States Have Introduced 1,561 AI Bills This Year

State lawmakers have introduced 1,561 AI-related bills across 45 states so far in 2026, according to data from Multistate.ai's AI Legislation Tracker. To put that in context: fewer than 200 such bills were introduced nationwide in all of 2023. The jump is partly a function of AI becoming more visible in daily life, and partly a function of Congress moving slowly on federal rules. State legislators have filled the gap, though whether that produces coherent national policy or a patchwork of conflicting requirements is a live debate.

What states are actually passing

Bills that have become law tend to be specific rather than sweeping. Three of the more notable examples from early 2026 involve health insurers: Indiana (HB 1271), Utah (SB 319), and Washington (SB 5395) all enacted laws prohibiting health insurers from using AI as the sole basis for denying or modifying a claim. The concern is straightforward: AI systems flagging claims for rejection without meaningful human review.

Chatbot regulation has also accelerated. Seventy-eight chatbot safety bills have been introduced across 27 states. Washington, Oregon, and Idaho have already enacted laws in this area, focused on disclosure requirements and child safety. The pattern reflects a broader shift: states are moving away from trying to regulate AI comprehensively and toward targeted rules for specific, identifiable harms.

The patchwork problem

For companies building AI products that operate nationwide, the variety creates real compliance complexity. Utah alone has had its governor sign eight of nine AI bills this session. A company selling AI tools to Utah health insurers, Washington employers, and Indiana consumers now navigates three different legal frameworks for the same product category.

The White House has argued for federal preemption of state AI laws, which would establish a single national standard. That proposal has support from industry but faces political complications. Meanwhile, states are not waiting for Washington to catch up.

In 2024, less than 15% of introduced AI bills became law. In 2025, 145 of 1,208 bills were enacted. The trajectory is upward. Whether the bills being passed are well-designed is a separate question, and one that varies considerably by state and by the specific AI application being regulated.