On 29 June 2026, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) released a discussion draft of the Artificial Intelligence Access, Gatekeeper Exchange, and Nondiscriminatory Transfer Act, known as the AI AGENT Act. The instrument is at discussion draft stage and is circulating for expert and industry comment before formal introduction in the Senate. No committee has yet scheduled the draft for markup or announced a hearing.
The draft bill grants the Federal Trade Commission new rulemaking authority specific to AI agents, supplementing its existing powers under Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. Large online platforms would face a non-discrimination obligation, requiring them to grant AI agents standardised access to their services. The FTC would maintain a registry of trusted, vetted AI agents. The registry would enable swift approval of compliant agents and rapid removal of those that violate user trust. NIST would develop open technical standards for agent authentication and access control.
Technology companies operating large consumer-facing platforms are the primary targets of the non-discrimination and registry obligations. AI agent developers seeking access to sensitive consumer account data, including email, e-commerce credentials, and financial account access, must register with the FTC and comply with a fiduciary conduct standard once the bill is enacted. Consumer AI agent deployments in e-commerce, personal finance, social media, and travel booking fall within the bill's scope.
The bill has not been formally introduced and carries no co-sponsors at this stage. Senator Warner's office is seeking public and expert comment on the draft. Open questions include how the FTC would operationalise the trusted/untrusted agent distinction in practice and whether the fiduciary standard maps onto existing consumer protection doctrine. The AI AGENT Act's prospects in the current legislative session depend on Senate scheduling and broader congressional appetite for AI-specific consumer legislation.
Licentium advises technology companies and AI developers on US and cross-border regulatory risk for AI systems and autonomous agents. Our team and partner network are available to assist with analysis of the AI AGENT Act and related legislative developments. Work we undertake includes AI agent regulatory risk assessment, FTC compliance analysis, consumer data fiduciary obligation mapping, and monitoring of US federal AI legislation.
Source: Office of Senator Mark Warner, Discussion Draft: AI AGENT Act, 29 June 2026