The NO FAKES Act of 2026 grants individuals and their heirs a new property right to control the creation and use of digital replicas of their voice or visual likeness, preventing unauthorized use in computer-generated media. This right lasts for the individual's lifetime plus 10 years after death, with potential extensions for continued commercial use, and applies to both living and deceased people. Online platforms and companies distributing such content must register with the Copyright Office, remove unauthorized replicas upon receiving valid notices, and face civil penalties of up to $750,000 per work if they fail to comply or knowingly distribute unauthorized replicas. The law also preempts most existing state laws protecting voice and likeness rights, though it preserves protections for sexually explicit content and election-related uses.
The AI OVERWATCH Act establishes new export controls on advanced integrated circuits destined for specific countries of concern, including China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba. It requires companies to obtain a specific license for each export of high-performance chips, prohibiting the use of general licenses and mandating detailed certifications to Congress regarding national security and defense impacts. The bill defines these restricted chips by their technical processing power and creates a "trusted United States person" program that allows certain domestic entities to bypass licensing requirements if they meet strict security and ownership standards. Additionally, the legislation requires the government to develop an "American Artificial Intelligence Victory Strategy" outlining how to maintain U.S. leadership in AI against foreign competitors.
The GUARD Act requires companies that offer AI chatbots designed to simulate human friendship to verify the age of every user and block access for anyone under 18. To comply, these platforms must collect verifiable age data, clearly disclose that the chatbot is not a human, and ensure the AI does not claim to be a licensed professional like a therapist or doctor. The law also makes it a federal crime to design or distribute such chatbots that encourage minors to engage in sexually explicit acts or promote self-harm and violence, with penalties of up to $100,000 per violation.
This bill prohibits U.S. universities from receiving federal research and development funding for five years if they previously accepted money from specific foreign governments for projects involving artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or quantum computing. The targeted foreign entities include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Cuba, Turkey, and Qatar, as well as organizations closely tied to these nations. By restricting access to future defense-related grants, the legislation aims to prevent institutions that have collaborated with these countries on sensitive technologies from participating in subsequent national security research.
This bill prohibits U.S. universities from receiving federal research and development funding for five years if they previously accepted money from specific foreign governments for projects involving artificial intelligence, biotechnology, or quantum information science. The law targets institutions of higher education and restricts them from getting awards related to national security or military applications if they took funds from countries like China, Russia, Iran, or others listed in the text. It defines a "foreign source" broadly to include not only the listed governments but also their subsidiaries, agents, and entities with significant ownership ties to those governments. By banning these specific types of funding, the legislation aims to prevent potential security risks associated with foreign involvement in sensitive technological research.
The Energy Cost Fairness and Reliability Act of 2026 establishes new federal rules to manage the connection of large energy users, specifically data centers and other facilities with peak demand exceeding 50 megawatts, to the national power grid. Under this bill, these large load customers must pay the full cost for any grid upgrades required to accommodate their connection and must demonstrate the ability to reduce or shift their electricity usage when the grid is stressed. The legislation also creates a formal queue system for interconnection requests, prioritizes facilities that use battery backup or hire apprentices, and requires owners to provide proof of financial commitment before proceeding. Additionally, the Department of Energy is tasked with collecting data on data center energy use to track trends and establish a research testbed for developing more efficient artificial intelligence technologies.
The Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026 restricts the importation, sale, and manufacture of vehicles and related technology from specific countries, including China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, to address national security concerns. The law defines prohibited items as connected vehicles, their software, and hardware components and sets different effective dates, with vehicle bans starting in 2027 and hardware restrictions beginning in 2030. A government official can grant exceptions for specific items after reviewing security risks and notifying Congress, while the agency must publish annual reports on enforcement actions and compliance.
The SCALE Act aims to limit the ability of foreign adversaries, such as China and Russia, to acquire advanced artificial intelligence (AI) hardware. It requires the U.S. government to establish metrics for assessing the AI hardware capabilities of these countries and their associated entities. Based on these assessments, the Commerce Department must set annual export limits for AI hardware, generally denying licenses that exceed these thresholds or would allow adversaries to accumulate more than 5% of the U.S.'s total AI hardware capacity. The bill also imposes strict conditions on any approved exports, including independent verification of hardware capabilities and prohibitions against military or unauthorized remote access.
This bill proposes to prohibit the manufacture, import, sale, or distribution of children's toys and child care articles that incorporate an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. This prohibition would apply to manufacturers, importers, sellers, and distributors, taking effect 180 days after the bill's enactment. A "chatbot" is defined as technology using AI or machine learning to engage in interactive conversations, and "child care articles" include items like those used for a child's sleep, feeding, or hygiene. Violations of this prohibition would be treated as violations under the existing Consumer Product Safety Act.
The SOUL Act of 2026 establishes a new federal intellectual property right for U.S. citizens over their "unique likeness," broadly defined to include their name, image, voice, biometric data, and AI-generated digital replicas. This bill grants individuals exclusive control over the reproduction, distribution, and creation of derivative works based on their likeness for their lifetime plus 50 years after death. Owners can seek civil remedies in federal court, including injunctions, content takedown orders, and statutory damages, with harm presumed, while platforms can be held liable for failing to remove unauthorized content after notification. The act includes exceptions for fair use, government activities, and First Amendment protections, and it preempts similar state laws to create a uniform national standard.
