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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 9506 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 9506
To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to
require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to
establish a prize competition program relating to artificial
intelligence, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 29, 2026
Mr. Begich (for himself and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to
require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to
establish a prize competition program relating to artificial
intelligence, 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. FEDERAL GRAND CHALLENGES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(a) In General.--
(1) National artificial intelligence initiative.--Title LI
of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020
(15 U.S.C. 9411 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 5107. FEDERAL GRAND CHALLENGES IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
``(a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the
enactment of this section, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy (in this section referred to as the `Director'),
acting through the National Science and Technology Council and the
Interagency Committee, shall establish a prize competition program
pursuant to section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), for the following purposes:
``(1) Expediting the development of artificial intelligence
systems in the United States.
``(2) Stimulating artificial intelligence research,
development, and commercialization that solves or advances
specific, well-defined, and measurable challenges in at least
one of the priorities in the list under subsection (b).
``(b) List of Priorities.--
``(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with
industry, civil society, and academia, shall establish, and
annually review and update as the Director considers
appropriate, a list of priorities consistent with the purposes
under subsection (a), for the program under such subsection.
``(2) Contents.--The list under paragraph (1) may include
the following priorities:
``(A) To overcome challenges with the engineering
of and applied research on microelectronics, including
through the integration of artificial intelligence with
emerging technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum
computing, or with respect to physical limits on
transistors, advanced interconnects, and memory
elements.
``(B) To promote transformational or long-term
advancements in computing and artificial intelligence
technologies through any of the following:
``(i) Next-generation algorithm design.
``(ii) Next-generation compute capability.
``(iii) Generative and adaptive artificial
intelligence for design applications.
``(iv) Photonics-based microprocessors and
optical communication networks, including
electrophotonics.
``(v) The chemistry and physics of new
materials.
``(vi) Biotechnology, such as modeling a
single cell.
``(vii) Energy utilization or energy
efficiency.
``(viii) Techniques to establish
cryptographically secure content provenance
information.
``(ix) Safety and controls for artificial
intelligence applications.
``(C) To promote explainability and mechanistic
interpretability of artificial intelligence systems.
``(D) To advance fundamental understanding of
artificial intelligence, including through
breakthroughs in theoretical, computational, and
experimental methods that discover new and
transformative paradigms that explain the advanced
capabilities of artificial intelligence in domains such
as the following:
``(i) Interpretability.
``(ii) Control.
``(iii) Steerability.
``(iv) Robustness against foreign
adversaries.
``(E) To develop artificial intelligence solutions,
including through integration among emerging
technologies, such as neuromorphic and quantum
computing, to overcome barriers to innovations in
advanced manufacturing in the United States, including
in areas such as the following:
``(i) Materials, nanomaterials, and
composites.
``(ii) Rapid, complex design.
``(iii) Sustainability and environmental
impact of manufacturing operations.
``(iv) Predictive maintenance of machinery.
``(v) Improved part quality.
``(vi) Process inspections.
``(vii) Worker safety.
``(viii) Robotics.
``(F) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
in sectors of the economy, such as expanding the
utilization of artificial intelligence in maritime
vessels, including in navigation and in the design of
propulsion systems and fuels.
``(G) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
to improve border security, including solutions
relevant to the detection of fentanyl, illicit
contraband, and illegal activities.
``(H) To develop artificial intelligence for
science applications.
``(I) To develop cybersecurity for artificial
intelligence-related intellectual property, such as
artificial intelligence systems and artificial
intelligence algorithms for robustness, resilience, and
security against foreign adversaries.
``(J) To develop artificial intelligence solutions
to modernize code and software systems that are
deployed in the Federal Government and critical
infrastructure and are at risk of maintenance
difficulty due to code obsolescence or challenges
finding expertise in outdated code bases.
``(K) To develop solutions to reduce energy
consumption in developing, deploying, and maintaining
data-efficient and high-performance artificial
intelligence models.
``(L) To develop methods to prevent misuse of
artificial intelligence systems for malicious purposes.
``(M) To find applications for artificial
intelligence in wireless communications systems,
including cellular networks.
``(N) To advance the capabilities of artificial
intelligence, robotics, and automation for physical
laboratory infrastructure and cloud laboratories.
``(3) Problem statements; success metrics.--For each
priority in the list under paragraph (1) for which there will
be a prize competition through the program under subsection
(a), the Director shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor
website information relating to the following:
``(A) A specific and well-defined problem
statement.
``(B) Targets, success metrics, validation
protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized
to evaluate submissions to such prize competition.
``(C) Each award for such prize competition.
``(4) Consultation on identification and selection of grand
challenges.--The Director, the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and such other
agency heads as the Director considers relevant, shall each
identify and select artificial intelligence research and
development grand challenges in which eligible participants
will compete to solve or advance for prize awards under
subsection (a).
``(c) Federal Investment Initiatives Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary
of Transportation, and the Director of the National Science
Foundation may each establish, consistent with the missions or
responsibilities of the Department of Commerce, the Department
of Transportation, or the Foundation, respectively, a program
to carry out challenge-based acquisitions and other research
and development investment initiatives the Secretary of
Commerce, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Director of
the National Science Foundation, as the case may be, determines
consistent with the list under subsection (b).
