S. 4214: Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act
Sponsor
Bernie Sanders
Independent · VT
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Mar 25, 2026
Read twice and Referred to Commerce, Science, and Transportation. for review
Why it matters
Introduced on March 25, 2026, the bill would immediately halt new and expanded AI data center construction unless Congress first sets national rules on safety, jobs, utility costs, pollution, and labor standards.
S. 4214, the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, is one of the most aggressive AI infrastructure bills introduced so far. It would impose a moratorium effective on the date of enactment, blocking the construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers until future federal legislation is passed. The bill uses a broad definition of an AI data center: facilities on a single site or connected sites under common ownership that are used for AI at scale, or that exceed 20 megawatts and are built to deliver at least 20 kilowatts to a single server rack or use advanced liquid cooling or immersion cooling systems.
What does S. 4214 do?
Immediate moratorium with no end date
Starting on the date of enactment, construction or upgrading of new or existing artificial intelligence data centers could not commence or proceed until later federal legislation is enacted. The bill does not set a sunset date; the freeze lasts until Congress creates the required national framework.
Broad data center definition triggers at 20 megawatts
The bill defines an artificial intelligence data center as buildings, equipment, structures, and other stationary items on a single site or connected sites under common ownership that are used for AI at scale, or that have a maximum rated power capacity or total peak power load above 20 megawatts and are designed to deliver 20 kilowatts or more to a single server rack or use liquid-to-chip or immersion cooling.
Moratorium lifts only after strict national rules
The freeze can end only after federal legislation creates review and approval of AI products for safety and effectiveness, policies to prevent job displacement and ensure wealth sharing, and future data center rules requiring no increase to consumer utility bills, no climate or environmental harm, local community approval power, no government subsidies, and union labor standards such as prevailing wages, apprenticeships, and project labor agreements.
Quarterly DOE public reporting mandate
The Secretary of Energy must publish quarterly reports on the Department of Energy website covering financial vehicles, water usage, energy usage and infrastructure needs, greenhouse gas emissions including fenceline air quality, wastewater and thermal output, cooling chemicals, noise levels, worker wages and benefits, job counts, land and utility agreements, and subsidy certifications.
DOE gets subpoena and inspection powers
To enforce the law, the Secretary of Energy may issue subpoenas, require written interrogatories, conduct inspections, and condition future permitting on compliance. Those tools would let DOE demand records and site access from covered facilities.
Commerce blocks hardware exports to noncompliant countries
The Secretary of Commerce would prohibit export, reexport, or in-country transfer of computing infrastructure hardware for use in AI data centers or large-scale AI model training in any country lacking rules comparable to section 3(b)(1). The covered hardware includes semiconductors, integrated circuits, computers, networking equipment, and data storage systems, using export definitions tied to section 1742 of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, 50 U.S.C. 4801.
Who benefits from S. 4214?
Communities near proposed AI data centers
They would gain leverage before projects move forward because the moratorium blocks construction from the date of enactment and future legislation must give local communities approval power while also requiring no climate or environmental harm and no increase to consumer utility bills.
Utility customers and ratepayers
The bill says future data centers must not increase consumer utility bills, a direct protection for households and businesses worried about power-hungry facilities. That concern is underscored by the bill's finding that one reported Louisiana project would use 3 times the electricity of New Orleans annually.
Construction and data center workers in unions
If the moratorium is eventually lifted, future projects would have to include union jobs with prevailing wages, apprenticeships, and project labor agreements. The quarterly DOE reporting requirement on worker wages, benefits, and job counts would also make labor conditions more visible.
Workers vulnerable to AI job loss
The bill is designed to slow expansion until policies exist to prevent job displacement and ensure wealth sharing. Its findings cite warnings that AI could displace 50% of entry-level white-collar jobs in 1 to 5 years, automate most white-collar work in 12 to 18 months, and eliminate 50% of white-collar jobs in the U.S. within 10 years.
Who is affected by S. 4214?
