House Republicans are looking to restart an effort to eliminate state AI laws after a previous version abruptly shut down earlier this year.
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) told Punchbowl News that he is considering adding language to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would effectively ban state AI regulations. Later on Tuesday, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social urging Congress to standardize AI rules. “We should have one federal standard instead of 50 state regulatory regimes,” he wrote. “If we don’t do this, China will easily catch us in the AI race. Put it in the NDAA, or pass a separate bill, and no one will ever be able to compete with the US.”
Amending the NDAA, which lawmakers consider a must-pass bill, is a common strategy to get legislation across the finish line at the end of the year. It’s not entirely clear what the new language will look like, as 99 out of 100 senators ultimately turned against the version of a five-year moratorium on state AI laws that was put up for a vote this summer.
When the issue came to the fore earlier this year, many lawmakers expressed concerns about the initial 10-year period proposed for the moratorium, and the possibility that the language could be broad enough to cover many other technology regulations, including children’s online safety laws. Both red and blue states have adopted AI-related laws that could be effectively repealed if Congress votes to preempt or block them.
Supporters of the moratorium, including tech industry associations like NetChoice, argued that a complex patchwork of state regulations for an early-stage industry like AI could hinder innovation and jeopardize U.S. competitiveness with China.
More information on the NDAA’s language is expected before the Thanksgiving holiday, with voting taking place in December politico,