Artificial Intelligence-Ready Data Act

Bill Number

S. 4098

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 2

Policy Area

Government Operations and Politics

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2026-03-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Last Updated

2026-03-31T20:34:49Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Artificial Intelligence-Ready Data Act (S. 4098) aims to create uniform standards and guidelines for federal agencies to prepare their publicly available ("open") government data for use in artificial intelligence (AI) applications. This promotes the development and application of AI by making federal data more accessible, usable, and compatible with AI technologies, while ensuring data quality, security, and privacy.

Key Provisions

• Development of Standards by NIST: The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, a federal agency focused on science and technology standards) must develop baseline standards and guidelines for making open government data "AI-ready." These are created in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and other relevant agency heads.
• Standards must allow agencies to adapt them to their specific missions while maintaining interoperability (ability to work together across systems).
• Key elements include:
• Recommendations to improve data availability and quality for AI training and development, including best practices for data stewardship (management), metadata (data about data), documentation, and handling intellectual property when mixing federal and private data.
• Methods to identify additional federal data assets (non-open data held by agencies) suitable for AI use.
• Metrics to evaluate agency progress in implementing these improvements.
• AI-ready data must be, to the extent possible: based on input from AI developers; easily downloadable via websites, web-scraping (automated data extraction), or other practical methods; accurate at publication; human-readable (understandable without special tools); in open, machine-readable formats (e.g., structured files like CSV or JSON) with free software tools for processing; and secure with protections for personal privacy.
• Public Input Process: NIST must publish proposed standards in the Federal Register (a government gazette for official notices), seek public comments for at least 60 days, make comments public, and address them in final versions. Initial standards are due within one year of enactment; revisions are considered every two years using the same process.
• Implementation Across Federal Agencies: The President, through the OSTP Director and in consultation with OMB, must require all federal agencies to adopt NIST's standards. Agencies must:
• Comply with the standards, including any adaptations that support interagency collaboration.
• Incorporate these requirements into major IT and high-performance computing purchases.
• Specific Requirements for NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA, part of the Department of Commerce, responsible for weather, oceans, and climate data) must integrate AI and machine learning (a subset of AI that learns from data) into its forecasting operations after adopting the standards. This applies to data from models, observations (in-situ like ground sensors and conventional like weather stations), satellites, and other environmental sources. NOAA must provide annual progress briefings to relevant congressional committees for five years.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) by adding a new Section 37, which introduces AI-specific standards for open data, building on existing data management laws like the Federal Data Strategy.
• Amends the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6611 et seq.) by adding Title VII and Section 701, mandating presidential enforcement of NIST standards across agencies, which extends prior open data policies (e.g., under the OPEN Government Data Act) to explicitly address AI readiness.
• Introduces targeted provisions for NOAA, which previously lacked specific AI mandates for its data assets.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Requires federal agencies to update data practices, potentially increasing costs for IT upgrades and training but enabling better AI-driven efficiency in operations like forecasting (e.g., NOAA's weather predictions could become more accurate and timely).
• On Citizens: Improves access to high-quality government data for public use, potentially leading to innovative AI tools that benefit society, such as enhanced public services, research, or disaster preparedness, while prioritizing privacy protections.
• On International Relations: Could position the U.S. as a leader in AI data standards, encouraging global adoption of similar practices and fostering international collaboration on AI development, though it focuses domestically.
• No direct economic impacts are specified, but better data availability may spur private sector AI innovation using federal resources.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: All agencies must comply, with NIST leading development, OSTP and OMB overseeing implementation, and NOAA facing specific operational mandates.
• AI Developers and Sector Entities: Private companies, researchers, and public organizations benefit from improved data access for AI model training and applications.
• The Public: Gains opportunities for input via comment periods and indirect benefits from AI-enhanced government services.
• Congress: Receives NOAA briefings and oversees broader implementation through committees like Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Senate) and Science, Space, and Technology (House).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Reinforces existing open data laws (e.g., 44 U.S.C. § 3502 definitions) by adding AI-specific requirements, with built-in flexibility for agencies and public comment to ensure compliance with administrative procedures (e.g., Federal Register process). Emphasizes privacy and security, aligning with laws like the Privacy Act, but does not create new enforcement mechanisms beyond presidential directives.
• Constitutional: No apparent conflicts; supports First Amendment values by promoting public access to government information and executive authority under Article II for policy implementation.
• Political: Advances U.S. AI leadership amid global competition (referencing the National AI Initiative Act of 2020), potentially bipartisan given sponsors from both parties. May influence future AI policy by establishing a framework for data as a public good, though implementation depends on executive priorities and funding.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]

Cosponsors (1)

Sen. Kim, Andy [D-NJ]

Recent Actions

• 2026-03-16: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• 2026-03-16: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• Artificial Intelligence-Ready Data Act — issued 2026-03-16 — PDF (10 pages)