AI companies building large compute campuses
They would face an immediate halt on new builds and expansions once the bill is enacted. The threshold is broad enough to capture sites above 20 megawatts that deliver at least 20 kilowatts to a single rack or use liquid cooling or immersion cooling, even if the company describes the facility in other terms.
Cloud, chip, networking, and storage hardware exporters
They could lose overseas sales because the Secretary of Commerce would ban export, reexport, or in-country transfer of semiconductors, integrated circuits, computers, networking equipment, and data storage systems for AI data centers or large-scale AI model work in countries without comparable rules.
Electric utilities and grid planners
They would be affected by the freeze on major AI loads and by quarterly DOE scrutiny of energy usage and infrastructure needs. The bill directly targets very large power consumers, including facilities with total peak power load above 20 megawatts.
State and local governments offering incentives
The bill would pressure them to rethink tax breaks and subsidies because future federal standards must require no government subsidies for AI data centers. Quarterly reports would also have to include land and utility agreements and subsidy certifications.
What Congress Is Saying
S. 4214 hasn't been debated on the floor yet.
This section updates when a legislator speaks about it on the floor or in committee.
S4214 Legislative Journey
Committee Action
Mar 25, 2026
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
About the Sponsor
Bernie Sanders
Independent, VT · 35 years in Congress
Committees: Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Environment and Public Works, Veterans' Affairs
View full profile →
Committee Sponsors
Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee
0 of 28 committee members cosponsored
No committee members have cosponsored this bill
13 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
S. 4214 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Chamber
- Senate
- Policy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Introduced
- Mar 25, 2026
Read twice and Referred to Commerce, Science, and Transportation. for review
Mar 25, 2026
Who is lobbying on S. 4214?
1 organization lobbying on this bill
SIFF & ASSOCIATES, PLLC (OBO THE MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA) | 2 |
Showing 1-1 of 1 organizations
S. 4214 Common Questions
Can an AI data center over 20 megawatts still be built under S4214?
No. Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, construction or upgrading of covered AI data centers is barred starting on enactment if the facility exceeds 20 megawatts and meets the rack-power or liquid-cooling trigger (SEC. 3).
What counts as an AI data center under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act?
According to S4214 SEC. 3, it includes facilities on a single or connected site under common ownership used for AI at scale, or sites above 20 megawatts designed for 20+ kilowatts per rack or liquid cooling.
Does S4214 ban upgrades to existing AI data centers?
Yes. Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act (SEC. 3), both new construction and upgrades of existing AI data centers would be prohibited beginning on the date of enactment.
Can the AI data center moratorium end automatically after a set time?
No. According to S4214 SEC. 3, the freeze has no automatic sunset and ends only if Congress passes specified national rules and expressly terminates the moratorium.
What are the conditions Congress must meet before the AI data center moratorium can be lifted?
Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act (SEC. 3), Congress must create AI safety review, job-displacement and wealth-sharing policies, no utility bill hikes, no environmental harm, local veto power, no subsidies, and union labor standards.
Does S4214 require DOE to publish water use and emissions data from AI data centers?
Yes. Under S4214 SEC. 3, the Energy Department must post quarterly public reports covering water use, energy use, greenhouse gases, fenceline air quality, wastewater, thermal output, and more.
How often would AI data center reports have to be posted online under S4214?
Quarterly. According to the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act (SEC. 3), the Secretary of Energy must publish reports every quarter on the DOE website.
Can the Department of Energy subpoena AI data centers under S4214?
Yes. Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act (SEC. 3), DOE may issue subpoenas, require written interrogatories, conduct inspections, and tie future permitting to compliance.
Does S4214 block exports of AI chips and servers to some countries?
Yes. According to S4214 SEC. 4, Commerce would bar export, reexport, or in-country transfer of covered computing hardware for AI data centers or large-scale AI use to countries without comparable laws.
Which hardware exports are restricted by the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act?
Under the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act (SEC. 4), covered hardware includes semiconductors, integrated circuits, computers, networking equipment, data storage systems, and products containing those components.
Based on S. 4214 bill text
S. 4214 Bill Text
“To impose a moratorium on the construction of new data centers until legislation is enacted that safeguards the public from the dangers of artificial intelligence.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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