What To Know About Trump S Draft Proposal To Curtail State Ai Regulati

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Dec 4, 2025, 9:19 PM

what to know about trump s draft proposal to curtail state ai regulati

President Donald Trump is considering pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence What to Know About Trump's Draft Proposal to Curtail State AI Regulations President Donald Trump speaks during the Saudi Investment Forum at the Kennedy Center, Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) President Donald Trump is considering pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence in a draft executive order obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, as some in Congress also consider whether to temporarily block states...

Trump and some Republicans argue that the limited regulations already enacted by states, and others that might follow, will dampen innovation and growth for the technology. President Donald Trump has drafted an executive order that would block states from enforcing regulations around artificial intelligence, renewing an AI deregulation push that’s raising concerns among tech safety advocates and state lawmakers on... The draft order directs the US attorney general to establish an AI Litigation Task Force to challenge state AI laws and preempt them with Trump’s more lax federal policy, according to a copy viewed... The fast-moving technology is already subject to little oversight as it extends into more areas of life — from personal communications and relationships to health care and policing. In the absence of broad federal legislation, some states have passed laws to address potentially risky and harmful uses of AI, such as the creation of misleading deepfakes and algorithmic discrimination in hiring. Critics of the preemption push worry that if left unchecked, AI companies could evade accountability should their tools harm consumers.

Asked for comment about the pushback, a White House official told CNN that until officially announced by the White House, discussion about potential orders is speculation. The language in Trump’s draft order mirrors the argument from some in the tech industry, including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, that navigating a patchwork of state laws would slow down innovation and could affect... US President Donald Trump is considering signing an executive order that would seek to challenge state efforts to regulate artificial intelligence through lawsuits and the withholding of federal funding, WIRED has learned. A draft of the order viewed by WIRED directs US attorney general Pam Bondi to create an “AI Litigation Task Force,” whose purpose is to sue states in court for passing AI regulations that... Trump could sign the order, which is currently titled “Eliminating State Law Obstruction of National AI Policy,” as early as this week, according to four sources familiar with the matter. A White House spokesperson told WIRED that “discussion about potential executive orders is speculation.”

The order says that the AI Litigation Task Force will work with several White House technology advisors, including the special adviser for AI and crypto, David Sacks, to determine which states are violating federal... It points to state regulations that “require AI models to alter their truthful outputs” or compel AI developers to “report information in a manner that would violate the First Amendment or any other provision... The order specifically cites recently enacted AI safety laws in California and Colorado that require AI developers to publish transparency reports about how they train models, among other provisions. Big Tech trade groups, including Chamber of Progress—which is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Google, and OpenAI—have vigorously lobbied against these efforts, which they describe as a “patchwork” approach to AI regulation that hampers innovation. These groups are lobbying instead for a light-touch set of federal laws to guide AI progress. President Donald Trump is considering pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence

President Donald Trump is considering pressuring states to stop regulating artificial intelligence in a draft executive order obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, as some in Congress also consider whether to temporarily block states... Trump and some Republicans argue that the limited regulations already enacted by states, and others that might follow, will dampen innovation and growth for the technology. Critics from both political parties — as well as civil liberties and consumer rights groups — worry that banning state regulation would amount to a favor for big AI companies who enjoy little to... While the draft executive order could change, here’s what to know about states' AI regulations and what Trump is proposing. “Widespread and powerful movement” keeps Trump from blocking state AI laws. A Donald Trump-backed push has failed to wedge a federal measure that would block states from passing AI laws for a decade into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) told reporters Tuesday that a sect of Republicans is now “looking at other places” to potentially pass the measure. Other Republicans opposed including the AI preemption in the defense bill, The Hill reported, joining critics who see value in allowing states to quickly regulate AI risks as they arise. For months, Trump has pressured the Republican-led Congress to block state AI laws that the president claims could bog down innovation as AI firms waste time and resources complying with a patchwork of state... But Republicans have continually failed to unite behind Trump’s command, first voting against including a similar measure in the “Big Beautiful” budget bill and then this week failing to negotiate a solution to pass... Among Republican lawmakers pushing back this week were Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), Arkansas Gov.

Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, The Hill reported. Should AI regulations be decided at federal or state level? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. An important conflict is playing out over whether the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) should block state-level AI regulations, and President Trump is pressuring Republicans to include a nationwide ban on state AI laws...

Trump argues that a single federal standard would be necessary in avoiding a “patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes.” In a Truth post, the President wrote: “Overregulation by the States is threatening to undermine this Major Growth ‘Engine’… If we don’t, then China will easily catch us in the AI race.” After failing to be included in the Republican-backed budget reconciliation bill earlier this year, President Donald Trump and House Republican leadership are looking to revive an effort to pass a 10-year moratorium on state... If enacted by Congress, the regulation would effectively prevent states from passing new AI laws. Trump urged lawmakers to pass the measure to ensure that there is “one Federal Standard instead of a patchwork of 50 State Regulatory Regimes” in a recent Truth Social post. He cautioned that if it was not signed into law, “China will easily catch us in the AI race.”

While it is unclear what prompted Trump’s comments, another reason this provision is getting attention again is that House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) indicated that House Republican leadership is still looking for a... The decision to target the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act is primarily because it will likely be one of the last meaningful bills Congress passes before the end of the calendar year. In addition, as one of the final pieces of legislation moving each year, it typically attracts a host of other amendments that are not directly related to the base text. However, the amendments that typically make the final text are often included in either the Senate or House drafts, and this moratorium was included in neither. Still, the text for this year’s NDAA has not yet been finalized, leaving an open window for the moratorium to be attached. However, that window is quickly shrinking as the final draft is expected after lawmakers return from the Thanksgiving recess, House Armed Services Committee Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) told Politico.

Votes on the bill are then expected to begin the week after. This leaves Trump and House Republican leadership a small opportunity to successfully add this provision, as it is highly unlikely that additional changes will be made during the floor process in either the House... Ultimately, it is unlikely that the provision will make the cut in the NDAA if for no other reason than the bill will need bipartisan support, and the moratorium is a partisan issue championed... Furthermore, as evidenced by its removal from the reconciliation bill, which required only Republican votes to pass in both chambers of Congress, there is not a majority in either chamber that supports passing the... This lack of support is like to prevent the measure from passing into law in Congress for the foreseeable future, barring a significant change in dynamics. The low likelihood of the measure’s passage is also partly why the White House was considering an executive order to achieve the same purpose: preempting state laws on AI.

However, this effort has now been “put on hold,” according to Reuters. The Trump administration proposal had faced pushback from members of Congress in both parties and even some tech lobbyists. Politico reported that there were also divisions within the White House over the executive order.

What To Know About Trump S Draft Proposal To Curtail State Ai Regulati

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