[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 158 (Monday, September 14, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H4354-H4356]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AI IN GOVERNMENT ACT OF 2020
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend
the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2575) to authorize an AI Center of
Excellence within the General Services Administration, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2575
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 ``AI in Government Act of
2020''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of
General Services;
(2) the term ``agency'' has the meaning given the term in
section 3502 of title 44, United States Code;
(3) the term ``AI CoE'' means the AI Center of Excellence
described in section 3;
(4) the term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning
given the term in section 238(g) of the John S. McCain
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (10
U.S.C. 2358 note);
(5) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Management and Budget;
(6) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001); and
(7) the term ``nonprofit organization'' means an
organization described in section 501(c)(3)of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section
501(a) of that Code.
SEC. 3. AI CENTER OF EXCELLENCE.
(a) In General.--There is created within the General
Services Administration a program to be known as the ``AI
Center of Excellence'', which shall--
(1) facilitate the adoption of artificial intelligence
technologies in the Federal Government;
(2) improve cohesion and competency in the adoption and use
of artificial intelligence within the Federal Government; and
(3) carry out paragraphs (1) and (2) for the purposes of
benefitting the public and enhancing the productivity and
efficiency of Federal Government operations.
(b) Duties.--The duties of the AI CoE shall include--
(1) regularly convening individuals from agencies,
industry, Federal laboratories, nonprofit organizations,
institutions of higher education, and other entities to
discuss recent developments in artificial intelligence,
including the dissemination of information regarding
programs, pilots, and other initiatives at agencies, as well
as recent trends and relevant information on the
understanding, adoption, and use of artificial intelligence;
(2) collecting, aggregating, and publishing on a publicly
available website information regarding programs, pilots, and
other initiatives led by other agencies and any other
information determined appropriate by the Administrator;
(3) advising the Administrator, the Director, and agencies
on the acquisition and use of artificial intelligence through
technical insight and expertise, as needed;
(4) assist agencies in applying Federal policies regarding
the management and use of data in applications of artificial
intelligence;
(5) consulting with agencies, including the Department of
Defense, the Department of Commerce, the Department of
Energy, the Department of Homeland Security, the Office of
Management and Budget, the Office of the Director of National
Intelligence, and
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the National Science Foundation, that operate programs,
create standards and guidelines, or otherwise fund internal
projects or coordinate between the public and private sectors
relating to artificial intelligence;
(6) advising the Director on developing policy related to
the use of artificial intelligence by agencies; and
(7) advising the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy on developing policy related to research
and national investment in artificial intelligence.
(c) Staff.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall provide necessary
staff, resources, and administrative support for the AI CoE.
(2) Shared staff.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Administrator shall meet the requirements described under
paragraph (1) by using staff of the General Services
Administration, including those from other agency centers of
excellence, and detailees, on a reimbursable or
nonreimbursable basis, from other agencies.
(3) Fellows.--The Administrator may, to the maximum extent
practicable, appoint fellows to participate in the AI CoE
from nonprofit organizations, think tanks, institutions of
higher education, and industry.
(d) Sunset.--This section shall cease to be effective on
the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 4. GUIDANCE FOR AGENCY USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(a) Guidance.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director, in coordination with the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in
consultation with the Administrator and any other relevant
agencies and key stakeholders as determined by the Director,
shall issue a memorandum to the head of each agency that
shall--
(1) inform the development of policies regarding Federal
acquisition and use by agencies regarding technologies that
are empowered or enabled by artificial intelligence,
including an identification of the responsibilities of agency
officials managing the use of such technology;
(2) recommend approaches to remove barriers for use by
agencies of artificial intelligence technologies in order to
promote the innovative application of those technologies
while protecting civil liberties, civil rights, and economic
and national security;
(3) identify best practices for identifying, assessing, and
mitigating any discriminatory impact or bias on the basis of
any classification protected under Federal nondiscrimination
laws, or any unintended consequence of the use of artificial
intelligence, including policies to identify data used to
train artificial intelligence algorithms as well as the data
analyzed by artificial intelligence used by the agencies; and
(4) provide a template of the required contents of the
agency plans described in subsection (c).
(b) Public Comment.--To help ensure public trust in the
applications of artificial intelligence technologies, the
Director shall issue a draft version of the memorandum
required under subsection (a) for public comment not later
than 180 days after date of enactment of this Act.
(c) Plans.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which
the Director issues the memorandum required under subsection
(a) or an update to the memorandum required under subsection
(d), the head of each agency shall submit to the Director and
post on a publicly available page on the website of the
agency--
(1) a plan to achieve consistency with the memorandum; or
(2) a written determination that the agency does not use
and does not anticipate using artificial intelligence.
(d) Updates.--Not later than 2 years after the date on
which the Director issues the memorandum required under
subsection (a), and every 2 years thereafter for 10 years,
the Director shall issue updates to the memorandum.
SEC. 5. UPDATE OF OCCUPATIONAL SERIES FOR ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, and in accordance with chapter 51 of
title 5, United States Code, the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management shall--
(1) identify key skills and competencies needed for
positions related to artificial intelligence;
(2) establish an occupational series, or update and improve
an existing occupational job series, to include positions the
primary duties of which relate to artificial intelligence;
(3) to the extent appropriate, establish an estimate of the
number of Federal employees in positions related to
artificial intelligence, by each agency; and
(4) using the estimate established in paragraph (3),
prepare a 2-year and 5-year forecast of the number of Federal
employees in positions related to artificial intelligence
that each agency will need to employ.
