Economy of the Future Commission Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8345
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Congress
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- Last Updated
- 2026-04-30T18:28:11Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
This bill, titled the Economy of the Future Commission Act of 2026, establishes a temporary bipartisan commission to study economic changes from the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). The commission's goal is to develop consensus legislative recommendations to address impacts on jobs, education, taxes, workforce training, and U.S. competitiveness.
Key Provisions
- Commission Structure:
- 12 voting members appointed by congressional leaders (3 each from Senate/House majority and minority leaders).
- One appointee per leader must be a sitting member of relevant congressional committees; others are non-Congress experts in AI, education, workforce retraining, or taxation.
- 4 nonvoting members: Deputy Secretaries of Education, Labor, Commerce, and Treasury.
- 2 co-chairs: One Democrat and one Republican; one from House, one from Senate.
- Duties:
- Evaluate AI's effects on government data, workforce programs, K-12/higher education, social safety nets.
- Recommend standards for AI adoption in federal government/workforce, open-source AI for businesses/government, research strategies, public-private partnerships, manufacturing, supply chains, transportation safety, energy needs, and AI robotics.
- Powers:
- Hold hearings, issue subpoenas, request data from federal agencies, hire staff/experts, accept non-monetary gifts.
- Exempt from Federal Advisory Committee Act (rules for advisory groups) and Freedom of Information Act (public records requests).
- Reports:
- Interim (7 months after enactment): Public estimates of AI-driven job changes (by industry code) over 5/10 years, federal revenue projections, free public AI resources.
- Final (13 months after enactment): Recommendations on AI education/reskilling, unemployment insurance, taxes, global competitiveness; submitted to Congress and key Cabinet secretaries (with their assessments).
- Operations and Funding:
- Initial meeting within 60 days; quorum of 7 members.
- $5.25 million appropriated; terminates 120 days after final report.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Creates a new commission in the legislative branch with subpoena power and agency data access.
- No direct amendments to current laws; focuses on advisory recommendations rather than mandates.
- Introduces exemptions from standard oversight laws (FACA/FOIA) for commission activities.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Provides data/tools for AI policy; may lead to new standards/training for federal workforce and operations (e.g., robotics, data centers).
- Citizens/Workers: Informs future policies on job displacement, reskilling, education, unemployment benefits, and taxes amid AI adoption.
- Businesses: Recommendations could promote open-source AI for small/medium businesses, manufacturing tech, and supply chains.
- International Relations: Aims to boost U.S. competitiveness in AI/tech/manufacturing against global rivals, potentially via research partnerships.
Main Stakeholders
- Congress: Appoints members, receives reports, shapes future legislation.
- Executive Branch: Deputy secretaries participate; agencies (Treasury, Commerce, Labor, Education) provide input/assessments.
- Workers/Educators: Affected by recommendations on training, education, safety nets.
- Businesses/Industry: Small/medium firms, AI/tech/manufacturing sectors benefit from efficiency/research proposals.
- Public: Gains access to AI impact estimates and resources.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Bipartisan Design: Ensures balanced input via party/House-Senate co-chairs and equal appointments, promoting consensus.
- Subpoena Authority: Strong investigative powers (enforceable like congressional rules), rare for temporary commissions.
- Funding/Independence: Direct appropriation avoids annual budget fights; ethics rules bar conflicts of interest.
- Exemptions: Limits transparency (no FOIA), potentially raising accountability concerns, but streamlines operations.
- Temporary Nature: Sunsets quickly, minimizing long-term cost/bureaucracy while influencing broader AI policy debates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51], Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8]
Recent Actions
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2026-04-16: Referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
- 2026-04-16: Introduced in House
- 2026-04-16: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Economy of the Future Commission Act of 2026 — issued 2026-04-16 — PDF (19 pages)