House Committee Passes Legislation Protecting American Technology

Today, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Artificial Intelligence Oversight of Verified Exports and Restrictions on Weaponizable Advanced Technology to Covered High-Risk Actors (AI OVERWATCH) Act out of committee. The legislation strengthens export controls on advanced AI chips and enhances congressional oversight to prevent the flow of U.S. technology to our adversaries.

“The passage of this legislation out of committee is a critical step toward protecting America’s technological edge,” said Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, a cosponsor of the legislation. “Advanced AI chips are foundational to economic growth and military power, and Congress has a responsibility to ensure they are not fueling the Chinese Communist Party’s military modernization or surveillance state. We must protect our world class innovation and the security of the American people.” 

The AI OVERWATCH Act would require licenses for the export, reexport, or in-country transfer of certain high-performance AI chips to countries of concern, while increasing transparency and accountability in the export licensing process. The Select Committee has consistently warned that advanced semiconductors are a strategic chokepoint in the competition with the Chinese Communist Party. By strengthening export controls and reinforcing congressional oversight, the AI OVERWATCH Act helps ensure that American AI innovation benefits the United States and its allies, without enabling China’s military expansion or economic aggression.