---
title: SB 37. "AI Accountability Act"; enact
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/sb37
cite_as: SB 37, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb37
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb37.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb37/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69557
date: 2025-01-28
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 95
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb37.md?full=1
bill_number: SB 37
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: Senate
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-01-27
last_action: Senate Read and Referred
sponsors:
- John Albers
- Shawn Still
- Jason Esteves
- Max Burns
- Chuck Payne
- Randy Robertson
- Larry Walker
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SB37/2025
upstream_id: 1943273
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
- artificial intelligence
- state government transparency
- technology policy
- government accountability
- data privacy
---
# SB 37. "AI Accountability Act"; enact
## Text
Senate Bill 37
By: Senators Albers of the 56th, Still of the 48th, Esteves of the 35th, Burns of the 23rd,
Payne of the 54th and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to
general provisions regarding state government, so as to require that all governmental entities
develop and maintain artificial intelligence system usage plans; to amend Chapter 12 of Title
50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to commissions and other agencies,
so as to create the Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence; to provide for guidance to
governmental entities in their development of artificial intelligence system usage plans; to
provide for the purpose, membership, and duties of such board; to provide for reports; to
provide for compensation and funding; to provide for definitions; to provide for related
matters; to provide for a short title; to provide for legislative findings; to repeal conflicting
laws; and for other purposes.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION 1.
This Act shall be known and may be cited as the "AI Accountability Act."
SECTION 2.
The General Assembly finds that:
(1) Artificial intelligence ("AI"), the development of computer systems to perform tasks
that normally require human intelligence, such as learning and decision making, has the
potential to spur innovation and transform industry and government;
(2) As the science and technology of AI continue to develop, more products and services
are utilizing AI in fields such as healthcare, financial services, education, housing, and
transportation. Such utilization may ultimately displace certain jobs and fields of
employment;
(3) There are valid concerns about potential misuse or unintended consequences of AI,
especially without the development and implementation of ethical standards that seek to
preserve the dignity, autonomy, and self-determination of individuals;
(4) In the 2023 legislative session, at least 25 states, Puerto Rico, and the District of
Columbia introduced AI bills, and 18 states and Puerto Rico adopted resolutions or enacted
legislation in this area; and
(5) It is important that this state establish policies and procedures concerning the
development, procurement, implementation, utilization, and ongoing assessment of systems
that employ AI and are in use by state agencies.
SECTION 3.
Chapter 1 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general
provisions regarding state government, is amended by adding a new Code section to read as
follows:
"50-1-14.
(a) As used in this Code section, the term:
(1) 'Artificial intelligence system' or 'AI system' means an engineered or machine based
system that emulates the capability of a person to receive audio, visual, text, or any other
form of information and use the information received to emulate a human cognitive
process, including, but not limited to, learning, generalizing, reasoning, planning,
predicting, acting, or communicating; provided, however, that artificial intelligence
systems may vary in the forms of information they can receive and in the human
cognitive processes they can emulate.
(2) 'Governmental entity' means any department, agency, board, bureau, commission,
authority, county, municipal corporation, school system, or other political subdivision of
this state.
(b) Each governmental entity shall be required to publish by December 31, 2026, on a
public website, and thereafter maintain, a comprehensive artificial intelligence system
usage plan, which shall, at a minimum, include the following:
(1) Specific goals and objectives for AI system deployment, including the benefits the
governmental entity aims to achieve;
(2) Steps taken by the governmental entity to avoid bias and ensure fairness across
diverse user groups;
(3) Data privacy measures implemented in the use of AI systems, including data storage
and collection protocols;
(4) Roles and responsibilities for AI system governance within the governmental entity;
(5) Details of compliance with relevant laws;
(6) The role of human oversight in AI system processes;
(7) Training programs for employees of such governmental entity on the safe and ethical
use of AI systems;
(8) Protocols for incident response in case of AI system malfunctions, biases, or
breaches; and
(9) Reporting procedures for AI system related incidents to affected authorities and
parties."
SECTION 4.
Chapter 12 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to commissions
and other agencies, is amended by adding a new article to read as follows:
"ARTICLE 9
50-12-150.
As used in this article, the term:
(1) 'Board' means the Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence.
(2) 'Governmental entity' means any department, agency, board, bureau, commission,
authority, county, municipal corporation, school system, or other political subdivision of
this state.
50-12-151.
(a) There is created the Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence. The board shall consist
of 12 members to be appointed as follows:
(1) Four members appointed by the Governor;
(2) Four members appointed by the President of the Senate; and
(3) Four members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
(b) The members of the board shall be individuals of recognized ability and achievement
from either public or private positions. All vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term
by the original appointing official. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this
Code section, members shall serve for terms of four years and shall be eligible for
successive appointments by an appointing official. Any member with four consecutive
unexcused absences from regular monthly meetings may be removed from the board by the
appointing official.
