Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act
Key claim: HR1736 would require DHS to periodically assess and report to Congress on terrorism threats posed by generative AI, while mandating information sharing from fusion centers and other federal agencies.
Abstract
(HR1736 · 119th Congress) Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to periodically provide Congress with an assessment of threats to the United States posed by the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) for terrorism. Generative AI is defined as the class of AI models that emulate the structure and characteristics of input data to generate derived synthetic content, including images, videos, audio, text, and other digital content. The bill also (1) requires DHS to review and disseminate related information gathered by state and major urban area fusion centers and the National Network of Fusion Centers, and (2) requires other federal agencies to share related information with DHS. (A fusion center is a collaborative effort of two or more federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies that combines resources, expertise, or information with the goal of maximizing the ability of such agencies to detect, prevent, investigate, apprehend, and respond to criminal or terrorist activity.) Latest action (2025-11-20): Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Why this matters
The bill would establish a recurring federal mechanism specifically tying generative AI risk to homeland security intelligence infrastructure, integrating fusion centers into AI threat monitoring for the first time. It signals a shift from generic AI safety framing toward formal, periodic risk reporting obligations focused on terrorism misuse, which could shape how DHS characterizes and communicates generative AI harms to Congress and downstream operators.