North Carolina bill introduced by Rep. Cervania aims to regulate AI in elections, education and more

Legislation introduced by State Rep. Maria Cervania would establish regulations for artificial intelligence in North Carolina’s elections, schools, workplaces, insurance industry and court system, according to the North Carolina State House.

The proposal, filed as HB 1161 on April 30 during the 2025 regular session, appears under the short title: ‘Omnibus Artificial Intelligence Protections.’

The following summary, drawn from the official bill text, includes interpretations to provide clarification on its measures.

Fundamentally, the bill sets limits for AI use in elections, education, employment, insurance and the courts. It prohibits AI-generated political advertisements, with criminal charges and additional penalties for campaigns or political action committees, and allows for noncampaign authors of deceptive AI content to face charges of fraud or interfering with elections. Public schools and higher education institutions would be empowered to set AI usage guidelines for students, introduce AI literacy and critical thinking classes, and require classroom AI standards at universities and community colleges. The Fair AI Hiring Act, effective Oct. 1, 2026, would require bias audits, transparency and notice for use of automated hiring or promotion tools. Insurers would be barred from relying solely on AI for processing claims as of Oct. 1, 2026, and courts could dismiss filings or appearances using generative AI starting July 1, 2026.

Among the four bill sponsors, Zack Hawkins was the most active during the 2025 regular session, introducing 64 bills.

The process for passing legislation in North Carolina involves a series of steps before becoming law. After a bill is filed by a lawmaker, it goes to a committee, must be read three times in both chambers, and any changes made by one chamber must be agreed upon by the other. Once identical versions pass both chambers, the governor has 10 days (or 30 if the legislature is adjourned) to sign, veto or allow it to become law without a signature.

Additonal information about bills and measures is available here.

Cervania holds a BA from the University of California at Berkeley.

A Democrat, Cervania was elected to represent North Carolina’s 41st House district in 2023, succeeding former state representative Gale Adcock.