To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a prize competition program relating to artificial intelligence, and for other purposes.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9506 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 9506

To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to
require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to
     establish a prize competition program relating to artificial
                 intelligence, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 29, 2026

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to
require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to
     establish a prize competition program relating to artificial
                 intelligence, 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. FEDERAL GRAND CHALLENGES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) National artificial intelligence initiative.--Title LI
        of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020
        (15 U.S.C. 9411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
        following new section:

``SEC. 5107. FEDERAL GRAND CHALLENGES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy (in this section referred to as the `Director'),
acting through the National Science and Technology Council and the
Interagency Committee, shall establish a prize competition program
pursuant to section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), for the following purposes:
            ``(1) Expediting the development of artificial intelligence
        systems in the United States.
            ``(2) Stimulating artificial intelligence research,
        development, and commercialization that solves or advances
        specific, well-defined, and measurable challenges in at least
        one of the priorities in the list under subsection (b).
    ``(b) List of Priorities.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with
        industry, civil society, and academia, shall establish, and
        annually review and update as the Director considers
        appropriate, a list of priorities consistent with the purposes
        under subsection (a), for the program under such subsection.
            ``(2) Contents.--The list under paragraph (1) may include
        the following priorities:
                    ``(A) To overcome challenges with the engineering
                of and applied research on microelectronics, including
                through the integration of artificial intelligence with
                emerging technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum
                computing, or with respect to physical limits on
                transistors, advanced interconnects, and memory
                elements.
                    ``(B) To promote transformational or long-term
                advancements in computing and artificial intelligence
                technologies through any of the following:
                            ``(i) Next-generation algorithm design.
                            ``(ii) Next-generation compute capability.
                            ``(iii) Generative and adaptive artificial
                        intelligence for design applications.
                            ``(iv) Photonics-based microprocessors and
                        optical communication networks, including
                        electrophotonics.
                            ``(v) The chemistry and physics of new
                        materials.
                            ``(vi) Biotechnology, such as modeling a
                        single cell.
                            ``(vii) Energy utilization or energy
                        efficiency.
                            ``(viii) Techniques to establish
                        cryptographically secure content provenance
                        information.
                            ``(ix) Safety and controls for artificial
                        intelligence applications.
                    ``(C) To promote explainability and mechanistic
                interpretability of artificial intelligence systems.
                    ``(D) To advance fundamental understanding of
                artificial intelligence, including through
                breakthroughs in theoretical, computational, and
                experimental methods that discover new and
                transformative paradigms that explain the advanced
                capabilities of artificial intelligence in domains such
                as the following:
                            ``(i) Interpretability.
                            ``(ii) Control.
                            ``(iii) Steerability.
                            ``(iv) Robustness against foreign
                        adversaries.
                    ``(E) To develop artificial intelligence solutions,
                including through integration among emerging
                technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum
                computing, to overcome barriers to innovations in
                advanced manufacturing in the United States, including
                in areas such as the following:
                            ``(i) Materials, nanomaterials, and
                        composites.
                            ``(ii) Rapid, complex design.
                            ``(iii) Sustainability and environmental
                        impact of manufacturing operations.
                            ``(iv) Predictive maintenance of machinery.
                            ``(v) Improved part quality.
                            ``(vi) Process inspections.
                            ``(vii) Worker safety.
                            ``(viii) Robotics.
                    ``(F) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
                in sectors of the economy, such as expanding the
                utilization of artificial intelligence in maritime
                vessels, including in navigation and in the design of
                propulsion systems and fuels.
                    ``(G) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
                to improve border security, including solutions
                relevant to the detection of fentanyl, illicit
                contraband, and illegal activities.
                    ``(H) To develop artificial intelligence for
                science applications.
                    ``(I) To develop cybersecurity for artificial
                intelligence-related intellectual property, such as
                artificial intelligence systems and artificial
                intelligence algorithms for robustness, resilience, and
                security against foreign adversaries.
                    ``(J) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
                to modernize code and software systems that are
                deployed in the Federal Government and critical
                infrastructure and are at risk of maintenance
                difficulty due to code obsolescence or challenges
                finding expertise in outdated code bases.
                    ``(K) To develop solutions to reduce energy
                consumption in developing, deploying, and maintaining
                data-efficient and high-performance artificial
                intelligence models.
                    ``(L) To develop methods to prevent misuse of
                artificial intelligence systems for malicious purposes.
                    ``(M) To find applications for artificial
                intelligence in wireless communications systems,
                including cellular networks.
                    ``(N) To advance the capabilities of artificial
                intelligence, robotics, and automation for physical
                laboratory infrastructure and cloud laboratories.
            ``(3) Problem statements; success metrics.--For each
        priority in the list under paragraph (1) for which there will
        be a prize competition through the program under subsection
        (a), the Director shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor
        website information relating to the following:
                    ``(A) A specific and well-defined problem
                statement.
                    ``(B) Targets, success metrics, validation
                protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized
                to evaluate submissions to such prize competition.
                    ``(C) Each award for such prize competition.
            ``(4) Consultation on identification and selection of grand
        challenges.--The Director, the Director of the National
        Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the
        Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and such other
        agency heads as the Director considers relevant, shall each
        identify and select artificial intelligence research and
        development grand challenges in which eligible participants
        will compete to solve or advance for prize awards under
        subsection (a).
    ``(c) Federal Investment Initiatives Authorized.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary
        of Transportation, and the Director of the National Science
        Foundation may each establish, consistent with the missions or
        responsibilities of the Department of Commerce, the Department
        of Transportation, or the Foundation, respectively, a program
        to carry out challenge-based acquisitions and other research
        and development investment initiatives the Secretary of
        Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Director of
        the National Science Foundation, as the case may be, determines
        consistent with the list under subsection (b).
            ``(2) Requirements.--Each agency head carrying out an
        investment initiative under paragraph (1) shall ensure the
        following:
                    ``(A) With respect to each such initiative, there
                is, or will be, the following:
                            ``(i) A positive impact on the economic
                        competitiveness of the United States.
                            ``(ii) A benefit to United States industry.
                            ``(iii) In developing such initiative, the
                        resources and expertise of any industry and
                        philanthropic partners to such initiative are
                        leveraged to the extent practicable.
                            ``(iv) Utilization of advanced
                        manufacturing in the United States, if
                        applicable.
                    ``(B) All research conducted for such initiative is
                conducted in the United States.
            ``(3) Accessibility.--In carrying out an investment
        initiative under paragraph (1), the head of the agency at issue
        shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor website
        information relating to the following, as applicable:
                    ``(A) A specific and well-defined problem statement
                for such initiative.
                    ``(B) Targets, success metrics, validation
                protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized
                to evaluate submissions to such initiative.
                    ``(C) Each award for such initiative.
    ``(d) Reports.--
            ``(1) Notification of winning submission.--Not later than
        60 days after the date on which the head of an agency makes an
        award through a program under this section, such head shall
        provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
        Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space,
        and Technology of the House of Representatives, and such other
        committees of Congress as such head considers relevant a report
        on the winning submission for which such award was made and the
        benefits to the United States associated with such submission.
            ``(2) Biennial report.--Not later than two years after the
        date of the enactment of this section and biennially
        thereafter, each head of an agency for which there is a program
        under this section shall carry out the following:
                    ``(A) Submit to the committees referred to in
                paragraph (1) a report that includes the following for
                the biennial period covered by such report:
                            ``(i) A description of the activities
                        carried out by such head under this section.
                            ``(ii) A description of such program,
                        including the results of such program.
                            ``(iii) Information relating to the efforts
                        by such head to provide information to the
                        public and encourage participation with respect
                        to such program.
                    ``(B) Make such report publicly available,
                including by publishing such report on a website, such
                as the GovInfo website of the Government Publishing
                Office, in an easily accessible location.
    ``(e) Sunset.--Each program under this section shall terminate on
the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this
section.
    ``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given the
        term `Executive agency' in section 403 of title 5, United
        States Code.
            ``(2) Critical infrastructure.--The term `critical
        infrastructure' has the meaning given such term in section 1016
        of the USA PATRIOT ACT (42 U.S.C. 5195c).''.
            (2) Clerical amendments.--The table of contents in section
        2(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
        2021 and the table of contents at the beginning of title LI of
        such Act are amended by inserting after the items relating to
        section 5106 the following new item:

