AI in Ed Task Force and Standards.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 981

Short Title: AI in Ed Task Force and Standards. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Murdock and Salvador (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
May 4, 2026
*S981-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH THE ARTIFICIAL INTEL LIGENCE IN EDUCATION TASK 2
FORCE AND TO REQUIRE AGE-APPROPRIATE INS TRUCTION ON ARTIFICI AL 3
INTELLIGENCE. 4
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 5
6
ESTABLISH THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN EDUCATION TASK FORCE 7
SECTION 1.(a) Establishment. – There is established the Artificial Intelligence in 8
Education (AIE) Task Force to gather information and decide the best means to utilize and 9
oversee the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and systems in educational settings. 10
SECTION 1.(b) Voting Members. – The AIE Task Force shall consist of the 11
following six voting members: 12
(1) One member of the North Carolina Senate, appointed by the President Pro 13
Tempore of the Senate, and one member of the No rth Carolina House of 14
Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House, to serve as cochairs 15
of the Task Force. 16
(2) The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or his or her designee. 17
(3) The Chair of The University of North Carolina Board of Governors, or his or 18
her designee. 19
(4) The Secretary of the Department of Information Technology, or his or her 20
designee. 21
(5) A representative of the North Carolina AI Leadership Council, to be chosen 22
by the Council. 23
SECTION 1.(c) Advisory Members. – The Chairpersons of the AIE Task Force, 24
with the advice and consent of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Chair of The 25
University of North Carolina Board of Governors, and the Secretary of the Department of 26
Information Technology, or their designees, may app oint ex officio nonvoting members to the 27
Task Force to serve in an advisory capacity for such terms to be determined at the discretion of 28
the Task Force. The voting members of the Task Force, upon majority vote of those present and 29
voting, may reduce or ex pand the number of ex officio members who may serve on the Task 30
Force, provided that such members are deemed necessary to provide expertise or access to 31
resources involving AI technology and are representative of: 32
(1) Workforce development. 33
(2) Elementary and secondary education, public or private. 34
(3) Four-year postsecondary education, public or proprietary. 35
(4) Private business entities. 36
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 981-First Edition
SECTION 1.(d) Rules. – The Task Force shall adopt rules and regulations governing 1
times and places for meetings and go verning the manner of conducting its business. A majority 2
of the members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting any business, and a 3
majority vote of all members present shall be required for any recommendations to the General 4
Assembly. 5
SECTION 1.(e) Purpose. – The Task Force shall be responsible for balancing 6
innovation and public interest while endeavoring to mitigate risks and unintended consequences 7
of AI and its regulation. The Task Force shall: 8
(1) Develop tentative drafts of any nece ssary proposed revisions to the North 9
Carolina General Statutes involving the regulation of AI technologies in 10
educational contexts. 11
(2) Review laws, policies, and procedures concerning the use of AI technology in 12
the educational context established by the United States Congress and other 13
states, focusing specifically on (i) data privacy and protection, (ii) 14
development of a framework for testing AI tools, (iii) compliance with ethical 15
standards, and (iv) liability. 16
(3) Consider implementation and use of AI in schools and compile a list of 17
recommendations of best practices and potential uses for AI in schools. 18
(4) Consider ways to allocate funding for development and use of AI in schools. 19
SECTION 1.(f) Administrative Support. – All clerical and other servic es required 20
by the Task Force shall be supplied by the Department of Public Instruction. The members of the 21
Task Force shall receive per diem and necessary travel and subsistence expenses in accordance 22
with the provisions of G.S. 138-5. 23
SECTION 1.(g) Term. – The Task Force shall commence within 15 days of the 24
effective date of this act, upon the call of the cochairs, and at its first meeting shall elect any 25
officers from among its members as it deems necessary for the efficient discharge of the Task 26
Force's duties. The Task Force shall dissolve on December 31, 2027. 27
SECTION 1.(h) The Task Force shall report its findings and recommendations to 28
the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee no later than March 15, 2028. 29
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REQUIRE AGE-APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 31
SECTION 2.(a) Part 1 of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is 32
amended by adding a new section to read: 33
"§ 115C-81.66. Artificial intelligence instruction. 34
(a) The State Board of Education shall adopt standards for age-appropriate instruction on 35
artificial intelligence (AI) for kindergarten through grade 12. The standards shall include at least 36
the following: 37
(1) The basic concepts of artificial intelligence, including an age -appropriate 38
understanding of how AI systems source and create content. 39
(2) Real-world applications of AI. 40
(3) Responsible, ethical use of AI. 41
(4) How to access relevant AI tools. 42
(5) Critical thinking skills related to analyzing outputs of AI. 43
(b) The standards adopted by the State Board may allow for AI instruction pursuant to 44
subsection (a) of this section to be included in the standards for computer science courses offered 45
in middle school and high school. 46
(c) To the extent funds a re made availab le for this purpose, the Department of Public 47
Instruction shall provide professional development for teachers and administrators related to AI 48
and its use in education." 49
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Senate Bill 981-First Edition Page 3
SECTION 2.(b) There is appropriated from the General Fund to the Department of 1
Public Instruction the sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($250,000) in nonrecurring 2
funds for the 2026-2027 fiscal year to implement the provisions of this section. 3
4
EFFECTIVE DATE 5
SECTION 3. Section 2(b) of this act becomes effective July 1, 2026. The remainder 6
of this act is effective when it becomes law. 7