HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Reps. Melissa Shusterman and Greg Scott said they expect to introduce legislation within days that would impose safety standards and independent audits on advanced artificial intelligence models to reduce risks to critical infrastructure and other systems.
The proposal would require developers to create and follow AI safety frameworks, according to the Democratic lawmakers. It would also establish a process for reporting critical safety incidents and protect whistleblowers who disclose potentially catastrophic risks.
Independent third parties would be required to audit compliance with the safeguards.
Shusterman, of Chester County, and Scott, of Montgomery County, began seeking legislative support for the proposal through a co-sponsorship memorandum circulated in August.
The lawmakers said the bill would draw from measures enacted with bipartisan support in California, Illinois and New York. They cited potential threats involving financial, utility and infrastructure systems, internet disruptions and the development of biological weapons.
“Government must ensure frontier models are not causing catastrophic harm to society,” Shusterman said. “Currently, AI has no federal regulatory standards.”
The absence of federal action requires Pennsylvania to develop its own protections, the lawmakers said.
“Ensuring strong safeguards around advanced AI systems is essential to protecting the wellbeing of our communities and the stability of our critical infrastructure,” Scott said.
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