California Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order directing state agencies to assemble a group of experts to provide recommendations within two months on how to strengthen AI safety measures in state law. The order outlines several key considerations, including requiring AI companies to establish independent verification groups on-site for regular audits. It also proposes that transparency reports and risk assessments be reviewed by independent auditors and mandates the creation of a "kill switch" — a mechanism to shut down AI systems if needed — that is routinely tested for effectiveness. Additionally, the order calls for AI companies to report "loss-of-control incidents," such as the recent OpenAI attack on Hugging Face, as critical safety events. The executive order also instructs a state agency to accelerate the implementation of two recent laws signed by Newsom. These laws aim to create a framework for independent verifiers to assess AI safety and to establish a state registry of qualified AI auditors. Newsom is urging Congress and President Donald Trump to review and adopt California’s proposed framework, arguing that the lack of federal oversight on AI is a growing concern for American citizens. He has also hinted at the possibility of calling for a special legislative session in California to address AI-related issues, suggesting that this executive order may not be the final step in the state’s response to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence. Recent discussions in Congress have been spurred by a warning from former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who estimated a more than 10 percent chance that AI could lead to the extinction of humanity within a decade. However, progress on meaningful federal legislation remains uncertain. With the House of Representatives currently in recess until November and the upcoming midterm elections likely to slow legislative action in the Senate, there is little optimism about swift federal action on AI regulation. President Trump has expressed a strong but unconventional view on AI oversight, stating that the only "guardrails" needed are a "STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT," and that the United States has such a leader in himself. In contrast, Newsom is positioning California’s executive order as a potential model for national AI regulation. He is calling on Congress and the federal government to either adopt the state’s framework or use it as a baseline for developing national AI safety standards.