ceased moderating the Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group as of February 25, 2025
The Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group (MAP-WG) is a bipartisan coalition of over 200 state lawmakers from more than 45 states, working together to shape AI legislation collaboratively and effectively. This group, which was convened by the independent think tank, the Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), focuses primarily on artificial intelligence but also covers related areas such as data privacy, enforcement, regulation, AI workforce development, and combating non-consensual intimate images.
The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF) serves as a neutral convenor for the MAP-WG, providing nonpartisan, practical expertise and support. Its credibility as a neutral thought leader is crucial in bridging the gap between lawmakers, companies, and other experts. FPF's work with the MAP-WG is open to any U.S. state-level senator, representative, or public official, and current staff members.
The MAP-WG's bipartisan steering committee, chaired by Connecticut Senator James Maroney (D), collaborates to decide the topics and agenda. Members of the committee include Alaska Senator Shelley Hughes (R), California Privacy Protection Agency Deputy Director of Policy and Legislation Maureen Mahoney, Colorado Senator Robert Rodriguez (D), Florida Representative Fiona McFarland (R), Maryland Senator Katie Fry Hester (D), Minnesota Representative Steve Elkins (D) and Minnesota Representative Kristin Bahner (D), New York Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D), Texas Representative Giovanni Capriglione (R), and Virginia Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D).
The MAP-WG is expanding its efforts and launching a dedicated landing page (our website/multistateAI) to centrally share its purpose, key resources, and insights with a broader audience. It is important to note that the government grants referenced in a recent op-ed do not fund the Multistate AI Policymaker Working Group. These grants support training in support of cross-border data flows and efforts to advance privacy enhancing technologies.
The MAP-WG is committed to uniting state legislators to craft AI policies that strike a balance between innovation and safety without creating a confusing patchwork of conflicting rules across states. It acts as an influential voice opposing measures like moratoriums that could limit states' abilities to enact AI safeguards, reinforcing that state innovation contributes to broader federal leadership in AI regulation. The group advocates for collaborative action between states and the federal government to get AI policies “right,” promoting responsible and transparent AI governance that protects consumers while fostering innovation.
In July 2025, when the U.S. Senate abandoned a proposed state AI law moratorium, the MAP-WG Steering Committee stated the provision had "further united us" and expressed a commitment to "further collaborative action" on AI regulation at the state level. The group stressed that states are ready to lead and partner with Washington, emphasizing the importance of state-level innovation and policymaking in the broader national AI regulatory landscape[2].
FPF does not work to import European-style regulation into US states. Rep. Capriglione worked with the Texas Public Policy Foundation on crafting the bill, a well-known conservative group that was previously led by President Donald J. Trump's Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. However, FPF did not play any role in the Texas AI bill sponsored by Rep. Giovanni Capriglione (R-TX) nor has it taken a position on it.
In conclusion, the MAP-WG serves as an essential platform for bipartisan and multi-state cooperation on AI policy, striving to guide and influence state legislators toward responsible AI regulation that complements federal efforts and promotes both safety and innovation.
- The MAP-WG, focusing on artificial intelligence and related areas like data privacy, aims to collaboratively and effectively shape AI legislation across states.
- The Future of Privacy Forum (FPF), a neutral convener for the MAP-WG, works to bridge the gap between lawmakers, companies, and experts, providing nonpartisan support.
- The MAP-WG's bipartisan steering committee, chaired by Connecticut Senator James Maroney (D), actively shares the topics and agenda, involving officials like Alaska Senator Shelley Hughes (R) and Virginia Delegate Michelle Maldonado (D).
- The MAP-WG launched a dedicated landing page to share its purpose, key resources, and insights on AI policy and legislation, while acknowledging that government grants support cross-border data flows and privacy enhancing technologies, not the MAP-WG itself.
- The MAP-WG advocates for responsible AI governance that balances innovation and safety, opposing measures like moratoriums that could limit states' abilities to enact AI safeguards.
- In the broader national AI regulatory landscape, the MAP-WG emphasizes the importance of state-level innovation and policymaking, partnership with Washington, and avoiding the import of European-style regulation into US states.
