Illinois passed SB 315 on May 27, requiring frontier AI labs including OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind to submit their safety practices to independent third-party audits. Governor JB Pritzker announced the same day that he plans to sign the bill, making Illinois the first state to mandate external verification of AI safety claims.
The bill places Illinois ahead of California and New York, both of which require AI companies to disclose guardrails and report safety incidents but do not mandate independent audits. Under SB 315, labs must demonstrate to an outside auditor that they adhere to their own stated safety standards.
Scott Wisor, policy director at the nonprofit Secure AI Project, said the bill addresses a core accountability gap. Previously, no independent body was required to verify whether labs followed through on safety commitments. Wisor expects AI labs could tap the Big Four accounting firms—Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC—or smaller research organizations in the AI Evaluator Forum, including METR, Transluce, and Averi.
Key facts
- 01Illinois passed SB 315, requiring frontier AI labs to have third-party auditors verify their safety practices.
- 02Governor JB Pritzker said on May 27 he plans to sign the bill into law.
- 03OpenAI and Anthropic both endorsed the legislation; Chamber of Progress opposed it.
- 04The bill applies to OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind, among other frontier labs.
- 05Big Four accounting firms or members of the AI Evaluator Forum could conduct the audits.
OpenAI endorsed the legislation. Chris Lehane, the company's chief of global affairs, called the bill a thoughtful framework for frontier AI safety and said clear expectations around transparency and accountability matter as systems grow more capable. Anthropic also backed the bill, with Cesar Fernandez, head of US state and local government relations, saying it establishes a baseline every leading developer is expected to meet.
“The Illinois General Assembly has shown real bipartisan leadership in advancing SB 315 and developing a thoughtful framework for frontier AI safety. As AI systems become more capable, clear expectations around safety, transparency, incident reporting, and accountability matter.”— Chris Lehane, OpenAI chief of global affairs
Illinois state representative Daniel Didech, a sponsor of SB 315, said state legislatures are acting as a testing ground for federal AI policy. With Congress yet to pass meaningful AI safety legislation, states have stepped up to show constituents they are keeping Silicon Valley in check.
OpenAI previously supported an earlier Illinois bill that would have shielded AI labs from liability if their models caused catastrophic harm. Lehane later called that blanket support an oversight and said the company never supported the liability provision. OpenAI has since reoriented its AI policy around passing a series of similar state laws, Lehane said last week.
The bill drew opposition from Chamber of Progress, a trade group whose partners include Google, Apple, Amazon, and Andreessen Horowitz. The group sent a letter to Illinois lawmakers on the morning of May 27 asking them to oppose SB 315. Adam Kovacevich, the group's founder and CEO, argued the bill would force companies to expose sensitive systems to untested auditors in a regulatory regime with all liability and no standards.
President Trump signed executive orders during his second term to unwind AI regulations imposed by the Biden administration and state legislatures, citing concerns about patchwork rules that could hinder the US race against China. Last week, Trump canceled the planned signing of an executive order, saying he did not want to do anything that could dull America's competitive edge.
“would force companies to expose sensitive systems to untested auditors in a regulatory regime that's all liability and no standards.”— Adam Kovacevich, founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress
Illinois' move sets a precedent. The state is requiring verification, not just disclosure, and doing so with bipartisan support in a legislative environment where federal action remains stalled. Whether other states follow Illinois' lead or whether the auditor requirement proves enforceable in practice will determine whether SB 315 reshapes the broader AI safety landscape or remains a one-state experiment.
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