Most Regulated Categories
Regulatory categories ranked by total number of enacted laws nationwide, where legislative activity is most intense. Regulations are tracked across all 50 states, with data from state legislatures, NCSL, and IAPP; see our methodology.
What This Ranking Tells Us
The most active regulatory categories reflect the policy issues states are prioritizing. Employment and worker protection consistently leads as states address wage transparency, non-compete restrictions, and scheduling fairness. Data privacy has surged since California's CCPA, with comprehensive state privacy laws spreading rapidly. AI regulation is the newest category, with states racing to establish guardrails for automated decision-making, algorithmic fairness, and consumer notification.
| # | Category | Laws Enacted |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Employment & Worker Protection | 107 |
| 2 | Data Privacy | 21 |
| 3 | AI Regulation | 10 |
| 4 | Right to Repair | 10 |
| 5 | Food Chemical Bans | 8 |
Source: PlainRegWatch State Regulation Tracker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is employment regulation the most active category?
Employment regulation touches every business and worker. Recent trends include pay transparency requirements (making salary ranges public), non-compete ban expansions, predictive scheduling mandates for hourly workers, and expanded family leave policies. These issues have broad political support and directly affect constituents, making them popular legislative targets.
Is AI regulation growing?
Yes, rapidly. From near-zero state AI laws in 2022, the landscape has expanded to multiple enacted frameworks. Key areas include automated employment decision tools (NYC Local Law 144 model), AI in insurance underwriting, deepfake disclosure requirements, and AI transparency mandates. The pace is expected to accelerate as AI adoption grows.
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Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: State regulatory agencies / Federal Register State and federal regulatory rule history and changes · 2025
Every figure on PlainRegWatch is rendered directly from state source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal and state source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.