I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 10281 

To promote United States leadership in technical standards by directing 

the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Department 

of State to take certain actions to encourage and enable United States 

participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

DECEMBER 4, 2024 

Mr. OBERNOLTE (for himself, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. SCOTT FRANKLIN of Florida, 

and Mr. LIEU) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To promote United States leadership in technical standards 

by directing the National Institute of Standards and 

Technology and the Department of State to take certain 

actions to encourage and enable United States participation in developing standards and specifications for artificial intelligence and other critical and emerging technologies, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Promoting United 

3 States Leadership in Standards Act of 2024’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND OTHER

7 CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.—The 

8 term ‘‘artificial intelligence and other critical and 

9 emerging technologies’’ means a subset of artificial 

10 intelligence and other critical and emerging tech11 nologies included in the list of such technologies 

12 identified and maintained by the National Science 

13 and Technology Council of the Office of Science and 

14 Technology Policy as the Director considers appro15 priate for purposes of this Act. 

16 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

17 the Director of the National Institute of Standards 

18 and Technology. 

19 SEC. 3. UNITED STATES PARTICIPATION IN ORGANIZA20 TIONS DEVELOPING STANDARDS AND SPECI21 FICATIONS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 

22 AND OTHER CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECH23 NOLOGIES. 

24 (a) BRIEFING REQUIRED.— 

25 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 

26 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director 


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1 shall provide to Congress a briefing to assist in the 

2 evaluation and identification of opportunities for 

3 Federal Government support for industry-led efforts 

4 in the development of technical standards for artifi5 cial intelligence and other critical and emerging 

6 technologies. 

7 (2) INTERAGENCY CONSULTATION.—In pre8 paring the briefing required by paragraph (1), the 

9 Director shall consult with the heads of such Fed10 eral agencies as the Director considers relevant. 

11 (3) ELEMENTS.—The briefing provided pursu12 ant to paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

13 (A) An overview of standards activities re14 lating to artificial intelligence and other critical 

15 and emerging technologies and information 

16 about the following: 

17 (i) Key technical standards that are 

18 the subject of ongoing activity. 

19 (ii) Key standards bodies hosting 

20 these activities. 

21 (iii) Any Federal agency that is par22 ticipating in these activities. 

23 (B) An analysis identifying where partici24 pation by United States industry and Federal 

25 agencies in standards activities in artificial inVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:27 Dec 11, 2024 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H10281.IH H10281

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1 telligence and other critical and emerging tech2 nologies would be facilitated or enhanced by 

3 conducting standards meetings hosted in the 

4 United States. 

5 (C) Recommendations for effectively in6 forming United States industry and Federal 

7 agencies on ongoing standardization activities 

8 with the objective of increasing participation of 

9 such industry and agencies in such activities. 

10 (4) FEDERAL AGENCY NOTICE REQUIRE11 MENT.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Using the mechanism 

13 established pursuant to subparagraph (B), each 

14 head of a Federal agency shall transmit to the 

15 Director notice of the participation of their re16 spective Federal agency in a standards activity 

17 relating to artificial intelligence and other crit18 ical and emerging technologies. 

19 (B) MECHANISM.—The Director shall, in 

20 coordination with the Director of the Office of 

21 Management and Budget, develop a mechanism 

22 for reporting participation by Federal agencies 

23 in standards activities. 

24 (b) WEB PORTAL.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—In order to inform United 

2 States industry and Federal agencies about existing 

3 and ongoing international efforts to develop tech4 nical standards for artificial intelligence and other 

5 critical and emerging technologies and opportunities 

6 for participation in such efforts, the Director shall 

7 establish an accessible web portal to help such indus8 try and agencies navigate and participate in such ef9 forts. 

10 (2) CONTENTS.—The web portal established 

11 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include regularly 

12 updated lists of the following: 

13 (A) International efforts described in para14 graph (1) and information on opportunities for 

15 participation in such efforts. 

16 (B) Information on accessing standards, 

17 both in development and published, for artificial 

18 intelligence and other critical and emerging 

19 technologies. 

20 (3) ADMINISTRATION.—The Director may inter 

21 into such cooperative agreements with such non22 governmental organizations as the Director considers 

23 appropriate to establish the web portal required by 

24 paragraph (1). 


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1 SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STANDARDS MEET2 INGS FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND 

3 OTHER CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECH4 NOLOGIES IN THE UNITED STATES. 

5 (a) PILOT PROGRAM REQUIRED.— 

6 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

7 after the date of the enactment of this Act, and sub8 ject to the availability of appropriated funds, the Di9 rector shall, in coordination with the heads of such 

10 other Federal agencies as the Director considers ap11 propriate, establish a pilot program on supporting 

12 standards meetings for artificial intelligence and 

13 other critical and emerging technologies in the 

14 United States by awarding grants to eligible entities 

15 described in subsection (b) hosting meetings of orga16 nizations described in paragraph (1) of such sub17 section to support the hosting of such meetings in 

18 the United States. 

