AI Data Center Moratorium Act

Current understanding

HR9442, the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, was introduced in the U.S. House and referred to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and on Foreign Affairs. The bill would impose a moratorium on AI data centers, though the scope, duration, and covered facilities are not yet detailed here. Status: introduced/referred; no committee action reported.

Evidence log

• 2026-07-23 — To prohibit Artificial Intelligence Data Centers on Federal land.: 2026 — HR9939 introduced as a narrower parallel approach: rather than a nationwide moratorium, it would prohibit AI data center siting specifically on federal land, adding a public-lands dimension to the AI-data-center policy debate. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-07-09 — Protecting Communities from Data Center Impacts Act of 2026: cross-connection with protecting-communities-data-center-impacts-act: Both HR9629 and HR9442 respond to community-level concerns from AI data center growth, but the former focuses on impact mitigation while the latter proposes a moratorium. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-24 — Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act: 2026-06-24 — HR6529 (Protecting Families from AI Data Center Energy Costs Act) advanced from subcommittee, offering a consumer-rate-protection alternative to HR9442’s outright moratorium approach on AI data-center buildout. (novelty: 3)
• 2026-06-25 — Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act: 2026-06 — Companion policy track: HR9372 (Data Infrastructure Energy Measurement and Standards Act) was ordered reported 34-1 by House committee, taking a measurement/standards approach to data center energy concerns in contrast to this bill’s moratorium approach. (novelty: 2)
• 2026-03-25 — Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act: 2026-03 — Senate companion S4214 introduced in the 119th Congress and referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, indicating bicameral interest in an AI data center moratorium. (novelty: 2) (novelty: 2)
• 2026-06-24 — Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act: cross-connection with data-center-community-impact-act: Both bills address AI data center buildout concerns in the House Energy and Commerce Committee; the moratorium bill takes a prohibitive stance while the Community Impact Act takes a disclosure/assessment stance. (novelty: 3)

Open questions

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