Compliance Stuff

With Democrats taking full control of Virginia’s state government in the recent off-year election, lawmakers who have been stymied by the outgoing Republican governor’s vetoes are now eyeing the opportunity to set up new legal guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence in 2026. In an interview with Fisher Phillips, State Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D), the chief sponsor of a 2025 bill that would have required developers and deployers of AI technology to take steps to protect users from discrimination, said she will reintroduce a narrower version of that legislation focusing on the healthcare sector when the Commonwealth convenes again next year . Here’s what businesses in Virginia – and across the country – should be watching for. AI Moratorium Threats The shifting environment presented by recent federal threats to block or discourage states from enacting artificial intelligence legislation required a change in approach from state lawmakers, Maldonado said in a November 14 c...

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has vetoed  House Bill (HB) No. 2094 , a bill that would have created a new regulatory framework for businesses that develop or use “high-risk” artificial intelligence (AI) systems in the Commonwealth. The High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Developer and Deployer Act (HB 2094) had passed the state legislature and was poised to make Virginia the second state, after Colorado, with a comprehensive AI governance law. Although the governor’s veto likely halts this effort in Virginia, at least for now, HB 2094 represents a growing trend of state regulation of AI systems nationwide. For more information on the background of HB 2094’s requirements, please see our  prior article  on this topic. Quick Hits Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin vetoed HB 2094, the High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Developer and Deployer Act, citing concerns that its stringent requirements would stifle innovation and economic growth, particularly for startups and small busi...

Virginia has taken a step closer to becoming the second state (after  Colorado ) to enact comprehensive legislation addressing discrimination stemming from the use of artificial intelligence (AI), with the states taking different approaches to this emerging regulatory challenge. On February 12, 2025, the Virginia state senate passed the High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Developer and Deployer Act ( H.B. 2094 ) which, if signed into law, will regulate the use of AI in various contexts, including when it is used to make decisions regarding “access to employment.” The legislation now heads to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s desk for signature. If signed, the law will come into force on July 1, 2026, and will establish new compliance obligations for businesses that deploy “high-risk” AI systems affecting Virginia “consumers,” including job applicants. Quick Hits If signed into law by Governor Youngkin, Virginia’s High-Risk Artificial Intelligence Developer and Deployer Act (H.B. 2094) will g...