AI Data Center Moratorium Act introduced in the House

H.R. 9442 was introduced and referred to House committees.

Event typeintroduction

This update belongs to H.R. 9442. Read the parent policy page for the full instrument.

What changed

Fact

The proposal joined a construction pause to federal safeguards and a public reporting programme for facility impacts.

H.R. 9442 was introduced and referred to House committees.

Operational consequence

Analysis

Brought a direct federal AI-infrastructure growth-control ask into Congress.

The consequence statement is limited to what the linked evidence and event record support.

Supporting passages

Fact

Exact quotes below are taken from evidence rows attached to this update.

H.R. 9442 proposes a conditional moratorium on AI data centres. The bill would stop construction or upgrading of covered facilities until specified safeguards are enacted and Congress expressly ends the pause.
H.R. 9442 would require quarterly public infrastructure reporting. The bill directs the Energy Secretary to publish facility-level information on water, energy, emissions, labour and other impacts.

The construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers may not commence or proceed until—
H.R. 9442 · Section 3(b)

The Secretary of Energy shall— (A) submit to Congress quarterly reports on artificial intelligence data centers; and (B) make those quarterly reports publicly available.
H.R. 9442 · Section 3(c)(1)

Limits

The measure is introduced legislation and has not passed either chamber of Congress.

An update page records a dated change. It does not replace the full vehicle text or later amendments.

Policy questions

Compute & energy

Should AI data centres face growth controls?

Electricity, water, local consent and national competitiveness are turning compute infrastructure into a policy fight.

Policy asks

introduced

Pause new large AI data centres pending resource and security review

Pause construction or upgrading of covered AI data centres until Congress enacts specified safeguards and expressly terminates the moratorium.

Policy vehicles

bill · Introduced

H.R. 9442 · Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act

A House bill proposing a conditional moratorium on construction or upgrading of covered AI data centres.

Evidence

Source basis

Direct sourceOpen evidence record

H.R. 9442 proposes a conditional moratorium on AI data centres

The bill would stop construction or upgrading of covered facilities until specified safeguards are enacted and Congress expressly ends the pause.

The construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers may not commence or proceed until—

Congress.gov · H.R. 9442 · Section 3(b)

Direct sourceOpen evidence record

H.R. 9442 would require quarterly public infrastructure reporting

The bill directs the Energy Secretary to publish facility-level information on water, energy, emissions, labour and other impacts.

The Secretary of Energy shall— (A) submit to Congress quarterly reports on artificial intelligence data centers; and (B) make those quarterly reports publicly available.

Congress.gov · H.R. 9442 · Section 3(c)(1)