Overview

• The U.S. House passed the 1,000-page ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ on May 22 by a 215-214 vote, sending it to the Senate for review.
• A controversial clause would bar states from enforcing or enacting AI regulations for ten years, potentially nullifying laws already adopted in California, Utah and Colorado.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune has signaled only minor revisions are likely, though Senators Josh Hawley and Marsha Blackburn have publicly opposed the AI moratorium.
• Legal experts caution that without a comprehensive federal AI framework, the preemption could face immediate court challenges under the Supremacy Clause.
• Supporters argue the moratorium creates a unified regulatory approach, while critics including state attorneys general warn it could leave consumers vulnerable to unregulated harms such as deepfakes, bias and surveillance.