HB1958

House Bill 1958 requires Arkansas public entities to establish formal policies regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automated decision tools. The bill expands existing law concerning technology resources and cybersecurity to include specific mandates for AI governance. Under the legislation, public entities must define authorized uses for these technologies and ensure that a human employee makes all final decisions, regardless of AI-generated recommendations. Furthermore, public entities are required to provide employee training on these policies and establish disciplinary procedures for violations. The bill also mandates that these policies be made available to the public upon request. Finally, it extends existing prohibitions on the use of public technology resources for personal political expression or lobbying to include the use of AI tools.