GOP quietly adds 10-year AI regulation ban to spending bill
▼ Summary
– House Republicans proposed a 10-year ban on state and local AI regulations in the Budget Reconciliation bill.
– The provision would invalidate existing and proposed state laws, like California’s AI disclosure rules for healthcare and New York’s bias audit requirements.
– It could also block California’s 2026 law mandating public documentation of AI training data.
– The ban may limit states’ ability to allocate federal AI funding according to their own priorities.
– The House Committee on Energy and Commerce planned to review the proposal on May 13, with broad language covering both generative AI and older automated systems.
House Republicans have quietly inserted a decade-long prohibition on AI regulation into a major spending bill, potentially reshaping how artificial intelligence is governed across the United States. The newly added provision would prevent state and local governments from enforcing any laws related to AI systems for ten years following the bill’s passage.
The sweeping restriction, championed by Kentucky Representative Brett Guthrie, targets both existing and future regulations designed to oversee AI technologies. This could invalidate several high-profile state laws, including California’s requirement for healthcare providers to disclose AI-generated communications with patients and New York’s mandate for bias audits in AI-powered hiring tools. Even California’s pending 2026 rule—forcing AI developers to disclose training data—would be blocked before taking effect.
Beyond nullifying consumer protections, the measure may also influence how federal AI funding is distributed. States currently have flexibility in allocating these resources, sometimes directing money toward initiatives that diverge from federal priorities. For instance, education-related AI programs could face restrictions if state plans conflict with White House or tech industry preferences.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee, led by Guthrie, is set to review the provision as part of budget reconciliation discussions. Notably, the language defines AI broadly, covering everything from cutting-edge generative models to older automated decision systems. If passed, this could create a regulatory vacuum at the state level, leaving AI development largely unchecked for years.
(Source: Ars Technica)
