Sprawling new House AI bill includes frontier model oversight, open-source security grants
Sprawling new House AI bill includes frontier model oversight, open-source security grants
https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/house-ai-bill-regulation-cisa-nist-open-source/822131/
Publish Date: 2026-06-05 11:21:00
Source Domain: www.cybersecuritydive.com
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers introduced legislation Thursday to regulate the development of frontier AI models, with a focus on protecting the nation from cyberattacks and fraud and building an AI-literate workforce.
The 269-page draft of the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act would require large frontier AI developers — defined as those with more than $500 million in annual revenue — to publish frameworks and reports assessing their models’ risks. The bill would codify the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)’s Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) and direct it to certify “independent verification organizations” (IVOs) that would audit AI firms’ compliance with the transparency requirements.
“Large frontier developers must retain a licensed IVO to verify compliance with their framework and to ensure the adequacy of the framework and procedures,” lawmakers explained in a bill summary. “These IVOs must be granted sufficient access to company materials, and report their audits to CAISI.”
Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Lori Trahan, D-Mass., co-introduced the bill along with Reps. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va.; Scott Franklin, R-Fla.; Scott Peters, D-Calif.; and Erin Houchin, R-Ind.
The measure represents one of Congress’s most ambitious AI regulatory efforts to date, and it sparked immediate controversy. Civil society organizations, AI safety advocates and labor groups criticized its preemption of state AI laws, with one advocacy group saying it would be “a generational mistake” to prevent states from “addressing emerging AI harms.” On Capitol Hill, Democrats criticized the preemption language while Republicans said regulation could undermine innovation.
New roles for key agencies
In formally authorizing CAISI, the House bill would give the center a $300 million budget over fiscal years 2027-2029 and authorize it to hire “critical…
