9 V.S.A. § 4193e(a)-(g)
Plain Language
Developers and deployers are jointly responsible for ensuring that an independent audit is conducted before deployment, six months after deployment, and at least every 18 months thereafter. The audit must cover data management policies, system validity and reliability by use case, comparative demographic performance analysis for algorithmic discrimination, compliance with existing laws, and evaluation of the risk management program. All audits must be delivered to the Attorney General regardless of findings. The auditor must be truly independent — no prior service relationship within 12 months, no involvement in the system, no employment or financial interest in the developer or deployer. The audit must be performed entirely without AI assistance. Auditor fees cannot be contingent on results, and no incentives may be offered for positive findings. Developer and deployer must contractually allocate audit responsibilities; absent agreement, they are jointly and severally liable.
Statutory Text
(a) Prior to deployment of an automated decision system for use in a consequential decision, six months after deployment, and at least every 18 months thereafter for each calendar year an automated decision system is in use in consequential decisions after the first post-deployment audit, the developer and deployer shall be jointly responsible for ensuring that an independent audit is conducted in compliance with the provisions of this section to ensure that the product does not produce algorithmic discrimination and complies with the provisions of this subchapter. The developer and deployer shall enter into a contract specifying which party is responsible for the costs, oversight, and results of the audit. Absent an agreement of responsibility through contract, the developer and deployer shall be jointly and severally liable for any violations of this section. Regardless of final findings, the deployer or developer shall deliver all audits conducted under this section to the Attorney General. (b) A deployer or developer may contract with more than one auditor to fulfill the requirements of this section. (c) The audit shall include the following: (1) an analysis of data management policies, including whether personal or sensitive data relating to a consumer is subject to data security protection standards that comply with the requirements of applicable State law; (2) an analysis of the system validity and reliability according to each specified use case listed in the entity's reporting document filed by the developer or deployer pursuant to section 4193f of this title; (3) a comparative analysis of the system's performance when used on consumers of different demographic groups and a determination of whether the system produces algorithmic discrimination in violation of this subchapter by each intended and foreseeable identified use as identified by the deployer and developer pursuant to section 4193f of this title; (4) an analysis of how the technology complies with existing relevant federal, State, and local labor, civil rights, consumer protection, privacy, and data privacy laws; and (5) an evaluation of the developer's or deployer's documented risk management policy and program as set forth in section 4193g of this title for conformity with subsection 4193g(a) of this title. (e) The independent auditor shall have complete and unredacted copies of all reports previously filed by the deployer or developer pursuant to section 4193f of this title. (f) An audit conducted under this section shall be completed in its entirety without the assistance of an automated decision system. (g)(1) An auditor shall be an independent entity, including an individual, nonprofit, firm, corporation, partnership, cooperative, or association. (2) For the purposes of this subchapter, no auditor may be commissioned by a developer or deployer of an automated decision system used in consequential decisions if the auditor: (A) has already been commissioned to provide any auditing or nonauditing service, including financial auditing, cybersecurity auditing, or consulting services of any type, to the commissioning company in the past 12 months; (B) is or was involved in using, developing, integrating, offering, licensing, or deploying the automated decision system; (C) has or had an employment relationship with a developer or deployer that uses, offers, or licenses the automated decision system; or (D) has or had a direct financial interest or a material indirect financial interest in a developer or deployer that uses, offers, or licenses the automated decision system. (3) Fees paid to auditors may not be contingent on the result of the audit and the commissioning company shall not provide any incentives or bonuses for a positive audit result.