No Slowing Down: Three More State Privacy Laws Take Effect

by Paul Rothermel, Gardner Law - JD Supra

Three additional  state privacy laws have recently taken effect, continuing the steady expansion of privacy regulation in the United States. With these additions, the U.S. now has twenty comprehensive state privacy laws on the books.

For companies that collect, use, or share personal information, this growing patchwork of state requirements continues to complicate compliance efforts. Businesses operating across multiple states should assess whether their data practices now fall within the reach of these newly effective laws.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/no-slowing-down-three-more-state-8826203/

Connecticut AG Issues Memorandum on Application of Existing Laws to AI

by A.J.S. Dhaliwal, James Gatto, Maxwell Earp-Thomas, Sheppart, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP - JD Supra

On February 25, Connecticut AG William Tong released a memorandum explaining how existing Connecticut laws may apply to artificial intelligence systems used in activities such as tenant screening, employment decisions, credit risk and loan determinations, insurance claims, and targeted consumer advertising. The memorandum outlines several statutory frameworks the Office of the Attorney General may use when addressing AI-related conduct, including Connecticut’s civil rights laws, the Connecticut Data Privacy Act, the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act, and the Connecticut Antitrust Act.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/connecticut-ag-issues-memorandum-on-3671396/

Seven Years in the Making: Oklahoma Enacting Comprehensive Consumer Privacy Law

by TCPA Practice Group, Troutman Admin, LLP - The National Law Review

Senate Bill 546 cleared the Oklahoma House 84–4, positioning the state to become the 21st to enact a comprehensive privacy framework.

After nearly a decade of legislative effort, Oklahoma moved decisively toward enacting a comprehensive consumer data privacy law on February 19, 2026, when the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 546 by an overwhelming 84–4 vote. The bill, authored by Senator Brent Howard (R) and co-sponsored by House Majority Leader Josh West (R), now awaits Senate concurrence on House amendments before proceeding to Governor Kevin Stitt for signature.

Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/seven-years-making-oklahoma-enacting-comprehensive-consumer-privacy-law

State of the states: Maine comprehensive privacy, Oregon AI chatbot bills on the move

by Joe Duball - iapp

The Maine Legislature has advanced a comprehensive privacy bill through both chambers, but uncertainty is still swirling around its fate.

The Maine Senate passed an amended version of Legislative Document 1822, the Maine Online Data Privacy Act, on a 20-14 vote 5 March. The original version of the bill passed the Maine House weeks prior, but the House will now debate the Senate amended version that includes a controversial exemption for political organizations.

Read more: https://iapp.org/news/a/state-of-the-states-maine-comprehensive-privacy-oregon-ai-chatbot-bills-on-the-move?mkt_tok=MTM4LUVaTS0wNDIAAAGgY31dsqtwQYzlqH1eacIr0uMa1nedqKKsPBxX7lPcYzkYnIjuJwhlPHaT3FFlK6AdunrKz8fd6oojusDJ11UzIQHdnhJmi3ts0neKykSf_QU-

LASC Admits Failure to Report Dispositions to DOJ in Nearly Half Million Criminal Cases

by MetNews Staff Writer - Metropolitan News

The Los Angeles Superior Court yesterday admitted to having failed to report the outcome of approximately 464,000 criminal matters dating back to the 1980s to the California Department of Justice due to alleged technical issues with a case management system, acknowledging that the error may have led to inaccurate and incomplete rap sheets for the affected individuals.

Saying that “individuals with an arrest record may not currently have their arrest outcome accurately reflected in their criminal history record,” the court admitted that “impacted individuals may see their criminal records updated” and “may…qualify for expungement or resentencing relief.”

In addition to implications in criminal cases, in which rap sheets are used to establish prior convictions for strikes and other sentencing enhancements as well as playing into filing decisions by prosecutors in determining whether to pursue felony or misdemeanor charges, the failure affects background checks relied upon by employers, public sector agencies, and landlords in selecting suitable candidates.

