Florida Governor DeSantis Pitches AI Bill of Rights for Residents and Local Governments

Calling his proposal an AI Bill of Rights, the package includes prohibiting AI from using a person’s name, image, likeness (NIL) without their consent, requiring notice when a consumer is interacting with AI, such as a chatbot, prohibiting companies from selling or sharing personal identifying information (PII) with third parties, and limiting insurance companies’ use of AI for insurance claims.

DeSantis was accompanied at his news conference by Megan Garcia, the mother of a 14-year old boy who committed suicide after allegedly being sexually groomed and coached by an AI companion chatbot. The proposal would provide parental controls for minors and allow parents to access the conversations their children are having with a chatbot.

On data centers, DeSantis’ proposal would prohibit utilities from charging customers more electricity, gas or water to support hyperscale data center development, allow local governments to prohibit data center development or construction, prohibits the use of tax -payer subsidiaries for large technology companies, and preventing the construction and operation of data centers by foreign principals on Florida land designated as agricultural.

“These are legislative proposals,” DeSantis said. “We’ve worked with a number of senators and … some House members. I personally had discussions with [Senate] President Ben Albritton,”

Related: State AI Moratorium Dropped From Defense Authorization Bill

The announcement by DeSantis, a potential 2028 presidential candidate, comes just days after Republicans on Capitol Hill announced they would not seek to attach a moratorium on state AI regulations to the National Defense Authorization Act, which is regarded as must-pass legislation. It also marks a sharp break from President Trump, who pushed strongly for including the moratorium and included a ban on state AI regulations in his AI Action Plan.

It also reflects a growing divide on AI regulation and development between the federal government and the states. State lawmakers have introduced hundreds of bills addressing a wide range of AI-related issues, even as Congress and the White House have moved to limit or eliminate AI regulations at the state, federal and international levels.

Restrictions on development of data centers in or near residential areas has become a hot-button issue in local politics as the massive, resource-hungry centers drive up electricity rates and residents worry about their impact on property value. With elections looming in 2026, governors from both parties have thrown their support behind local efforts to limit data center development.

The rapid growth of AI is also sharpening the partisan divide on Capitol Hill. A cohort of Democrats in the House and Seante this week reintroduced the AI Civil Rights Act that would protect consumers and workers from discrimination by AI-enabled automated decision making (ADM) tools when used in relation to issues such as employment, education criteria, housing approval or health care.

Initially introduced in September 2024, the previous iteration of the Artificial Intelligence Civil Rights Act did not make it out of committee before that session of Congress ended.

“This blueprint is what American leadership in AI looks like; not just technological leadership, but moral leadership as well,” Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA), a chief sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. “In the global race with China to lead on artificial intelligence, we cannot abandon the principles of America in a reckless pursuit of technological superiority.”