✍️By Delainie Nichols
Delainie is an Undergraduate Student in Cybersecurity and is a Research Assistant at the Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL), Purdue University.
📌 Editor’s Note: This article is part of our AI Policy Corner series, a collaboration between the Montreal AI Ethics Institute (MAIEI) and the Governance and Responsible AI Lab (GRAIL) at Purdue University. The series provides concise insights into critical AI policy developments from the local to international levels, helping our readers stay informed about the evolving landscape of AI governance. This piece covers H.B. 3512, a bill that requires Texas state and local government employees to take annual AI and cybersecurity training.
Background
H.B. 3512 is one of a series of bills that are building the foundation of Texas’ AI governance framework. In the 89th Texas state legislature alone, there have been about four AI-related bills that were passed to regulate the use of AI systems and data management in government (S.B. 1964), establish an AI intelligence division (H.B. 2818), require AI training programs for state and local employees (H.B. 3512), and regulate the overall use of AI in Texas (TRAIGA 2.0 or H.B. 149). In this article, we will focus on H.B. 3512, a bill that details AI and cybersecurity training requirements for certain state and local government employees in Texas.
Proposed Bill
H.B. 3512, made effective on September 1, 2025, lists specific AI and cybersecurity training requirements for state agencies and local governments:
- School district cybersecurity coordinators are required to take the AI and cybersecurity trainings annually. School district employees will be directed by the school district and cybersecurity coordinator to take these trainings as necessary.
- Local governments must be compliant with the AI and cybersecurity trainings in order to apply for grants. If a local government is found to have been awarded a grant without being compliant, the local government must repay the grant award and will be ineligible to apply for another grant for two years.
- State agencies and local governments must take steps to identify employees that use a computer system for at least twenty-five percent of their required duties. The identified employees will then take the AI and cybersecurity trainings annually. Local government and state agencies must choose appropriate trainings, verify and report the completion of these training, and require periodic audits to ensure compliance with requirements.
- The Department of Information Resources (DIR) is responsible for annually certifying at least five AI training programs, updating certification standards for AI trainings, and ensuring that the trainings are the same length as the required cybersecurity trainings. The AI trainings must educate employees on how AI can be utilized to support job functions and provide foundational AI literacy skills. A list of the certified AI trainings must be updated and published annually on the DIR website.
- The Legislative Budget Board and governor’s office are tasked with implementing a written certification of compliance with the AI and cybersecurity trainings into each applicable agency’s strategic plans.
Implementation
The DIR recently updated training materials, training certification standards, and awareness training programs for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. As of August 2026, the DIR has certified 96 AI awareness training programs.
Final Thoughts
As AI continues to transform our society, it is critical for American workers to understand how to use AI technology responsibly, especially in a government where AI usage is ubiquitous. This bill aims to build essential AI literacy skills within the government workforce and to address the AI skills gap and other issues that can arise without proper AI training. Additionally, the annual training supports Texas’ recent AI regulations by providing best practices that can help to mitigate future legal or ethical violations. By requiring annual AI and cybersecurity trainings, this bill will ensure that there is AI-readiness on both the state and local level. Overall, H.B. 3512 is one of the stepping stones in Texas’ AI strategy that will continue to define how Texas’ state and local governments approach AI technology in the future.
Further Reading
- Texas 89th Legislature: Key Artificial Intelligence Legislation
- AI Policy Corner: The Texas Responsible AI Governance Act
- AI Policy Corner: Texas and New York: Comparing U.S. State-Level AI Laws
Image source: Unsplash