(c) To effect staggered terms of office for members of the board and effective with
members appointed for terms beginning in 2025, the Governor, the President of the Senate,
and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall each appoint two members for
two-year terms of office, one member for a three-year term of office, and one member for
a one-year term of office. Thereafter, all members shall be appointed to serve four-year
terms of office.
(d) The board shall be assigned to the Georgia Technology Authority for administrative
purposes only, as prescribed in Code Section 50-4-3.
(e) The Governor shall designate a member to serve as the chairperson of the board for a
term ending on June 30 of the year following the appointment.
50-12-152.
(a) The board shall advise governmental entities through the publication of model
comprehensive artificial intelligence system usage plans as described in subsection (b) of
Code Section 50-1-14.
(b) The board, no later than January 1, 2026, and annually thereafter, shall submit to the
Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a
report detailing any recommendations along with the model comprehensive artificial
intelligence system usage plans required in subsection (a) of this Code section. Any reports
generated by the board shall be made available to the public on an annual basis by the
Georgia Technology Authority by posting such reports on the appropriate governmental
entity websites.
50-12-153.
(a) Board members shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be allowed
actual and necessary expenses in the performance of their duties. Citizen members shall
receive a daily expense allowance in the amount specified in subsection (b) of Code
Section 45-7-21 as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state
employees. Members appointed to serve on the board who are state officials or state
employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the board but shall be
reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as members of the
board in the same manner as reimbursements are made in their capacity as state officials
or state employees. The funds necessary for the reimbursement of the expenses of state
officials and state employees shall come from funds appropriated to or otherwise available
to their respective departments.
(b) Any funds, other than those required for the reimbursement of the expenses of state
officials and state employees, necessary to carry out this article shall come from funds
appropriated or otherwise made available to the Georgia Technology Authority for the
purposes expressed in this article."
SECTION 5.
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.
## Summaries written by Georgia Commons
The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.
Senate Bill 37 would require every Georgia state and local government entity to publish a public AI usage plan by the end of 2026 and would create a new 12-member state board to guide and oversee government use of artificial intelligence.
### Plain-language summary
Right now Georgia has no statewide rule requiring government agencies to explain how they use artificial intelligence (AI) systems. Senate Bill 37, called the AI Accountability Act, would change that. It adds a new section to Georgia law requiring every governmental entity, including state agencies, counties, cities, and school systems, to publish and maintain a public AI usage plan by December 31, 2026. That plan must cover goals for AI use, steps to avoid bias, data privacy protections, oversight roles, legal compliance, employee training, and incident response procedures.
The bill also creates the Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence, a 12-member panel appointed by the Governor, the Senate President, and the House Speaker. The board would publish model AI usage plans for other entities to follow and submit an annual report of recommendations starting January 1, 2026. The board is housed administratively within the Georgia Technology Authority, and members serve without pay except for expense reimbursement.
### What it does
- Requires all Georgia governmental entities, including state agencies, counties, cities, and school systems, to publish a public AI usage plan by December 31, 2026.
- Specifies nine required components of each plan, including bias prevention steps, data privacy measures, human oversight roles, and incident response protocols.
- Creates the Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence, made up of 12 members appointed evenly by the Governor, the Senate President, and the House Speaker.
- Requires the new board to publish model AI usage plans and submit an annual report with recommendations to top state leaders starting January 1, 2026.
- Assigns the board administratively to the Georgia Technology Authority and sets staggered board member terms of one to four years.
- Provides that board members serve without pay but can be reimbursed for expenses, funded through existing agency budgets and Georgia Technology Authority funds.
### Who it affects
State agencies, counties, municipalities, school systems, and other political subdivisions of Georgia, all of which must create and publish AI usage plans. Also affects the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker, who appoint board members, and the Georgia Technology Authority, which administers the new board.
### Why it matters
Georgians would gain public access to information about how their state and local governments use AI systems, including safeguards against bias and data misuse. Government entities would face a new compliance deadline and administrative workload, while a new state board shapes standardized guidance for responsible AI use.
### Key provisions
- Section 1 names the bill the 'AI Accountability Act.'
- Section 2 lays out legislative findings on AI's growth and the need for state policies governing its use by agencies.
- Section 3 adds Code Section 50-1-14, defining 'artificial intelligence system' and 'governmental entity,' and requiring public AI usage plans by December 31, 2026 with nine specific required elements.
- Section 4 adds Article 9 to Chapter 12 of Title 50, creating the 12-member Georgia Board for Artificial Intelligence with four-year staggered terms and a chairperson appointed by the Governor.
- Section 4 also requires the board to publish model AI usage plans and submit an annual report of recommendations to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker beginning January 1, 2026.
- Section 4 sets board member compensation rules: no pay, but reimbursement for expenses under existing state reimbursement rates, funded through home agency budgets or the Georgia Technology Authority.
- Section 5 repeals any conflicting laws.
## Status
- Status: Introduced (2025-01-27)
- Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2025-01-28)
- Sponsors: John Albers, Shawn Still, Jason Esteves, Max Burns, Chuck Payne, Randy Robertson, Larry Walker
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/69557
> The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sb37.md?full=1