SB 26-189

Senate Bill 26-189 updates Colorado's laws on how automated decision-making technology (ADMT) is used in important areas like education and employment. It requires companies that develop or use this technology to provide clear information about how it works and its limitations when it affects people’s access to essential services. Starting January 1, 2027, consumers will have the right to request a human review if an ADMT decision negatively impacts them. The bill is now signed into law, meaning these requirements will be enforced starting from that date.

Official Summary

In 2024, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 24-205, which created consumer protections in interactions with artificial intelligence systems. The bill repeals and reenacts those provisions with new requirements regarding the use of automated decision-making technology in consequential decisions.     The bill defines an 'automated decision-making technology' (ADMT) as a technology that processes personal data and uses computation to generate output, including predictions, recommendations, classifications, rankings, scores, or other information that is used to make, guide, or assist a decision, judgment, or determination concerning an individual. A 'consequential decision' is a decision that relates to an individual's access to, eligibility for, or compensation related to education, employment, housing, financial or lending services, insurance, health-care services, or essential government services.     The bill requires the developer of an ADMT (developer) that is used to materially influence a consequential decision (covered ADMT), starting January 1, 2027, to provide a deployer of a covered ADMT (deployer) with technical documentation describing the covered ADMT's intended uses, categories of training data, known limitations, and instructions for appropriate use and human review. Developers must notify deployers of material updates or modifications to the covered ADMT. Both developers and deployers are required to retain records necessary to demonstrate compliance with the bill for at least 3 years.     The bill establishes consumer notice requirements, mandating that deployers provide clear and conspicuous notice to consumers at the point of interaction with a covered ADMT. A deployer is required to provide a consumer with a plain language description of a covered ADMT's role within 30 days after the covered ADMT makes a consequential decision that results in an adverse outcome for the consumer. The attorney general must adopt rules to clarify these post-adverse outcome disclosure requirements by January 1, 2027.     Consumers have the right to request personal data and correction of factually incorrect personal data used by a covered ADMT. The bill also grants consumers the right to request meaningful human review and reconsideration following a covered ADMT making a consequential decision resulting in an adverse outcome.     The attorney general is directed to enforce the bill through the 'Colorado Consumer Protection Act', and a violation of the bill is deemed a deceptive trade practice. Before initiating an action, the attorney general must provide the developer or deployer with a 60-day notice and opportunity to cure the alleged violation, if a cure is deemed possible. The bill does not create a new private right of action but establishes how fault is allocated between developers and deployers in civil actions alleging unlawful discrimination under existing law.     Specified entities are exempted from the requirements of the bill to the extent the entities comply with other legal obligations.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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