The Expanding AI Voices Act directs the National Science Foundation to issue competitive grants aimed at broadening participation in artificial intelligence research, education, and workforce development. These funds are specifically targeted at institutions that are not among the top 100 in federal research spending, as well as minority-serving institutions and Tribal colleges, to help them build capacity and partnerships. Grant recipients may use the money to expand AI research programs, recruit faculty, create bridge programs for students, provide access to computing resources, and host workshops that promote safe and secure AI practices. The legislation also requires the NSF to consider geographic diversity and resource constraints when selecting applicants to ensure broad national participation.
The Secure A.I. Development Act of 2026 establishes a new Artificial Intelligence Risk Board within the National Institute of Standards and Technology to evaluate high-risk AI models and develop security best practices for developers. Under the bill, companies releasing powerful AI models must grant the National Security Agency access to their systems before public release and register those models in a new public database. The legislation also creates a voluntary incident reporting system to track AI safety and security issues, updates national vulnerability databases to handle AI-specific threats, and launches a pilot program to share classified threat intelligence with private sector companies that work on federal AI projects.
This bill, titled the No AI Data Centers on Federal Lands Act, prohibits the construction and operation of large-scale artificial intelligence data centers on any land owned or managed by the United States government. It requires federal agencies to immediately stop building or running such facilities and mandates the removal of existing structures within 30 days of the law's enactment. The legislation defines these centers as buildings with high power usage or advanced cooling systems used for developing AI models, while also specifying that any cleanup must follow environmental safety standards.
The Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act of 2026 modifies tax rules and establishes reporting requirements for large data centers. It removes a tax incentive known as bonus depreciation for artificial intelligence data centers unless they meet specific green building standards, such as LEED Platinum or Gold certification. Additionally, the bill requires operators of data centers consuming at least 25 megawatts of power to submit detailed annual reports on their water and electricity usage, emissions, and backup power systems to state or federal agencies. These reports must be made public, and the law prohibits companies from using confidentiality agreements to hide this information. Operators who fail to comply with these reporting requirements face daily civil penalties of up to $100,000 for intentional violations.
This bill, known as the AI Kill Switch Act, requires companies developing high-cost artificial intelligence systems to build the technical ability to immediately stop or shut down their technology if it poses a serious risk. It defines "covered technology" as AI systems trained using more than $100 million in computing power and applies these rules to businesses that earn at least $500 million annually from such systems, while exempting non-commercial or academic users. Under the law, companies must report incidents causing significant harm or loss of control and could face emergency orders from the Department of Homeland Security to throttle, disable, or fully shut down their AI if a dangerous event occurs. The legislation also establishes a graduated framework for corrections, allowing for proportional responses like limiting user access or compute resources before resorting to a complete shutdown, and includes provisions for civil penalties and judicial review.
The Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Veterans Act of 2026 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to hire an independent research center to evaluate artificial intelligence tools currently used or being developed for patient care within the Veterans Health Administration. This evaluation will focus on five specific high-risk systems to assess their safety, accuracy, fairness, and how well they integrate with existing medical workflows. The law mandates that the findings be reported to Congress within a year, followed by a detailed plan from the VA to address any identified risks or gaps in oversight. Additionally, a government auditor will review both the evaluation and the VA's response plan to ensure accountability, all without requesting new funding for the initiative.
The AI Ads Act expands existing federal election laws to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence-generated content for fraudulent purposes in political campaigns. Specifically, it requires candidates and committees to disclose when they use generative AI to create materials that misrepresent their authority or solicit donations. The bill also broadens the definition of who can be held liable for such fraud, extending protections to any political committee or organization, whether real or fictitious, rather than just candidates and their direct employees. These changes aim to prevent deceptive practices involving AI in political advertising and fundraising without altering the underlying penalties for violations.
The Addictive Design Act of 2026 aims to protect youth under 18 from potential mental health risks associated with artificial intelligence chatbots by banning specific features designed to create emotional attachments. To support this goal, the bill establishes a government task force to study these impacts and provides funding for research and educational outreach to parents and teachers. The legislation also mandates that companies offering AI chatbots to minors must use age verification technology and delete user data within 24 hours. Companies that fail to comply with the ban on addictive design features or data privacy requirements face civil penalties of up to $10 million or $5,000 per violation, respectively.
This bill creates a legal exemption from antitrust laws for companies and organizations that share information or coordinate actions to protect against security risks posed by artificial intelligence. Specifically, it allows these entities to exchange data or agree to temporarily delay the release or deployment of AI systems if they believe such steps are necessary to prevent threats like weaponization, attacks on critical infrastructure, or unauthorized access. To qualify for this protection, the organizations must act in good faith, use the shared information solely for security purposes, and submit a written notice to the Department of Justice before implementing any coordinated delays. The law also ensures that details submitted to the government remain confidential and allows the Attorney General to seek court orders against companies that fail to prove their actions were legitimate security measures.
The SEARCH Act of 2026 targets large search engine and AI companies with over 40% of U.S. users to prevent them from favoring their own services or blocking competitors. It prohibits these platforms from paying for exclusive deals, forcing publishers to use their ads, or bundling their search tools with devices and browsers. The law also requires major platforms to share their search data and ad information with qualified competitors at low cost and to offer users a neutral choice screen to select default search engines. Additionally, the bill mandates that advertisers receive detailed reports on their campaigns and that platforms license their search results to rivals without restrictions. The Federal Trade Commission will enforce these rules, with penalties reaching up to 15% of a company's annual revenue for violations.
