I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7334 
To establish a commission on robotics, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2026 
Mr. OBERNOLTE (for himself, Ms. MCCLELLAN, and Mr. LATTA) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Com-
merce, Foreign Affairs, and Education and Workforce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To establish a commission on robotics, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘National Commission 
on Robotics Act’’. 
SEC. 2. NATIONAL COMMISSION ON ROBOTICS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall es-
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tablish an independent commission to be known as the 
‘‘Commission on American Leadership in Robotics’’ (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). The Com-
mission shall examine robotics as such pertains to inter-
state and foreign commerce, economic competitiveness, 
and national security, and make recommendations to the 
appropriate congressional committees relating thereto. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.—The Com-
mission shall be composed of 18 members appointed 
as follows: 
(A) Three members appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
(B) Three members appointed by the Mi-
nority Leader of the House of Representatives. 
(C) Three members appointed by the Ma-
jority Leader of the Senate. 
(D) Three members appointed by the Mi-
nority Leader of the Senate. 
(E) Six members appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States. 
(2) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENT.—Members 
shall be appointed to the Commission by not later 
than 45 days after the date on which the Commis-
sion is established under subsection (a). 
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(3) EFFECT OF LACK OF APPOINTMENT BY AP-
POINTMENT
DATE.—If one or more appointments 
under paragraph (1) is not made by the appoint-
ment date specified in paragraph (2), the authority 
to make such appointment or appointments shall ex-
pire, and the number of members of the Commission 
shall be reduced by the number equal to the number 
of appointments so not made. 
(4) QUALIFICATIONS.—Members of the Com-
mission shall be individuals who are recognized ex-
perts and have appropriate professional experience 
in matters relating to either of the following: 
(A) Robotics. 
(B) Applications, or potential applications, 
of robotics by the private sector or public sec-
tor. 
(c) CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.— 
(1) CHAIR.—The Speaker of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Majority Leader of the Senate 
shall jointly designate one member of the Commis-
sion to serve as Chair of the Commission. 
(2) VICE CHAIR.—The Minority Leader of the 
House of Representatives and the Minority Leader 
of the Senate shall jointly designate one member of 
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the Commission to serve as Vice Chair of the Com-
mission. 
(d) PERIOD OF APPOINTMENT AND VACANCIES.— 
Members shall be appointed for the life of the Commission. 
A vacancy in the Commission shall not affect its powers 
and shall be filled in the same manner as the original ap-
pointment was made. 
(e) SCOPE AND DUTIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Commission shall carry 
out a review of advances in robotics. In carrying out 
such review, the Commission shall consider the 
methods, means, and policies necessary to advance 
the development of robotics by the United States to 
comprehensively address the economic competitive-
ness and national security needs of the United 
States. 
(2) SCOPE OF THE REVIEW.—In conducting the 
review described in this subsection, the Commission 
shall consider the following: 
(A) The competitiveness of the United 
States in robotics, including matters related to 
the domestic marketplace for robotics and pri-
vate sector and public sector applications of ro-
botics in the United States. 
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(B) Means and methods for the United 
States to assert and maintain a technological 
advantage in robotics, specifically in the deploy-
ment of robotics in industrial, retail, and com-
mercial sectors in the United States. 
(C) International developments and trends, 
including foreign actions and policies to ad-
vance robotics. 
(D) Means by which to foster greater em-
phasis and investments in robotics to stimulate 
strategic partnerships in robotics with industry, 
the public, and academic institutions, to the ex-
tent that such efforts have material application 
related to economic competitiveness and manu-
facturing. 
(E) Workforce incentives and programs to 
attract and recruit leading talent in robotics, 
including in associated science, technology, en-
gineering, and mathematics fields, to the extent 
that such efforts relate to economic competitive-
ness in robotics. 
(F) The global and domestic supply chain 
for robotics, including any supply chain risks or 
dependencies, and policies to increase the man-
ufacturing of robotics in the United States. 
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(G) Any other matters the Commission de-
termines appropriate related to robotics. 
(f) 
COMMISSION
REPORT
AND
RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.— 
(1) INTERIM REPORT.—Not later than one year 
after the date on which the Commission is estab-
lished under subsection (a), the Commission shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
and the President an interim report on the status of 
the Commission’s review under subsection (e), in-
cluding a discussion of any interim recommenda-
tions. 
(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than two years 
after the date on which the Commission is estab-
lished under subsection (a), the Commission shall 
submit to the appropriate congressional committees 
and the President a final report on the findings of 
the Commission and such recommendations as the 
Commission may have for action by Congress and 
the Federal Government. 
(g) GOVERNMENT COOPERATION.— 
(1) COOPERATION.—In carrying out its duties 
under this section, the Commission shall receive the 
full and timely cooperation of the Secretary and the 
heads of other relevant Federal departments and 
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agencies in providing the Commission with analysis, 
briefings, and other information necessary for the 
fulfillment of such duties. 
(2) LIAISON.—The Secretary shall designate at 
least one officer or employee of the Department to 
serve as a liaison officer between the Secretary and 
the Commission. 
(3) DETAILEES
AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 
and the heads of other relevant Federal departments 
and agencies may provide, and the Commission may 
accept and employ, personnel detailed from the De-
partment and such other Federal departments and 
agencies, as the case may be, without reimburse-
ment. 
(4) FACILITATION OF CERTAIN SERVICES.— 
(A) INDEPENDENT, 
NONGOVERNMENTAL 
INSTITUTE.—Not later than 45 days after the 
date on which the Commission is established 
under subsection (a), the Secretary may make 
available to the Commission the services of an 
independent, nongovernmental institute de-
scribed in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986, and exempt from tax under 
section 501(a) of such Code, that has recog-
nized credentials and expertise in economic 
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competitiveness and technology in order to fa-
cilitate the Commission’s discharge of its duties 
under this section. 
