As we covered in part I, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) finished the year with its 2023 Capital Forum in early December, focusing heavily on AI.

Other than AI, panels at the Forum covered veterans issues, robocalls, and fighting the opioid epidemic, highlighting continuing priorities AGs are placing on these areas. A likely predictor for AG focus next year was the announcement of incoming NAAG President Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum’s Presidential Initiative.

AG Rosenblum announced her initiative “America’s Youth: AGs Looking Out for the Next Generation.” She described this initiative as more than just rhetoric; AGs worry about challenges children are dealing with and should transform worry into action to improve safety and wellbeing of America’s youth. She asked the AGs to, “put our money where our mouth is,” requiring collaboration and shared purpose like NAAG’s mission. AG Rosenblum specifically called out these areas as themes of her initiative:

Technology
Healthy Bodies and Minds
Consumer Protection for Youth

Some areas she specifically cited included impacts of technology on kids’ lives, dating violence, bullying, vaping, and financial literacy. AG Rosenblum then introduced a discussion of teen mental health. Several of the remaining panels of the day focused on these topics, including financial literacy, teen mental health and suicide prevention, and AI child exploitation (see previous post).

While a NAAG Presidential Initiative does not necessarily indicate the priorities for all state AGs in the new year, given the breadth of this initiative and the focus on children, we can predict this year’s Initiative will be right on target for likely 2024 action. Also in the new year, take note of the move to change how NAAG is referred to by shifting from using the acronym pronounced “nag”, to calling it “the association” or pronouncing each letter of the acronym “N.A.A.G.”

NAAG Capital Forum Wrap Up 2023 Part II– New NAAG Presidential Initiative