The American Legislative Exchange Council has unveiled more than 100 model bills and resolutions for 2025, including measures to study artificial intelligence, ensure reliable energy generation, limit government regulations, and crack down on squatters.
Speaking during a panel discussion Thursday at the group’s annual policy forum in Washington, D.C., Gretchen Baldau, senior director of ALEC’s Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development Task Force, said the nonprofit that’s known for developing free-market and limited government policies typically favored by Republican state lawmakers also touts proposals that receive bipartisan support.
Baldau said one model bill would increase penalties for squatters and for landlords seeking to circumvent the eviction process by identifying renters as squatters.
“So it’s sympathetic to both,” Baldau said. “It’s based on the Florida reform that happened, but it’s even been popular in places like New York. So it’s a very hard, bipartisan policy.”
Under ALEC’s process, state legislators must sponsor legislation to be considered for inclusion in its annual model bills package. The proposed bill is considered by the groups’ relevant task forces and must ultimately be approved by the board, which is made up of state legislators. Private companies and interest groups that are members also have input.
A top area of discussion at Thursday’s event was artificial intelligence, social media and similar issues that are addressed in at least five of the model bills.
One AI measure would establish an advisory agency within a state’s attorney general’s office to study the issue and provide recommendations to the legislature on the technology’s best uses. Another would allow states to use existing funds to enter into a contract that provides AI firearm detection software for schools.
Two other bills tackle revenge porn and child sex abuse deepfakes, which are images manipulated digitally or using AI. That measure would ensure existing statutes that criminalize child sex abuse material and revenge pornography apply to those images. And another bill would include teaching responsible use of technology and social media in public school curriculum at an age-appropriate level.
“Even though there’s some debate about the level of screen time or what platforms should be used, once they become proper adults, they’re going to be expected to use these tools … and they should be prepared adequately as part of their education,” Jake Morabito, who helps lead ALEC’s Communications and Technology Task Force, said during a panel discussion.
Energy was also a priority. ALEC is emphasizing a bill designed to ensure that before a fossil fuel power plant is shut down, its replacement — whether from renewable resources or otherwise — must be operational.
Another measure would define nuclear and natural gas as clean energy. A third would create a ratepayer consumer advocate designed to counter the influence of green-energy advocates on public utilities commissions and citizen utility boards.
The group highlighted the importance of cutting regulations that hinder innovation. One idea in ALEC’s package is to allow private industry to identify regulations they contend are obstructive. A business can apply to state government to suspend the rule for two years.
“You get to test out your product or your service in the state for two years, see if it’s successful, and show whether or not those regulations are needed for public health and safety and welfare,” Baldau said.
Other proposals included:
- Freedom from Indoctrination Act 2024: Requires all students to receive instruction in basic American institutions such as the Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers.
- Military Spouse Licensure Act: Allows military spouses to use an existing license in good standing from another state to obtain employment in their current state of residence.
- Only Citizens Vote Model Policy: Mandates citizenship for voting in all public elections, including primary, general, federal, state and local elections, as well as on constitutional amendments and ballot initiatives.
- Expanding Physician Access Act: Grants provisional licenses to international physicians who can obtain federal immigration status and pass the United States Medical Licensing Examination.
- An Act to Identify and Report Certain Foreign-Related Transactions: Establishes a process for a state to identify and report certain foreign-related transactions to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.