a16z (Andreessen Horowitz) Policy · 2026-05-07
· 28d
The Structural Barriers to AI Legislation: Why Congressional Bills Fail to Become Law
Only 1.5% of bills introduced in Congress become law, with AI legislation facing particular structural hurdles despite bipartisan support. The article analyzes why hundreds of AI bills have been introduced since 2022 but only one has been enacted, examining the institutional constraints and political dynamics that determine legislative success.
Metrics in this report
AI Bills Enacted
1count
total
Stand-alone AI bills (past two years)
AI Bills Introduced
100+count
minimum
Past two years (2024-2026)
Bill Enactment Rate
1.5%
below
118th Congress (2023-2025) overall
Bills Introduced
19,297count
total
118th Congress (2023-2025)
Bills Passed House
995count
total
118th Congress (2023-2025)
Bills Passed Senate
1,029count
total
118th Congress (2023-2025)
Bills Reported from Committee
1,809count
total
118th Congress (2023-2025)
Bills Signed into Law
274count
total
118th Congress (2023-2025)