Guaranteeing and Upholding Americans' Right to Decide Responsible AI Laws and Standards Act (GUARDRAILS Act)
Issued by
U.S. Congress (H.R.8031; Senate companion S.4216)
- September 30, 2026 · Correction — Corrected the bill's sponsors (Democratic), what it does (voids EO 14365 and bars funding for it), the order's direction, and added the Senate companion S.4216 (fact-check finding). (Cody Maxwell)
- October 1, 2026 · Correction — Rewrote the practical steps, newsletter hook, search description, and audience fields to match the entry's corrected content. (Cody Maxwell)
Democratic lawmakers introduced the GUARDRAILS Act in the House on 20 March 2026 (H.R.8031) and in the Senate on 26 March 2026 (S.4216). It would void Executive Order 14365, which directs federal action against state AI laws, and bar federal funds for carrying it out.
Applies To
Overview
Representative Don Beyer introduced H.R.8031 on 20 March 2026 with more than 30 Democratic cosponsors, including Ted Lieu, Doris Matsui, Sara Jacobs, and April McClain Delaney. Senator Brian Schatz introduced the Senate companion, S.4216, on 26 March 2026. The bill targets Executive Order 14365, Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, signed on 11 December 2025. That order directs federal agencies to challenge state AI laws, review them for conflicts, and tie some federal funding to state AI policy. The bill's single operative section says the order shall have no force or effect. It also bars federal funds from being used to implement, administer, or enforce it. It sets no other rules for federal agencies or companies. The House bill went to the Energy and Commerce and Judiciary Committees. The Senate bill went to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
Key Requirements
- •Declares Executive Order 14365 to have no force or effect.
- •Bars federal funds from being used to implement, administer, or enforce that order.
- •EO 14365 directs federal agencies to challenge state AI laws and tie some federal funding to state AI policy.
- •Introduced in the House as H.R.8031 on 20 March 2026 and in the Senate as S.4216 on 26 March 2026.
- •Creates no duties, penalties, or enforcement for companies.
What Your Organization Must Do
- →Track H.R.8031 and S.4216 through their committees, since neither bill has passed.
- →Keep complying with current state AI laws, which this bill would leave untouched.
- →Brief leadership that the bill only targets Executive Order 14365 and adds no company duties.
- →Map which state AI laws your products touch, to gauge impact if the order is voided.
- →Watch Executive Order 14365 activity, including agency challenges to state AI laws and funding conditions.
- →Avoid changing compliance programs now, because the bill may never become law.