On December 11, President Trump signed an Executive Order on “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence” (“AI Preemption EO”), the culmination of months of efforts by Republican lawmakers to assert federal primacy over AI regulation. The AI Preemption EO, which follows the release of a draft version in
Continue Reading President Trump Signs Executive Order to Block State AI LawsPolicy and Legislation
Washington State AI Task Force Releases AI Policy Recommendations for 2026
On December 1, the Washington State AI Task Force (“Task Force”) released its Interim Report with AI policy recommendations to the Governor and legislature. Established by the legislature in 2024, the Task Force is responsible for evaluating current and potential uses of AI in Washington and recommending regulatory and legislative…
Continue Reading Washington State AI Task Force Releases AI Policy Recommendations for 2026White House Drafts Executive Order to Preempt State AI Laws
According to reports published on November 19, the White House has prepared a draft Executive Order to preempt state AI regulations in lieu of a uniform national legislative framework, marking a significant escalation in federal efforts to assert control over AI regulation. The draft Executive Order, titled “Eliminating State…
Continue Reading White House Drafts Executive Order to Preempt State AI LawsSenate Foreign Relations Committee Action on Russia and China-related Legislation
By Stephen Rademaker on
The government is officially closed, and the House of Representatives is in an extended recess, but the Senate keeps working.
On Wednesday October 22, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a business meeting to consider 19 bills and approve two nominations (Joel Rayburn to be Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs and Andrew Veprek to be Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration). The bills focused mostly on Russia’s war in Ukraine, and on security concerns relating to China, and generally commanded bipartisan support. All of the bills were approved, though some were amended.
One of the more consequential bills was the “REPO Implementation Act”, S. 2918, sponsored by Sen. Whitehouse, and co-sponsored by, among others, Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Risch. This bill seeks to build on last year’s “Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act”, or “REPO Act”. That legislation granted authority to the President to confiscate the approximately $5 billion in immobilized Russian sovereign assets in the United States and provide that money to Ukraine and Ukrainian claimants as compensation for the injuries inflicted on them by the war.
Continue Reading Senate Foreign Relations Committee Action on Russia and China-related LegislationDon’t Count on Immediate IEEPA Refunds: What President Trump Might Do If SCOTUS Throws Out IEEPA Tariffs
Posted in International Trade, Policy and Legislation
On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear the Trump Administration’s appeal of lower court decisions holding the imposition of certain tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) unlawful. If the Supreme Court rules that IEEPA does not authorize tariffs, the government would no…
Continue Reading Don’t Count on Immediate IEEPA Refunds: What President Trump Might Do If SCOTUS Throws Out IEEPA TariffsCalifornia Governor Signs Landmark AI Safety Legislation
On September 29, California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier Artificial Intelligence Act (“TFAIA”), establishing public safety regulations for developers of “frontier models,” or large foundation AI models trained using massive amounts of computing power. TFAIA is the first frontier model safety…
Continue Reading California Governor Signs Landmark AI Safety LegislationCommerce Department and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Exploring a Patent Tax and Patent Fee Changes
The Trump Administration is considering multiple proposals to raise revenue from patent holders, including direct assessments on patent holders, changes to the existing patent fee schedule, and potentially a new mechanism for sharing profits from university-owned patents obtained through federal research funds.
Patent Tax
First, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is…
Continue Reading Commerce Department and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Exploring a Patent Tax and Patent Fee ChangesBrazilian Government Opens Consultation on Artificial Intelligence-Related Patent Applications
By Daniel Erikson & Diego Bonomo on
Brazil’s National Institute of Intellectual Property (“INPI”) initiated a public consultation on new guidance for the review of patent applications related to artificial intelligence (“AI”). The draft guidance document consolidates three previous INPI regulations and best practices adopted by other patent offices.
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Continue Reading Brazilian Government Opens Consultation on Artificial Intelligence-Related Patent ApplicationsSenator Cruz Unveils AI Framework and Regulatory Sandbox Bill
On September 10, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) released what he called a “light-touch” regulatory framework for federal AI legislation, outlining five pillars for advancing American AI leadership. In parallel, Senator Cruz introduced the Strengthening AI Normalization and Diffusion by Oversight and eXperimentation (“SANDBOX”) Act…
Continue Reading Senator Cruz Unveils AI Framework and Regulatory Sandbox BillU.S.-Colombia Relations Facing Key Decision Points with Implications for Businesses
The United States and Colombia have historically maintained a strong bilateral partnership that has been the envy of much of Latin America. However, the bilateral relationship today is facing a test as U.S. and Colombian approaches to shared problems increasingly diverge. The next several months present milestones that will have…
Continue Reading U.S.-Colombia Relations Facing Key Decision Points with Implications for Businesses