A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act on June 5, 2026, a 269-page discussion draft aimed at establishing federal safety standards for frontier AI systems. The bill mandates that developers with over $500 million in annual gross revenue establish public frameworks to mitigate catastrophic risks, which the text defines as foreseeable events causing death or injury to more than 50 people or $1 billion in property damage.

A central component of the legislation is a three-year pre-emption period that would supersede state-level laws specifically regulating AI development. The draft document notes this would affect existing regulations in states such as California, including AB 2013 regarding training data summaries and portions of SB 942 concerning content watermarking. While the bill aims to create consistent national standards for transparency and auditing, it has faced opposition from safety groups who argue that pre-empting state oversight removes a critical layer of tech accountability.

The proposal creates a formal statutory role for the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), tasking it with developing security guidelines and evaluating potential vulnerabilities in domestic and foreign systems. Large developers would be required to undergo semi-annual audits by an Independent Verification Organization (IVO) licensed through CAISI. Failure to comply with audit requirements or misrepresenting findings could lead to penalties of up to $1 million per day.

Beyond model safety, the bill addresses workforce and security concerns. It extends the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 through fiscal 2035 to allow companies to exchange threat data without antitrust liability. The legislation also establishes whistleblower protections for those reporting AI violations and mandates studies on the impact of content moderation interactions on First Amendment-protected speech. Additionally, it directs the Department of Labor to create an AI Workforce Research Hub to evaluate labor impacts and authorizes $100 million annually for CAISI operations from fiscal 2027 through 2029.

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers introduced the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act on June 5, 2026, a 269-page discussion draft aimed at establishing federal safety standards for frontier AI systems. The bill mandates that developers with over $500 million in annual gross revenue establish public frameworks to mitigate catastrophic risks, which the text defines as foreseeable events causing death or injury to more than 50 people or $1 billion in property damage.

A central component of the legislation is a three-year pre-emption period that would supersede state-level laws specifically regulating AI development. The draft document notes this would affect existing regulations in states such as California, including AB 2013 regarding training data summaries and portions of SB 942 concerning content watermarking. While the bill aims to create consistent national standards for transparency and auditing, it has faced opposition from safety groups who argue that pre-empting state oversight removes a critical layer of tech accountability.

The proposal creates a formal statutory role for the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), tasking it with developing security guidelines and evaluating potential vulnerabilities in domestic and foreign systems. Large developers would be required to undergo semi-annual audits by an Independent Verification Organization (IVO) licensed through CAISI. Failure to comply with audit requirements or misrepresenting findings could lead to penalties of up to $1 million per day.

Beyond model safety, the bill addresses workforce and security concerns. It extends the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 through fiscal 2035 to allow companies to exchange threat data without antitrust liability. The legislation also establishes whistleblower protections for those reporting AI violations and mandates studies on the impact of content moderation interactions on First Amendment-protected speech. Additionally, it directs the Department of Labor to create an AI Workforce Research Hub to evaluate labor impacts and authorizes $100 million annually for CAISI operations from fiscal 2027 through 2029.