American Legislative Exchange Council Releases State Artificial Intelligence Policy Toolkit
The guide outlines model state legislation aimed at shaping AI governance.
WASHINGTON, March 2, 2026 – The American Legislative Exchange Council released its 2026 State AI Policy Toolkit, a research publication designed to guide state lawmakers as artificial intelligence legislation accelerates across the country. ALEC is a nonprofit organization founded in 1973 that drafts model legislation for state lawmakers across all 50 states.
Produced by ALEC’s Center for Innovation and Technology, the toolkit reviewed state and federal AI legislative activity from 2023 through 2025 and presented seven model policy proposals for states to consider. The publication framed artificial intelligence as part of a broader American technology and telecommunications legacy tied to internet infrastructure and digital innovation.
One featured proposal, the “Right to Compute Act,” would limit state restrictions on the lawful use of computational resources, including cloud computing and data center infrastructure. Under the model framework, government agencies would be required to demonstrate a compelling interest before imposing new regulations on artificial intelligence tools, digital assets or emerging computing technologies. The toolkit cautioned that broad licensing regimes or risk-tiered compliance mandates could raise barriers to entry and slow software development.
The publication also addressed the growing patchwork of state AI laws and referenced recent federal executive actions aimed at discouraging conflicting state regulations. ALEC suggested inconsistent state-level mandates could complicate interstate commerce and technology deployment, proposing instead for what it described as a light-touch regulatory approach.
ALEC’s Communications and Technology Task Force, which developed the model policies, identified broadband deployment and telecommunications innovation as key areas of focus, linking artificial intelligence governance to broader digital infrastructure policy debates.
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