White House Ties AI Preemption Push to Child Safety Bills

The White House is attempting to advance federal legislation that would preempt certain state artificial intelligence laws by packaging the effort with child safety protections, according to multiple sources familiar with discussions that took place this week.

Administration officials held separate meetings Monday with technology companies and children's advocacy organizations to gauge support for a legislative package built around existing bills focused on protecting minors online. The conversations included Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Ryan Baasch, deputy director of the National Economic Council, among other senior officials.

According to POLITICO, which first reported details of the tech industry meetings, representatives from Apple, Meta, Google and xAI attended one session. A separate meeting brought together advocates from the American Principles Project, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

The Legislative Framework

The White House presented a baseline package centered on two existing bills: Senator Marsha Blackburn's Kids Online Safety Act, which would require platforms to mitigate harms to children, and Senator Mike Lee's App Store Accountability Act, which would mandate age verification by app stores and developers. Officials also discussed provisions that would preempt some state-level regulations related to children's online safety.

Blackburn's office indicated the senator is leading negotiations on "an AI preemption package that includes protections for kids, creators, and communities," which would also incorporate the NO FAKES Act addressing AI-generated deepfakes and unauthorized digital replicas. Her spokesperson emphasized the preemption would be limited to "the same subject matter addressed in the package" rather than blanket federal override of all state AI or child safety laws.

Child safety advocates who attended the meetings requested inclusion of the GUARD Act, legislation specifically targeting AI chatbot interactions with minors. Jon Schweppe of the American Principles Project said advocates also pressed the White House to narrow the scope of state law preemption, expressing concern that the proposal might override most existing state-level child safety technology rules.

Why it matters

This approach represents a strategic shift in Republican efforts to establish federal primacy over the growing patchwork of state AI regulations. By linking preemption to child safety—an issue with broader political appeal—the administration may have found a more viable path forward after previous standalone preemption attempts failed to gain traction. However, the strategy creates tension between protecting children online and preserving states' ability to regulate emerging technology, a balance that will determine whether the package can attract the bipartisan Senate support needed for passage.

Industry and Political Hurdles

The tech companies present have competing interests in the proposed legislation. Apple and Google have opposed the App Store Accountability Act, while Meta has actively supported similar measures at both state and federal levels. All four companies, however, favor federal preemption over navigating multiple state regulatory frameworks.

Political challenges remain significant. Representative Lori Trahan, who co-authored a separate bipartisan House AI preemption proposal last week, expressed skepticism about Blackburn's partisan approach. "Everything I've heard so far about Senator Blackburn being charged with putting it together has sounded partisan to me, and I just don't think that has a chance of passing," Trahan said.

A White House official characterized the Monday meetings as "pre-decisional" and stated that "nothing was agreed to" and the administration "does not have a position on the proposals discussed."

The details of the White House meetings and legislative negotiations were first reported by POLITICO.