Lawmakers from both parties in the U.S. House of Representatives released draft legislation on Thursday that would ban states from regulating the development of artificial intelligence models, a move praised by technology companies but criticized by consumer rights advocacy groups.
Draft legislation released by Democrat Lori Trahan and Republican Jay Obernolte would ban states from enacting laws “targeting the development of artificial intelligence models,” significance sUnder the draft, the government would not be allowed to pass laws requiring AI companies to test models before releasing them to the public.
but The draft also said States would not be prohibited from regulating how AI technology is used.
The goal is to create a “national framework that protects Americans, supports innovation and ensures the United States leads the world in shaping this technology,” the pair said in a joint statement.
“We are publishing this draft to hear from stakeholders, experts and the public so that we can strengthen the legislation before it is officially introduced,” Obernolt said in a statement.
Congress has been trying to pass legislation to address AI safety issues for years.
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen criticized the bill, saying it would “leave oversight largely to the federal government, which has repeatedly failed to pass meaningful AI protections.”
timeIn the absence of federal law, the group has primarily advocated for emergency state-level AI regulation to protect Americans.
It added, “The bill does not address algorithmic discrimination, housing discrimination, employment discrimination, consumer fraud, youth mental health harms, artificial intelligence companions, deepfake exploitation, and growing market concentration.”
The Information Technology Industry Council, which represents major technology companies, praised the bill. “Congress must create a national standard to promote the responsible development, deployment, and adoption of artificial intelligence in the U.S. economy,” the group said.
In March, the White House urged lawmakers to enact legislation to preempt national AI rules, and earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an order requiring leading AI developers to voluntarily submit their most capable models for government cybersecurity testing before releasing them to the public.
Under the order, U.S. agencies will have up to 30 days to test the models before releasing them to organizations outside the government. It also directs agencies to emphasize strengthening cyber defenses across the government.
Trump said in December that he would withhold federal broadband funding from states whose laws regulating artificial intelligence his administration says hinder U.S. dominance in the technology.
The artificial intelligence industry has been a powerful profit driver for the tech industry in recent years, propelling chipmaker Nvidia to become the world’s largest company while tech giants Amazon, Meta Platforms, Alphabet and Microsoft have poured billions into the industry.
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