Bill · S. 4214· Senate(119-S-4214)
Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act
- Introduced
- 3/25/2026
- Last activity
- 3/25/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Bernie Sanders
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act seeks to halt the construction or upgrading of new artificial intelligence data centers. This moratorium remains in place until specific legislation is passed to protect the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence. The bill requires the Federal Government to review AI products for safety and ensure economic benefits reach workers. It also sets requirements for future data centers regarding utility costs, environmental impact, and labor standards. Additionally, the Act establishes export controls on computing infrastructure hardware used for large-scale AI training or deployment.
Yes· 3 of 13
Would union members be better off under this?+8
The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs with prevailing wages and apprenticeship programs.
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?+8
The bill imposes a moratorium on data center construction and requires federal review of AI products for safety and civil rights.
Does this strengthen the rights of workers to organise?+7
The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs using prevailing wages and registered apprenticeship programs.
The opposite· 3 of 7
Would the very wealthiest people be better off under this?-8
The bill implements policies intended to redistribute wealth from the largest tech entities to the public.
Would billionaires be better off under this?-8
The bill targets wealth redistribution and places moratoriums on the infrastructure used by extremely wealthy entities.
Would people with substantial wealth be better off under this?-7
The bill specifically targets the wealth of the largest tech owners to ensure it is shared with the people.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Public Safety and Well-being: The bill requires new laws to ensure the Federal Government reviews artificial intelligence products to ensure they are safe, effective, and do not threaten the health and well-being of working families, privacy, or civil rights (Section 3(b)(1)(A)).
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Economic Protections for Workers: The legislation aims to ensure that the economic gains from artificial intelligence and robotics benefit workers rather than just the wealthy owners of Big Tech companies by preventing job displacement and sharing generated wealth (Section 3(b)(1)(B)).
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Consumer Financial Protection: The bill includes provisions that would ensure future artificial intelligence data centers do not increase the utility or electricity bills of consumers (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(i)).
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Environmental Protection: The Act seeks to ensure that data center construction or upgrades do not exacerbate climate change or harm the environment (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(ii)).
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Community Empowerment: Provisions in the bill would empower local communities to either approve or reject the construction or upgrading of artificial intelligence data centers (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(iii)).
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Labor Standards: The bill mandates that future data centers create union jobs with strong labor standards, including the use of prevailing wages and registered apprenticeship programs (Section 3(b)(1)(C)(v)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Restrictions on Industry Growth: The bill imposes a moratorium on the construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers, which could delay development until specific legislative requirements are met (Section 3(b)).
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Export Restrictions: The Act prohibits the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of computing infrastructure hardware to certain countries, which could impact the global movement of semiconductors, integrated circuits, and data storage systems used for AI (Section 4(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+8Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Billionaires-8Good For Ultra High Net Worth Individuals-8Good For High Net Worth Individuals-7Good For Business Owners-6Good For High Income Households-5
- Governance And Ideology
- Increases Federal Power+6Improves Government Transparency+5Improves Privacy Rights+5
- Education And Technology
- Increases Big Tech Regulation+8Improves Data Privacy+5
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Union Protections+7Improves Consumer Protection+5Increases Job Creation+2Improves Economic Growth-4
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Environmental Protections+5Reduces Carbon Emissions+4
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves International Trade-6
- 3/25/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.