The Trump administration on March 20, 2026 unveiled a national AI legislative framework to Congress designed to preempt state-level AI regulations and establish uniform federal standards.[1][9] The framework, developed by White House AI and Crypto Czar David Sacks in response to a December 2025 executive order, proposes that Congress pass legislation creating what Trump calls "One Rulebook" for AI governance across all states.[1][8][9]
Key Players and Proposals
The framework covers multiple policy areas, including child safety protections, age verification for minors, intellectual property rights for artists, data center energy offsets, and provisions against government censorship of AI outputs.[1] Critically, it seeks to prevent states from regulating AI development, burdening lawful AI use, or penalizing developers for third-party conduct involving their models—provisions that could potentially preempt state laws on hiring, healthcare, and safety protocols.[1] The administration justifies this approach by arguing that a fragmented patchwork of 50 different state regulatory regimes threatens U.S. competitiveness and innovation.[1][9] Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a companion discussion draft called the Trump America AI Act with overlapping but distinct provisions.[1]
Historical Context and Significance
This represents the third attempt to codify state preemption in AI regulation; previous efforts included a moratorium provision in the House reconciliation bill earlier in 2025 that was ultimately removed due to Republican opposition.[1][3] The December 2025 executive order also directed federal agencies to withhold funding—particularly Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD) program funding—from states with what the administration deems "onerous" AI regulations.[1] The framework's pairing of popular child safety measures with controversial state preemption language suggests an administration strategy to make federal preemption more politically palatable, though Congressional consensus remains uncertain in an election year.[1]