WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans surprised tech industry watchers and outraged state governments when they added a clause to Republicans’ signature “ big, beautiful ” tax bill that would ban states and localities from regulating artificial intelligence for a decade.

Republicans want to stop states from regulating AI. On Sunday, a Republican-led House committee submitted a budget reconciliation bill that proposes blocking states from enforcing “any law or regulation” targeting an exceptionally broad range of automated computing systems for 10 years after the law is enacted — a move that would stall efforts to regulate everything from AI chatbots to online search results.

The new budget reconciliation bill being proposed by Republicans would give a decade-long period to AI developers to operate without regulation.