Massachusetts Legislators Proposed New AI Safety Mandates
The pending economic development bill mandates independent risk testing for advanced AI systems to prevent catastrophic harms.
Updated on Oct. 13, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence
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Massachusetts lawmakers are currently negotiating an economic development bill that would require independent evaluations of large AI models three times annually. The proposed regulation aims to mitigate catastrophic risks, including large-scale injuries or substantial economic damage.
Why it matters
The legislation reflects growing concern that advanced AI could facilitate cyberattacks or the development of weapons, prompting state-level efforts to impose safety guardrails. These measures aim to standardize security protocols as an alternative to the current fragmented national regulatory landscape.
The bill defines catastrophic risk as events resulting in the death or injury of 50 or more people or $1 billion in damages. Tech companies meeting an annual revenue threshold of $500 million would bear the costs of the required independent audits.
The players
President Donald Trump
The President of the United States who signed an executive order in December 2025 discouraging excessive state-level AI regulation.
Anthropic
An AI research company that has publicly endorsed the implementation of independent model evaluations.
OpenAI
A developer of large language models that has publicly supported the concept of third-party AI safety testing.
The details
The proposed framework requires developers to submit core AI models to independent evaluators at least three times per year to test for safety failures. These evaluations are intended to identify vulnerabilities that could lead to mass-casualty events or infrastructure destruction through cyber or chemical threats. The bill imposes financial penalties on companies that fail to pass these assessments, placing the burden of safety verification on the private sector.
Timeline
December 2025: President Trump signed an executive order regarding state AI regulation.
October 2026: Negotiations on the economic development bill are currently occurring on Beacon Hill.
Next few weeks: Final contents of the Massachusetts AI bill are expected to be determined.
The Tech Race
The proposed Massachusetts legislation marks a direct departure from the regulatory philosophy established by the December 2025 Executive Order on AI regulation, which sought to curb state-level oversight. This move intensifies a conflict between state-mandated safety audits and federal efforts to prevent localized, onerous regulations.
If passed, the bill will mandate that large AI developers operating in Massachusetts pay for recurring safety assessments. These requirements will likely force companies to adjust their development timelines and compliance costs to meet the state's tri-annual testing schedule.
The takeaway
Legislators are finalizing the bill's language, setting the stage for a potential legal showdown with the federal government's AI Litigation Task Force. Stakeholders should track the final vote count and any specific clauses regarding state-level enforcement of these new safety thresholds.
Further reading
For more on the state of safety standards, visit Artificial Intelligence.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Government Technology.
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