[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7334 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7334
To establish a commission on robotics, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 3, 2026
Mr. Obernolte (for himself, Ms. McClellan, and Mr. Latta) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and
Commerce, Foreign Affairs, and Education and Workforce, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a commission on robotics, 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 ``National Commission on Robotics
Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON ROBOTICS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an independent
commission to be known as the ``Commission on American Leadership in
Robotics'' (in this section referred to as the ``Commission''). The
Commission shall examine robotics as such pertains to interstate and
foreign commerce, economic competitiveness, and national security, and
make recommendations to the appropriate congressional committees
relating thereto.
(b) Membership.--
(1) Number and appointment.--The Commission shall be
composed of 18 members appointed as follows:
(A) Three members appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Representatives.
(B) Three members appointed by the Minority Leader
of the House of Representatives.
(C) Three members appointed by the Majority Leader
of the Senate.
(D) Three members appointed by the Minority Leader
of the Senate.
(E) Six members appointed by the President of the
United States.
(2) Deadline for appointment.--Members shall be appointed
to the Commission by not later than 45 days after the date on
which the Commission is established under subsection (a).
(3) Effect of lack of appointment by appointment date.--If
one or more appointments under paragraph (1) is not made by the
appointment date specified in paragraph (2), the authority to
make such appointment or appointments shall expire, and the
number of members of the Commission shall be reduced by the
number equal to the number of appointments so not made.
(4) Qualifications.--Members of the Commission shall be
individuals who are recognized experts and have appropriate
professional experience in matters relating to either of the
following:
(A) Robotics.
(B) Applications, or potential applications, of
robotics by the private sector or public sector.
(c) Chair and Vice Chair.--
(1) Chair.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives and
the Majority Leader of the Senate shall jointly designate one
member of the Commission to serve as Chair of the Commission.
(2) Vice chair.--The Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives and the Minority Leader of the Senate shall
jointly designate one member of the Commission to serve as Vice
Chair of the Commission.
(d) Period of Appointment and Vacancies.--Members shall be
appointed for the life of the Commission. A vacancy in the Commission
shall not affect its powers and shall be filled in the same manner as
the original appointment was made.
(e) Scope and Duties.--
(1) In general.--The Commission shall carry out a review of
advances in robotics. In carrying out such review, the
Commission shall consider the methods, means, and policies
necessary to advance the development of robotics by the United
States to comprehensively address the economic competitiveness
and national security needs of the United States.
(2) Scope of the review.--In conducting the review
described in this subsection, the Commission shall consider the
following:
(A) The competitiveness of the United States in
robotics, including matters related to the domestic
marketplace for robotics and private sector and public
sector applications of robotics in the United States.
(B) Means and methods for the United States to
assert and maintain a technological advantage in
robotics, specifically in the deployment of robotics in
industrial, retail, and commercial sectors in the
United States.
(C) International developments and trends,
including foreign actions and policies to advance
robotics.
(D) Means by which to foster greater emphasis and
investments in robotics to stimulate strategic
partnerships in robotics with industry, the public, and
academic institutions, to the extent that such efforts
have material application related to economic
competitiveness and manufacturing.
(E) Workforce incentives and programs to attract
and recruit leading talent in robotics, including in
associated science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics fields, to the extent that such efforts
relate to economic competitiveness in robotics.
(F) The global and domestic supply chain for
robotics, including any supply chain risks or
dependencies, and policies to increase the
manufacturing of robotics in the United States.
(G) Any other matters the Commission determines
appropriate related to robotics.
(f) Commission Report and Recommendations.--
(1) Interim report.--Not later than one year after the date
on which the Commission is established under subsection (a),
the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees and the President an interim report on the status of
the Commission's review under subsection (e), including a
discussion of any interim recommendations.
(2) Final report.--Not later than two years after the date
on which the Commission is established under subsection (a),
the Commission shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees and the President a final report on the findings of
the Commission and such recommendations as the Commission may
have for action by Congress and the Federal Government.
(g) Government Cooperation.--
(1) Cooperation.--In carrying out its duties under this
section, the Commission shall receive the full and timely
cooperation of the Secretary and the heads of other relevant
Federal departments and agencies in providing the Commission
with analysis, briefings, and other information necessary for
the fulfillment of such duties.
(2) Liaison.--The Secretary shall designate at least one
officer or employee of the Department to serve as a liaison
officer between the Secretary and the Commission.
(3) Detailees authorized.--The Secretary and the heads of
other relevant Federal departments and agencies may provide,
and the Commission may accept and employ, personnel detailed
from the Department and such other Federal departments and
agencies, as the case may be, without reimbursement.
