DHS gets power to shut down large AI systems quickly.
H.R. 9917 — AI Kill Switch Act · Filed by Ted Lieu (D-CA) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
The bill requires large AI companies to build shutdown ability. Companies must report serious incidents to DHS within 15 days. DHS can order an immediate shutdown if needed. Companies face fines up to $2 million per day. Fines reach $20 million per day for ignoring orders.
Who it affects
Large AI companies earning at least $500 million per year are affected. These companies built AI systems with over $100 million in computing costs. The Department of Homeland Security gains new shutdown power.
One thing to notice
DHS can shut down AI systems first. Companies then get 48 hours to appeal and 5 days for reconsideration. Companies must give DHS their AI model weights and data logs.
From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 2 Republicans, 1 Democrats.
- Jul 23, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jul 23, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Homeland Security · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
Words to know
- Department of Homeland Security — A U.S. government agency that handles national security and emergency response.
- model weights — The internal data and settings that make an AI system work.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (11,738 characters) on Jul 30, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 14,206 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-09-17.
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