U.S. Virgin Islands – V.I. Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea today joined Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella, and Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark and 35 other state attorneys general in a bipartisan letter to Congress voicing opposition to a sweeping and dangerous U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee amendment to the budget reconciliation bill that imposes a 10-year prohibition on states from enforcing any state law or regulation addressing artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision-making systems.
“As technology evolves, it is crucial that states maintain the ability to protect their citizens from the risks of artificial intelligence. Federal inaction shouldn’t leave consumers unprotected—our laws are essential to ensuring safety and fairness in a rapidly changing landscape,” said Attorney General Rhea.
AI promises to revolutionize America’s economy, spur achievement and innovation, and improve lives across the country. However, the rise of such technology presents real, immediate dangers ranging from explicit material and election interference to deception, exploitation, and harassment against consumers. In the absence of federal leadership, state legislatures and attorneys general have continued to be at the forefront of ensuring AI is not abused and that consumers are protected. As the letter to Congress emphasizes, state laws and regulations “have been developed over the years through careful consideration and extensive stakeholder input from consumers, industry, and advocates. And, in the years ahead, additional matters—many unforeseeable today given the rapidly evolving nature of this technology—are likely to arise.”
If enacted, the amendment would strip away essential state protections without replacing them with a viable federal regulatory framework and silence state leaders who are best positioned to respond. Any effort to prohibit states from enacting and enforcing laws aimed at regulating AI and protecting consumers will leave AI entirely unregulated at any level and Americans completely exposed to its known harms and evolving, real-world risks—ultimately leading to dangerous consequences for the American people. The bipartisan coalition of attorneys general respectfully urges Congress to reject the AI moratorium added to the budget reconciliation bill.
Led by the attorneys general of Colorado, Tennessee, New Hampshire, and Vermont, V.I. Attorney General Rhea joins American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin in the bipartisan letter to Congress.
The full letter is attached here.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2025
Sandra Goomansingh
Media Relations Director
(340) 774-5666 ext. 10105
Email: sandra.goomansingh@doj.vi.gov