(B) FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT
CENTER.—On request of the 
Commission, the Secretary shall make available 
to the Commission the services of a federally 
funded research and development center that is 
covered by a sponsoring agreement of the De-
partment in order to enhance the Commission’s 
efforts to discharge its duties under this sec-
tion. 
(5) OTHER SERVICES.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
provide to the Commission, on a nonreimburs-
able basis, such administrative services, funds, 
staff, facilities, and other support services as 
are necessary for the discharge of the Commis-
sion’s duties under this section. 
(B) OTHER AGENCIES.—In addition to any 
support provided under paragraph (1), the 
heads of other relevant Federal departments 
and agencies may provide to the Commission 
such services, funds, facilities, staff, and other 
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support as such heads determine advisable and 
as may be authorized by law. 
(h) STAFF.— 
(1) STATUS
AS
FEDERAL
EMPLOYEES.—Not-
withstanding the requirements of section 2105 of 
title 5, United States Code, including the required 
supervision under subsection (a)(3) of such section, 
a member of the Commission shall be considered to 
be a Federal employee. 
(2) EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR.—The Commission 
shall appoint and fix the rate of basic pay for an Ex-
ecutive Director in accordance with section 3161(d) 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(3) PAY.—The Executive Director, with the ap-
proval of the Commission, may appoint and fix the 
rate of basic pay for additional personnel as staff of 
the Commission in accordance with section 3161(d) 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(i) PERSONAL SERVICES.— 
(1) AUTHORITY
TO
PROCURE.—The Commis-
sion may— 
(A) procure the services of experts or con-
sultants (or of organizations of experts or con-
sultants) in accordance with the provisions of 
section 3109 of title 5, United States Code; and 
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(B) pay in connection with such services 
travel expenses of individuals, including trans-
portation and per diem in lieu of subsistence, 
while such individuals are traveling from their 
homes or places of business to duty stations. 
(2) MAXIMUM
DAILY
PAY
RATES.—The daily 
rate paid an expert or consultant procured pursuant 
to paragraph (1) may not exceed the daily rate paid 
a person occupying a position at level IV of the Ex-
ecutive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
(j) AUTHORITY TO ACCEPT GIFTS.—The Commis-
sion may accept, use, and dispose of gifts or donations 
of services, goods, and property from non-Federal entities 
for the purposes of aiding and facilitating the work of the 
Commission. The authority under this subsection does not 
extend to gifts of money. Gifts accepted under this author-
ity shall be documented, and conflicts of interest or the 
appearance of conflicts of interest shall be avoided. Sub-
ject to the authority in this section, members of the Com-
mission shall otherwise comply with rules set forth by the 
Select Committee on Ethics of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Ethics of the House of Representatives gov-
erning employees of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives, respectively. 
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(k) 
LEGISLATIVE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—The 
Commission shall operate as a legislative advisory com-
mittee. 
(l) CONTRACTING
AUTHORITY.—The Commission 
may acquire such administrative supplies and equipment 
as necessary for Commission use to the extent funds are 
available. 
(m) USE
OF FEDERAL GOVERNMENT INFORMA-
TION.—The Commission may secure directly from any 
Federal department or agency such information as the 
Commission considers necessary to discharge its duties. 
Upon such request of the Chair of the Commission, the 
head of such Federal department or agency shall furnish 
such information to the Commission. 
(n) POSTAL SERVICES.—The Commission may use 
the United States mail in the same manner and under the 
same conditions as Federal departments and agencies. 
(o) SPACE FOR USE OF COMMISSION.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date on which the Commission is 
established under subsection (a), the Administrator of 
General Services, in consultation with the Commission, 
shall identify and make available suitable excess space 
within the Federal space inventory to house the operations 
of the Commission. If the Administrator is not able to 
make such suitable excess space available within such 30- 
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day period, the Commission may lease space to the extent 
funds are available. 
(p) REMOVAL OF MEMBERS.—A member may be re-
moved from the Commission for cause by the individual 
serving in the position responsible for the original appoint-
ment of such member under subsection (b)(1), if notice 
has first been provided to such member of the cause for 
such removal and such removal is voted and agreed upon 
by three quarters of the members serving. A vacancy cre-
ated by such removal shall not affect the powers of the 
Commission, and shall be filled in the same manner as 
the original appointment was made. 
(q) TERMINATION.—The Commission shall terminate 
18 months after the date on which the Commission sub-
mits the final report required under subsection (f)(2). 
(r) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate. 
(2) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Commerce. 
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(3) ROBOTICS.—The term ‘‘robotics’’ includes 
each of the following: 
(A) Programmable multifunctional me-
chanical devices designed to move material, 
parts, tools, or specialized devices through vari-
able programmed motions to perform a variety 
of tasks. 
(B) Programmed actuated mechanisms 
with a degree of autonomy to perform loco-
motion, manipulation, or positioning. 
(C) Automatically controlled, reprogram-
mable, multipurpose manipulators, program-
mable in three or more axes, which can be ei-
ther fixed in place or fixed to a mobile platform 
for use in automation applications in an indus-
trial environment. 
(D) Machines that— 
(i) can sense their environment; 
(ii) have the capacity to process the 
information they sense; and 
(iii) are organized to act directly upon 
their environment. 
(E) Mechanical devices that are capable of 
locomotion, navigation, or movement on the 
ground, and operate at a distance from one or 
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more operators or supervisors based on com-
mands or in response to sensor data, or 
through any combination thereof, and that may 
also be referred to as ‘‘unmanned ground vehi-
cle systems’’. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce. 
Æ 
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