The Build to Scale Reauthorization Act of 2026 extends federal funding for the Regional Innovation Program through fiscal year 2030, providing up to $50 million annually to support economic development in specific areas. The bill defines eligible partners as state or nonprofit organizations that offer direct financing, commercialization services, and entrepreneurial support to local businesses. It mandates that the federal government contribute no more than 50 percent of project costs, with an additional 40 percent available based on regional needs, and requires outreach to rural communities and areas facing economic distress. Additionally, the legislation allows agencies to use unspent funds from previous years and updates the program's focus to include specific initiatives aimed at accelerating innovation.
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This bill creates a legal exemption from antitrust laws for private companies that share information or coordinate actions to protect against specific artificial intelligence security risks. It defines these risks as scenarios where AI could be stolen, weaponized, used to create dangerous weapons, disrupt critical infrastructure, or evade oversight by authorities. To qualify for this protection, companies must act in good faith, use the shared information solely for security purposes, and notify the Department of Justice before any coordinated efforts to delay or limit AI development. The law also ensures that information shared with the government remains confidential and allows the Attorney General to seek court orders if a company fails to prove it acted properly or if the actions ultimately increase security risks.
This bill, titled the Permanent CBDC Ban Act, aims to permanently prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency. It achieves this by amending the Federal Reserve Act to remove the specific legal authority that allows the Reserve to create such a digital currency. The legislation directly affects the Federal Reserve by stripping away its power to launch a digital version of the dollar. By deleting the relevant subsection of the law, the bill ensures that the Reserve cannot issue a CBDC in the future.
The Expanding Capacity for Health Outcomes Act of 2026 authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to networks of organizations that use technology to improve health outcomes. These networks must consist of at least three entities with experience in collaborative learning and capacity building models. Recipients are required to use a shared dataset at the end of the grant period to demonstrate the impact of their work on significant public health issues such as infectious or chronic diseases. Additionally, the act extends the funding period for these grants from 2022 through 2026 to 2027 through 2031.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House that communities impacted by artificial intelligence data centers should have the right to transparency and local control over their development. It outlines a proposed set of guidelines that would allow local governments to ban data centers near homes and schools, require public impact reports on water and energy use, and mandate that operators pay their fair share in taxes. The bill also suggests mechanisms for communities to pause construction until protections against higher electricity bills and water shortages are established, while ensuring developers provide affordable housing and environmental safeguards. Ultimately, the measure aims to empower local authorities to regulate data center operations without being overruled by state laws, focusing on health, environmental, and economic concerns.
This bill creates a pilot program that brings together the National Guard and the Corporation for National and Community Service to address workforce needs and national security goals. The program would allow National Guard members to work alongside national service participants on projects such as protecting critical infrastructure like energy grids and water systems, improving cybersecurity for schools and local governments, and enhancing disaster preparedness. It also aims to build a career pipeline that connects part-time Guard and Reserve members with structured employment opportunities to help address economic insecurity. Ultimately, the legislation seeks to expand community resilience and ensure workforce stability through these coordinated activities.
This bill creates the United States Commission on Human Dignity, an independent advisory group within the federal government tasked with examining the ethical and policy impacts of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology. The 17-member commission will be appointed by the President, congressional leaders, and committee chairs, with a focus on selecting experts in ethics, law, and science to ensure diverse perspectives. Its primary duties include developing ethical guidelines, monitoring federal programs for threats to human dignity, holding public hearings, and issuing annual reports to Congress and the President. The commission is explicitly limited to an advisory role and cannot issue regulations or enforce laws, and it will receive $2 million annually starting in 2027 until it dissolves in October 2032.
The Online Sellers' Bill of Rights Act of 2026 aims to protect third-party businesses using major online marketplaces by requiring these platforms to provide greater transparency and due process. Under the bill, the Federal Trade Commission must create rules that limit how long platforms can hold inventory or freeze funds, mandate written notice within 72 hours for any restrictions, and ensure sellers receive at least 30 days' warning before significant policy changes. The law also establishes a presumption of innocence, placing the burden of proof on the platform to demonstrate a violation rather than on the seller, and allows for specific appeals processes. Enforcement is handled through the FTC, which can pursue violations as unfair competition, while state attorneys general and individual sellers retain the right to file civil lawsuits for damages.
The K-12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act of 2026 allows federal education funds to be used for teaching artificial intelligence to students and training educators on how to use it responsibly. By amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the bill permits schools to spend money on AI curricula that focus on safe and effective usage, as well as professional development for teachers and staff. This change directly affects state and local school districts by expanding the list of allowable expenses to include specific instruction on AI tools and the skills needed to teach them. The legislation defines artificial intelligence using the same standard established in the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 to ensure consistency across programs.
The Senior Chatbot Protection Act of 2026 establishes safety and transparency rules for artificial intelligence chatbots used by older adults in the United States. It requires companies to clearly disclose that their chatbots are not human beings or licensed professionals and mandates specific warnings when the chatbot offers advice on high-stakes matters like healthcare or finances. The law also forces chatbots to detect signs of crisis, such as suicidal thoughts, and immediately refer users to human support services while prohibiting the AI from giving dangerous medical or self-harm advice. Additionally, the bill restricts how user conversations are stored and processed, requiring affirmative consent for data training and giving users the ability to delete their chat history. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission, which can impose penalties for violations, while the National Institutes of Standards and Technology will develop voluntary guidelines for safe AI design.
