Rep. Moran Introduces AI Incident Reporting Act to Require Reporting of Critical AI Incidents

Congressman Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) introduced the AI Incident Reporting Act, legislation that would create a federal framework requiring developers of the most advanced artificial intelligence models to report dangerous capabilities, security breaches, and safety incidents to the Secretary of Commerce. As AI systems grow more autonomous—capable of modifying their own behavior, evading human oversight, and accelerating their own development—the U.S. has had no clear and formal mechanism to learn when something goes wrong. This bill closes that gap. Under the legislation, the Department of Commerce would designate which AI models meet capability thresholds sufficient to pose significant risks to national security or public safety. Developers of those models would be required to file reports within seven days of discovering dangerous activity. For the most serious incidents—including evidence that a model can autonomously improve itself or cause serious risk to public safety—Commerce would be required to notify congressional leadership and relevant committee chairs within 48 hours. Reportable incidents include AI models that attempt to evade human oversight or resist shutdown; unauthorized access to or theft of model weights; capabilities that could enable offensive cyberattacks against critical infrastructure; evidence that a model can autonomously accelerate the development of more powerful AI systems; and other risks including chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive threats. The legislation directs Commerce to develop reporting thresholds in consultation with AI developers, academic researchers, cybersecurity experts, and national security officials, ensuring the framework reflects technical realities and avoids unnecessary burden on industry. Developers would be required to submit initial reports followed by supplemental disclosures as additional information becomes available. The bill includes protections for sensitive, classified, and security-relevant information and permits inter-agency sharing with the intelligence community and law enforcement where appropriate. It also encourages good-faith reporting, allowing companies to file initial disclosures and follow up with more complete information.