Illinois passes AI accountability bill targeting largest models
Illinois lawmakers unanimously passed legislation Wednesday requiring developers of the most powerful artificial intelligence systems to disclose how they manage safety risks and submit to third-party audits. Senate Bill 315 now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker, who said he intends to sign it.
The bill targets AI companies with over $500 million in revenue and models meeting specific computing thresholds. OpenAI and Anthropic, two of the largest AI developers, supported the measure throughout the legislative process. The House passed it 110-0, and the Senate approved it 52-5 last week.
What the bill requires
Developers would need to create and publish a transparency framework documenting how the company applies industry safety standards, measures model capabilities, assesses catastrophic risk, and responds to safety incidents.
The bill mandates third-party auditors verify compliance with these frameworks. This requirement drew pushback from TechNet, a coalition of technology executives, which said companies would face "highly subjective determinations" without established national standards or clear regulatory guidance.
Rep. Daniel Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, the House sponsor, said his office confirmed a sufficient ecosystem of auditing firms exists to perform these reviews. "We were comfortable keeping it in the bill," Didech said.
Enforcement and next steps
The Illinois attorney general would have exclusive authority to enforce the law, with civil penalties up to $3 million per violation. The bill takes effect in 2028, giving companies time to prepare.
Later amendments clarified auditor qualifications, protected proprietary information, and added language preventing private citizens from suing under the law. Lawmakers also required large AI developers to file disclosure statements and pay fees to cover administrative costs.
Illinois follows New York and California, which passed similar AI accountability laws in 2025. Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, D-Libertyville, the Senate sponsor, said the approach differs from how lawmakers handled social media, where regulation came only after widespread adoption.
"This is not about stopping innovation, but rather about balancing the great promise of AI with its potential harms," Edly-Allen said.
For government professionals overseeing AI implementation or policy, understanding state-level accountability requirements is increasingly critical. Learn more about AI for Government and Generative AI and LLM systems.
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