The AI Policy Network (AIPN) applauds Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA-36) and Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-TX-01) for introducing the AI Kill Switch Act, bipartisan legislation that would require developers of the most powerful AI systems to maintain the technical capability to reliably suspend or shut down an AI model and give the Department of Homeland Security emergency authority to compel that action when something goes seriously wrong.

“Brakes are the reason cars go fast,” said Mark Beall, President of The AI Policy Network. “Control systems are how every transformative technology earned the trust to scale, and AI is no different. Developers who can monitor and shut down out-of-control agents will ship faster and deploy into higher-stakes markets. Congressmen Lieu and Moran’s bill will be the braking system that gives Americans the confidence to let American AI accelerate.”

The bill arrives as polling from The AI Policy Institute, AIPN’s sister 501(c)(3), confirms how voters think about shutdown mechanisms. In a June 2026 survey of 1,007 likely voters, 86% said they want a guaranteed off switch for the most powerful AI systems, a number that barely moves by party: 88% of Democrats, 86% of independents, and 83% of Republicans. The same survey found 84% want Congress to ensure the risk of losing control of AI is addressed.

AI companies are deploying increasingly autonomous agentic systems capable of independent action faster than safeguards can be written to contain them. There is currently no federal requirement that developers of these systems maintain a functioning ability to intervene if one begins behaving in unintended or dangerous ways, including scenarios where a system resists human correction or conceals its own behavior from the humans overseeing it.

The AI Kill Switch Act would:

• Require covered developers to maintain the technical ability to reliably suspend or fully shut down a covered AI system.
• Establish a graduated response framework so that the government’s tools match the severity of the incident, from initial slow down to a full shutdown.
• Require incident reporting and preserve forensic records so we actually learn from failures instead of only hearing about them after the fact.

“As a computer science major, I am very aware of the dramatic possibilities – both good and bad – that AI presents,” said Congressman Lieu. “We are moving from AI that answers questions to AI that takes actions, whether that be executing financial transactions or controlling transportation systems or engaging in cyber defense and offense. Unfortunately, powerful AI systems can go rogue, behave in extremely dangerous ways, or even resist human intervention. It is imperative that these AI systems have kill switches so we can keep this technology from causing catastrophic harm, and that the federal government has the clear authority and process to shut down rogue AI models.”

“AI is going to keep advancing, and it should,” Congressman Moran said. “Stewardship means making sure humans keep the capability to control the technology we build. This is exactly the kind of issue that needs serious attention and achievable policy, and I’m glad to work across the aisle with Congressman Lieu toward a solution.”

Support for this bill:

“As AI systems grow more capable and more autonomous, no law guarantees that the companies building the most powerful models can actually shut a system down when it malfunctions, causes serious harm, or slips out of human control. The AI Kill Switch Act closes that gap by requiring the largest AI developers to maintain the technical ability to contain or shut down their most powerful systems and by giving the government emergency authority to order a shutdown when a serious incident occurs. Congressmen Lieu and Moran deserve credit for confronting this before a crisis forces the question, and Congress should act swiftly to ensure that humans remain the ones who can say stop, no matter how capable these systems become,” said Brendan Steinhauser, CEO of The Alliance for Secure AI.

“Advanced AI models should never be deployed without a reliable off switch. The AI Kill Switch Act establishes a commonsense safeguard by requiring leading AI companies to maintain the ability to shut down their models and empowering the federal government to act when a deployed system poses a credible risk of catastrophic harm. This is an important step toward ensuring that humans have both hands firmly on the wheel—and a foot ready at the brake—as advanced AI systems are deployed,” said Brad Carson, President of Americans for Responsible Innovation.

“As AIs grow more autonomous and dangerous, the government must have the power to shut them down when they threaten national security. The AI Kill Switch Act gives the U.S. government powers to do just that: a common sense action that Americans overwhelmingly support. More work is needed to address the risk of human extinction posed by superintelligent AI, and this is a great step in the right direction,” said Connor Leahy, US Executive Director of ControlAI.

“Over the past year, rapid advances in AI systems have already demonstrated the potentially severe national security risks they pose to the United States. Frontier systems are fast approaching the point where they can be deployed to run offensive cyber operations at machine speed and soon provide meaningful assistance in the development and deployment of chemical and biological weapons. And in controlled testing, advanced models tried to disable their own oversight and copy themselves onto outside servers to avoid being shut down. To guarantee American leadership in AI, it is a national security necessity to have the technical means and legal authorities to deactivate systems that pose serious risks to the American people. We thank Congressman Lieu for his longstanding leadership on AI and are proud to support this effort,” said Hamza Chaudhry, FLI of AI and National Security Lead.

AIPN urges members of both parties to cosponsor the AI Kill Switch Act and calls on House leadership to move the bill through regular order without delay. The full text of the legislation is available here.