``Sec. 5107. Federal grand challenges in artificial intelligence.''.
    (b) Studies.--
            (1) Initial study.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than one year after the
                date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
                of the United States shall conduct a study of the
                following:
                            (i) Ongoing prize competition programs
                        carried out under authorities enacted before
                        the date of the enactment of this Act.
                            (ii) Prize competitions, generally.
                    (B) Elements.--The study conducted under
                subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent
                practicable, the following:
                            (i) An identification of the following:
                                    (I) Best practices for prize
                                competitions.
                                    (II) The metrics the Comptroller
                                General of the United States determines
                                appropriate for evaluating the success
                                of a prize competition.
                            (ii) An assessment of the following:
                                    (I) Whether such metrics differ
                                between evaluating near-term and long-
                                term impacts of prize competitions.
                                    (II) Whether prize competitions can
                                be designed in a way that would result
                                in more effective or revolutionary
                                technology being developed.
                            (iii) An assessment of the efficacy and
                        effect of the programs referred to in
                        subparagraph (A)(i), including with respect to
                        the following:
                                    (I) Whether, and what, technology
                                or innovation would have been developed
                                in the absence of such programs.
                                    (II) Whether such programs have
                                shortened the timeframe for the
                                development of technology or
                                innovation.
                                    (III) Whether such programs are
                                cost effective.
                                    (IV) What benefits, if any, are
                                gained from carrying out such programs.
                                    (V) Whether the utilization of a
                                grant program or contract would have
                                resulted in such development.
                    (C) Report and briefing.--Not later than 18 months
                after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
                Comptroller General of the United States shall provide
                to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
                Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural
                Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
                Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and
                Commerce of the House of Representatives the following:
                            (i) A report on the findings of the
                        Comptroller General with respect to the study
                        conducted under subparagraph (A).
                            (ii) A briefing on such report.
            (2) Interim study.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than three years after
                the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
                General of the United States shall conduct a study of
                each prize challenge program under section 5107 of the
                National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of
                2020, as added by subsection (a).
                    (B) Elements.--The study conducted under
                subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent
                practicable, the following:
                            (i) An assessment of the efficacy and
                        effect of the set of programs referred to in
                        subparagraph (A), including with respect to the
                        following:
                                    (I) Whether, and what, technology
                                or innovation would have been developed
                                in the absence of such programs.
                                    (II) Whether such programs have
                                shortened the timeframe for the
                                development of technology or
                                innovation.
                                    (III) Whether such programs are
                                cost effective.
                                    (IV) What benefits, if any, are
                                gained from carrying out such programs.
                                    (V) Whether the utilization of a
                                grant program or contract would have
                                resulted in such development.
                            (ii) A comparison of such efficacy and
                        effect with the efficacy and effect of the
                        programs referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i).
                    (C) Report and briefing.--Not later than 42 months
                after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
                Comptroller General of the United States shall provide
                to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
                Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural
                Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
                Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and
                Commerce of the House of Representatives the following:
                            (i) A report on the findings of the
                        Comptroller General with respect to the study
                        conducted under subparagraph (A).
                            (ii) A briefing on such report.
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