Deterring American AI Model Theft Act of 2026
Rep. Huizenga Introduces Bill to Punish Foreign Adversaries for Stealing American AI Technology
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process after being sent to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. It is actively moving forward as it waits for committee members to review and discuss the proposal. There are no upcoming votes or hearings scheduled at this time.
Legislative Progress
While there is strong interest in protecting AI from China, most bills introduced in the House do not make it through both chambers to become law.
Key Points
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Life & Work
Foreign nationals working in the U.S. AI sector, particularly those from countries of concern like China, could face increased scrutiny of their professional activities and affiliations. The bill's broad definition of "entity of concern" includes anyone operating under the direction of entities headquartered in a country of concern, which could complicate the professional lives of researchers with ties to institutions in those countries, even if they are working legally in the U.S.
“``entity of concern'' means any foreign person or entity that-- (A) is located or headquartered in, or the ultimate parent company of which is headquartered in, a country of concern; (B) is operating under the direction or control of any entity located or headquartered in, or the ultimate parent company of which is headquartered in, a country of concern”
Activities
Milestones
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Introduced in House
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
3 articles
US House to weigh penalties on AI model copying by Chinese firms
Legislation proposed by Representative Bill Huizenga would direct the government to identify entities in China and Russia that use improper query-and-copy techniques on American models. It would prompt consideration of sanctions on offenders via the Commerce Department's blacklist.
US House weighs penalties on AI model copying by Chinese firms
The Deterring American AI Model Theft Act targets efforts to use AI outputs to build rival systems. The measure could prompt Commerce Department blacklisting or presidential sanctions. Potential targets include Chinese AI labs DeepSeek, Moonshot, and MiniMax.
House Panel to Hold 'Comprehensive' Markup of Export Control Bills
Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., is expected to introduce the Deterring American AI Model Theft Act to address the unauthorized extraction of American closed-source models as part of a host of bills aimed at preserving U.S. technological dominance over China.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Deterring American AI Model Theft Act of 2026
Data Sources
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Cosponsors
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