AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026
Current understanding
The AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026 (HR8094) is a House bill that would impose transparency requirements on developers of AI foundation models, referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. For developers, it would create disclosure obligations around foundation model characteristics; for platforms and downstream users, it aims to improve visibility into the models they build on or consume. Status: introduced and referred to committee; specific disclosure scope and enforcement mechanisms remain to be worked out in committee.
Evidence log
- 2023-12-13 — Kids Online Safety Act: cross-connection with kids-online-safety-act: Both create disclosure obligations around algorithmic systems; KOSA specifically requires transparency for recommendation and ad algorithms on covered platforms. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-07-23 — A bill to establish the applicability of antitrust laws to the sharing of artificial intelligence frontier model risks, and for other purposes.: cross-connection with ai-frontier-model-risk-sharing-antitrust: Both regulate frontier/foundation model developers: the Transparency Act mandates disclosure to regulators/public, while S5105 addresses whether developers can lawfully share risk information among themselves without antitrust exposure. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-07-23 — To provide for Federal oversight of the development and deployment of frontier artificial intelligence in interstate and foreign commerce, and for other purposes.: cross-connection with frontier-ai-federal-oversight-act-hr9925: Both target large/frontier model developers with federal obligations — HR9925 via general oversight, the Foundation Model Transparency Act via disclosure requirements. (novelty: 3)
- 2025-06-25 — Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2025: cross-connection with algorithmic-accountability-act-2025: Complementary transparency/accountability approaches — the Accountability Act focuses on deployer-side ADS impact assessments while the Foundation Model Transparency Act targets developer-side disclosures for large models. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-06-25 — READ AI Models Act: Cross-reference: READ AI Models Act (HR6461) is a parallel AI transparency/disclosure vehicle in the 119th Congress, ordered reported 35-0 from committee — a further sign of bipartisan appetite for federal AI model disclosure regimes alongside HR8094. (novelty: 3)
- 2026-03-26 — AI Foundation Model Transparency Act of 2026: cross-connection with ai-incident-reporting: Both bills route through House Energy and Commerce and would create federal disclosure regimes for AI systems — transparency of model characteristics vs. reporting of operational incidents. (novelty: 3)