Conference committee debates combining AI ban and genetic-sequencer curbs; no agreement to roll in cybersecurity bill

The conference committee of the House Legislative Modernization Committee and the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs met to consider the Senate substitute for House Bill 2,313, which joins two measures: a prohibition on using the AI platform DeepSeek on state-issued devices and state-run networks, and a ban on genetic sequencers produced by certain foreign “countries of concern” from use in medical and research facilities.

The committee did not reach agreement on a House request to roll additional cybersecurity language from House Bill 2,271 (and earlier language from the House substitute for 2060) into the Senate substitute for 2,313. The Senate conferee said the Senate side would be uncomfortable adding a large cybersecurity bill without a formal hearing and declined to concur during the meeting.

Committee staff summarized the bills. “House Bill 2,313, the way it left the house was, it prohibited DeepSeek, the AI, company from being used on state devices and state-run networks. And then, the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs added a provision about genetic sequencers and not allowing those — no medical facility or research facility would be able to use a genetic sequencer that was produced by a country of concern,” a committee staff member said.

A Senate conferee described the rationale for combining the measures on the Senate side. “The nexus is the production of this technology by foreign countries, whether they're countries of concern or foreign adversaries, at certain foreign countries producing either the AI technology or the genetic sequencers,” the Senate conferee said.

House conferees asked that language from House Bill 2,271 be incorporated into the substitute. They argued the language mirrors provisions previously approved in related legislation, including language similar to Senate Bill 291 from the prior year, and sought removal of a sunset clause. “The biggest change is the striking of the sunset,” a House conferee said, adding that the House had approved the bill overwhelmingly on its floor earlier in the year.

The Senate conferee countered that the Senate’s Federal and State Affairs Committee had not had a hearing on the larger cybersecurity bill and that adding it now without a hearing would be difficult to explain to the Senate caucus. The Senate conferee said a hearing could be scheduled early in the next session and pledged to pursue that option. “If I'm going to try to explain that on the floor and we haven't had a hearing, it's going to blow up,” the Senate conferee said.

Committee staff noted timing details discussed in the meeting: House Bill 2,271 was sent to the Senate on Feb. 25 after passing the House; the committee discussed that the sunset in question is set to expire in July of the following year. The House conferees said time is of the essence and urged adoption this year; the Senate conferees said they preferred a formal hearing early next session.

No formal motion to amend or to roll the additional language into the Senate substitute was adopted during the meeting. The committee adjourned without agreement on the proposed consolidation.

Votes at a glance: no formal votes were recorded during this conference meeting; the committee concluded without adopting changes to the Senate substitute for House Bill 2,313.

Background: House Bill 2,313 originally addressed restrictions on a named AI platform and was amended in the Senate substitute to add restrictions on genetic sequencers produced by certain foreign countries. House Bill 2,271 contains broader cybersecurity provisions that the House asked to be incorporated into the Senate substitute; committee members disagreed about adding that bill without a hearing.

The meeting closed with adjournment after the Senate conferee declined to concur that day on rolling in the additional House language.