EO ties BEAD broadband funding to ban on enforcement of state AI laws
On Wednesday, a leaked draft executive order from the Trump Administration surfaced that would ban states from regulating AI under the threat of losing access to federal funding from the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) Program. The new executive order (EO) mirrors a previous moratorium proposal attached to the Big Beautiful Bill – banning states from regulating AI for the next decade – which died in a 99-1 vote in the Senate. Trump’s latest EO comes as leaders in Congress again attempt to attach AI law preemption to a broader legislative package with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“This is obvious overreach. Congress explicitly rejected AI law preemption attached to broadband funding in a 99-1 vote,” said ARI President Brad Carson. “Forcing AI law preemption would be a massive blow to state laws safeguarding kids online, supporting workers facing automation, and protecting privacy for Americans. The public wants basic safeguards on AI, not a wild west for Big Tech.”
During debate over the BEAD funding preemption measure last June in the Big Beautiful Bill, ARI helped to organize a coalition of over 130 advocacy groups and another of 260 state legislators in opposition to the federal AI moratorium. ARI also helped to gather over 25,000 voter petitions urging Congress to reject the measure.
###
Americans for Responsible Innovation (ARI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to policy advocacy in the public interest, focused on emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). Learn more at ARI.us.