H.R. 8031: GUARDRAILS Act

H.R. 8031 — the Guaranteeing and Upholding Americans' Right to Decide Responsible AI Laws and Standards Act, or the GUARDRAILS Act — is a blunt response to executive action on artificial intelligence. Introduced on March 20, 2026 by Rep. Don Beyer in the 119th Congress, 2d Session, the bill says that the executive order titled "Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence," issued on December 11, 2025, "shall have no force or effect" once the bill becomes law.

The bill does not create a replacement AI framework, a new regulator, or a grant program. Instead, it takes aim at one specific presidential order and then goes a step further: it bars the use of any federal funds to "implement, administer, enforce, or carry out" that order. That means even if agencies had already started building programs or guidance around the December 11, 2025 order, those efforts would have to stop if they rely on federal money.

Supporters are likely to frame this as a separation-of-powers bill. The name itself emphasizes Americans' "Right to Decide" AI laws and standards, signaling that Congress — not the executive branch alone — should set national AI rules. With referrals to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on the Judiciary, the fight will likely center on both tech policy and the scope of presidential power.

The practical effect is simple: this is a repeal bill, not a comprehensive AI bill. If enacted, it would remove one federal AI policy directive issued on December 11, 2025 and prohibit agencies across the government from spending any federal funds on it. What it does not do is equally important: the text, based on the facts provided, includes no new federal standards, no deadlines for agencies to issue replacement rules, no civil or criminal penalties, and no dollar amount for a new program.