AI in Government Act of 2018

Summary: AI in Government Act of 2018 This bill establishes the Emerging Technology Policy Lab within the General Services Administration (GSA) to   advise and promote the efforts of the federal government in ensuring that the use of emerging technologies by the government, including artificial intelligence, is in the best interest of the public; and  improve cohesion and competency in federal agency rule making and the use of emerging technologies.   In addition, the Office of Personnel Management must  identify key skills and competencies needed for positions related to artificial intelligence; and  establish an occupational series, or revise an existing occupational job series, to include positions the primary duties of which relate to artificial intelligence.  

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``AI in Government Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``Administration'' means the General Services 
        Administration;
            (2) the term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        General Services;
            (3) the term ``Board'' means the advisory board established 
        under section 4(a);
            (4) the term ``Executive agency'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 105 of title 5, United States Code;
            (5) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002);
            (6) the term ``nonprofit organization'' means an 
        organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from taxation under section 
        501(a) of that Code; and
            (7) the term ``Policy Lab'' means the Emerging Technology 
        Policy Lab described in section 3.

SEC. 3. EMERGING TECHNOLOGY POLICY LAB.

    (a) In General.--There is within the Administration an office to be 
known as the ``Emerging Technology Policy Lab'', which shall--
            (1) advise and promote the efforts of the Federal 
        Government in ensuring that the use of emerging technologies by 
        the Federal Government, including artificial intelligence, is 
        in the best interest of the public; and
            (2) improve cohesion and competency in Federal agency rule 
        making and the use of emerging technologies.
    (b) Duties.--The duties of the Policy Lab shall include--
            (1) regularly convening individuals from Executive 
        agencies, industry, Federal laboratories, nonprofit 
        organizations, institutions of higher education, and other 
        entities to discuss recent developments in emerging 
        technologies, including the dissemination of information 
        regarding programs, pilots, and other initiatives at Federal 
        agencies, as well as recent trends and relevant information on 
        those technologies;
            (2) advising Federal Government acquisition and use of 
        emerging technologies through technical insight and expertise, 
        as needed;
            (3) identifying and disseminating information regarding 
        educational and workforce development opportunities for 
        Executive agency employees relative to emerging technology 
        topics, and leading those opportunities, as needed;
            (4) studying economic, policy, legal, and ethical 
        challenges and implications related to the use of artificial 
        intelligence and other emerging technologies by the Federal 
        Government, including how the privacy, civil liberties, and 
        civil rights of individuals are or will be affected by the use 
        of emerging technologies by the Federal Government;
            (5) working with industry to improve the leadership of 
        industry in emerging technology and the ability to compete 
        successfully in international markets; and
            (6) encouraging and assisting joint initiatives by State or 
        local governments, regional organizations, private businesses, 
        institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and 
        Federal laboratories.
    (c) Staff.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall provide necessary 
        staff, resources, and administrative support for the Policy 
        Lab.
            (2) Temporary or term appointments.--The Administrator may 
        hire temporary or term employees in accordance with part 316 of 
        title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor 
        regulation, to serve as Policy Lab employees.
            (3) Fellows.--The Administrator may, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, appoint fellows to participate in the Policy Lab 
        from nonprofit organizations, think tanks, institutions of 
        higher education, and industry.
            (4) Details.--When appropriate, and to the maximum extent 
        practicable, the Administrator may detail Policy Lab employees 
        to Executive agencies on a reimbursable or non-reimbursable 
        basis in accordance with section 3341 of title 5, United States 
        Code.
    (d) Responsibilities of OMB and OSTP.--The Office of Management and 
Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall coordinate 
with the Administrator and the Board to identify policy opportunities 
and challenges that emerging technologies, especially artificial 
intelligence, present in the respective domains of Executive agencies.
    (e) Report to Congress.--The Administrator shall submit to Congress 
an annual report on the Policy Lab, which shall include, for the 
preceding year--
            (1) a summary of the activity of the Policy Lab, including 
        a description of specific projects worked on in partnership 
        with Federal agencies;
            (2) recommendations on ways in which Executive agencies can 
        better support the development and deployment of emerging 
        technologies, including initiatives designed to promote 
        knowledge of those technologies among the Federal workforce; 
        and
            (3) an identification of joint initiatives encouraged or 
        assisted under subsection (b)(6).
    (f) Transfer of Functions.--All functions of the Emerging Citizen 
Technology Office of the Administration, including the personnel, 
assets, and obligations of the Emerging Citizen Technology Office, as 
in existence before the date of enactment of this Act, shall be 
transferred to the Policy Lab.
    (g) Deeming of Name.--Any reference in law, regulation, document, 
paper, or other record of the United States to the Emerging Citizen 
Technology Office of the Administration shall be deemed a reference to 
the Policy Lab.

SEC. 4. ADVISORY BOARD.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator shall establish an advisory 
board to advise the Administrator on issues that are relevant to the 
mission and duties of the Policy Lab and to inform the priorities and 
projects worked on by the Policy Lab.
    (b) Composition.--
            (1) Chairs.--The Board shall be co-chaired by the 
        Administrator and the Secretary of Commerce.
            (2) Other members.--The Board shall be composed of the 
        following members:
                    (A) 1 designee from each of the following:
                            (i) The Office of Science and Technology 
                        Policy.
                            (ii) The Office of Management and Budget.
                            (iii) The Department of Commerce.
                            (iv) The Administration.
                    (B) 4 designees from Federal agencies not listed in 
                subparagraph (A), who shall be designated by the 
                Director of the Office of Management and Budget once 
                every 12 months.
                    (C) 8 members designated by the co-chairs of the 
                Board once every 6 months, of whom--
                            (i) 4 shall be representatives of relevant 
                        industries;
                            (ii) 2 shall be representatives of 
                        institutions of higher education; and
                            (iii) 2 shall be representatives of public 
                        interest groups representing privacy and civil 
                        liberties issues.
            (3) Qualifications.--Each member of the Board designated 
        under subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (2) shall have 
        demonstrated experience and expertise in the field of emerging 
        technologies or technology policy.
    (c) Meetings.--The Board shall meet not less frequently than once 
every 12 months.
    (d) Annual List.--Each year, the Board shall publish on a publicly 
available website a list of areas of improvement within the Federal 
Government that would benefit from additional technical or technical 
policy expertise.
    (e) Compensation.--Members of the Board shall serve on the Board 
without compensation, except that members of the Board may be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Board.
    (f) Duration.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Board.

SEC. 5. REPORT.

    Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in coordination 
with the Administrator, shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 
Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on 
Oversight and Government Reform and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives a report describing--
            (1) the strategy for investment by the Federal Government 
        in, development of, and use of artificial intelligence; and
            (2) how the strategy described in paragraph (1) relates to 
        the existing data strategies of Federal agencies.

SEC. 6. UPDATE OF OCCUPATIONAL SERIES FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
and in accordance with chapter 51 of title 5, United States Code, the 
Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall--
            (1) identify key skills and competencies needed for 
        positions related to artificial intelligence; and
            (2) establish an occupational series, or update and improve 
        an existing occupational job series, to include positions the 
        primary duties of which relate to artificial intelligence.

SEC. 7. SUNSET.

    Section 3 and 4 of this Act shall cease to be effective on the date 
that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act.