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AB 325

Revises provisions relating to artificial intelligence. (BDR 36-393)

2025 Regular Session

AB 325 requires human final authority in emergency plans and forbids utilities' final shutdown decisions based solely on AI, ensuring accountability and oversight.

Approved by the Governor. Chapter 123.
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Bill Summary · AB 325

Summary — AB 325 (BDR 36‑393): Revises provisions relating to artificial intelligence

Status: Approved by the Governor (2025).
Subject: Limits use of artificial intelligence (AI) in emergency management decision‑making and in utility service shutdown/reduction decisions.

Purpose / Intent

AB 325 requires state and local emergency management plans to preserve human final authority over emergency response planning and resource allocation, and it prevents public utilities from making final decisions to reduce or shut down service in a disaster or emergency that are based solely on AI. The bill seeks to ensure accountability and human oversight where decisions have significant public‑safety consequences.

Key provisions

  • Defines “artificial intelligence” (for purposes of the emergency management provisions) as a machine‑based system that, for human‑defined objectives, can make predictions, recommendations, or decisions that influence real or virtual environments.
  • Emergency plans:
    • Amends NRS Chapter 414 to require the State emergency management plan and each state or local governmental agency’s emergency operations plan to include provisions ensuring that final decisions about emergency response planning and allocation of resources are not made by AI but instead are made by a natural person.
  • Utilities:
    • Adds a provision to Chapter 704 prohibiting a public utility from making a final decision to reduce or shut down utility service in response to a disaster or emergency based solely on the use of AI. (Amendments clarify the prohibition applies to decisions made “based solely” on AI.)
  • References existing definitions of “disaster” and “emergency” in NRS (for applicability).

Who is affected

  • State and local governmental agencies that prepare or adopt emergency management plans (they must include the required human‑decision provisions).
  • Public utilities operating in the state (restrictions on using AI as the sole basis for final service reduction/shutdown decisions).
  • Vendors and purchasers of AI systems used within emergency management or utility operations (may affect procurement, deployment, and vendor contracts).
  • Potential downstream effect on emergency responders and utility customers due to changes in planning, approvals, and operational procedures.

Procedural / fiscal notes

  • The bill was considered and amended by the Assembly Committee on Government Affairs; amendments clarified definitions and the “based solely” standard for utilities.
  • Fiscal note: the measure may have fiscal impacts on state and local governments (updates to plans, training, oversight), and on utilities; committees noted possible costs.
  • Effective status: enacted (approved by Governor in 2025). Agencies will need to incorporate the statutory changes into applicable plans and operational rules.

Practical effect

AB 325 does not ban use of AI for analysis, prediction, or recommendations; it requires that final, accountable decisions about emergency response priorities and utility service shutdowns be made by humans, not automated systems alone. Agencies and utilities will need policy, procedural and possibly technical changes to ensure compliance.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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