Senate Intelligence Committee Ranking Member Mark Warner (D-VA), who represents the state with the highest concentration of data centers, released a four-part legislative framework aimed at addressing the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. The framework focuses on AI infrastructure, workforce development, consumer protections, and national security through a series of proposed bills.
Among the proposals is the Data Center Tax Accountability and Disclosure Act, which would require AI data center developers to publicly disclose information about their energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and other operational metrics. It would also authorize the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency to impose penalties on data center owners and operators that fail to comply with the reporting requirements or knowingly provide false information. The bill would also encourage more efficient and sustainable data center development by restricting bonus depreciation for AI data centers that do not achieve Gold or Platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.
Warner’s package also includes the National Workforce Transition Fund Act, which would limit accelerated tax treatment for certain AI infrastructure investments and dedicate the resulting revenue to worker retention, workforce transition assistance, labor market modernization, and employer accountability initiatives.
Additional legislation in the framework would address AI-generated non-consensual deepfakes, child sexual abuse material, and AI-related risks in financial markets.