S1564-118

What This Bill Does

This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to create and run a mandatory training program on artificial intelligence for federal government managers and supervisors. The training must be provided annually and cover AI capabilities, risks, safety issues, ethics, and best practices for procuring and using AI in government. The program has a 10-year lifespan, after which it automatically expires unless Congress renews it.

Who Benefits and How

Federal managers and supervisors benefit by receiving formal education on AI technology, helping them make more informed decisions about adopting and overseeing AI systems in their agencies. This training covers what AI is, how it works, its risks and benefits, and how to mitigate potential problems.

Federal agencies and the public indirectly benefit from having better-informed leadership when it comes to AI adoption. Managers who understand AI's limitations and risks are better positioned to avoid costly mistakes, ensure ethical deployment, and protect against AI systems that could fail or produce unfair outcomes.

The AI industry and technology vendors may benefit as trained federal managers become more comfortable and knowledgeable about procuring AI capabilities, potentially leading to more informed (and possibly increased) government adoption of AI technologies.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Office of Personnel Management bears the primary administrative burden. OPM must develop the training curriculum, implement the program within 18 months, update it at least every two years, track participation, and collect feedback from participants. This requires staff time, expertise, and likely budget allocation.

Covered federal employees (managers, supervisors, and designated employees) bear a time burden, as they must complete annual training on AI. While this is educational, it represents mandatory work time away from other duties.

Taxpayers bear the cost of developing and maintaining this government-wide training program, though no specific funding amount is authorized in the bill.

Key Provisions

• Mandatory Annual Training: Federal management officials and supervisors must receive AI training every year covering capabilities, risks, ethics, procurement, and best practices.

• 18-Month Implementation Deadline: OPM must develop and launch the program within 18 months of the bill becoming law.

• Comprehensive Curriculum Requirements: Training must cover what AI is, how it works, different types of AI, benefits and risks, the role of data, ways AI can fail, risk mitigation strategies, and organizational deployment considerations.

• Biennial Updates Required: OPM must update the training content at least every two years to keep pace with AI developments.

• Expert Input Encouraged: Congress expresses that training should include interactions with technologists, scholars, and experts from private, public, and nonprofit sectors.

• 10-Year Sunset Clause: The entire program expires automatically 10 years after enactment unless Congress acts to extend it.