19 (2) ADMINISTRATION.—The Director may carry 

20 out the pilot program required by paragraph (1) by 

21 entering into such cooperative agreements with such 

22 nongovernmental organizations as the Director con23 siders appropriate to establish and administer the 

24 pilot program. 

25 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—For purposes of the pilot 

26 program required by subsection (a), an eligible entity is— 


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1 (1) an organization that is developing standards 

2 and specifications for artificial intelligence and other 

3 critical and emerging technologies for at least 1 

4 technical standard that affects the interests of 1 or 

5 more Federal agencies; or 

6 (2) an entity that hosts an organization de7 scribed in paragraph (1). 

8 (c) GRANTS.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 

10 program required by subsection (a), the Director 

11 shall award grants to eligible entities to host meet12 ings as described in such subsection. 

13 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiv14 ing a grant under this subsection to host a meeting 

15 in the United States may use the amount of the 

16 grant for such costs as the Director considers rea17 sonable for hosting the meeting in the United 

18 States, but not more than fifty percent of antici19 pated cost of hosting the meeting and not more than 

20 a maximum amount that the Director shall establish 

21 for purposes of this subsection. Such costs may in22 clude the following: 

23 (A) Costs related to the preparation and 

24 planning of meetings described in subsection 

25 (a). 


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1 (B) Meeting venue-related expenses. 

2 (C) Such other costs that may support the 

3 eligible entity in conducting a standards meet4 ing in the United States. 

5 (3) CONSIDERATIONS.—In deciding whether to 

6 award a grant under this subsection to an eligible 

7 entity to host a meeting, the Director may consider 

8 the extent to which the eligible entity— 

9 (A) is or hosts an organization that admin10 isters technical standards activity in artificial 

11 intelligence and other critical and emerging 

12 technologies that involves United States-based 

13 participants, including but not limited to par14 ticipants from Federal agencies of the United 

15 States; 

16 (B) has a demonstrable history of partici17 pating in or hosting successful meetings; and 

18 (C) has a stable or growing participant 

19 base. 

20 (d) GUIDANCE.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall develop 

22 and periodically update guidance for the pilot pro23 gram carried out under this section. 


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1 (2) ELEMENTS.—The guidance developed and 

2 updated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall cover the 

3 following: 

4 (A) Eligibility for grants awarded under 

5 the pilot program. 

6 (B) How grants are awarded under sub7 section (c). 

8 (C) The duration and amounts of grants 

9 awarded under subsection (c). 

10 (D) The merit review process for the pilot 

11 program. 

12 (E) Priority areas for technical standards 

13 activity. 

14 (F) Means for recipients of grants under 

15 the pilot program to report expenses relating to 

16 costs described in subsection (c)(2)(D). 

17 (G) Such additional matters as the Direc18 tor determines appropriate for purposes of the 

19 pilot program. 

20 (e) BRIEFINGS FOR CONGRESS.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.—During the third year of the 

22 pilot program carried out under this section and in 

23 each subsequent year of the pilot program, the Di24 rector shall provide Congress with a briefing on the 

25 pilot program. 


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1 (2) ELEMENTS.—Each briefing provided pursu2 ant to paragraph (1) shall include the following: 

3 (A) An assessment of the effectiveness of 

4 the pilot program with respect to improving the 

5 hosting of standards meetings in the United 

6 States. 

7 (B) Identification of the recipients of 

8 grants under the pilot program. 

9 (C) The geographic distribution of 

10 attendees at meetings supported with grants 

11 under the pilot program. 

12 (D) A summary of the expenses for which 

13 the amounts of grants awarded under the pilot 

14 program were used. 

15 (f) RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PERMANENT IMPLE16 MENTATION.—If, before the date that is 2 years after the 

17 date of the enactment of this Act, the Director determines 

18 that providing support as described in subsection (a) is 

19 feasible and advisable, the Director shall, not later than 

20 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act— 

21 (1) develop recommendations for such legisla22 tive or administrative action as the Director con23 siders appropriate to establish a permanent imple24 mentation of the pilot program; and 


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1 (2) submit to Congress the recommendations 

2 developed pursuant to paragraph (1). 

3 (g) TERMINATION.—The pilot program required by 

4 subsection (a)(1) shall terminate on the date that is 5 

5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

6 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

7 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

8 $5,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2024 through 

9 2028. 

Æ 


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