AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026
Latest action (26 Mar 2026): Introduced
What this bill does
H.R. 8094, the AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026, would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), working with NIST, the Commerce Department, and other stakeholders, to write regulations requiring "covered entities" that provide AI foundation models to disclose information about those models. Within one year of enactment, the FTC would set requirements covering training data sources and composition, data governance, intended uses and risks, performance on safety-related benchmarks (such as medical, election, cybersecurity, or employment-related questions), language support, alignment with frameworks like NIST's AI Risk Management Framework, and computing power used. Some information would be posted on companies' websites and on a central FTC website; other, more sensitive information would be submitted to the FTC without public disclosure. Entities could redact information to protect security or comply with other laws.
The bill applies to entities meeting certain thresholds: models posing significant risk in areas like security or civil rights, models with over 10 million monthly users or downloads, or models trained using very large amounts of computing power. Fully open-source models are exempt. Downstream models built on a compliant base model may simply link to the base model's disclosures unless significantly modified. Small businesses and startups would get compliance assistance, templates, and a three-month penalty grace period.
The FTC would enforce violations as unfair or deceptive practices under existing FTC Act authority, with 14 days' notice before enforcement, and must report to relevant House and Senate committees within a year and update regulations annually.
The bill was introduced March 26, 2026, by Rep. Donald Beyer (D-VA) with two cosponsors, and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. No further action has occurred; it would need committee consideration and votes in both chambers before becoming law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
This bill is in the first stage of the legislative process. It was introduced into Congress on March 26, 2026. It will typically be considered by committee next before it is possibly sent on to the House or Senate as a whole.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 8094 do?
- H.R. 8094, the AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026, would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), working with NIST, the Commerce Department, and other stakeholders, to write regulations requiring "covered entities" that provide AI foundation models to disclose information about those models. Within one year of enactment, the FTC would set requirements covering training data sources and composition, data governance, intended uses and risks, performance on safety-related benchmarks (such as medical, election, cybersecurity, or employment-related questions), language support, alignment with frameworks like NIST's AI Risk Management Framework, and computing power used. Some information would be posted on companies' websites and on a central FTC website; other, more sensitive information would be submitted to the FTC without public disclosure. Entities could redact information to protect security or comply with other laws. The bill applies to entities meeting certain thresholds: models posing significant risk in areas like security or civil rights, models with over 10 million monthly users or downloads, or models trained using very large amounts of computing power. Fully open-source models are exempt. Downstream models built on a compliant base model may simply link to the base model's disclosures unless significantly modified. Small businesses and startups would get compliance assistance, templates, and a three-month penalty grace period. The FTC would enforce violations as unfair or deceptive practices under existing FTC Act authority, with 14 days' notice before enforcement, and must report to relevant House and Senate committees within a year and update regulations annually. The bill was introduced March 26, 2026, by Rep. Donald Beyer (D-VA) with two cosponsors, and referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. No further action has occurred; it would need committee consideration and votes in both chambers before becoming law.
- Has H.R. 8094 become law?
- Not yet. As of 26 Mar 2026, H.R. 8094 is introduced.
- Who sponsored H.R. 8094?
- H.R. 8094 was sponsored by Rep. Donald Beyer [D-VA8] (Democrat-VA), with 3 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 8094?
- Introduced (26 Mar 2026).
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