TL;DRThe White House wants to preempt state AI laws for three years in exchange for passing KOSA, the NO FAKES Act, and age verification. Free speech groups object.
The White House is negotiating with key senators to bundle federal preemption of state AI laws with three online safety bills, Axios reported. Senator Marsha Blackburn is leading the effort to finalise legislative text. The package would block state AI regulation for three years in exchange for passing the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), the NO FAKES Act, and a federal age verification mandate.
The deal represents the administration’s latest attempt to strip states of the ability to regulate AI. Congress has already rejected preemption twice. The Senate voted 99-1 to remove an AI preemption provision from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act earlier this year. States have accelerated in the opposite direction, with 1,208 AI bills introduced in 2025 and 145 enacted.
This time, the administration is trying a different route: attaching preemption to legislation that has bipartisan appeal. KOSA would require social media platforms to restrict content deemed harmful to minors, with enforcement powers given to the Federal Trade Commission. The NO FAKES Act would protect individuals from AI-generated deepfakes of their likeness. Age verification would mandate identity checks for online services.
