OpenAI has announced its support for a bipartisan House proposal that would require major artificial intelligence companies to work with independent safety evaluators. Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, stated on Tuesday that the company backs a provision in the FRONTIER Act that would create a federal framework for AI safety. The legislation would mandate that large AI labs allow "independent verification organizations" (IVOs) to monitor the development of their models.
The FRONTIER Act was introduced by Reps. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) and Lori Trahan (D-Mass.). Under the proposal, these safety requirements would apply only to companies that exceed thresholds for annual revenue and computing investments. Lehane confirmed he met with one of the bill’s sponsors on Monday to express OpenAI's support for the IVO provision, marking the first time the company has backed a specific federal mandate for third-party safety assessments.
This endorsement follows recent commitments by OpenAI regarding external oversight. Last week, the company supported a California bill that established a vetting process for IVOs, which Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed into law. Additionally, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently pledged to voluntarily embed third-party evaluators within the company, following a similar commitment by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei.
The move represents a transition from voluntary industry pledges to potential federal law. If the FRONTIER Act passes, it would establish the first mandatory national AI safety requirements in the United States. An aide in Rep. Trahan’s office noted that the willingness of industry leaders to support embedded evaluators is a signal that the sector is moving toward formal regulation.
The next steps for the legislation involve further deliberations in Congress. According to a staffer in Rep. Trahan’s office, the next few weeks will be a critical period to determine how these industry commitments are integrated into legislative text. It is not yet reported when the House might vote on the FRONTIER Act or what the specific timeline for implementation would be if the bill is signed into law.