AN ACT RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT (Requires DOA provide inventory of all state agencies using artificial intelligence (AI); establishes a 13 member permanent commission to monitor the use of AI in state government and makes recommendations for state government policy and other decisions.)

H7119

2026 -- H 7119
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LC003770
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT

Introduced By:
Representatives J. Lombardi, Hull, Sanchez, Cruz, and Stewart

Date Introduced:
January 15, 2026

Referred To:
House Innovation, Internet, & Technology
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND
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GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:
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CHAPTER 169
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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
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42-169-1. Short title.

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This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the "Artificial Intelligence Accountability
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Act."
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42-169-2. Definitions.

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As used in this chapter:
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(1) "Artificial intelligence" means:
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(i) An artificial system that:
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(A) Performs tasks under varying and unpredictable circumstances without significant
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human oversight or can learn from experience and improve such performance when exposed to
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data sets;
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(B) Is developed in any context, including, but not limited to, software or physical
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hardware, and solves tasks requiring human-like perception, cognition, planning, learning,
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communication or physical action; or
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(C) Is designed to:

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(I) Think or act like a human, including, but not limited to, a cognitive architecture or
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neural network; or
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(II) Act rationally, including, but not limited to, an intelligent software agent or embodied
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robot that achieves goals using perception, planning, reasoning, learning, communication, decision-
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making or action; or
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(ii) A set of techniques, including, but not limited to, machine learning, that is designed to
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approximate a cognitive task.
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(2) "State agency" means any office, department, board, commission, bureau, division,
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authority, or public corporation, agency or instrumentality of the state, including all branches of
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the judiciary.
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42-169-3. Artificial intelligence inventory.

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(a)(1) Not later than December 31, 2027, and annually thereafter, the department of
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administration shall conduct an inventory of all systems that employ artificial intelligence and are
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in use by any state agency. Each such inventory shall include at least the following information for
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each such system:
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(i) The name of such system and the vendor, if any, that provided such system;
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(ii) A description of the general capabilities and uses of such system;
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(iii) Whether such system was used to independently make, inform or materially support a
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conclusion, decision or judgment; and
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(iv) Whether such system underwent an impact assessment prior to implementation.
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(2) The department of administration shall make each inventory conducted pursuant to this
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section publicly available on the state's open data portal.
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(b) Beginning on February 1, 2028, the department of administration shall perform ongoing
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assessments of systems that employ artificial intelligence and are in use by state agencies to ensure
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that no such system shall result in any unlawful discrimination or disparate impact described in §
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42-169-4(a)(1)(ii). The department shall perform such assessment in accordance with the policies
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and procedures established by § 42-169-4.
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42-169-4. Policies and procedures.
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(a)(1) Not later than February 1, 2028, the department of administration shall develop and
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establish policies and procedures concerning the development, procurement, implementation,
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utilization and ongoing assessment of systems that employ artificial intelligence and are in use by
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state agencies. Such policies and procedures shall, at a minimum, include policies and procedures
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that:
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(i) Govern the procurement, implementation and ongoing assessment of such systems by

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state agencies;
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(ii) Are sufficient to ensure that no such system:
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(A) Results in any unlawful discrimination against any individual or group of individuals;
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or
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(B) Has any unlawful disparate impact on any individual or group of individuals on the
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basis of any actual or perceived differentiating characteristic, including, but not limited to, age,
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genetic information, color, ethnicity, race, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender
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identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, pregnancy, veteran status,
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disability or lawful source of income;
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(iii) Require a state agency to assess the likely impact of any such system before
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implementing such system; and
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(iv) Provide for the department of administration to perform ongoing assessments of such
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systems to ensure that no such system results in any unlawful discrimination or disparate impact
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described in subsection (a)(1)(ii) of this section.
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(2) The department of administration may revise the policies and procedures established
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pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section if the director of the department of administration
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determines, in the director's discretion, that such revision is necessary.
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(3) The department of administration shall post the policies and procedures established
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pursuant to subsection (a)(1) of this section, and any revision(s) made to such policies and
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procedures pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of this subsection, on the department's Internet website.
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(b) Beginning on February 1, 2028, no state agency shall implement any system that
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employs artificial intelligence:
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(1) Unless the state agency has performed an impact assessment, in accordance with the
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policies and procedures established pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, to ensure that such
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system will not result in any unlawful discrimination or disparate impact described in subsection
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(a)(1)(ii) of this section; or
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(2) If the head of such state agency determines, in the agency head's discretion, that such
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system will result in any unlawful discrimination or disparate impact described in subsection
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(a)(1)(ii) of this section.
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42-169-5. Rhode Island artificial intelligence commission.

