Bipartisan Bill Aims to Ban NDAs on Government Data Center Deals

Lawmakers Greg Landsman, Tom Barrett and Jamie Raskin have unveiled the No Secrets for Data Centers Act, a bipartisan bill that would void nondisclosure agreements restricting government officials from discussing data-center proposals with constituents. The legislation also seeks to deny federal subsidies to tech firms when those subsidies depend on keeping project details secret, except where legitimate trade secrets exist.

The sponsors argue that communities deserve to know how such facilities will affect land, water supplies, electricity costs and local economies before decisions are made. The bill follows growing scrutiny in states such as Arizona, Indiana, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin, where NDAs have limited public insight into large-scale AI-driven infrastructure projects. Critics of NDAs claim they hinder meaningful debate about the environmental and fiscal impacts of data centers that often receive tax incentives. Supporters of the bill, including Brad Carson of Americans for Responsible Innovation, say the measure will bring needed openness to a rapidly expanding sector.