Gov. Ned Lamont signs Connecticut AI accountability law with new child protections and workforce programs

Gov. Ned Lamont signed Public Act 26-15, the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act, at a bill-signing event in Hartford, saying the law aims to balance innovation with protections for children and workers.

The governor, Gov. Ned Lamont, told attendees that while AI can accelerate drug discovery and other advances, it also poses risks to young people and to fairness in jobs and services. "Let's sign the bill," he said as legislators gathered behind him for the formal signing.

State Rep. Hubert Delaney, co-chair of the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Caucus, framed the measure as a local effort to keep economic power in Hartford and provide residents access to AI-driven opportunities. Delaney said the CART Act "gives us the framework and the way forward to prepare our workforce, our schools, our businesses, our government, and all of our residents for the AI future that is already here."

Attorney General William Tong emphasized the law's consumer-protection elements and described steps the state has already taken against major platforms. "Roblox has become a predator's playground," Tong said, and he noted that Connecticut has launched an investigation into the platform; he also said the state has sued Meta over harms to young users. Tong summarized key provisions the law implements to protect minors, including restrictions on algorithmic content delivery and new reporting obligations for platforms.

Among the provisions described at the event, the bill: creates a regulatory sandbox for state-led AI experimentation; establishes workforce-development programs and an AI academy in partnership with higher education; and places limits on algorithmic content delivery to minors (the transcript describes a prohibition on algorithmically delivered content to users under 18 for more than one hour without parental consent and a ban on sending such content between 9:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. without parental consent). Tong also said enforcement may proceed under the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act if platforms fail to comply.

Sponsors and supporters presented the law as a bipartisan effort intended to protect children, promote equitable workforce training and preserve room for innovation. Sen. Martin Looney and Sen. Bob Duff both said states must act because federal regulation has lagged. Higher-education partners and the Connecticut AI Alliance pledged to help operationalize the AI academy, workforce hub and the regulatory sandbox.

The bill was identified at the event as Public Act 26-15, the Connecticut Artificial Intelligence Responsibility and Transparency Act. Legislators and agency partners stood behind the governor as he signed the measure; no roll-call votes or amendments were recorded at the signing ceremony itself.

The event concluded with acknowledgments to staff and partners involved in drafting and implementing the law; officials said operational details, such as how age-verification and reporting will be implemented, will follow through agency rulemaking and partner programs.