Read more: http://www.metnews.com/articles/2026/criminalhistories_022526.htm

Whose Rules Govern the Algorithmic Boss? State AI Employment Laws, Federal Preemption Threats, and the Coming Litigation Wave

by Andrew R. Lee, Jason M. Loring, Graham H. Ryan, Jones Walker LLP - The National Law Review

Several state AI employment laws — in Illinois, Texas, and Colorado — have either just taken effect or will take effect this year, imposing bias audits, notice requirements, appeal rights, and impact assessments on employers using AI in HR decisions. At the same time, the White House's Executive Order 14365, issued in December 2025, directed a new federal AI Litigation Task Force to challenge "burdensome" state AI laws as inconsistent with a minimally burdensome national AI policy framework. The result is a constitutional collision course that will directly shape how employers design and deploy algorithmic hiring tools.

Read more: https://natlawreview.com/article/whose-rules-govern-algorithmic-boss-state-ai-employment-laws-federal-preemption

Employers Turn to AI to Screen Candidates’ Social Media: Best Practices to Minimize Legal Threats

by Fisher Phillips

Roughly 70% of employers now screen social media profiles as part of the applicant screening process – but manually scrolling through Facebook posts, X feeds, and Instagram photos is time-consuming and inconsistent. Enter social media AI investigations tools that promise to streamline the process. These platforms use natural language processing (NLP) to scan candidates’ public posts, analyze language patterns and sentiment, and generate personality assessments predicting traits such as teamwork, openness, adaptability, or leadership potential. The pitch is compelling: get deeper insights into candidates' “real” personalities beyond what resumes and interviews reveal, all while saving your HR team countless hours. But before you deploy AI to comb through applicants’ social media, you need to understand the significant legal risks these tools create and consider some best practices.

Read more: https://www.fisherphillips.com/en/news-insights/employers-turn-to-ai-to-screen-candidates-social-media.html

California AI and Privacy Legislation Update – January 2026

by Elena Miller, John Pavolotsky, Stoel Rives - Global Privacy & Security Blog - JD Supra

The new year is off to a quick start. February looms. Businesses are beginning to settle into 2026, and some trends (or at least outlines of such) are beginning to emerge. Businesses are digesting the AI and privacy bills that were signed into law last Fall. California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA) litigation shows no sign of abating. Perhaps the failure of SB 690 (see below), and another year of runway, is driving litigation in this space. As of January 21, 2026, 40 data breaches (impacting more than 500 California residents) have been reported to the California Attorney General, compared to 23 for the same period in 2025. Privacy class action litigation usually follows soon after reporting, suggesting that 2026 will be another, if not more, active year in that space.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/california-ai-and-privacy-legislation-1147632/

New Florida Law Compels Certain Employers to Include Background Check Resource in Job Listings

by Dee Anna D. Hays - Ogletree Deakins

Certain organizations in Florida that work with children and vulnerable adults must link to the Agency for Health Care Administration’s (AHCA) new background checks resource in their job postings for any position that requires a screening through Florida’s Care Provider Background Screening Clearinghouse, commonly referred to as Level 2 Background Screening. The resource includes details on disqualifying offenses, exemption procedures, and timelines.

Read more: https://ogletree.com/insights-resources/blog-posts/new-florida-law-compels-certain-employers-to-include-background-check-resource-in-job-listings/

New York Is the Eleventh State to Restrict Employers’ Use of Credit History

by Stephen Fuchs, Littler - JD Supra

On December 19, 2025, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed into law S03072, amending the New York Fair Credit Reporting Act1 to prohibit New York employers from obtaining or using consumer credit history in hiring and personnel decisions.

The amended statute, which takes effect 120 days after enactment—on April 18, 2026—tracks the New York City Stop Credit Discrimination in Employment Act (SCDEA) that took effect in 2015, and makes New York the eleventh state to enact legislation restricting such use of consumer credit history, joining California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, as well as New York City; the District of Columbia; Chicago; Cook County, Illinois; Madison, Wisconsin; and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Read more: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-york-is-the-eleventh-state-to-9357423/