AI-Ready Federal Data Guidelines Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 9341
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-25: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 29 - 0.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-08T08:05:57Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose This legislation establishes voluntary guidelines to help federal agencies prepare open Government data assets for training artificial intelligence models, aiming to improve data usability and interoperability for AI development across government.
Key Provisions
- The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in consultation with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Department of Energy, Office of Management and Budget, and other relevant agencies, must develop voluntary guidelines addressing data formatting and structure, labeling and annotation, quality evaluation, metadata and documentation, maintenance, and availability.
- Guidelines must support flexible use across sectors and scientific domains, align with OMB Circular A-119 where practicable, and include conformity assessment procedures.
- NIST may conduct pilot programs (limited to one year each, with no more than two concurrent) focused on specific sectors like biotechnology and biomanufacturing, to test supplemental guidelines, assess impacts on data readiness, identify challenges, and plan transitions to non-federal entities.
- NIST must provide annual briefings to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation for five years after guideline publication.
- No funds may be transferred or reprogrammed from other NIST programs to implement this section.
- The bill includes definitions for terms such as agency, artificial intelligence, artificial intelligence model, open Government data asset, and others.
- It repeals subsection (f) of section 22A of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act.
Significant Changes to Existing Law The bill adds a new section 21A to the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-4), creating a dedicated framework for AI-ready data guidelines. It also repeals an existing subsection in section 22A of the same Act, removing a prior provision.
Potential Impacts Federal agencies may gain standardized approaches for preparing datasets for AI use, potentially improving data accessibility and quality without mandatory requirements. This could affect government data management practices and support AI development in priority areas like national security and biomanufacturing. No direct effects on citizens or international relations are specified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Federal agencies (responsible for preparing data assets).
- NIST (tasked with developing and overseeing guidelines and pilots).
- Congress (receives briefings on implementation).
- Entities involved in pilots, such as National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, and private sector partners.
- Users of federal data for AI model training, including scientific and industrial sectors.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications The guidelines are explicitly voluntary, with no new funding authority or reprogramming allowed, which limits implementation scope. Pilot programs prioritize areas with national security implications, and the bill emphasizes consistency with existing OMB guidance and conformity assessment standards.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-25: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 29 - 0.
- 2026-06-25: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-06-18: Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
- 2026-06-18: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- AI-Ready Federal Data Guidelines Act — issued 2026-06-18 — PDF (8 pages)