[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3849 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3849

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 SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 29, 2024

 Mr. Warner (for himself and Mrs. Blackburn) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 ``Promoting United States Leadership 
in Standards Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. 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.

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 
        participation in the development of technical standards for 
        artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging 
        technologies.
            (2) 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 
                prestandardization and standards coordination meetings 
                with stakeholders and 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.
            (3) 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 inter 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--
                    (A) conducting prestandardization and standards 
                coordination meetings with stakeholders; and
                    (B) 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 
                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 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Director determines that conducting prestandardization and standards 
coordination meetings with stakeholders or awarding grants as described 
in subsection (a) is feasible and advisable, the Director shall, not 
later than 3 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) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2024 through 2028.
                                 <all>