Republican leaders and technology trade groups had advocated for a 10-year halt on state AI regulations. They argued that this pause was essential to allow American tech companies to innovate and compete effectively against Chinese firms. This concept was similar to a 2024 proposal by the R Street Institute, a free-market think tank, which suggested a “learning period” moratorium on AI laws to avoid what they described as a “looming patchwork of inconsistent state and local laws.”













