Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz is targeting July 29 as the date for a markup session on artificial intelligence legislation. The Texas Republican wants to move forward on AI bills that also address online safety for children. The planned session, first reported on July 13, is expected to prioritize measures with bipartisan support.
What’s actually on the table
Back in September 2025, Cruz released a five-pillar AI legislative framework designed to encourage innovation rather than smother it with regulation. That framework spawned the SANDBOX Act, designated S. 2750, which proposed creating a federal sandbox for AI developers — a controlled environment where companies can test AI products under relaxed regulatory requirements before facing the full weight of federal oversight.
A bipartisan AI content labeling act was introduced on June 25. That bill would require disclosures on AI-generated content, forcing companies to disclose when a machine made the thing you’re looking at. Cruz has also introduced chatbot safety legislation and backed measures addressing what lawmakers call “catastrophic AI risks.” The kids’ online safety component fits into his broader argument that AI technologies need responsible oversight, particularly when minors are involved.
