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HB178 • 2025

Limit government use of AI systems

Limit government use of AI systems

Privacy Technology
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Braxton Mitchell
Last action
2025-05-08
Official status
Chapter Number Assigned
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Checked against official source text during the last sync.

Limiting Government Use of AI

This law restricts how state and local governments in Montana can use artificial intelligence (AI) systems, requiring certain disclosures and human reviews for decisions that affect people's rights.

What This Bill Does

  • Defines what an 'artificial intelligence system' is in the context of this law.
  • Prohibits government entities from using AI to manipulate people’s thoughts or actions without their consent.
  • Requires government entities to disclose when they use AI to produce material that affects public spaces, unless it's for a specific investigation.
  • Requires human review and approval before an AI system can make decisions affecting someone's rights, duties, or privileges.

Who It Names or Affects

  • State and local governments in Montana
  • People who interact with government services

Terms To Know

Artificial intelligence system
A machine learning-based system that infers from inputs how to generate outputs, including content, decisions, predictions, and recommendations.
Cognitive behavioral manipulation
Using AI to influence or alter an individual's or group's thoughts, emotions, decisions, or actions through deceptive, coercive, or subliminal means without informed consent.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify what happens if a government entity violates the rules.
  • It is unclear how strictly 'public spaces' are defined for surveillance purposes.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 1 to HB178 adds new sections prohibiting government entities and state officers from using artificial intelligence systems for certain purposes, requiring disclosures when AI-generated material is published or used in public interfaces, and mandating human review of AI recommendations that could impact individuals' rights.

  • Adds a prohibition on the use of AI by government entities and state officers for cognitive behavioral manipulation, unlawful discrimination, deceptive or malicious purposes, and surveillance of public spaces except under specific conditions.
  • Requires government entities to disclose when material produced by an AI system is published without human review and when using AI in interfaces with the public.
  • Mandates that recommendations or decisions made by AI systems impacting individuals' rights must be reviewed by a human in an appropriate responsible position.
  • The amendment text contains some structural issues, such as repeated sections and unclear references, which make it difficult to fully understand the intended changes without additional context.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: Amendment 2 to HB178 adds new definitions and requirements for government entities using artificial intelligence, including prohibiting certain uses of AI and requiring disclosures when AI is involved in public interfaces.

  • Adds a definition for 'cognitive behavioral manipulation' involving the use of AI to influence individuals or groups without their informed consent.
  • Requires government entities to disclose when they publish material produced by an AI system that has not been reviewed by a human with appropriate training.
  • Exempts peace officers from disclosure requirements if disclosing could endanger lives, compromise investigations, or delay trials.
  • The amendment text is somewhat unclear and repetitive in places, making it hard to fully understand all the changes without further clarification.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: COMMITTEE 3

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.
COMMITTEE

Plain English: COMMITTEE 4

  • The official amendment file could not be read automatically during the last sync, so only the official amendment metadata is shown right now.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-08 HOUSE

    Chapter Number Assigned

  2. 2025-05-05 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Governor

  3. 2025-04-25 SENATE

    (S) Signed by President

  4. 2025-04-25 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Governor

  5. 2025-04-23 HOUSE

    (H) Signed by Speaker

  6. 2025-04-14 HOUSE

    (H) Returned from Enrolling

  7. 2025-04-11 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  8. 2025-04-11 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Senate Amendments Concurred

  9. 2025-04-11 HOUSE

    (H) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  10. 2025-04-11 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed as Amended by Senate

  11. 2025-04-11 HOUSE

    (H) Sent to Enrolling

  12. 2025-03-28 SENATE

    (S) Returned to House with Amendments

  13. 2025-03-27 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 3rd Reading

  14. 2025-03-27 SENATE

    (S) 3rd Reading Concurred

  15. 2025-03-26 SENATE

    (S) Scheduled for 2nd Reading

  16. 2025-03-26 SENATE

    (S) 2nd Reading Concurred

  17. 2025-03-21 SENATE

    (S) Committee Report--Bill Concurred as Amended

  18. 2025-03-20 SENATE

    (S) Committee Executive Action--Bill Concurred as Amended

  19. 2025-03-12 SENATE

    (S) Hearing

  20. 2025-02-14 HOUSE

    (H) Transmitted to Senate

  21. 2025-02-14 SENATE

    (S) Referred to Committee

  22. 2025-02-14 SENATE

    (S) First Reading

  23. 2025-02-13 HOUSE

    (H) 3rd Reading Passed

  24. 2025-02-12 HOUSE

    (H) 2nd Reading Passed

  25. 2025-02-03 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  26. 2025-02-03 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Executive Action--Bill Passed as Amended

  27. 2025-02-03 HOUSE

    (H) Committee Report--Bill Passed as Amended

  28. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing Canceled

  29. 2025-01-14 HOUSE

    (H) Hearing

  30. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (H) Referred to Committee

  31. 2025-01-13 HOUSE

    (H) First Reading

  32. 2025-01-10 HOUSE

    (H) Introduced

  33. 2025-01-09 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Delivered to Requester

