[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S5366]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 3069. Ms. CANTWELL (for herself and Mr. Moran) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4638, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title X, insert the following:
SEC. ___. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING RESOURCES AND
TOOLKITS FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
and the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of
the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives.
(2) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial
intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section
5002 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9401).
(3) Center.--The term ``Center'' has the meaning given such
term in section 25(a) of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)).
(4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(5) Hollings manufacturing extension partnership.--The term
``Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership'' has the
meaning given such term in section 25(a) of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
278k(a)).
(6) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the
meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
(7) Key emerging technologies.--The term ``key emerging
technologies'' means the technologies included in the initial
list of key technology focus areas set forth by section
10387(c) of the Research and Development, Competition, and
Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19107(c)), photonics, and
electronics.
(8) Rural community.--The term ``rural community'' means a
community that is located in areas that are not classified as
urban by the Bureau of the Census.
(9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(10) Small business concern.--The term ``small business
concern'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(a) of
the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).
(b) Development of Training Resources and Toolkits
Required.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, acting
through the Director, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership, and the Centers and in consultation and
coordination with the Administrator of the Small Business
Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture, and such
persons in the private sector as the Secretary of Commerce
considers appropriate, develop training resources and
toolkits for small business concerns, including small
business concerns located in rural, Tribal, or underserved
communities or involved in advanced manufacturing, relating
to the adoption and use of artificial intelligence and such
other key emerging technologies, such as quantum-hybrid
computing, as the Secretary considers appropriate.
(2) Contents.--The training and toolkits developed under
paragraph (1) shall include prompt engineering and the use of
artificial intelligence or emerging technologies, such as
quantum hybrid tools, relating to access to credit and
capital, financial management and accounting, business
planning and operations, cybersecurity, marketing, supply
chain management, government contracting, and exporting.
(c) Review and Update of Training Resources and Toolkits.--
Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of
this Act, and not less frequently than once every 2 years
thereafter, the Secretary shall--
(1) review the training resources and toolkits developed
pursuant to subsection (b); and
(2) update such resources and toolkits as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
(d) Distribution and Use of Training Resources and
Toolkits.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration on the
distribution and use of the training resources and toolkits
that are developed pursuant to subsection (b) through the
resource partners of the Small Business Administration,
including small business development centers, women business
centers, SCORE, veteran business opportunity centers, and the
Apex Accelerator.
(e) Grants Program.--
(1) Authority.--The Secretary may carry out a program on
the award of grants to persons providing training relating to
artificial intelligence to small business concerns using the
training resources developed under subsection (b).
(2) Gift authority.--The Secretary may receive gifts that
the Secretary shall use to carry out paragraph (1).
(f) Reports to Congress.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the
development, distribution, and use of the training resources
and toolkits developed pursuant to subsection (b).
(2) Biennial reports.--
(A) Reports required.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, and not less frequently
than once every 2 years thereafter, the Secretary shall
submit to appropriate committees of Congress a biennial
report on the development, distribution, and use of training
resources and toolkits developed pursuant to subsection (b).
(B) Contents.--Each report submitted to subparagraph (A)
shall include, for the period of covered by the report, the
following:
(i) A list of the training resources and toolkits developed
pursuant to subsection (b).
(ii) A description of the measurable outcomes of the
distribution of such training resources and toolkits,
including the following:
(I) The number and type of small business concerns using
such training resources and toolkits.
(II) The effect of such use on the revenues, sales, and
workforces of the small business concerns.
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