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Where to Find Reliable, Nonpartisan Analysis of AI Regulation

By Freedom251 Team · · 4 min read

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For a broad U.S. and selected international overview, start with the Congressional Research Service (CRS). Turn to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) for evidence about implementation and oversight, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for technical standards and federal AI-action context, and the OECD for comparative analysis of AI in government. These sources are useful for different reasons; none is a complete, current inventory of every AI law.

Start with CRS for a legislative overview

CRS’s Regulating Artificial Intelligence: U.S. and International Approaches and Considerations for Congress (R48555, June 4, 2025) is a strong starting point if you want a map of U.S. policy choices alongside selected international approaches. It surveys federal AI laws, regulatory and governance approaches, and considerations and legislative options for Congress.

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The report’s discussion of federal law is a dated snapshot, not a statement of the law in force today. It said that, at the time of publication, no federal legislation establishing broad regulatory authorities for AI development or use, or prohibitions on AI, had been enacted; it also described more targeted provisions and changes in administration emphasis. Check current statutes, regulations, and agency materials before relying on any legal-status claim.

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Use GAO to examine implementation and oversight

GAO is the better next stop when the question is not only what policies exist, but how federal agencies are implementing or overseeing them. Its September 9, 2025 report, Artificial Intelligence: Federal Efforts Guided by Requirements and Advisory Groups, identified 94 AI-related requirements with government-wide scope or implications and 10 executive-branch oversight or advisory groups. GAO’s inventory of requirements was current through July 2025 and included ongoing or forthcoming deliverables. Those counts describe that report’s defined scope and date; they are not a count of all AI regulation.

For questions about national competitiveness, GAO’s May 2026 framework groups analysis under four pillars:

  • Science and technology
  • Human capital
  • Governance
  • Economy

Use it as a structure for examining policy, not as a ranking of countries’ AI rules. GAO also publishes sector-specific work. For example, its financial-services analysis describes regulators’ use of existing laws, regulations, guidance, and risk-based examinations, alongside AI-specific guidance or examinations at some agencies. It notes that, as of February 2025, the National Credit Union Administration had limited model-risk guidance and lacked authority to examine technology service providers. That kind of report can reveal oversight details a broad survey may not cover.

Go to NIST for standards and federal AI context

NIST’s AI mandates and actions page, updated August 14, 2026, tracks laws, executive orders, and agency actions that shape NIST’s work. It records the rescission of Executive Order 14110—the 2023 order on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI—on January 20, 2025, and describes subsequent actions. This makes the page useful for following federal activity and understanding the context for NIST’s technical work; it is not an independent evaluation of those policies’ effects.

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For international standards-setting, consult NIST’s A Plan for Global Engagement on AI Standards (report 100-5e2025, April 2025). NIST says Commerce developed the plan in coordination with State and other agencies, incorporating multistakeholder listening sessions and comments. It is relevant to consensus standards and conformity assessment—subjects that matter to AI governance but are distinct from binding legal requirements.

Use OECD for comparative analysis of AI in government

The OECD’s 2025 report Governing with Artificial Intelligence: The State of Play and Way Forward in Core Government Functions examines opportunities and risks of AI in government, implementation challenges, and approaches to trustworthy AI. It is particularly useful when comparing public-sector adoption and governance across countries. It is not a comprehensive country-by-country catalogue of AI laws.

Choose sources by the question you need answered

Source Best for Keep in mind
CRS, R48555 (June 4, 2025) U.S. and selected international approaches, federal laws, and choices facing Congress A dated legislative overview; verify current legal obligations against current official text.
GAO, federal efforts report (September 9, 2025) Federal requirements, advisory groups, implementation, and oversight The report’s requirement inventory was current through July 2025 and included ongoing or forthcoming deliverables.
GAO, competitiveness framework (May 2026) Organizing analysis of science and technology, human capital, governance, and economy A policy-analysis framework, not a scorecard of regulatory quality.
NIST, AI mandates and actions page (updated August 14, 2026) Federal actions affecting NIST and technical standards context Tracks agency and policy context; does not independently evaluate policy consequences.
NIST, global AI standards plan (April 2025) International standards-setting, consensus standards, and conformity assessment Focuses on standards work rather than a catalogue of binding laws.
OECD, government AI report (2025) Comparative analysis of AI adoption and governance in core government functions Not a comprehensive inventory of national AI laws.
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Check an analysis before relying on it

“Nonpartisan” is best treated as a selection criterion, not a promise that an institution or report is value-free. Identify who produced the work and match its methods and scope to your question. A congressional research overview, an audit, a standards agency page, and an intergovernmental policy report each have a different institutional role.

  • Jurisdiction: Does it cover the United States, selected countries, the EU, or international standards?
  • Institutional role: Is the author a research service, auditor, standards agency, regulator, intergovernmental body, academic, advocacy organization, or vendor?
  • Evidence and method: Does the work review laws and directives, assess implementation, develop technical guidance, or recommend policy?
  • Legal status: Separate enacted and effective requirements from proposals, executive directions, voluntary standards, and recommendations.
  • Date and scope: Note the publication date and any explicit as-of date, especially for legal descriptions and counts.
  • Question answered: Determine whether the analysis concerns competitiveness, a particular industry, public-sector use, standards, or broad legislative choices.

For an efficient reading path, pair the CRS overview with GAO’s implementation evidence, then consult NIST for standards questions or OECD for cross-national analysis of government use. For an active legal obligation, go beyond these analyses to the current statute, regulation, or official regulator material that establishes it.

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AI policyAI RegulationCRSGAONISTOECDtechnology policy

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