In a significant move, the U.S. Senate has voted overwhelmingly to remove a 10-year federal moratorium on state artificial intelligence regulation from President Trump’s comprehensive tax and spending bill. The 99-1 vote during a “vote-a-rama” session represents a clear rejection of a centralized approach to AI governance, instead empowering individual states.
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn successfully introduced the amendment to strike the ban, arguing for the critical role of states in protecting their citizens. This decision comes amidst increasing public and legislative scrutiny of AI’s societal implications, with many advocating for more localized control in the absence of robust federal guidelines.
The Senate’s initial of the bill had a less direct consequence for states, merely making those with AI regulations ineligible for a new $500 million fund to support AI infrastructure. The outright removal of the ban, however, grants states full authority to legislate on AI, removing any federal disincentives or restrictions.
While leading AI firms like Alphabet’s Google and OpenAI have expressed support for a unified federal regulatory framework, citing the potential for fragmented state laws to impede innovation, Senator Blackburn emphasized the urgency of state action. She argued that “The current language is not acceptable to those who need these protections the most.”
