Illinois Gov. Pritzker signs nation’s ‘most protective’ AI Safety Measures Act into law
Gov. JB Pritzker signed the AI Safety Measures Act into law earlier this morning. The new law is the first in the nation to require third-party audits of large frontier AI models.
July 6, 2026 — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker this morning signed the Artificial Intelligence Safety Measures Act into law at a ceremony in Chicago. The Safety Measures Act, SB 315, establishes a new national benchmark for AI safety, transparency, and accountability.
The new law sets a strong standard for regulating the largest and costliest AI models, known as frontier models. Illinois becomes the third state to set frontier model standards, following New York’s RAISE Act and California’s SB 53, the Transparency in Frontier AI Act.
SB 315 will require frontier AI companies to publish and annually update a plan to address catastrophic risks from their AI models. Most significantly, it requires annual independent third-party audits of safety issues—the first such requirement in any state AI law.
led by Sen. Edly-Allen and Rep. Didech
“Setting clear expectations”: Sen. Mary Edly-Allen, above, sponsored the AI Safety Measures Act with Rep. Daniel Didech.
Sen. Mary Edly-Allen (D-Grayslake), a leader on AI issues in Springfield, co-sponsored the AI Safety Measures Act with Rep. Daniel Didech (D-Buffalo Grove).
“This bipartisan law is about putting responsible safeguards in place before a preventable catastrophe occurs. Illinois has an opportunity to lead the nation by setting clear expectations for transparency, accountability and public safety,” said Sen. Edly-Allen. “While artificial intelligence holds extraordinary promises from curing disease to transforming scientific research, we have a responsibility to confront the catastrophic risks associated with the systems.”
Rep. Didech added: “The pace of AI development and the capabilities of frontier models are accelerating, and the General Assembly has an obligation to ensure that Illinois residents are protected from catastrophic outcomes. This legislation puts enforceable guardrails in place so Big Tech companies must prioritize safety, be transparent about the risks tied to their systems and take responsibility for preventing serious harm, especially when it comes to protecting children.”
Transparency Coalition a partner in AI safety
Sen. Edly-Allen praised several advisors and stakeholders who helped shape the bill, including the Transparency Coalition.
“Throughout this process, we worked closely with more than one hundred and fifty stakeholders, advocates, and industry leaders, including Secure AI Project, Transparency Coalition, and Anthropic,” she said. “That collaboration helped create strong, balanced law, and today, with this signature, Illinois is a national leader once more.”
Steve Wimmer, senior technical and policy advisor with the Transparency Coalition, worked with legislators in Springfield over the course of this past legislative session.
“SB 315 passed with overwhelming bi-partisan support because lawmakers recognize the same basic truth: the public demands safety and transparency from the AI companies shaping their future,” Wimmer said. “Illinois has created a new template for responsible AI governance that we expect other states, and eventually Congress, to follow.”
What the AI Safety measures Act actually does
The new Act draws some elements from the earlier frontier safety laws enacted in California and New York, while adding measures unique to the Illinois law.
The Act requires large frontier developers to create, implement, publish, and annually update a frontier AI framework addressing catastrophic-risk assessment, mitigations, cybersecurity, internal governance, third-party evaluations, and risks from internal use of frontier models.
It also requires transparency reports before deploying new or substantially modified frontier models, as well as summaries of catastrophic-risk assessments.
The Act mandates annual independent third-party audits and establishes access, reporting, retention, and publication requirements for audit results.
Frontier developers are be required to report critical safety incidents and submit periodic summaries of internal-use risk assessments.
The Act also directs the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Attorney General, to administer reporting mechanisms, issue guidance, and prepare annual reports.
SB 315 provides whistleblower protections and internal reporting processes for covered employees, and establishes civil penalties for violations and clarifies that no private right of action is created.
“The goal of this legislation was to never stop innovation,” Sen. Edly-Allen said at today’s signing ceremony. “Illinois has always embraced innovation. The goal is accountability, the goal is transparency, and the goal is ensuring that these technologies as, as these technologies become more powerful, they are developed responsibly and safely.”