On March 20, 2026, the White House released its National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence, a formal set of legislative recommendations to Congress outlining how the federal government believes AI should be governed. This is not a law. Nothing has passed. But it is worth knowing what is on the table.
The framework covers seven priority areas:
- Protecting Children and Empowering Parents. Age-assurance requirements, parental controls, and safeguards against exploitation and self-harm for minors on AI platforms.
- Safeguarding American Communities. Expanded law enforcement tools to combat AI-enabled fraud targeting vulnerable populations, protections for residential utility ratepayers from cost increases tied to AI data center construction, and resources for small businesses including grants, tax incentives, and technical assistance programs.
- Respecting Intellectual Property and Supporting Creators. Leaving the question of AI training on copyrighted material to the courts, while exploring licensing frameworks and protections for unauthorized use of a person’s voice or likeness.
- Preventing Censorship and Protecting Free Speech. Prohibiting the federal government from pressuring AI platforms to suppress or alter content for political reasons.
- Enabling Innovation and Ensuring American AI Leadership. Regulatory sandboxes for AI development, federal datasets made accessible for AI training, and no new federal rulemaking body specifically for AI.
- Educating Americans and Developing an AI-Ready Workforce. Embedding AI training into existing education and apprenticeship programs, and expanding federal study of how AI is reshaping jobs at the task level.
- Establishing a Federal Standard and Preempting State AI Laws. One national AI standard to replace a fragmented patchwork of state regulations, while preserving state authority over consumer protection, law enforcement use of AI, and public education.
What Leadership Teams Need to Know
For leadership teams, the practical read is this: the federal government is now treating AI as workforce infrastructure, not a technology trend. As the federal government moves to solidify the “rules of the road,” the organizations that already have a safe, structured, accessible approach to AI adoption will be better positioned to capture resources and operate with confidence when regulatory clarity arrives.
If you want to understand where your organization stands today, we can help. Schedule a 15 minute Discovery Session.