(4) Facilitation of certain services.--
(A) Independent, nongovernmental institute.--Not
later than 45 days after the date on which the
Commission is established under subsection (a), the
Secretary may make available to the Commission the
services of an independent, nongovernmental institute
described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, and exempt from tax under section 501(a)
of such Code, that has recognized credentials and
expertise in economic competitiveness and technology in
order to facilitate the Commission's discharge of its
duties under this section.
(B) Federally funded research and development
center.--On request of the Commission, the Secretary
shall make available to the Commission the services of
a federally funded research and development center that
is covered by a sponsoring agreement of the Department
in order to enhance the Commission's efforts to
discharge its duties under this section.
(5) Other services.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary may provide to the
Commission, on a nonreimbursable basis, such
administrative services, funds, staff, facilities, and
other support services as are necessary for the
discharge of the Commission's duties under this
section.
(B) Other agencies.--In addition to any support
provided under paragraph (1), the heads of other
relevant Federal departments and agencies may provide
to the Commission such services, funds, facilities,
staff, and other support as such heads determine
advisable and as may be authorized by law.
(h) Staff.--
(1) Status as federal employees.--Notwithstanding the
requirements of section 2105 of title 5, United States Code,
including the required supervision under subsection (a)(3) of
such section, a member of the Commission shall be considered to
be a Federal employee.
(2) Executive director.--The Commission shall appoint and
fix the rate of basic pay for an Executive Director in
accordance with section 3161(d) of title 5, United States Code.
(3) Pay.--The Executive Director, with the approval of the
Commission, may appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for
additional personnel as staff of the Commission in accordance
with section 3161(d) of title 5, United States Code.
(i) Personal Services.--
(1) Authority to procure.--The Commission may--
(A) procure the services of experts or consultants
(or of organizations of experts or consultants) in
accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title
5, United States Code; and
(B) pay in connection with such services travel
expenses of individuals, including transportation and
per diem in lieu of subsistence, while such individuals
are traveling from their homes or places of business to
duty stations.
(2) Maximum daily pay rates.--The daily rate paid an expert
or consultant procured pursuant to paragraph (1) may not exceed
the daily rate paid a person occupying a position at level IV
of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United
States Code.
(j) Authority To Accept Gifts.--The Commission may accept, use, and
dispose of gifts or donations of services, goods, and property from
non-Federal entities for the purposes of aiding and facilitating the
work of the Commission. The authority under this subsection does not
extend to gifts of money. Gifts accepted under this authority shall be
documented, and conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of
interest shall be avoided. Subject to the authority in this section,
members of the Commission shall otherwise comply with rules set forth
by the Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the Committee on
Ethics of the House of Representatives governing employees of the
Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
(k) Legislative Advisory Committee.--The Commission shall operate
as a legislative advisory committee.
(l) Contracting Authority.--The Commission may acquire such
administrative supplies and equipment as necessary for Commission use
to the extent funds are available.
(m) Use of Federal Government Information.--The Commission may
secure directly from any Federal department or agency such information
as the Commission considers necessary to discharge its duties. Upon
such request of the Chair of the Commission, the head of such Federal
department or agency shall furnish such information to the Commission.
(n) Postal Services.--The Commission may use the United States mail
in the same manner and under the same conditions as Federal departments
and agencies.
(o) Space for Use of Commission.--Not later than 30 days after the
date on which the Commission is established under subsection (a), the
Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Commission,
shall identify and make available suitable excess space within the
Federal space inventory to house the operations of the Commission. If
the Administrator is not able to make such suitable excess space
available within such 30-day period, the Commission may lease space to
the extent funds are available.
(p) Removal of Members.--A member may be removed from the
Commission for cause by the individual serving in the position
responsible for the original appointment of such member under
subsection (b)(1), if notice has first been provided to such member of
the cause for such removal and such removal is voted and agreed upon by
three quarters of the members serving. A vacancy created by such
removal shall not affect the powers of the Commission, and shall be
filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made.
(q) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate 18 months after
the date on which the Commission submits the final report required
under subsection (f)(2).
(r) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Commerce.
(3) Robotics.--The term ``robotics'' includes each of the
following:
(A) Programmable multifunctional mechanical devices
designed to move material, parts, tools, or specialized
devices through variable programmed motions to perform
a variety of tasks.
(B) Programmed actuated mechanisms with a degree of
autonomy to perform locomotion, manipulation, or
positioning.
(C) Automatically controlled, reprogrammable,
multipurpose manipulators, programmable in three or
more axes, which can be either fixed in place or fixed
to a mobile platform for use in automation applications
in an industrial environment.
(D) Machines that--
(i) can sense their environment;
(ii) have the capacity to process the
information they sense; and
(iii) are organized to act directly upon
their environment.
(E) Mechanical devices that are capable of
locomotion, navigation, or movement on the ground, and
operate at a distance from one or more operators or
supervisors based on commands or in response to sensor
data, or through any combination thereof, and that may
also be referred to as ``unmanned ground vehicle
systems''.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
<all>