House Energy and Commerce hearing splits over proposed 10‑year moratorium on state AI rules

At a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on AI regulation and U.S. leadership, lawmakers and outside experts sparred over a provision in recent congressional text that would bar state enforcement of AI-related laws for up to 10 years.

Chairman Gus Bilirakis opened the hearing by framing the technology’s promise and risks, saying, “Since the public release of ChatGPT, AI has become a household name.” He and several witnesses urged a federal framework to provide certainty for innovators while protecting consumers and national competitiveness.

The dispute centered on a moratorium many Republicans have advanced in reconciliation text that would prevent states from enforcing AI-specific rules. Supporters including Sean Heather, senior vice president for international regulatory affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Adam Thier, a senior fellow at the R Street Institute, argued the moratorium would prevent a costly patchwork of state laws that could lock out small and mid‑sized innovators. Heather warned that heavy state regulation and European-style rules…