Sen Cruz Unveils AI Policy Framework to Strengthen American AI Leadership

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz (R-TX) released a legislative framework designed to promote American leadership in artificial intelligence. The framework outlines five pillars to guide Congressional efforts on AI policy and proposes a light-touch regulatory strategy to make safe AI deployment easier in the United States while protecting against emerging risks. As part of the pillar’s first step, “Unleash American Innovation and Long-Term Growth,” Sen. Cruz is introducing the Strengthening Artificial Intelligence Normalization and Diffusion By Oversight and eXperimentation, or SANDBOX Act. The bill creates a regulatory “sandbox,” a policy endorsed by President Trump’s AI Action Plan, that gives AI developers space to test and launch new AI technologies without being held back by outdated or inflexible federal rules. This bill includes safeguards to mitigate against health, public safety, or fraud risks. Under the bill, AI deployers and developers would apply to modify or waive regulations that could impede their work. The Office of Science and Technology Policy would coordinate across federal agencies to evaluate requests under their purview. Congress would collect regular reports on how often rules were waived or modified to better inform future policy decisions and the regulatory structure applicable to AI. The SANDBOX Act would encourage American ingenuity, improve transparency in lawmaking, and ultimately lead to safe, long-term AI usage domestically.