HB1250 • 2026

Technology Governance and Coordination Program; established, report, sunset.

<p class=ldtitle>A BILL directing the Office of the Attorney General to establish a Technology Governance and Coordination Program to support the Commonwealth's response to emergent technologies, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools.</p>

Technology

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Anthony
Last action: 2026-02-18
Official status: Failed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on the Consumer Data Protection Act or its meaning.

Technology Governance and Coordination Program

This bill establishes a Technology Governance and Coordination Program within the Office of the Attorney General to manage emergent technologies in Virginia.

What This Bill Does

Establishes a Technology Governance and Coordination Program inside the Office of the Attorney General.
Requires the program to handle consumer protection, interagency communication, intake of technology-related complaints, and compliance with existing laws.
Needs the Attorney General to coordinate with other agencies on the goals of the program.
Maintains a public way for people to report issues related to emergent technologies.
Requires an annual report by December 1st each year about the program's activities.

Who It Names or Affects

The Office of the Attorney General
Other state agencies involved in technology use and regulation
People who want to report problems with new technologies

Terms To Know

Emergent Technologies: New types of technology like artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools.

Limits and Unknowns

The program will end on July 1, 2029.
It does not give the Attorney General new power to regulate technology development or deployment.
Funding for the program is limited by available resources and may need additional funding from private or federal sources.

Bill History

2026-02-18 House
Left in Committee Appropriations
2026-02-11 House
Read first time
2026-02-11 House
Motion to refer to Appropriations agreed to
2026-02-11 Appropriations
Referred to Committee on Appropriations
2026-02-11 House
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB1250)
2026-02-09 Communications
Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
2026-02-09 Communications, Technology and Innovation
Reported from Communications, Technology and Innovation (20-Y 2-N)
2026-02-05 Communications
Assigned HST sub: Communications
2026-01-14 House
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105031D
2026-01-14 Communications, Technology and Innovation
Referred to Committee on Communications, Technology and Innovation

Official Summary Text

Department of Law; Technology Governance and Coordination Program; report.
Directs the Office of the Attorney General to establish a Technology Governance and Coordination Program to support the Commonwealth's response to emergent technologies, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools. The bill requires the Office of the Attorney General to submit an annual report to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science by December 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

A BILL directing the Office of the Attorney General to establish a Technology Governance and Coordination Program to support the Commonwealth's response to emergent technologies, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.
§ 1.
A.
That
the Office of the Attorney General (the Attorney General) shall establish a Technology Governance and Coordination
Program
(the
Program
) to support the Commonwealth's response to emergent technologies, including artificial intelligence, algorithmic systems, biometric systems, and automated decision-making tools
, subject to available resources
.

§ 2
.
T
he
Program
shall operate as a centralized point of coordination for (i) consumer protection
concerning
emergent technologies; (ii)
interagency
communication for applications of technolog
y in the
public

sector; (iii) intake, triage, and referral of technology-related harms; and (iv) supporting compliance with existing
law
, including the Consumer Data Protection Act
(§
59.1-575
et seq.).

§ 3
.
T
he Attorney General shall coordinate with relevant agencies, including the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, the Office of Data Governance and Analytics, the State Corporation Commission, the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, the Department of Social Services, and the Virginia State Police, as appropriate, to carry out
the goals of the
Program
. Such coordination shall include referral pathways, subject-matter consultation, and identification of risks
for potential
enforcement or
legislative
action.

§ 4
.
The Attorney General shall maintain a public intake mechanism, which may utilize existing complaint or reporting infrastructure, to receive and categorize complaints
relating to
emergent technologies. Complaints shall be classified for informational review, follow-up, or referral to an appropriate enforcement authority.

§ 5
.
By
December 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, the
Attorney General
shall submit
a report
to the Joint Commission on Technology and Science, not to exceed eight pages, summarizing
complaint
intake activity,
enforcement
referral patterns,
inter
agency coordination, emerging trends, and
legislative
recommendations
.

§ 6
. Nothing in this
a
ct shall create independent regulatory authority over the development or deployment of emergent technologies
nor
conflict with federal
law
.

§ 7
. If funds are appropriated to establish a Technology Enforcement Unit or similar
entity
within the Office of the Attorney General, the
Pro
gram
shall serve as the foundational structure for such
entity
.

§ 8
.
I
mplementation of this
a
ct shall be conducted within existing appropriations to the extent practicable
.
Additionally, t
he
Attorney General may
seek
private or
federal funding
.

§ 9
. The
provisions of this
a
ct shall expire on July 1, 2029.