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(a) There is hereby established within the department of administration a permanent
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artificial intelligence commission (the "commission") to monitor the use of artificial intelligence in
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state government, for the purpose of continuously studying, monitoring, and making
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recommendations relative to the use by the state of artificial intelligence systems that may affect

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human welfare, including, but not limited to, the legal rights and privileges of individuals.
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(b) In carrying out its work, the commission shall examine the following on an ongoing
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basis:
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(1) A complete and specific survey of all uses of artificial intelligence systems by the State
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of Rhode Island and the purposes for which such systems are used;
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(2) The principles, policies, and guidelines adopted by specific Rhode Island offices to
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inform the procurement, evaluation, and use of artificial intelligence systems, the procedures by
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which such principles, policies, and guidelines are adopted, and any gaps in such principles,
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policies, and guidelines;
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(3) The training specific Rhode Island offices provide to individuals using artificial
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intelligence systems, the procedures for enforcing the principles, policies, and guidelines regarding
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their use, and any gaps in training or enforcement;
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(4) The manner by which Rhode Island offices validate and test the artificial intelligence
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systems they use, and the manner by which they evaluate those systems on an ongoing basis,
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specifying the training data, input data, systems analysis, studies, vendor or community
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engagement, third parties, or other methods used in such validation, testing, and evaluation;
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(5) Matters related to the transparency, explicability, auditability, and accountability of
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artificial intelligence systems, including information about their structure; the processes guiding
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their procurement, implementation and review; whether they can be audited externally and
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independently; and the people who operate such systems and the training they receive;
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(6) The manner and extent to which Rhode Island offices make the artificial intelligence
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systems they use available to external review, and any existing policies, laws, procedures, or
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guidelines that may limit external access to data or technical information that is necessary for audits,
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evaluation, or validation of such systems;
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(7) The due process rights of individuals directly affected by artificial intelligence systems,
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and the public disclosure and transparency procedures necessary to ensure such individuals are
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aware of the use of the systems and understand their related due process rights;
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(8) Uses of artificial intelligence systems that directly or indirectly result in disparate
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outcomes for individuals or communities based on age, race, creed, color, religion, national origin,
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gender, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, receipt of public assistance,
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economic status, location of residence, or citizenship status;
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(9) Technical, legal, or policy controls to improve the just and equitable use of artificial
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intelligence systems and mitigate any disparate impacts deriving from their use, including best
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practices and policies developed through research and academia or in other states and jurisdictions;

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(10) Matters related to data sources, data sharing agreements, data security provisions,
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compliance with data protection laws and regulations, and all other issues related to how data is
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protected, used, and shared by agencies using artificial intelligence systems;
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(11) Matters related to artificial intelligence systems and intellectual property, such as the
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existence of non-disclosure agreements, trade secrets claims, and other proprietary interests, and
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the impacts of intellectual property considerations on transparency, explicability, auditability,
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accountability, and due process; and
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(12) Any other opportunities and risks associated with the use of artificial intelligence
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systems by Rhode Island offices.
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42-169-6. Composition of commission.

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(a) The commission shall have thirteen (13) members consisting of the secretary of
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commerce, or designee; the director of the department of administration, or designee, who shall be
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the chairperson of the commission; the director of the department of business regulation, or
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designee; the chief justice of the state supreme court, or designee; the attorney general, or designee;
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the director of the department of children, youth, and families, or designee; the secretary of the
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executive office of health and human services, or designee; the Rhode Island public defender, or
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designee; the president of the Rhode Island Bar Association, or designee; and four (4)
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representatives from academic institutions in the state who shall be experts in:
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(1) Artificial intelligence and machine learning;
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(2) Data science and information policy;
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(3) Social implications of artificial intelligence and technology; or
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(4) Technology and the law, to be appointed by the governor.
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(b) The governor shall make the appointments after consulting with the commissioner of
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post-secondary education; the commissioner of elementary and secondary education; and the board
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of education.
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(c) Members of the commission shall be appointed within forty-five (45) days of the
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effective date of this chapter. The commission shall meet at the call of the chair based on the
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commission's workload, but not fewer than six (6) times per calendar year. Members who are
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secretaries, directors, elected officials, commissioners, and members of the judiciary, as well as the
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president of the Rhode Island Bar Association and the public defender, shall serve for as long as
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they hold their position. All other members shall be appointed for a term of three (3) years, which
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appointments may be renewed.
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42-169-7. Annual report.

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The commission shall submit an annual report by December 31 of each year to the

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governor, the speaker of the house, and president of the senate. The report will be a public record
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and it shall include, but not be limited to, a description of the commission's activities and any
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community engagement undertaken by the commission, the commission's findings, and any
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recommendations for regulatory or legislative action, including recommendations about areas
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where Rhode Island offices ought to use and not to use artificial intelligence systems, with a
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timeline for implementation, cost estimates and finance mechanisms. The report shall also detail
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the extent of algorithmic decision-making used by the State of Rhode Island and the progress made
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toward implementing any previous recommendations issued by the commission.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
ACCOUNTABILITY ACT
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This act would require the department of administration to provide an inventory of all state
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agencies using artificial intelligence and would establish a thirteen (13) member permanent
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commission to monitor the use of artificial intelligence in state government and make
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recommendations for state government policy and other decisions. The act would also direct the
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commission to make recommendations regarding changes in the way state government uses
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artificial intelligence. The commission would prepare and file an annual report each year with the
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governor and the general assembly.
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This act would take effect upon passage.
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