HB 25-1212

House Bill 25-1212, also known as the Public Safety Protections Artificial Intelligence bill, aims to protect workers who develop artificial intelligence models by allowing them to report any concerns about public safety or security without fear of retaliation. The bill requires AI developers to inform their employees about these protections and to establish a system for anonymous reporting of risks. If a developer violates this law, affected workers can sue the company in court and may receive compensation including back pay, punitive damages, and legal fees. Since the bill has been signed into law, it is now enforceable and AI developers must comply with its requirements.

Official Summary

The bill prohibits a developer that has trained a foundation artificial intelligence model (foundation model) from preventing a worker from, or retaliating against a worker for, disclosing or threatening to disclose information to the developer, the attorney general, or appropriate state or federal authorities if the worker has reasonable cause to believe the information indicates one of the following: The developer is out of compliance with law applicable to public safety or security; The developer's activities pose a substantial risk to public safety or security, even if the developer is not out of compliance with any law; or The developer has made false or misleading statements concerning public safety or security or concerning the developer's management of risks to public safety or security. A developer must provide notice to all workers working on a foundation model of the workers' rights and responsibilities under the bill. The bill requires a developer to create and provide an internal process through which a worker may anonymously disclose information to the developer regarding a risk to public safety or security enabled by the developer's foundation model. The developer shall provide a monthly update to the worker who made the disclosure regarding the status of the developer's investigation of the disclosure and the actions taken by the developer in response to the disclosure. An aggrieved worker may commence a civil action in district court against a developer for a violation of the bill. A court may order relief against a developer that is found to have violated the bill, including: Reinstatement or rehiring of a worker, with or without back pay; The greater of either $10,000 or any lost pay resulting from the violation; Punitive damages; and Reasonable attorney fees to an aggrieved worker.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)