The U.S. Congress this week advanced legislation addressing artificial intelligence, surveillance technology, and pediatric cancer research, signaling bipartisan efforts to address both the opportunities and risks posed by new technologies.
AI oversight under Section 702 of FISA
Members of Congress introduced a bill requiring the Director of National Intelligence to produce a report on how artificial intelligence is integrated into operations under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). The measure, sponsored by Reps. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.) and James Walkinshaw (D-Va.), would demand a detailed account within 180 days of passage, covering AI’s use in collecting, analyzing, and accessing intelligence gathered through the program.
Congress had previously failed to renew the provision but kept it active through existing judicial approvals.
The bill also calls for an assessment of the safeguards in place around the use of the tools, as well as further details about the types of models being used under Section 702. McDowell stressed the need for oversight to reconcile national security imperatives with constitutional protections, highlighting AI’s expanding influence across data-driven industries.
This initiative follows broader concerns about AI’s role in intelligence work, shifting focus from surveillance collection to how automated systems process and act on intelligence. The debate centers on balancing transparency with operational security.
Restrictions on license plate readers
In a separate effort, Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Michael Cloud (R-Texas) proposed the No Federal License-Plate Observation and Camera Keeping (NO FLOCK) Act, targeting the use of automatic license plate readers by law enforcement. The bill specifically names Flock Safety, a surveillance firm whose technology has drawn criticism for enabling mass tracking without adequate oversight.
The lawmakers’ proposal would require that states enact laws limiting the use of the automatic license plate readers ‘to specific public safety and toll-enforcement purposes.’ States that fail to enforce or pass the restrictions would, after a two-fiscal-year implementation period, have 10% of their federal surface transportation funding withheld each fiscal year. The measure follows reports exposing gaps in how the technology is used, including allegations of misuse for personal surveillance.
Krishnamoorthi pointed to cases where plate readers appeared to track individuals without legitimate law enforcement justification. The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee is scheduled to hold a hearing on September 23 to scrutinize Flock’s nationwide operations, intensifying legislative pressure on the issue.
AI in pediatric cancer research
Three lawmakers—Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Ami Bera (D-Calif.), and Mike Kelly (R-Pa.)—introduced legislation to accelerate pediatric cancer research using artificial intelligence. The bill seeks to improve data sharing, enhance predictive modeling, and modernize clinical trials, building on the National Cancer Institute’s Childhood Cancer Data Initiative.
The proposal would also establish an AI coordinator to help streamline pediatric cancer research and treatment efforts across government and through public-private partnerships. McCaul described the measure as a follow-up to a 2020 executive order by President Trump, framing AI as a tool to drive breakthroughs in an area with historically low survival rates.
Standards for tracking AI systems
Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., introduced the Stop Rogue AI Act to help craft guidelines that agencies and the private sector can use to address the dangers posed by maverick capabilities. Their bill calls for the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop standards for identifying and tracking AI agents on systems, verifying their builders and operators, and monitoring them in real time. Federal contractors and agencies would be required to incorporate these standards into their AI procurement and deployment processes.
