The US Senate Parliamentarian ruled the proposed 10-year federal moratorium on state AI laws can stay in the budget bill. This means the moratorium dodges the filibuster and can move forward with a simple majority vote through the budget reconciliation process.
If it becomes law, this will be a major federal move on technology regulation. The House already passed the moratorium last month as part of its budget bill.
Senate Commerce Committee Republicans linked $42 billion in Broadband Equity and Access Deployment (BEAD) funding to the moratorium earlier this month. But Democrats oppose the measure. Some GOP senators also have doubts, including Rick Scott, Josh Hawley, John Cornyn, Marsha Blackburn, and Ron Johnson. 
Ron Johnson told The Hill:
I personally don’t think we should be setting a federal standard right now and prohibiting the states from doing what we should be doing in a federated republic. Let the states experiment.
The Senate and House versions still need to align. If differences remain after debate, a conference committee or a chamber passing the other’s version will be required.
This story is developing.
