Lawmakers have now reconciled bills on the topic from two electeds. State Sen. Joe Nguyen sponsored SB 5838 and state Rep. Travis Couture sponsored House Bill 1934, its companion bill in the state House of Representatives. A bipartisan 30-19 vote Tuesday unified amendments in both chambers. After a signature from Washington’s speaker of the House, expected by Thursday, the legislation will head to Gov. Jay Inslee for signature. Washington’s regular legislative session ends Thursday so, per state law, Inslee will have 20 days to sign or veto it.
Other states like Alabama, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Wisconsin have already launched similar task forces. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives established its own bipartisan Task Force on AI.
The task force in Washington is something Attorney General Bob Ferguson has been pushing for this year. The passing of Ferguson’s proposal delivers on this goal. The task force, which will be comprised of a 19-member executive committee, will be housed in and supported by the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).
“I appreciate the Legislature’s partnership, and I look forward to launching an inclusive task force that will develop recommendations to guide public policy in this important arena,” Ferguson said in the announcement. A spokesperson from the AGO was unavailable for comment.
SB 5838 can be described as a “partnership” between Nguyen and the AGO, Alex Bond, Nguyen’s senior communications specialist, told Government Technology in an email, indicating both had been thinking independently about AI policy, and upon communicating about it, decided to collaborate.
“AI is a complex and rapidly evolving issue, and candidly, we have a lot of legislators who don’t fully understand it,” Nguyen told GT via email. “I appreciate the attorney general’s work to pass this bill and willingness to help lead this task force.”
The executive committee will investigate areas of concern related to AI technology and submit reports on those matters. This will include a review of public policy issues; identification of high-risk uses and issues related to racial equity and civil liberty; and recommendations for guiding principles and regulations.
The task force will meet twice a year and must provide its final report and recommendations to the governor and Legislature by July 1, 2026.
