The White House released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence on March 20, 2026. The document lays out seven recommendations for Congress on federal AI regulation.
It follows a December 11, 2025 executive order on the same topic. The plan pushes a national approach that cuts some state AI laws while keeping others intact. It avoids creating a new federal AI agency and favors existing regulators plus industry standards.
Seven Key Areas
The framework covers these priorities, per a Lexology breakdown:
- Protecting children and parental controls: Parental account controls and age checks for AI services kids might use. States keep power over general child protection laws, like bans on AI-generated abuse material.
- Safeguarding American communities: Faster data center approvals with protections for residential power bills. Tech firms already pledged to cover grid upgrade costs.
- Respecting IP rights and creators: Training AI on copyrighted data doesn’t break copyright law, per the administration. Leave it to courts. Suggests optional licensing for training data and federal rules against AI “digital replicas” of people, with First Amendment carve-outs.
- Preventing censorship and free speech: Stop federal pressure on AI firms to suppress speech. Create ways for people to challenge government actions.
- Enabling innovation and AI dominance: Regulatory sandboxes, more federal data access, no new AI-specific rules.
- AI-ready workforce: Add AI training to education programs and apprenticeships. Track job shifts from AI.
- Federal framework over state laws: Preempt state rules on AI development (it’s interstate) and penalties on developers for user misuse. States handle consumer protection, zoning, and their own AI buying.
A Nextgov report notes the balance: child data bans and small business tax breaks alongside data center growth.
Companies now face clearer signals on federal priorities amid state patchwork rules. Congress decides next steps.
