Tom Leeks ‘AI Bill of Rights’ in Florida Legislature

Florida Senator Tom Leek has formally introduced the ‘Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights’, a set of regulations on AI technology called for by Gov. Ron DeSantis. As of Tuesday Leek’s legislation is filed in the Florida Senate with no cosponsors. Several proposals are outlined in Leek’s bill which strive to promote transparency and protect the consumer as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly prevalent in media and business. DeSantis and Leek appear to be postured in opposition to President Donald Trump, who is taking steps to limit states’ rights to regulate AI. “The rise of AI is the most significant economic and cultural shift occurring at the moment,” DeSantis said in November. “Denying the people the ability to channel these technologies in a productive way via self-government constitutes federal government overreach and lets technology companies run wild.” AI chatbots would be allowed to communicate with minors only with parental authorization, with safeguards against adult content. There would also have to be a reminder at least hourly that the program was AI, and for the child to take a break from the interaction. This builds on laws passed in 2024 which set minimum age requirements for social media usage and age verification on sites with explicit content. Also established in Leek’s bill is a provision which would ban AI from commercially using Floridians’ names, images, and likenesses without consent. Disclosures would be required when consumers are interacting with AI, and when AI is used in political communications. The full set of rules outlined in the Artificial Intelligence Bill of Rights closely mirrors priorities set out by DeSantis this month. The governor called his policy proposals the ‘AI Bill of Rights’, and mentioned several restrictions that would be codified into law should Leek’s bill pass. Though they’ve yet to run into direct conflict, DeSantis’ stance on AI differs considerably from President Donald Trump’s. The president signed an executive order this month that seeks to reduce states’ abilities to create AI restrictions, and prepares his Justice Department to sue states who go too far. DeSantis has said he doesn’t anticipate a clash between his proposals and the Trump administration. Tom Leek is a freshman member of the Florida Senate, elected in November 2024 to the state’s 7th Senate district. A Republican, he represents Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns counties along with a portion of Volusia County. Before that, Leek served eight years in the Florida House of Representatives serving Florida’s 25th House district.