``(2) Requirements.--Each agency head carrying out an
investment initiative under paragraph (1) shall ensure the
following:
``(A) With respect to each such initiative, there
is, or will be, the following:
``(i) A positive impact on the economic
competitiveness of the United States.
``(ii) A benefit to United States industry.
``(iii) In developing such initiative, the
resources and expertise of any industry and
philanthropic partners to such initiative are
leveraged to the extent practicable.
``(iv) Utilization of advanced
manufacturing in the United States, if
applicable.
``(B) All research conducted for such initiative is
conducted in the United States.
``(3) Accessibility.--In carrying out an investment
initiative under paragraph (1), the head of the agency at issue
shall publish on Challenge.gov or a successor website
information relating to the following, as applicable:
``(A) A specific and well-defined problem statement
for such initiative.
``(B) Targets, success metrics, validation
protocols, and other benchmarks that will be utilized
to evaluate submissions to such initiative.
``(C) Each award for such initiative.
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) Notification of winning submission.--Not later than
60 days after the date on which the head of an agency makes an
award through a program under this section, such head shall
provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology of the House of Representatives, and such other
committees of Congress as such head considers relevant a report
on the winning submission for which such award was made and the
benefits to the United States associated with such submission.
``(2) Biennial report.--Not later than two years after the
date of the enactment of this section and biennially
thereafter, each head of an agency for which there is a program
under this section shall carry out the following:
``(A) Submit to the committees referred to in
paragraph (1) a report that includes the following for
the biennial period covered by such report:
``(i) A description of the activities
carried out by such head under this section.
``(ii) A description of such program,
including the results of such program.
``(iii) Information relating to the efforts
by such head to provide information to the
public and encourage participation with respect
to such program.
``(B) Make such report publicly available,
including by publishing such report on a website, such
as the GovInfo website of the Government Publishing
Office, in an easily accessible location.
``(e) Sunset.--Each program under this section shall terminate on
the date that is five years after the date of the enactment of this
section.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given the
term `Executive agency' in section 403 of title 5, United
States Code.
``(2) Critical infrastructure.--The term `critical
infrastructure' has the meaning given such term in section 1016
of the USA PATRIOT ACT (42 U.S.C. 5195c).''.
(2) Clerical amendments.--The table of contents in section
2(b) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2021 and the table of contents at the beginning of title LI of
such Act are amended by inserting after the items relating to
section 5106 the following new item:
``Sec. 5107. Federal grand challenges in artificial intelligence.''.
(b) Studies.--
(1) Initial study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than one year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General
of the United States shall conduct a study of the
following:
(i) Ongoing prize competition programs
carried out under authorities enacted before
the date of the enactment of this Act.
(ii) Prize competitions, generally.
(B) Elements.--The study conducted under
subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent
practicable, the following:
(i) An identification of the following:
(I) Best practices for prize
competitions.
(II) The metrics the Comptroller
General of the United States determines
appropriate for evaluating the success
of a prize competition.
(ii) An assessment of the following:
(I) Whether such metrics differ
between evaluating near-term and long-
term impacts of prize competitions.
(II) Whether prize competitions can
be designed in a way that would result
in more effective or revolutionary
technology being developed.
(iii) An assessment of the efficacy and
effect of the programs referred to in
subparagraph (A)(i), including with respect to
the following:
(I) Whether, and what, technology
or innovation would have been developed
in the absence of such programs.
(II) Whether such programs have
shortened the timeframe for the
development of technology or
innovation.
(III) Whether such programs are
cost effective.
(IV) What benefits, if any, are
gained from carrying out such programs.
(V) Whether the utilization of a
grant program or contract would have
resulted in such development.
(C) Report and briefing.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall provide
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives the following:
(i) A report on the findings of the
Comptroller General with respect to the study
conducted under subparagraph (A).
(ii) A briefing on such report.
(2) Interim study.--
(A) In general.--Not later than three years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall conduct a study of
each prize challenge program under section 5107 of the
National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of
2020, as added by subsection (a).
(B) Elements.--The study conducted under
subparagraph (A) shall include, to the extent
practicable, the following:
(i) An assessment of the efficacy and
effect of the set of programs referred to in
subparagraph (A), including with respect to the
following:
(I) Whether, and what, technology
or innovation would have been developed
in the absence of such programs.
(II) Whether such programs have
shortened the timeframe for the
development of technology or
innovation.
(III) Whether such programs are
cost effective.
(IV) What benefits, if any, are
gained from carrying out such programs.
(V) Whether the utilization of a
grant program or contract would have
resulted in such development.
(ii) A comparison of such efficacy and
effect with the efficacy and effect of the
programs referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i).
(C) Report and briefing.--Not later than 42 months
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Comptroller General of the United States shall provide
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology and the Committee on Energy and
Commerce of the House of Representatives the following:
(i) A report on the findings of the
Comptroller General with respect to the study
conducted under subparagraph (A).
(ii) A briefing on such report.
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