Florida Sen. Rick Scott is pushing a new bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to release yearly reports on how terrorist organizations are using generative artificial intelligence. The timing is no accident, as national security officials and researchers are increasingly warning that groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda are already leaning on AI to pump out propaganda, recruit followers and even toy with attack planning.
As reported by Tampa Free Press, Scott filed a Senate version of the "Generative AI Terrorism Risk Assessment Act," with Sen. Cynthia Lummis listed as an original co-sponsor. Tampa Free Press quotes Scott saying the United States "already has the resources and manpower to counter AI-enabled threats," while Lummis is quoted urging the country to "lead the AI charge while being clear-eyed about terrorist misuse."
What the bill would do
Under the bill, DHS would have one year after the law takes effect, and then each year for five years, to produce an assessment of how generative AI is being used by terrorists. That includes analysis of AI-powered propaganda, recruitment and any attempts to use AI to build or deploy chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear capabilities. As laid out on Congress.gov, an unclassified portion of every assessment has to go on DHS’s public website, and DHS must brief the relevant congressional committees within 30 days of submitting each report.
How lawmakers and experts say AI is being used
Rep. August Pfluger, who wrote the House companion bill, told reporters that his subcommittee found foreign terrorist organizations are already generating convincing AI-driven propaganda and have even held internal "workshops" to train members on the tools, according to a Rep. Pfluger press release. Independent reporting in Newsweek describes examples such as AI-generated video "news anchors" and other synthetic content being used to boost extremist messaging.
What this means for Florida
For Scott’s home state, the proposal lands close to home. National security rules often turn into local responsibilities, and this bill tells DHS to review information gathered by state and major urban-area fusion centers, then share its findings back with those same centers. Those provisions, along with the requirement that unclassified assessments avoid materials exempt from the Freedom of Information Act, are detailed on Congress.gov. In practice, that sets up a familiar tug-of-war for local agencies between operational needs and civil liberties concerns.
What happens next
The House version of the bill passed by voice vote on Nov. 19, 2025, and Rep. Pfluger’s office issued a release applauding the vote and the committee’s work. The House text was then sent to the Senate and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; the bill record and its actions can be tracked through GovInfo. As Tampa Free Press reports, Scott has filed a Senate version to keep the pressure on in the upper chamber.
Legal questions
The bill specifies that the unclassified assessments may be released publicly while also allowing for a classified annex, and it instructs DHS to coordinate so that the reports comply with existing privacy, civil rights and civil liberties protections. That balancing act, transparency to help local agencies and provide oversight on one side and the risk of exposing sensitive operational details on the other, is likely to be a flash point for lawmakers and privacy advocates as the proposal moves through the Senate.
Bottom line, lawmakers are calling for more visibility into a fast-moving threat, but the fine print and oversight fights are still ahead as the measure heads to the Senate. We reviewed public congressional records and the House text received in the Senate, while Tampa Free Press reports a Scott-led Senate filing; a distinct Senate bill entry under Scott’s name was not readily visible in public legislative databases at the time of publication.
