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Introduction
This template is a starting point and should be customized for each office's specific needs, institutional requirements, and operational context. Consult with your chamber's information technology office or leadership for the latest institutional guidance before implementation.
State legislatures vary widely in structure — from full-time bicameral chambers with large professional staffs to part-time unicameral bodies where a single legislator may handle constituent services, communications, and policy research with little or no staff support. This policy is designed to be adaptable to that full range of contexts.
[Highlighted] sections indicate what needs to be customized by an office that adopts this template.
[Office / Member Name] AI Use Policy
Last Updated: [Date]
Contents
Purpose and Scope
Policy Philosophy
Approved Tools
Prohibited Uses
Best Practices
Compliance
Knowledge Sharing
Training and Support
Acknowledgment Agreement
Appendix: Recommended Use Cases
1. Purpose and Scope
This policy establishes guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in [Office Name] to enhance productivity, improve constituent services, and support legislative work while maintaining security, privacy, and ethical standards.
This policy supplements and must be read in conjunction with guidance issued by [the chamber’s IT office / legislative services agency / state CIO] and all applicable institutional or state policies. If no such guidance has been issued, this policy serves as the office’s governing standard until formal guidance is established.
2. Policy Philosophy
Our office embraces innovation and recognizes AI as a powerful tool to enhance our work serving constituents and advancing legislative priorities. This policy establishes clear boundaries and best practices to ensure responsible use while encouraging exploration of beneficial applications.
3. Approved Tools
The following AI tools are authorized for use in this office:
__
__
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The safe and secure use of authorized, off-the-shelf, commercially-available tools requires the use of a paid subscription account and all privacy settings enabled.
A note on personal AI accounts: Never use free AI accounts for legislative work. Paid personal accounts should only be used if permitted by your institution’s AI use policy. If no policy exists, confirm with your IT department before using them. Exercise extra caution with personal accounts, and never enter sensitive, confidential, or nonpublic legislative information, even if model training is disabled.
4. Prohibited Uses
AI MAY NOT be used for:
Replacing human judgment on:
Policy positions or voting decisions
Constituent service case resolutions
Hiring or personnel decisions
Final editorial decisions on public-facing content
Processing sensitive personally identifiable information (PII), including but not limited to:
Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver’s license numbers, or any other form of ID
Constituent case details or personal information
Financial information, account numbers, or tax records
Health information or medical records
Immigration status or documentation details
Handling sensitive or confidential information, including but not limited to:
Security protocols or emergency procedures
Confidential committee materials or privileged legislative communications
Member’s non-public travel and location information
Passwords, backup recovery codes, or other cyber credentials
Staff personnel information
Whistleblower information
Creating misleading content, such as:
Deepfakes or manipulated media
False statements attributed to the representative or other officials
Deceptive social media content
Fabricated quotes, statistics, or sources
NEVER use foreign-based AI models, including models developed in China such as DeepSeek, Qwen, and Kimi. Foreign-based services may store your prompts and files on servers outside US jurisdiction, where they are subject to foreign laws and surveillance.
5. Best Practices
ALWAYS consult with your office’s IT director before working with AI coding agents, such as Claude Code and OpenAI Codex, or providing your AI model with access to other workplace tools and apps.
ALWAYS opt out of AI model training on your data. AI tools provided by your legislature through enterprise accounts generally have model training disabled by default, but staff should confirm this for any platform they use. Personal AI accounts, including paid subscriptions, may use conversations for training by default. Staff using personal accounts must check their privacy settings and disable model training before using AI for legislative work. To enable privacy settings on the following platforms:
ChatGPT Plus/Pro:
Click your profile icon and open Settings.
Go to Data Controls.
Turn off “Improve the model for everyone.”
Claude Pro:
Click your profile icon and open Settings, then Privacy.
Turn off “Help improve Claude.”
Before using AI:
Verify the tool is approved by [the chamber’s IT office or leadership] (if such guidance exists).
Assess the sensitivity of information you plan to input and cross-reference the use case with the restrictions outlined above as well as [the chamber's IT office / legislative services agency / state CIO] guidance.
Consider the purpose and ensure it aligns with office goals.
During use:
Avoid using AI for mathematical calculations and use a calculator instead
Beware of sycophancy – models will always agree with you by default
Use general examples in place of otherwise sensitive information, such as specific constituent cases or political scenarios.
Iterate and refine prompts for better results.
After use:
Always fact-check outputs. AI can produce inaccurate references, incorrect citations, and completely falsified information.
Edit and personalize to ensure AI-generated content reflects our office's voice.
6. Compliance
Individuals are responsible for the content they produce and use regardless of whether AI assisted during the creation process.
Staff must report suspected misuse of AI tools to [office leadership / chamber IT].
This policy will be reviewed and updated as institutional guidance evolves and as tools continue to develop.
7. Knowledge Sharing
Staff are encouraged to participate in office-wide information sharing of AI use cases and lessons learned. Such insights are vital contributions to the team’s overall awareness and understanding of these tools’ applicability in the legislative workplace.
8. Training and Support
All staff are strongly encouraged to pursue training on the use of AI tools.
Resources include, but are not limited to:
Training materials from [chamber’s IT office or legislative services agency]
POPVOX Foundation’s AI resource guides, on-demand training, and templates at popvox.org/states
National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) guidance on legislative technology
9. Acknowledgment Agreement
By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read, understood, and agree to comply with this AI Use Policy.
Staff Member: _________________________________
Signature: _________________________________
Date: ______________
Appendix: Recommended Use Cases
While not exhaustive, beneficial applications of institutionally approved AI tools may include:
Research and Analysis
Background research on state and federal policy topics
Summarizing public agency reports, fiscal notes, or committee analyses
Tracking and comparing legislation across states on a given issue
Generating frameworks for constituent-facing policy explainers
Communications Support
Drafting initial versions of newsletters, press releases, or op-eds
Creating social media content ideas and drafts
Developing talking points and legislative testimony frameworks
Editing and improving clarity of written materials
Administrative Efficiency
Meeting and hearing agenda creation
Email template development for routine constituent inquiries
Scheduling and event planning assistance
Onboarding materials and office procedure documentation
Constituent Services
Developing FAQ responses on common state services (using public information only)
Creating resource guides for constituents navigating state agencies
Drafting template responses for frequently received correspondence
Identifying relevant state programs or benefits for general constituent categories
Legislative Work
Summarizing publicly available bill text or committee reports
Researching how other states have approached a particular policy issue
Drafting public-facing plain-language summaries of complex legislation
Preparing briefing materials from publicly available sources
Workflow Automation
Batch file processing
Data analytics
Local microsite deployment
Scheduling daily routines
About POPVOX Foundation
POPVOX Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonpartisan nonprofit organization with a mission to help democratic institutions keep pace with a rapidly changing world. Through publications, events, prototypes, and technical assistance, the organization helps public servants and elected officials better serve their constituents and make better policy.
Learn more at popvox.org or contact us at info@popvox.org.
