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federal AI legislation

U.S. Capitol linked by network lines to a seal reading CISA and a transparent shield, for the CISA Securing AI Task Force Act

Carter, Thompson Reintroduce Bill Creating an AI Security Task Force at CISA

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The task force would update the federal cybersecurity agency’s AI security guidance and coordinate warnings about the cyber risks of using AI software.

 

Reps. Troy Carter (D-La.) and Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) reintroduced a bill that would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal government’s cybersecurity agency, to create a task force to coordinate its AI safety and security work.

The task force would oversee the agency’s AI security warnings and guidance, including warnings about the cyber risks of using AI software. Its work would cover AI from design and development through adoption and deployment. It would also coordinate CISA’s input into AI working groups. These include groups led by the Department of Homeland Security, groups made up of several federal agencies, and groups outside the government.

Thompson, the top Democrat on the House Homeland Security Committee, said the task force would help CISA “better understand the risks that come with AI” and protect “the systems and infrastructure Americans rely on every day.”

The CISA Securing AI Task Force Act was announced on Oct. 8 and sent to the House Homeland Security Committee.

The task force would update CISA’s AI guidance and warnings

Within a year of the bill becoming law, CISA’s director would have to form the task force from staff already working across the agency’s offices.

The task force would review CISA’s existing security guidance and programs and recommend changes so they address the safety and security problems that come with AI.

It would also coordinate CISA’s efforts to warn about the cyber risks of using AI-based software and to encourage the use of security-focused AI software.

The task force would also look at how AI can help defend against attacks

The task force would also look for ways AI can help defend the systems and infrastructure Americans rely on against cyberattacks. Within CISA, it would identify where the agency needs more staff with AI skills and recommend new projects to make AI safer to build and use.

The bill would set no rules for companies

The bill would put no new requirements on businesses and would give CISA no new powers. It does not set aside money for the task force.

Every six months, the task force would brief the House Homeland Security Committee and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on its work. Apart from the briefings, the bill sets no deadlines and requires no reports or other products from the task force. The law would expire five years after it took effect.

To become law, the bill would need approval from the House Homeland Security Committee, votes in both the House and the Senate, and the president’s signature.

Cube-shaped autonomous AI agents rolling toward the U.S. Capitol on a glowing blue digital highway, for the AI AGENT Act article.

Senators Propose First Federal Framework for Autonomous AI Agents

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The bipartisan discussion draft would establish new federal rules for AI agents that act on a user’s behalf, including requirements intended to promote user choice, security, and transparency.

 

Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) along with Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) released a discussion draft, The Artificial Intelligence Access, Gatekeeper Exchange, and Nondiscriminatory Transfer (AI AGENT) Act, that would create what sponsors describe as the first federal framework focused specifically on autonomous AI agents rather than AI models more broadly. The proposal comes as AI agents capable of completing multi-step tasks, accessing online accounts, and making decisions on behalf of users are moving rapidly from experimental tools to commercial products.

The draft proposes a federal framework to ensure AI agents act in the interests of the people they represent and promote competition among agent providers.

Among its major provisions, the proposal would:

  • Require large online platforms to allow users to choose qualifying third-party AI agents rather than limiting them to platform-owned assistants.
  • Direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish security, privacy, identity verification, and interoperability standards for qualifying AI agents.
  • Create a federal certification or registry process for AI agent providers that meet those standards.
  • Require certified AI agents to operate with a “duty of loyalty,” acting in the interests of the user rather than favoring developers, advertisers, or affiliated businesses.
  • Require transparency around financial relationships or conflicts of interest that could influence an agent’s recommendations or actions.
  • Establish requirements for AI agents to securely access online services without exposing user credentials or compromising account security.

The senators are seeking public feedback on the discussion draft before introducing formal legislation.