  34. 2024-12-24 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft Ready for Delivery

  35. 2024-12-23 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Assembly

  36. 2024-12-20 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Final Drafter Review

  37. 2024-12-19 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Input/Proofing

  38. 2024-12-10 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Legal Review

  39. 2024-12-10 HOUSE

    (LC) Draft in Edit

  40. 2024-11-12 HOUSE

    (LC) Drafter Assigned

Official Summary Text

Limit government use of AI systems

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 178
- 1 - Authorized Print Version – HB 178
ENROLLED BILL
AN ACT LIMITING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS BY STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT; PROHIBITING CERTAIN USES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS; REQUIRING
DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN USES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS; REQUIRING CERTAIN
DECISIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE REVIEWED BY A HUMAN IN AN APPROPRIATE
RESPONSIBLE POSITION; AND PROVIDING DEFINITIONS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Definitions. As used in [sections 1 through 4], unless the context clearly indicates
otherwise, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Artificial intelligence system" means a machine learning-based system that, for any explicit or
implicit objective, infers from the inputs the system receives how to generate outputs, including but not limited
to content, decisions, predictions, and recommendations that can influence physical or virtual environments.
(2) "Cognitive behavioral manipulation" means the use of artificial intelligence systems to influence
or alter an individual's or group's thoughts, emotions, decisions, or actions through deceptive, coercive, or
subliminal means, or by exploiting psychological vulnerabilities, without the informed consent of the individual or
group being influenced.
(3) "Government entity" has the same meaning as provided in 46-5-110.
(4) "Human in an appropriate responsible position" means a human person who is a state officer or
a public employee as those terms are defined in 2-2-102 who has reasonable training in the uses and
limitations of artificial intelligence systems and is in a position to modify or reject the particular use of an artificial
intelligence system.
(5) "Peace officer" has the same meaning as provided in 45-2-101.
(6) "State officer" has the same meaning as provided in 2-2-102.
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 178
- 2 - Authorized Print Version – HB 178
ENROLLED BILL
Section 2. Prohibited use of artificial intelligence by government entity. A government entity or
state officer may not use an artificial intelligence system:
(1) for the cognitive behavioral manipulation of a person or group;
(2) to classify a person or group based on behavior, socioeconomic status, or personal
characteristics resulting in unlawful discrimination or a disparate impact on a person or group based on an
actual or perceived differentiating characteristic;
(3) for a malicious purpose; or
(4) for surveillance of public spaces, except:
(a) to locate a missing, endangered, or wanted person; or
(b) in conformity with Title 44, chapter 15, part 1, regarding continuous facial surveillance.
Section 3. Required disclosures by government entities -- exemption. (1) Except as provided in
subsection (2):
(a) if a government entity or state officer publishes material produced by an artificial intelligence
system that is not reviewed by a human in an appropriate responsible position, the material must be
accompanied by a disclosure that the material was produced by an artificial intelligence system; and
(b) if a government entity or state officer has an interface with the public that uses an artificial
intelligence system, the use of the artificial intelligence system in the interface must be disclosed.
(2) A peace officer acting in the peace officer's official capacity to investigate crimes is exempt
from a disclosure requirement in subsection (1) when the disclosure may result in:
(a) endangerment of the life or physical safety of an individual;
(b) flight from prosecution;
(c) destruction or tampering with evidence;
(d) intimidation of potential witnesses; or
(e) otherwise seriously jeopardizing an investigation or unduly delaying a trial.
Section 4. Required review. If an artificial intelligence system produces a recommendation or
- 2025
69th Legislature 2025 HB 178
- 3 - Authorized Print Version – HB 178
ENROLLED BILL
decision for a government entity or state officer that could impact the rights, duties, or privileges and immunities
of a person, the recommendation or decision must be reviewed and is subject to rejection or modification by a
human in an appropriate responsible position.
Section 5. Codification instruction. [Sections 1 through 4] are intended to be codified as an integral
part of Title 2, and the provisions of Title 2 apply to [sections 1 through 4].
Section 6. Severability. If a part of [this act] is invalid, all valid parts that are severable from the
invalid part remain in effect. If a part of [this act] is invalid in one or more of its applications, the part remains in
effect in all valid applications that are severable from the invalid applications.
- END -
I hereby certify that the within bill,
HB 178, originated in the House.
___________________________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
___________________________________________
Speaker of the House
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
___________________________________________
President of the Senate
Signed this _______________________________day
of____________________________________, 2025.
HOUSE BILL NO. 178
INTRODUCED BY B. MITCHELL, D. ZOLNIKOV, C. HINKLE, G. LAMMERS, J. GILLETTE, T. FALK, K.
BOGNER
AN ACT LIMITING THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS BY STATE AND LOCAL
GOVERNMENT; PROHIBITING CERTAIN USES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS; REQUIRING
DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN USES OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS; REQUIRING CERTAIN
DECISIONS OR RECOMMENDATIONS TO BE REVIEWED BY A HUMAN IN AN APPROPRIATE
RESPONSIBLE POSITION; AND PROVIDING DEFINITIONS.