Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA) speaks during the House Committee on the Judiciary at the Rayburn House Office Building on February 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Nathan Posner | Anadolu | getty images
A new artificial intelligence bill, first reported by CNBC, would crack down on deepfakes and non-consensual images and make it easier for whistleblowers to report AI-related concerns.
The bill is sponsored by Representative Ted Lieu, D-Calif., who leads the bipartisan House task force on AI with Representative Jay Obernolte, R-Calif. This bill is based on the recommendations of the task force report.
Liu called the bill “a step forward” in an interview with CNBC.
“It’s not designed to be controversial,” he said. “It’s based on bipartisan legislation that other members have introduced, as well as recommendations from the bipartisan House AI Task Force. So we’re trying to get something done right now in this period with this bill.”
Liu’s bill avoids some of the more thorny issues related to AI, including whether a federal standard should be established to preempt state AI laws and whether testing requirements should be needed for AI systems used in places like critical infrastructure and education.
The broader bill includes provisions to protect whistleblowers who report AI security risks or violations, require the US to participate in international organizations that develop technical standards for AI, and would establish a prize competition for AI research and development.
While Liu’s bill has Obernolte’s support, the Republican is working on his own AI package that he hopes to release later this year. Like Liu’s bill, Obernolte’s bill would draw from the work of a bipartisan task force.