(b) Plan.--Not later than 120 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Personnel Management shall submit to the Committee on
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and
the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of
Representatives a comprehensive plan with a timeline to
complete requirements described in subsection (a).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Cloud) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
GENERAL LEAVE
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous
consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the measure
before us.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I thank Representative McNerney and former Ranking Member Meadows for
introducing the Artificial Intelligence in Government Act.
As the Federal Government faces historic challenges and resource
constraints due to the coronavirus pandemic, artificial intelligence
can provide innovative solutions to help agencies fulfill their
missions and is critical to broader IT modernization efforts.
H.R. 2575 would codify the Artificial Intelligence Center of
Excellence at the General Services Administration, advancing the
acquisition and implementation of AI technologies throughout the
Federal Government by providing expertise, best practices, and support.
The bill would improve cohesion and competency around Federal use and
adoption of AI by requiring agencies that use or plan to use such
technologies to submit a memorandum to the Director of OMB
demonstrating compliance with relevant guidelines. It also would
require the Office of Personnel Management to evaluate AI skills needed
in the Federal workforce and to provide an up-to-date occupational
series for these skills.
If we are to maintain our leadership and competitive edge globally,
America must prioritize these mission-critical capabilities and their
strategic implementation across Federal agencies.
We also must ensure that AI is deployed with an unwavering commitment
to cybersecurity, data security and integrity, ethics, privacy, and the
protection of the constitutional rights of our citizens.
Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2575, the AI in Government
Act.
Artificial intelligence, or AI, has the potential to improve our
Federal workforce's productivity and to solve complex government
challenges.
By responsibly increasing the utilization of AI in the Federal
Government, we can streamline burdensome administrative tasks and
better allocate finite resources. AI can potentially save the Federal
Government billions of dollars and countless man-hours.
Artificial intelligence tools can also free Federal workers from
mundane tasks, giving them time for more challenging work. In fact, a
Deloitte report from 2017 estimated that the Federal Government could
potentially save 1.2 billion employee labor-hours by automating certain
tasks. That could potentially save the Federal Government up to $41
billion, annually.
AI can also improve Federal policy decisions by presenting new
insights and improving the quality of information available to
decisionmakers.
AI represents a force multiplier benefiting the American people in an
era of soaring Federal deficits and increasing complexity of various
Federal agency missions and programs. The taxpayers should especially
benefit from a smarter, more effective government.
The good news is that the government agencies are well on their way
to realizing the benefits of artificial intelligence technology
solutions. A 2018 survey by IBM found that nearly half of the
responding Federal agencies already incorporated AI solutions.
The Trump administration has already made advancement of AI a
national priority. In February of 2019, President Trump issued the
executive order on ``Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial
Intelligence.''
The executive order promotes national research and development
efforts, workforce training, and technology standards. However, it did
not go as far as to establish the necessary accountability or governing
policies
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for Federal agencies using AI tools. But the AI in Government Act does,
because, along with the potential of AI, there are attending concerns
and considerations regarding its ethical use which must be taken into
account to maintain the trust and confidence of the American people.
H.R. 2575 ensures proper oversight over the government's increasing
use of AI. The bill requires the Office of Management and Budget and
the Office of Science and Technology Policy to issue a memorandum to
agencies to inform the development of agency AI policy plans. These
agency plans will provide greater insight into agency AI activities and
will ensure public accountability over how Federal agencies incorporate
AI tools into their mission delivery and decisionmaking.
Mr. Speaker, we must tap into the benefits AI has to offer, and, with
this bill, we can do it with proper oversight and accountability. I
urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time
as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).
Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member and chairwoman
of the committee for their support of this bill, and all members of the
committee.
The work of the Federal Government impacts every single American.
Artificial intelligence presents many opportunities for the Federal
Government to be better able to serve all Americans.
There are also certain risks that AI presents. As Federal agencies
adopt AI technology, it is critical that they are equipped with the
expertise and tools they need to succeed and that they address the
potential risks of adopting this technology. That is why this
legislation is critical. It will help Federal agencies scale AI
adoption in a smart and responsible way.
First, this legislation will create a Center of Excellence within the
General Services Administration. The Center of Excellence will provide
a pool of AI experts within the Federal Government that can help
agencies adopt AI and will also help better coordinate AI adoption
across the Federal Government.
Second, this legislation will require agencies to develop governance
plans to guide their AI adoption and use. These governance plans must
address privacy and civil liberties considerations. The goal of these
governance plans is to ensure agencies adopt and use AI in a
responsible way.
Third, this legislation will make it easier for the Federal
Government to attract AI talent by establishing a new occupational
series for AI experts.
As co-chair of the Congressional AI Caucus, I have heard about the
different ways in which the Federal agencies are adopting and looking
to adopt AI to improve their operations and to be able to more
effectively serve Americans. Some of these include the Food and Drug
Administration, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense,
the USDA, the Veterans Affairs Administration, the Department of Labor,
and the Environmental Protection Agency. The AI in Government Act will
enable these Federal agencies and others to scale AI adoption, while
reducing and addressing the potential risks of using AI.
I again want to thank Chairwoman Maloney and the Oversight Committee
staff for working with me and my staff on this important bill.
I also want to thank Senators Portman, Harris, and Gardner for their
leadership on this bill in the Senate.
I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.
{time} 1530
Mr. CLOUD. Mr. Speaker, artificial intelligence is leading to
breakthroughs in productivity in industries across the Nation such as
science, transportation, healthcare, and education. The American people
deserve a government that takes full advantage of modern technology in
a responsible manner.
H.R. 2575 will help assure the proper governance and oversight over
the Federal Government's use of a rapidly advancing and promising
technology area.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of
H.R. 2575, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2575, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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