Missouri lawmakers fail to pass AI regulations during 2026 legislative session

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KFVS) – It’s been a little over one week since Missouri’s lawmakers called it quits for the year, but that doesn’t mean they’re all happy with what was accomplished, or what was not accomplished.

Artificial intelligence continues to spread into every area of our lives, and it’s largely unchecked by government regulations.

In Missouri, 100 bills were passed this year, but none of them regulate the use of artificial intelligence. Over a dozen ideas on how to regulate AI were presented by lawmakers, but all the bills died before the end of the regular legislative session.

State lawmakers cannot explore AI or data center regulations again until the new legislative session starts in January 2027.

AI regulations are popular with Missouri voters. Only 16% of Missouri voters polled by YouGov and SLU believe recent AI innovations had a positive effect on society. Regulating artificial intelligence is also popular with both parties.

Bolivar Republican Rep. Christopher Warwick wants to see protections for children.

“My heart is is to make sure that we’re protecting our kids. We want to protect Missourians in general, but when the AI starts affecting our kids,” Warwick said.

While St. Louis Democratic Sen. Doug Beck says we need to make it clear what is and isn’t AI.

“That can be very scary, and some of the things they can do with it, you don’t know what’s real and what isn’t real,” Beck said.

The explosion of AI is leading to more and more data centers, including many projects here in Missouri. Though many in Missouri are currently fighting to keep data centers from their neighborhoods, their growth is something Gov. Mike Kehoe appreciates.

“As President Trump said, AI is the space race of our time. And certainly Missouri wants to be involved in that race and wants to continue to lead,” Kehoe said at an event in Montgomery County to celebrate a new Google data center.

President Trump issued an executive order telling states to rely on federal AI regulations, but Congress is on a summer vacation without having passed any AI bills.

The executive order President Trump put out says funding for rural broadband could be at risk if state lawmakers don’t align with his plan. A Utah lawmaker was told by the Trump administration that his bill doesn’t fit into their AI plan.

The executive order reads, “United States AI companies must be free to innovate without cumbersome regulation. But excessive State regulation thwarts this imperative. First, State-by-State regulation by definition creates a patchwork of 50 different regulatory regimes that makes compliance more challenging, particularly for start-ups.”