[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 35 (Monday, February 23, 2026)]
[House]
[Pages H2244-H2245]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SMALL BUSINESS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ADVANCEMENT ACT
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 3679) to require the Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology to develop resources for small businesses in
utilizing artificial intelligence, and for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3679
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 ``Small Business Artificial
Intelligence Advancement Act''.
SEC. 2. RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES TO UTILIZE ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE.
Section 22A of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278h-1) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following new
subsection:
``(h) Development of Resources for Small Businesses in
Utilizing Artificial Intelligence.--
``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, the Director shall, in carrying out
subsection (a), develop or identify, and disseminate (in
accordance with paragraph (4)), resources for small business
concerns (as such term is defined in section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) relating to artificial
intelligence. Such resources may include technical standards,
best practices, benchmarks, methodologies, procedures, or
processes for the understanding, adoption, or integration of
artificial intelligence.
``(2) Requirements.--The Director shall ensure that the
resources described in paragraph (1) satisfy the following:
``(A) Are generally applicable and usable by a wide range
of small business concerns.
``(B) Include elements that promote basic understanding,
identification, and adoption of proper use cases of
artificial intelligence.
``(C) Include case studies of practical application across
a range of business sizes and types.
``(D) Are technology-neutral and relevant to technologies
that are accessible and suitable for small businesses.
``(E) Are based on international voluntary standards as
applicable, and are consistent with the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.).
``(F) Include recommendations and references to existing
Federal educational resources, including the risk management
framework under subsection (c), privacy and cybersecurity
risk management frameworks established by the Institute, and
activities relating to the national cybersecurity awareness
and education program under section 303 of the Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act of 2014 (15 U.S.C. 7443).
``(3) Review and update of resources.--Not later than two
years after the date of the enactment of this subsection and
not less frequently than once every two years thereafter, the
Director shall carry out the following:
``(A) Review the resources described in paragraph (1).
``(B) Update such resources as the Director considers
appropriate.
``(4) Dissemination and use of training resources.--The
Director shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Small
Business Administration regarding the distribution and use
through the resource partners of the Small Business
Administration of the resources described in paragraph (1).
``(5) Voluntary resources.--The use of the resources
described in paragraph (1) shall be considered voluntary.
``(6) Report.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than four years after the date
of the enactment of this subsection, the Director shall
submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the
development, identification, dissemination, and use of the
resources described in paragraph (1), including updates made
pursuant to paragraph (3).
``(B) Contents.--The report under subparagraph (A) shall
include the following:
``(i) A list of the resources described in paragraph (1),
including updates made pursuant to paragraph (3).
``(ii) Relevant feedback from recipients of such resources,
and disseminators of such resources pursuant to paragraph
(4).
``(iii) Recommendations to Congress for further actions to
help with the utilization of artificial intelligence by small
business concerns.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Babin) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Subramanyam)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on H.R. 3679, the bill that is now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to be here to support H.R. 3679, the Small
Business Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act, sponsored by my
colleagues, Representatives Mike Collins and Haley Stevens.
American small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and it is
essential that they leverage cutting-edge innovations to keep the
United States at the forefront of the global economy.
As chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have
closely followed the accelerating growth of artificial intelligence, or
AI, technologies and their wide-ranging applications across industries
nationwide.
Major U.S. companies are rapidly developing their own AI technologies
and investing in the resources needed to integrate AI into their
operations. AI holds tremendous promise. Incorporating it into a
business model is complex and requires significant expertise and
capital.
As a result, many small businesses have not yet been able to fully
unlock AI's potential. It is time to ensure small businesses can
harness these capabilities as well, strengthening American
entrepreneurship and competing with the Chinese Communist Party across
every dimension of the AI race, including business innovation.
{time} 1620
This legislation directs the National Institute of Standards and
Technology, or NIST, to develop and share practical resources to help
small businesses better understand and adopt artificial intelligence
technologies.
This bill is a bipartisan effort to ensure American businesses remain
competitive in the AI race and to reinforce our economic leadership
globally.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Collins and Stevens for their
work on this very important legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3679, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Small Business Artificial
Intelligence Advancement Act. We are already seeing companies around
the world use AI for customer service, cybersecurity, talent
recruitment, and even content production.
While AI can bring significant benefits to companies of all sizes,
small companies can't afford to take advantage of these benefits. They
don't have the millions of dollars and the teams of consultants. They
get left behind despite their immense potential. For the small
businesses that form the backbone of our economy, navigating rapidly
challenging and changing tools like AI can be overwhelming.
This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology
to establish and distribute resources on how small businesses can adopt
AI tools and risk management practices. It would build on NIST's Small
Business Cybersecurity Corner program to help small businesses by
providing voluntary guidance on adopting AI and avoiding potential
issues with the technology. This bill will help level the playing field
for small companies rolling out AI.
AI should be an opportunity for every American business, not just
those with the biggest budgets. As AI rapidly evolves from simple
automation to agents that could interact with customers, handle
sensitive data, and even make decisions, the stakes for getting it
right on privacy and cybersecurity are growing. This bill will ensure
that our small businesses have access to the practical resources they
need to harness this technology.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H2245]]
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Collins).
Mr. COLLINS. Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to speak for consideration of
H.R. 3679, the Small Business Artificial Intelligence Advancement Act.
America has seen great innovation in its 250 years, from the
lightbulb to the internet and now artificial intelligence. The benefits
of AI must be made available for more than big corporations. They must
reach every facet of our economy.
Small businesses are the backbone of the United States economy,
representing nearly 43 percent of the U.S. GDP and employing 46 percent
of the workforce. These are our neighbors, our friends, and our
families. They are the heart of Main Street USA.
As AI and industries advance, we must ensure that they are not left
behind. Too often, small businesses lack the technical know-how or
financial resources to adopt AI, which is putting them at a growing
disadvantage.
That is why I introduced H.R. 3679. This bipartisan legislation
directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop
resources to voluntarily educate small businesses on best practices
when integrating AI into their businesses.
Through this legislation, we will level the playing field. We will
ensure small businesses have the ability to modernize and remain
competitive against their larger counterparts. Main Street is what
keeps the American spirit alive. With this bill, we will ensure that
Main Street is safe for generations to come.
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. SUBRAMANYAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Mr. Collins and Ms. Stevens, for
their work on this bill. I think we are all in agreement that small
businesses should be able to take advantage of the immense potential of
AI as well as be able to understand the risks and cybersecurity
pitfalls that may come out of it.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 3679, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BABIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, the time to use artificial intelligence in business is
now, and we must do everything we can to support small business efforts
to harness the power of this technology. The National Institute of
Standards and Technology can greatly help American small businesses
understand and adopt AI to strengthen American businesses and our
economy. H.R. 3679 will eliminate roadblocks to and increase
implementation of AI.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin) that the House suspend the rules and
pass the bill, H.R. 3679, 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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