that HB 2094 calls for will undermine this progress, bringing the clock back to Virginia’s economic growth and shifting as the AI industry is taking off,” he said.
Youngkin said there are already many laws protecting consumers in place, and the bill “can’t explain” the AI industry “can’t explain what’s rapidly evolving.”
“The role of government in protecting AI practices must be that innovators can and grow, not to stifle progress and put a troublesome burden on many federal business owners,” he concluded.
The introduction to the bill will occur as the industry grows and several other states introduce new AI laws. Last year, Colorado passed a national first law requiring AI developers to avoid discrimination in algorithms.
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