NJ committee advances bill to set AI guidelines for licensed professionals

New Jersey Advances Bill to Set AI Guidelines for Licensed Professionals

A New Jersey Assembly committee has approved legislation requiring the state to develop guidelines for how licensed professionals use generative AI. The bill, A4731, would direct the Division of Consumer Affairs to create a model policy that professional licensing boards could adapt for their own industries.

Assemblymembers Tennille R. McCoy, Balvir Singh, and Luanne Peterpaul sponsored the measure. The model policy would establish standards for AI use while ensuring compliance with existing professional regulations and consumer protections.

How the Framework Would Work

Each professional licensing board-covering fields from law to medicine to accounting-would use the state model policy as a starting point. Boards would then develop rules specific to their professions, addressing where AI can and cannot be used by licensees.

The Division of Consumer Affairs would develop the initial model policy. Individual boards would handle adoption and enforcement for their respective fields.

Why Lawmakers Are Moving Forward Now

McCoy said the bill seeks to establish standards while allowing room for innovation as the technology continues to change. Singh argued that generative AI can improve efficiency and that guidance is needed to ensure professionals use it responsibly.

Peterpaul noted that many businesses and professionals are still testing AI tools. Setting guidelines now, she said, could help address future impacts on consumers, workers, and patients.

The bill advances to the full Assembly for further consideration.

Government workers managing professional licensing or regulatory policy may benefit from understanding how AI governance works in practice. AI Learning Path for Policy Makers covers the policy and governance framework for AI systems.