Should state or federal law govern frontier-model safety?
The central jurisdictional fight in US AI policy. One side asks Washington to preempt or pause state AI statutes, by moratorium, executive action, or a federal framework that displaces state law. The other side asks states to keep legislating in the absence of federal rules, and asks Congress not to strip that authority without replacing it.
status: open · opened 2025-01-15
4 asks · click any ask for its full record
What has been asked
Preempt or pause state frontier-safety statutes
Bar states from enforcing their own AI safety laws, by statutory moratorium, by conditioning federal funds on a state's 'AI regulatory climate', or by DOJ litigation against state statutes. The single most consequential ask in US AI policy.
For · 2
Google · US Chamber of Commerce
Against · 3
Bipartisan State Attorneys General · Encode · Public Citizen
latest · 2026-06-04 · Obernolte-Trahan Great American AI Act discussion draft proposes three-year preemption of state laws specifically regulating AI model development
Full record · 6 claimsEnact one federal frontier-transparency framework
Replace the state patchwork with a single federal disclosure-and-incident-reporting regime for frontier developers, offered by some filers as the lawful path to uniformity, and by others as the price preemption must pay.
For · 2
OpenAI · Americans for Responsible Innovation
Against · 2
IBM · OpenAI
latest · 2026-06-04 · Discussion draft pairs first comprehensive federal safety/accountability framework for large frontier developers with three-year state preemption
Full record · 4 claimsCreate a federal AI regulatory sandbox waiving federal rules (SANDBOX Act)
Let AI developers and deployers apply to waive or modify federal regulations that impede AI development through an OSTP-coordinated sandbox with renewable waivers of up to a decade, the deregulatory plank of the Cruz AI policy framework.
For · 1
Meta
Against · 0
Nobody on the record yet.
latest · 2025-09-19 · Senate Commerce Republicans publish industry endorsements (WTAS) incl. Meta, Microsoft, BSA, ITI, TechNet, US Chamber
Full record · 1 claimsDeem federal or EU-code compliance sufficient under state AI laws
Treat frontier developers as compliant with state requirements when they have a safety agreement with a federal agency (e.g. CAISI) or have signed a parallel framework such as the EU GPAI Code of Practice, harmonization as an alternative to duplicative state rules.
For · 1
OpenAI
Against · 0
Nobody on the record yet.
latest · 2025-09-29 · SB 53 signed without a deemed-compliance provision
Full record · 1 claims