K–12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act of 2026

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5225 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5225

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include
certain curriculum expenses as permissible uses of funds, and for other
                               purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 4, 2026

Mr. Sheehy (for himself, Mr. Budd, Mr. Tuberville, and Mrs. Blackburn)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
          Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to include
certain curriculum expenses as permissible uses of funds, 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 ``K-12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act
of 2026''.

SEC. 2. ALLOWING FUNDS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CURRICULA.

    (a) State Allowable Uses for Student Instruction.--Section
4104(b)(3)(A)(i) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7114(b)(3)(A)(i)) is amended--
            (1) in subclause (VI), by striking ``or'' after the
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating subclause (VII) as subclause (VIII);
        and
            (3) by inserting after subclause (VI) the following:
                                    ``(VII) the use of artificial
                                intelligence (as defined in section
                                5002 of the National Artificial
                                Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15
                                U.S.C. 9401)) in a manner that is safe,
                                effective, and responsible; or''.
    (b) State Allowable Uses for Teachers and School Leaders.--Section
4104(b)(3)(C) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7114(b)(3)(C)) is amended--
            (1) in clause (v), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
            (2) in clause (vi), by striking the period at the end and
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(vii) providing teachers,
                        paraprofessionals, school librarians and media
                        personnel, specialized instructional support
                        personnel, and administrators with the
                        knowledge and skills to use, and teach the use
                        of, artificial intelligence (as defined in
                        section 5002 of the National Artificial
                        Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C.
                        9401)) safely, effectively, and responsibly,
                        including through professional development.''.
    (c) Local Allowable Uses for Student Instruction.--Section
4107(a)(3) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7117(a)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking ``or'' after the
        semicolon;
            (2) by redesignating subparagraph (J) as subparagraph (K);
        and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the following:
                    ``(J) instruction on the use of artificial
                intelligence (as defined in section 5002 of the
                National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020
                (15 U.S.C. 9401)) in a manner that is safe, effective,
                and responsible; or''.
    (d) Local Allowable Uses for Teachers and School Leaders.--Section
4109(a) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 7119(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (5), by striking ``and'' after the
        semicolon;
            (2) in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and
        inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) providing teachers, paraprofessionals, school
        librarians and media personnel, specialized instructional
        support personnel, and administrators with the knowledge and
        skills to use, and teach the use of, artificial intelligence
        (as defined in section 5002 of the National Artificial
        Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401)) safely,
        effectively, and responsibly, including through professional
        development.''.
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