USA Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9326 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9326

To promote United States leadership in technical standards by directing
 the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department
of State to take certain actions to encourage and enable United States
participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial
  intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for
                            other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 15, 2026

 Mr. Webster of Florida (for himself and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space,
                             and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To promote United States leadership in technical standards by directing
 the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department
of State to take certain actions to encourage and enable United States
participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial
  intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Utilize Standards for All Act'' or
the ``USA Act''.

SEC. 2. IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 10245 of the Research and Development, Competition, and
Innovation Act (Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 18951) is amended by
amending subsection (a) to read as follows:
    ``(a) Importance of International Standards Development.--The
Director shall carry out the following:
            ``(1) Advance the principles of openness, transparency, due
        process, appeals, and consensus in the development of
        international standards.
            ``(2) Shall promote voluntary consensus standards,
        developed through a private sector-led process (domestically
        and internationally) in accordance with the National Institute
        of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.), as in
        effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this
        subsection, which are the cornerstone of the United States
        standardization system and serve as the basis for a sound
        national economy and the key to global market access.
            ``(3) Strengthen the unique United States public-private
        partnerships approach to advance United States interests in
        standards development, as such is critical to United States
        economic competitiveness.
            ``(4) In coordination with the heads of relevant Federal
        agencies, ensure cooperation and coordination across Federal
        agencies to partner with and support private sector
        stakeholders regarding standards development for emerging
        technologies.''.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPING
              STANDARDS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
              AND OTHER CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Briefing Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide to
        Congress a briefing to assist in the evaluation and
        identification of opportunities for Federal Government support
        for industry-led efforts in the development of technical
        standards for artificial intelligence and other critical and
        emerging technologies.
            (2) Interagency consultation.--In preparing the briefing
        required by paragraph (1), the Director shall consult with the
        heads of such Federal agencies as the Director considers
        relevant.
            (3) Elements.--The briefing provided pursuant to paragraph
        (1) shall include the following:
                    (A) An overview of standards activities relating to
                artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging
                technologies and information about the following:
                            (i) Key technical standards that are the
                        subject of ongoing activity.
                            (ii) Key standards bodies hosting these
                        activities.
                            (iii) Any Federal agency that is
                        participating in these activities.
                    (B) An analysis identifying where participation by
                United States industry and Federal agencies in
                standards activities in artificial intelligence and
                other critical and emerging technologies would be
                facilitated or enhanced by conducting standards
                meetings hosted in the United States.
                    (C) Recommendations for effectively informing
                United States industry and Federal agencies on ongoing
                standardization activities with the objective of
                increasing participation of such industry and agencies
                in such activities.
            (4) Federal agency notice requirement.--
                    (A) In general.--Using the mechanism established
                pursuant to subparagraph (B), each head of a Federal
                agency shall transmit to the Director notice of the
                participation of their respective Federal agency in a
                standards activity relating to artificial intelligence
                and other critical and emerging technologies.
                    (B) Mechanism.--The Director shall, in coordination
                with the Director of the Office of Management and
                Budget, develop a mechanism for reporting participation
                by Federal agencies in standards activities.
    (b) Web Portal.--
            (1) In general.--In order to inform United States industry
        and Federal agencies about existing and ongoing international
        efforts to develop technical standards for artificial
        intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies and
        opportunities for participation in such efforts, the Director
        shall establish an accessible web portal to help such industry
        and agencies navigate and participate in such efforts.
            (2) Contents.--The web portal established pursuant to
        paragraph (1) shall include regularly updated lists of the
        following:
                    (A) International efforts described in paragraph
                (1) and information on opportunities for participation
                in such efforts.
                    (B) Information on accessing standards, both in
                development and published, for artificial intelligence
                and other critical and emerging technologies.
            (3) Administration.--The Director may enter into such
        cooperative agreements with such nongovernmental organizations
        as the Director considers appropriate to establish the web
        portal required by paragraph (1).

SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STANDARDS MEETINGS FOR ARTIFICIAL
              INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES
              IN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Pilot Program Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
        the enactment of this Act, and subject to the availability of
        appropriated funds, the Director shall, in coordination with
        the heads of such other Federal agencies as the Director
        considers appropriate, establish a pilot program on supporting
        standards meetings for artificial intelligence and other
        critical and emerging technologies in the United States by
        awarding grants to eligible entities described in subsection
        (b) hosting meetings of organizations described in paragraph
        (1) of such subsection to support the hosting of such meetings
        in the United States.
            (2) Administration.--The Director may carry out the pilot
        program required by paragraph (1) by entering into such
        cooperative agreements with such nongovernmental organizations
        as the Director considers appropriate to establish and
        administer the pilot program.
    (b) Eligible Entities.--For purposes of the pilot program required
by subsection (a), an eligible entity is--
            (1) an organization that is developing standards and
        specifications for artificial intelligence and other critical
        and emerging technologies for at least 1 technical standard
        that affects the interests of 1 or more Federal agencies; or
            (2) an entity that hosts an organization described in
        paragraph (1).
    (c) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the pilot program required
        by subsection (a), the Director shall award grants to eligible
        entities to host meetings as described in such subsection.
            (2) Use of funds.--An eligible entity receiving a grant
        under this subsection to host a meeting in the United States
        may use the amount of the grant for such costs as the Director
        considers reasonable for hosting the meeting in the United
        States, but not more than fifty percent of anticipated cost of
        hosting the meeting and not more than a maximum amount that the
        Director shall establish for purposes of this subsection. Such
        costs may include the following:
                    (A) Costs related to the preparation and planning
                of meetings described in subsection (a).
                    (B) Meeting venue-related expenses.
                    (C) Such other costs that may support the eligible
                entity in conducting a standards meeting in the United
                States.
            (3) Considerations.--In deciding whether to award a grant
        under this subsection to an eligible entity to host a meeting,
        the Director may consider the extent to which the eligible
        entity--
                    (A) is or hosts an organization that administers
                technical standards activity in artificial intelligence
                and other critical and emerging technologies that
                involves United States-based participants, including
                but not limited to participants from Federal agencies
                of the United States;
                    (B) has a demonstrable history of participating in
                or hosting successful meetings; and
                    (C) has a stable or growing participant base.
    (d) Guidance.--
            (1) In general.--The Director shall develop and
        periodically update guidance for the pilot program carried out
        under this section.
            (2) Elements.--The guidance developed and updated pursuant
        to paragraph (1) shall cover the following:
                    (A) Eligibility for grants awarded under the pilot
                program.
                    (B) How grants are awarded under subsection (c).
                    (C) The duration and amounts of grants awarded
                under subsection (c).
                    (D) The merit review process for the pilot program.
                    (E) Priority areas for technical standards
                activity.
                    (F) Means for recipients of grants under the pilot
                program to report expenses relating to costs described
                in subsection (c)(2)(D).
                    (G) Such additional matters as the Director
                determines appropriate for purposes of the pilot
                program.
    (e) Briefings for Congress.--
            (1) In general.--During the third year of the pilot program
        carried out under this section and in each subsequent year of
        the pilot program, the Director shall provide Congress with a
        briefing on the pilot program.
            (2) Elements.--Each briefing provided pursuant to paragraph
        (1) shall include the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot
                program with respect to improving the hosting of
                standards meetings in the United States.
                    (B) Identification of the recipients of grants
                under the pilot program.
                    (C) The geographic distribution of attendees at
                meetings supported with grants under the pilot program.
                    (D) A summary of the expenses for which the amounts
                of grants awarded under the pilot program were used.
    (f) Recommendations for Permanent Implementation.--If, before the
date that is 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Director determines that providing support as described in subsection
(a) is feasible and advisable, the Director shall, not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of this Act--
            (1) develop recommendations for such legislative or
        administrative action as the Director considers appropriate to
        establish a permanent implementation of the pilot program; and
            (2) submit to Congress the recommendations developed
        pursuant to paragraph (1).
    (g) Termination.--The pilot program required by subsection (a)(1)
shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging
        technologies.--The term ``artificial intelligence and other
        critical and emerging technologies'' means a subset of
        artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging
        technologies included in the list of such technologies
        identified and maintained by the National Science and
        Technology Council of the Office of Science and Technology
        Policy as the Director considers appropriate for purposes of
        this Act.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
        the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
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