Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- S. 4916
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-07-09T23:20:19Z
AI-Generated Summary
Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2026
Purpose
This legislation directs federal efforts to examine how artificial intelligence-enabled systems, including chatbots, affect adults aged 65 and older. It aims to inform research, identify benefits and risks, and support better outcomes in areas such as health, caregiving, and daily living.
Key Provisions
- Study Requirement: The Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the National Institute on Aging, must contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine within 60 days of enactment to conduct a consensus study.
- Study Scope: The analysis must cover:
- Patterns of use among older adults for communication, caregiving, companionship, health information, and daily activities, including benefits and differences based on factors like cognitive impairment or digital literacy.
- Risks such as scams, misleading health information, overreliance, and potential harm in crisis situations.
- Safety, privacy, accessibility, and fraud-prevention features, including human oversight and consent practices.
- Effects on family members, caregivers, and clinician interactions.
- Research gaps and opportunities for coordination across federal programs.
- Consultations: The study must involve input from the National Institute on Aging, National Institute on Mental Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Federal Trade Commission, medical professionals, researchers, fraud experts, caregivers, and industry representatives.
- Report: The Secretary must submit findings and recommendations to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce within one year.
- New Research Mandate: The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institute on Aging to facilitate multidisciplinary research, stakeholder coordination, and dissemination of best practices on AI-enabled systems for older adults, with a report to Congress within one year.
- Definitions: Clearly defines "artificial intelligence chatbot," "artificial intelligence-enabled system," and "older adult."
- Funding: Limits use of existing appropriations to no more than $2,000,000 for fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
The bill adds a new section (445J) to Subpart 5 of Part C of Title IV of the Public Health Service Act, expanding the National Institute on Aging's responsibilities to include coordination and reporting on artificial intelligence topics. No other existing statutes are amended.
Potential Impacts
- Government Agencies: Increases workload for the Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute on Aging, and consulted agencies through study contracting, research facilitation, and reporting.
- Citizens: May lead to improved safeguards, information access, and support services for older adults using AI tools, while highlighting risks like exploitation or misinformation.
- International Relations: No direct effects identified in the legislation.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Older adults (age 65 and older).
- Caregivers and family members.
- Health care organizations and clinicians.
- Researchers and experts in aging, technology, fraud prevention, and accessibility.
- Industry representatives developing or operating AI systems.
- Federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health and Federal Trade Commission.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill relies on existing appropriations and does not create new regulatory authority or alter constitutional powers. It establishes no enforcement mechanisms or penalties. The legislation was introduced on a bipartisan basis in the Senate and focuses solely on study and research activities rather than immediate policy mandates.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL], Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS]
Recent Actions
- 2026-06-24: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2026-06-24: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Aging with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2026 — issued 2026-06-24 — PDF (8 pages)