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AI Data Centre Moratorium Act
LegislationUS

AI Data Centre Moratorium Act

Bill to halt AI data-centre construction; Senate version killed by Democrats, revived via House companion.

Last refreshed: 14 August 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic

Key Question

Can a construction ban actually force Congress to protect AI workers?

Timeline for AI Data Centre Moratorium Act

#4 1 Apr

Proposed US legislation banning new AI data centre construction

AI: Jobs, Power & Money: Democrats kill the Sanders AI moratorium
#3 25 Mar

Sanders and AOC target AI data centres

AI: Jobs, Power & Money
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Background

The AI Data Centre Moratorium Act was a US legislative proposal introduced on 25 March 2026 by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It would have prohibited all new AI data centre construction until Congress enacted worker protections, consumer rights, civil rights, and environmental safeguards. The bill targeted the infrastructure spending race, with the five largest US technology companies committing $650-690 billion to AI buildout in 2026.

The Act arrived as Sanders simultaneously pursued a robot tax and the Senate HELP Committee documented AI-linked displacement. Its scope was sweeping: all four bodies of protective law had to pass before construction could resume, making partial legislative progress insufficient to lift the ban.

The bill is dead on arrival, killed not by Republicans but by Democratic colleagues. Senator Fetterman called it "China First"; Senator Warner called it "idiocy". With no PATH through a Republican-controlled Congress and its own caucus divided, the moratorium has no legislative future . It marks both the high-water point and the ceiling of the progressive AI governance push in the 119th Congress.

Common Questions
What is the AI Data Centre Moratorium Act?
A US bill introduced on 25 March 2026 by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that would ban all new AI data centre construction until Congress passes worker protection, consumer rights, civil rights, and environmental legislation.Source: Congressional introduction
Who introduced the AI Data Centre Moratorium Act?
Senator Bernie Sanders (Independent, Vermont) and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat, New York) introduced the bill on 25 March 2026.Source: Congressional introduction
What does the AI Data Centre Moratorium Act actually ban?
It would prohibit all new AI data centre construction in the United States until four separate bodies of legislation pass: worker protections, consumer rights, civil rights, and environmental safeguards. All four must be enacted before the moratorium lifts.Source: Congressional introduction
How does the AI Data Centre Moratorium Act differ from the robot tax?
The moratorium targets physical infrastructure, halting new construction to create legislative leverage. The robot tax, a separate Sanders proposal, would levy a per-position charge on companies that replace workers with AI. Both aim to protect workers but operate through different mechanisms.Source: Congressional record
Will the AI Data Centre Moratorium Act pass?
The Senate version was killed by the Democratic caucus itself on 1 April 2026: Senator John Fetterman branded it 'China First' and Senator Mark Warner called it 'idiocy'. Representative Ocasio-Cortez introduced a House companion bill (H.R. 9442) on 24 June 2026, currently in committee.Source: Lowdown; Congress.gov (H.R. 9442)