About the Course
Introduction
This CLE webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of recently enacted or soon to be enacted state legislation regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and discuss how these laws will impact employers. The panel will examine new state laws, including those in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Texas, address employer obligations, and offer best practices for compliance.
Description
Employers are rapidly adopting AI tools for many human resources functions, including recruiting, performance, and workforce management. While federal agencies have targeted AI in employment for discrimination purposes, there is still no federal AI law. Therefore, many states have stepped up to fill in the gap by developing AI legislation that will impact employers by requiring certain transparency, testing, and reporting obligations—some laws recently enacted and others soon to be enacted in 2026, including in California, Colorado, Illinois, and Texas.
Employer obligations vary by state. California's recently enacted regulations impose data retention, privacy impact assessments, notice requirements to employees when AI tools are used, and reasonable accommodations, among other obligations on employers. Illinois' recently enacted law explicitly prohibits the use of AI in ways that discriminate against employees and requires employers to provide notice to applicants and employees when using AI for employment decisions. And Colorado's regulations, effective June 30, 2026, will require covered employers to use reasonable care to protect Colorado residents from known or foreseeable risk of algorithmic discrimination. Employer obligations include conducting annual impact assessments.
Counsel should understand what obligations are created under this patchwork of new state AI legislation so they can assist their employer clients with compliance, especially given the challenges that will be faced by multistate employers.
Listen as our expert panel provides a comprehensive overview of new state AI legislation impacting employers and offers best practices for helping clients navigate this rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.
Presented By
Ms. Ochs has nearly 30 years of experience representing employers in matters involving employment issues and employment-based technology, trade secrets, and unfair competition in federal and state trial and appellate courts, arbitration, and administrative agencies. Her experience includes successfully defending employers in both jury and bench trials and in arbitration proceedings. She currently dedicates a significant portion of her practice to trial court litigation, arbitration, and strategic conflict management. Ms. Ochs also has active advice and counsel, training, and investigations practices, working closely with employers on a variety of employment and employment-based technology, trade secret, and unfair competition compliance issues with the goal of avoiding litigation. She represents an array of “tech” employers, as well as employers in a broad array of other local, national, and international industries. Ms. Ochs regularly speaks across the country on a range of employment, and employment-based technology, trade secret and unfair competition issues.
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This 90-minute webinar is eligible in most states for 1.5 CLE credits.
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Date + Time
- event
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
- schedule
1:00 PM E.T.
I. Introduction
A. The status of federal regulation
B. States stepping in to fill the gap
II. New state AI legislation and the impact on employers
A. California
B. Colorado
C. Illinois
D. Texas
E. Others
III. Best practices for employer compliance
IV. Practitioner takeaways
The panel will review these and other important issues:
- Why has there been an increase in state legislative activity surrounding the use of AI?
- In what ways will new state laws impact employers? What challenges are created for multistate employers?
- What are best practices that may be implemented by employers to mitigate risk of noncompliance?
