Abell legislation reinforces ‘personhood’ in midst of inanimate object and AI debate

‘We need to protect the rights and liberties of our citizens before we worry about the rights of rocks, mudpuddles, and AI,’ says Abell

Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium, introduced legislation this week to prohibit a government entity in Washington state from granting legal personhood to inanimate objects and artificial intelligence (AI), among others.

“This is not a bill I think any legislator would have thought necessary a decade ago, yet, here we are,” said Abell. “We need to pump the brakes on the current trend to push for legal rights for inanimate objects in an effort to stop or hinder development.

“At the same time, we need to prepare for the upcoming discussions surrounding artificial intelligence. My bill doesn’t seek to define AI,” explained Abell. “We just need to proactively acknowledge that whatever AI looks like in the future, we’re not going to be granting it the same rights as the person sitting next to you on the couch. We need specific guardrails around how the state views and relates to artificial intelligence. This discussion needs to happen now, while we’re at the forefront of AI definition, expansion, and interaction.”

House Bill 2029 says a government entity may not grant legal personhood to:

  • Artificial intelligence
  • Inanimate object
  • Body of water
  • Land
  • Real property
  • Atmospheric gas
  • Astronomical object
  • Weather
  • Plant
  • Nonhuman animal
  • Any other member of a taxonomic domain that is not a natural person

Abell said his bill is needed in order for the state to get in front of so-called “right of nature” laws being pushed by fringe environmentalists and activists. He pointed to the City of Everett’s recent passage of a law to grant enforceable legal rights to the Snohomish River Watershed as a local example of this extremist movement.

“My bill is an effort to ensure our love for our mountains, rivers, forests, and scenic vistas is not further weaponized to advance a radical, anti-development agenda through a novel, unproven legal theory,” said Abell. “These ‘right of nature’ laws would worsen our housing crisis, overburden our court system, and gravely threaten our agricultural industry. The time to stop them is now.

“We need to protect the rights and liberties of our citizens before we worry about the rights of rocks, mudpuddles, and AI,” said Abell.

House Bill 2029 has been referred to the House Civil Rights and Judiciary Committee where Abell serves as the Assistant Ranking Member.

The 105-day 2025 legislative session ends on April 27.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov