Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act
A bill from an independent
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act seeks to halt the construction or upgrading of new artificial intelligence data centers. This moratorium remains in place until specific legislation is passed to protect the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence. The bill requires the Federal Government to review AI products for safety and ensure economic benefits reach workers. It also sets requirements for future data centers regarding utility costs, environmental impact, and labor standards. Additionally, the Act establishes export controls on computing infrastructure hardware used for large-scale AI training or deployment.
Yes· 3 of 13
- Scored +8
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs with prevailing wages and apprenticeship programs.
- Scored +8
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?
The bill imposes a moratorium on data center construction and requires federal review of AI products for safety and civil rights.
- Scored +7
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?
The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs using prevailing wages and registered apprenticeship programs.
The opposite· 3 of 7
- Scored -8
Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this?
The bill implements policies intended to redistribute wealth from the largest tech entities to the public.
- Scored -8
Would billionaires be better off under this?
The bill targets wealth redistribution and places moratoriums on the infrastructure used by extremely wealthy entities.
- Scored -7
Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this?
The bill specifically targets the wealth of the largest tech owners to ensure it is shared with the people.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Public Safety and Well-being: The bill requires new laws to ensure the Federal Government reviews artificial intelligence products to ensure they are safe, effective, and do not threaten the health and well-being of working families, privacy, or civil rights (Section 3(b)(1)(A)).
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Economic Protections for Workers: The legislation aims to ensure that the economic gains from artificial intelligence and robotics benefit workers rather than just the wealthy owners of Big Tech companies by preventing job displacement and sharing generated wealth (Section 3(b)(1)(B)).
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Consumer Financial Protection: The bill includes provisions that would ensure future artificial intelligence data centers do not increase the utility or electricity bills of consumers (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(i)).
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Environmental Protection: The Act seeks to ensure that data center construction or upgrades do not exacerbate climate change or harm the environment (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(ii)).
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Community Empowerment: Provisions in the bill would empower local communities to either approve or reject the construction or upgrading of artificial intelligence data centers (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(iii)).
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Labor Standards: The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs with strong labor standards, including the use of prevailing wages and registered apprenticeship programs (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(v)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Industry Growth: The bill imposes a moratorium on the construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers, which could delay development until specific legislative requirements are met (Section 3(b)).
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Export Restrictions: The Act prohibits the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of computing infrastructure hardware to certain countries, which could impact the global movement of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and data storage systems used for AI (Section 4(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would union members be better off under this? — The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs with prevailing wages and apprenticeship programs. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill aims to prevent AI data centers from increasing consumer utility and electricity bills. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill aims to prevent AI data centers from increasing consumer utility and electricity bills. Would billionaires be better off under this? — The bill targets wealth redistribution and places moratoriums on the infrastructure used by extremely wealthy entities. Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this? — The bill implements policies intended to redistribute wealth from the largest tech entities to the public. Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this? — The bill specifically targets the wealth of the largest tech owners to ensure it is shared with the people. Would business owners be better off under this? — The moratorium on data center construction and upgrading imposes restrictions on the growth of tech businesses. Would high-income households be better off under this? — The bill seeks to redistribute the wealth generated by Big Tech companies to the general public.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal oversight through mandatory reviews of AI products and quarterly reporting by the Secretary of Energy. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires the Secretary of Energy to make quarterly reports on AI data centers publicly available. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill directs the government to review AI products to ensure they do not threaten privacy.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more rules on large technology companies? — The bill imposes a moratorium on data center construction and requires federal review of AI products for safety and civil rights. Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill mandates that the government review AI products to ensure they do not threaten privacy.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise? — The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs using prevailing wages and registered apprenticeship programs. Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill seeks to prevent AI data centers from increasing the utility and electricity bills of consumers. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill aims to ensure that the economic gains of artificial intelligence benefit workers through the creation of union jobs with strong labor standards. Is this likely to grow the economy? — The moratorium on construction and upgrading of AI data centers may slow industrial and technological economic development.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The act mandates oversight of water usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and wastewater discharge for data centers. Does this cut the pollution that drives climate change? — The bill requires that future data center operations do not exacerbate the threat of climate change or harm the environment.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this make trade with other countries easier? — The bill imposes export controls on computing infrastructure hardware used for large-scale AI training or deployment.
- 3/25/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.