The Senate struck a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that would have prohibited states from regulating AI for the next decade.
Lawmakers voted 99-1 early Tuesday morning to strike the provision, with Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) the only senator voting no.
The provision would have prevented states from passing new AI laws or enforcing those on the books. That included the ELVIS Act, a Tennessee law passed last year to give individuals a right of publicity to control the use of their voice and likeness.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has said that she opposed the AI moratorium, warning it would hobble its state’s efforts to protect the creative community and other steps aimed at children and families. A compromise with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) carved out exceptions and reduced the moratorium to five years, but it still raised concerns that state laws could still be restricted.
Blackburn and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) offered the amendment to strip the AI provision from the bill.
Supporters of the AI moratorium argued that a patchwork of state regulations would slow the progress of AI development, as U.S. firms race to compete with China.
Senate GOP leaders worked through the night to try to win over party holdouts to the legislation, namely Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The chamber is still in the midst of a vote-a-rama, where amendments are put up for a vote, and it’s unclear when a final vote will be called.
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