I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6791 
To amend the Digital Equity Act of 2021 to facilitate artificial intelligence 
literacy opportunities, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 14, 2023 
Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER (for herself and Mr. BUCSHON) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend the Digital Equity Act of 2021 to facilitate artifi-
cial intelligence literacy opportunities, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Artificial Intelligence 
Literacy Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
(1) Artificial intelligence (AI) is a trans-
formative technology that affects nearly every aspect 
of the United States economy. 
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(2) As AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous, AI 
literacy will become as important as digital literacy 
is today. 
(3) Technological leadership in AI is an eco-
nomic and national security imperative. Maintaining 
this leadership requires a sufficient workforce to re-
search and develop AI capabilities. Such a workforce 
must contain both technical talent, such as computer 
engineers and data scientists, and nontechnical tal-
ent, such as product managers and sales engineers, 
who understand AI. 
(4) Effective AI literacy initiatives encompass 
not only technical training but also include com-
prehensive education about the potential benefits 
and risks associated with AI technologies. 
(5) Informed developers and consumers of AI 
technologies can help mitigate potential risks and bi-
ases often found in systems that utilize AI. 
(6) Basic AI literacy is critical to ensuring that 
Americans have the tools and knowledge needed to 
navigate the economy and digital world. With AI 
being increasingly adopted by consumer-facing com-
panies and widely used tools on the internet, Ameri-
cans of all ages and occupations should have the 
skills and tools needed to understand AI and its lim-
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itations at a basic level as well as skills to identify 
when AI is being employed. 
(7) Successful AI literacy initiatives will pre-
pare Americans of all ages and technical back-
grounds to safely navigate AI tools and AI-enabled 
technologies. 
(8) Communities most often negatively im-
pacted by AI-enabled technologies often have the 
least access to AI education. 
(9) AI literacy initiatives must engage stake-
holders and communities in all stages, and specific 
outreach efforts should be made for communities 
disproportionately impacted by the digital divide, in-
cluding minority and rural communities. 
(10) According to a survey of adults commis-
sioned by Jobs for the Future, a non-profit organi-
zation with a focus on workforce development and 
education, 58 percent believe that learning opportu-
nities around AI should be offered to workers, 53 
percent believe that such opportunities should be 
available to learners, and 54 percent believe that 
they would feel more prepared for the future impact 
of AI if they were given learning tools for it. 
(11) As of 2018, the United States AI work-
force stood at about 14,000,000 workers, or about 
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9 percent of total employment. From 2019 to 2029, 
demand for AI occupations is projected to grow 
twice as fast as for all occupations in the United 
States. 
(12) In 2021, Black students made up only 7.5 
percent of AI-related bachelor’s degrees despite mak-
ing up 14 percent of the population. While women 
account for 60 percent of college graduates, they 
constitute only 40 percent of Science, Technology, 
Engineering, and Mathematics graduates and 25 
percent of graduates in AI fields. Efforts in AI lit-
eracy can help to bridge stark differences in attain-
ment across demographic groups. 
(13) The need for a strong workforce of AI 
workers, as well as an AI-literate population, re-
quires investment in AI literacy education. 
SEC. 3. DIGITAL LITERACY, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, 
AND COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DIGITAL LITERACY WITH RESPECT TO ARTIFI-
CIAL INTELLIGENCE.—Section 60302 of the Digital Eq-
uity Act of 2021 (47 U.S.C. 1721) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (12) by inserting ‘‘, including 
the skills associated with artificial intelligence lit-
eracy’’ before the period; and 
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(2) by redesignating paragraphs (5) through 
(23), as amended by paragraph (1) of this sub-
section, as paragraphs (6) through (24), respec-
tively, and inserting after paragraph (4) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(5) ARTIFICIAL
INTELLIGENCE
LITERACY.— 
The term ‘artificial intelligence literacy’ means the 
skills associated with the ability to comprehend the 
basic principles, concepts, and applications of artifi-
cial intelligence, as well as the implications, limita-
tions, and ethical considerations associated with the 
use of artificial intelligence.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Sections 60304 
and 60305 of such Act (47 U.S.C. 1723, 1724) are 
amended 
by 
striking 
‘‘60302(8)’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘60302(9)’’. 
(c) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LITERACY IN THE 
DIGITAL EQUITY COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM.—Sec-
tion 
60305(d)(2)(A) 
of 
such 
Act 
(47 
U.S.C. 
1724(d)(2)(A)) is amended by redesignating clause (vi) as 
clause (x) and inserting after clause (v) the following: 
‘‘(vi) In the case of a grant made to 
increase artificial intelligence literacy in 
public elementary and secondary schools— 
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‘‘(I) to provide teachers training 
and certification to support artificial 
intelligence literacy efforts in schools; 
‘‘(II) to facilitate the attendance 
of teachers at professional develop-
ment courses, workshops, and con-
ferences related to artificial intel-
ligence education, including profes-
sional development related to artificial 
intelligence course design and fee- 
based professional development; 
‘‘(III) with respect to schools 
without 
resources 
for 
computer 
science education, to use best prac-
tices to develop and design computer 
science course materials needed for 
artificial intelligence education; 
‘‘(IV) to support partnerships 
with the private sector to facilitate ar-
tificial intelligence education; 
‘‘(V) to equip schools with labs to 
provide students hands-on artificial 
intelligence learning experiences; or 
‘‘(VI) to develop virtual learning 
platforms that facilitate remote and 
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