Technology

in committee · United States · Senate Jul 23, 2026

S 5129: PROTECT Act of 2026

The PROTECT Act of 2026 requires online platforms that host user-generated content to verify the identity and age of anyone uploading pornographic images, ensuring all individuals depicted are at least 18 years old. To comply, platforms must obtain explicit written consent from every person shown in an image for both the specific sexual acts performed and the distribution of that image, using standardized forms approved by the Attorney General. The law imposes civil penalties and criminal prison sentences for users and platforms that fail to meet these verification and consent requirements.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by imposing stricter penalties and verification requirements to combat child sexual exploitation and protect victims.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill imposes strict identity verification and consent requirements on platforms, restricting their ability to host user-generated content and limiting digital expression.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Human Trafficking Online Safety Social Media

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in committee · United States · House Aug 6, 2026

HR 10044: AI Tax and Work Protection Act

The AI Tax and Work Protection Act imposes a new excise tax on companies that develop or sell artificial intelligence foundation models, with rates that increase based on the national unemployment level. The revenue generated from this tax is placed into a dedicated trust fund to finance a new federal jobs program administered by a newly created Office of Job Creation within the Department of Labor. This program awards grants to state, local, and tribal governments to hire permanent, full-time workers for specific public service roles, such as in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and community safety. To ensure the jobs created do not replace existing workers, the bill includes strict nondisplacement rules and mandates that grant recipients provide employees with strong labor protections, including collective bargaining rights, competitive wages, and paid leave. Additionally, the legislation directs the Bureau of Labor Statistics to study the impact of AI on the workforce and establishes an advisory committee to guide the implementation of the job creation initiatives.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates a dedicated trust fund to finance a federal jobs program, directly increasing funding for employment initiatives.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill creates a federal jobs program to hire permanent workers and fund employment initiatives, directly strengthening labor and employment.90% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill imposes an excise tax on AI companies, which restricts and financially burdens the technology sector.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax Collective Bargaining Paid Leave Unemployment Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · United States · House Aug 3, 2026

HR 10017: Permanent CBDC Ban Act

This bill, titled the Permanent CBDC Ban Act, aims to permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. It achieves this by amending the Federal Reserve Act to remove the specific legal authority that allows the Reserve to create such a digital currency. The legislation directly affects the Federal Reserve by stripping away its power to launch a digital version of the dollar. By deleting the relevant subsection of the law, the bill ensures that the Reserve cannot issue a CBDC in the future.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts the development of a central bank digital currency, limiting a major technological advancement in finance and digital payments.95% confidence

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in committee · United States · Senate Aug 4, 2026

S 5226: Parental Approval for Youth Social Media Act of 2026

This bill requires social media companies to obtain verifiable parental consent before allowing anyone under 16 to create or maintain an account. If consent is provided, the platform must set up the account as a parent-supervised profile, giving parents tools to manage privacy settings, limit screen time, control communications, and monitor activity. The Federal Trade Commission will establish rules for verifying age and consent, while state attorneys general are authorized to enforce the law through civil actions. The legislation defines "child" as anyone under 16 and excludes services like email, text messaging, and educational platforms from its requirements.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts youth access to social media platforms and imposes parental consent requirements, limiting digital rights and internet usage for minors.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Online Safety Social Media

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in committee · United States · Senate Jul 27, 2026

S 5135: AI Ads Act

The AI Ads Act expands federal election laws to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence-generated content in deceptive political advertisements. This change directly affects political campaigns, committees, and any individuals creating election materials by requiring clear disclosure when generative AI is used to produce misleading claims or solicitations. The bill also broadens existing fraud rules to cover not just candidates, but also any person or fictitious organization attempting to damage a candidate's reputation through deceptive means. By updating the Federal Election Campaign Act, the legislation aims to ensure transparency and prevent the spread of AI-created misinformation during election cycles.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts the use of AI-generated content in political ads, limiting a specific technology application to prevent deception.85% confidence

Tags Artificial Intelligence

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in committee · United States · House Jul 22, 2026

HR 9856: Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act

This bill, titled the Prediction Markets Are Gambling Act, prohibits the listing, clearing, or trading of contracts related to sports events or casino-style games on regulated financial exchanges. It directly affects platforms and entities that currently operate prediction markets by banning them from offering bets on outcomes like professional sports matches or casino games such as roulette and blackjack. The law achieves this by amending the Commodity Exchange Act to explicitly define these activities as prohibited agreements, while also clarifying that state laws regulating such contracts remain unaffected. Essentially, the legislation removes the ability for federally registered markets to facilitate gambling on sports and traditional casino games.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts prediction market platforms by banning specific trading contracts, limiting the scope of digital financial technology and innovation.75% confidence

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in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2026

HR 9915: Stealth Bot Prohibition Act

The Stealth Bot Prohibition Act makes it illegal to use automated software, known as stealth bots, to access websites without revealing their identity or purpose. Specifically, the law bans deploying these bots in ways that harm online services and prohibits disguising them as human users when interacting with generative artificial intelligence systems. Violations can result in civil penalties of up to $53,000 per incident, which are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. The bill defines a stealth bot as any program that scrapes or scans the internet without disclosing its nature or intended use to the website operator.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts automated software and limits how users interact with AI systems, imposing penalties that constrain technological tools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence Digital Government

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in committee · United States · House Jul 22, 2026

HR 9829: ORTHO Act

The ORTHO Act directs the Federal Trade Commission to create new rules requiring dentists to perform an in-person examination before providing most dental services or medical devices through teledentistry. This requirement includes exceptions for emergency care, approved public health programs, and specific orthodontic diagnoses that must still be confirmed by an in-person visit and review of X-rays before a patient begins using an appliance. Violations of these rules would be treated as unfair or deceptive practices, allowing both the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce the law through civil penalties and potential damages. The bill also clarifies that states retain the ability to adopt additional regulations that are consistent with these federal standards.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill restricts patient access to teledentistry by mandating in-person exams, limiting service availability.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts teledentistry technology by mandating in-person exams, limiting digital service access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Health

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in committee · United States · House Jun 29, 2026

HR 9530: Quiet Skies Act

The Quiet Skies Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to create new regulations banning voice calls on cell phones in the United States. This rule must be finalized within 180 days of the law's enactment and will apply to all air travelers. The bill aims to reduce noise on airplanes by prohibiting passengers from making or receiving phone calls while in flight.

Topics ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill restricts the use of cell phones for voice calls, limiting a common technology function for air travelers.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Telecommunications

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in committee · United States · House Jul 23, 2026

HR 9939: No AI Data Centers on Federal Lands Act

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.

Topics ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill restricts energy infrastructure by banning high-power AI data centers on federal lands, limiting potential energy development.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentProhibiting large-scale AI data centers on federal lands prevents high energy consumption and potential environmental degradation, aligning with conservation and emissions reduction goals.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyBill explicitly restricts the construction and operation of AI data centers on federal lands, limiting infrastructure development for this technology.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Artificial Intelligence

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