America Needs One National Framework for Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is already changing the way Americans live, work, learn, and compete. It’s raising urgent questions about national security, accountability, jobs, and privacy.

This week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that calls for voluntary participation from developers to submit frontier AI models for a 30-day review period. Industry, safety experts, and stakeholders agree this is an important step, But many are also asking whether our laws can keep up.

The question before Congress isn’t whether AI will be governed. It’s whether we will build a clear national framework that protects Americans, supports innovation, and ensures the US leads the world in shaping this technology.

That is why, as a Republican and a Democrat, we’re releasing a bipartisan discussion draft of the Great American Artificial Intelligence Act. Policy for a technology this transformative can only be built to last if it’s written by both parties.

AI will shape our economy, workforce, national security, and daily lives for decades, and the framework governing it must be durable enough to survive changes in Congress, administrations, and political priorities.

Several states, including California, New York, and Illinois, have already moved forward with laws and proposals aimed at transparency, auditing, whistleblower protections, and safeguards for frontier AI systems. Many of those efforts reflect serious work. However, risks created by AI don’t stop at state lines.

The most advanced systems are built in one state and used in all 50, shaping jobs, consumers, and public safety everywhere. Protections that depend on your zip code are not enough.

Rather than allow protections to exist only in a handful of states or force innovators to navigate dozens of different legal regimes, our framework would establish one national standard. That standard would extend core protections to every American while giving developers, researchers, and businesses the clarity they need to invest and build responsibly.

Our framework includes safety and transparency requirements for frontier AI while avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach that would slow innovation. Large frontier developers would be required to publish and follow plans for managing catastrophic risks, report serious safety incidents, and face penalties for noncompliance. The proposal also relies on audits by independent verification organizations with the technical expertise to review whether a company’s safety practices are real and effective. State attorneys general could opt in to receive reports and take enforcement action when appropriate, creating one clear national standard backed by both federal and state enforcement.

Our proposal recognizes that AI’s impact won’t be confined to laboratories or boardrooms. The impact will be felt by workers whose jobs could change or disappear, and by students preparing for careers that may look very different by the time they enter the workforce.

We can’t prepare Americans for the future if we’re not measuring what’s happening in real time. Our proposal requires better federal data collection on AI’s labor market impact, improved forecasting for occupations most likely to be affected, and additional transparency when AI is a substantial factor in qualifying mass layoffs.

Collecting that information will help workers, educators, employers, and policymakers respond with facts instead of guesswork. If AI changes the skills Americans need to succeed, we must adapt. That means identifying which jobs are most likely to be affected, where new opportunities are emerging, and how Congress can use all of its tools, from trade and healthcare to research and education policy, to get ahead of those shifts and protect workers.

Our framework also invests in AI education and workforce development. American leadership will depend on whether students, teachers, researchers, community colleges, technical education centers, and institutions across the country have access to the tools and training needed to participate in the AI economy. Talent isn’t limited to a few technology hubs. Our national strategy should reflect that by expanding AI literacy, supporting educators, strengthening technical education, and helping more Americans build the skills needed to compete.

Finally, the framework strengthens America’s ability to lead internationally. Other nations are moving quickly to shape AI standards around their own interests and values. The US shouldn’t cede that ground. By supporting American-led technical standards, encouraging cooperation with like-minded partners, improving cybersecurity coordination, and protecting critical open-source software, we can help ensure AI develops in a way that reflects democratic values, economic freedom, and the rule of law.

This discussion draft isn’t a final product. It’s the start of a serious national conversation with workers, researchers, startups, frontier labs, educators, civil society, state leaders, and the American people.

AI holds an extraordinary promise, but the promise alone is not a strategy. The US needs a clear national approach that protects Americans, empowers innovation, strengthens our workforce, and ensures we remain the global leader in one of the most important technologies of our time.

Congress can’t afford to wait.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg Industry Group, Inc., the publisher of Bloomberg Law, Bloomberg Tax, and Bloomberg Government, or its owners.

Author Information

Rep. Jay Obernolte represents California’s 23rd Congressional District and serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Rep. Lori Trahan represents Massachusetts’ Third Congressional District and serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Before Congress, she was a chief of staff on Capitol Hill before working at a technology startup.

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