Fathom Statement on Governor Newsom's Executive Order to Accelerate Independent Verification of AI

Order speeds up the timeline to implement SB 813, the first comprehensive independent verification law in the nation, and convenes national experts to look at where independent verification could play a bigger role

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Newsom today signed an executive order accelerating the implementation of SB 813, the Fathom-sponsored law that created the nation's first comprehensive framework for independent verification organizations.

The executive order moves up the deadline for California to finalize IVO designation criteria from January 2028 to May 2027, and convenes experts to recommend, by November 16, a series of technical feasibility questions on IVOs: whether IVOs should be embedded onsite inside frontier labs, independently verify the safety filings labs already submit to the state under SB 53, and verify on an ongoing basis that a "kill switch", an emergency shutoff for frontier models, actually works.

"Fathom has long believed that an ecosystem of transparent, effective, and independent verification organizations (IVOs) will be a central pillar of making sure AI is safe for the world. Today we're seeing California turn what was once a policy idea into a real-life regulatory structure to keep people safe as this technology advances."

"Fathom sponsored California's first-in-nation independent verification law because it lays out the accountability and independence IVOs need to effectively govern AI. Today's EO gets California there faster and looks at other places where independent checks could make AI safer. This is real progress, and we're excited to continue this work not just in California but with our policymakers across the country who are working hard to bring IVOs to life the right way."

– Andrew Freedman, Fathom CEO and Co-Founder

SB 813 ensures IVOs are accountable to the public and the state, and independent from the companies they assess. Government sets and enforces the criteria for who qualifies as an IVO, with the power to pull that designation. A separate, expert-staffed body, not the IVOs or the labs themselves, sets the standards IVOs are assessed against, and IVO findings are transparent so that anyone, regulators, researchers, the public, can check their work.

About Fathom

Fathom is an independent nonprofit whose mission is to build a governance architecture that helps society navigate the transition to a world with AI by fostering trust, safety, and innovation. Fathom has developed and championed the independent verification model for AI and works with policymakers across the country to put it into practice. Learn more at http://fathom.org.

SOURCE Fathom AI Inc.