Workforce for AI Trust Act
Sponsored By: Representative Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would expand federal support to build a multidisciplinary, trustworthy AI workforce. It would broaden National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology authority to fund fellowships, training, cross-agency placements, and a formal AI workforce framework.
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- Students and early researchers could access new interdisciplinary NSF fellowships that pay tuition, fees, and stipends for up to three academic years or fund postdoctoral salaries and research costs for up to three years. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens, nationals, or lawful permanent residents, and postdocs must have earned a doctorate within the past five years.
- Universities and research teams would get more NSF support for AI skills training, certification, experiential learning, intra- or inter-institutional workshops, and administrative supplements to help researchers apply trustworthy AI across disciplines. Merit review panels evaluating AI proposals must include social science, ethics, legal, and linguistic perspectives where practicable.
- Federal agencies, industry, and training programs would use a new NIST AI workforce framework that defines AI job categories, a common lexicon, task lists, interoperability guidance, and stakeholder input. NIST must publish the framework within one year of development and post it publicly.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
More NSF AI training and fellowships
If enacted, NSF would fund interdisciplinary graduate and postdoctoral fellowships focused on trustworthy AI. Graduate awards would cover tuition, fees, and stipends for up to three academic years. Postdoctoral awards would cover salary, benefits, relocation, travel, and research costs for up to three years; postdocs must have a doctorate conferred within five years and a host appointment. Fellows would need U.S. citizenship, national status, or lawful permanent residency. NSF would also fund undergraduate-to-postdoc training programs, workshops, and supplements to existing research awards. Host institutions would have to describe how fellows join interdisciplinary teams and share findings. Fellows could take temporary placements at federal or state agencies, national laboratories, private companies, or other hosts.
NIST AI workforce framework and training
If enacted, NIST would develop and publish an AI workforce framework that lists roles, tasks, competencies, and a shared lexicon for AI work. NIST would consult Labor, NSF, OPM, and many stakeholders and would publish the framework on its website and send it to Congress within one year after development. The bill would also expand NIST authority to make workforce frameworks for other critical technologies and to support education and training for AI governance, testing, evaluation, verification, and validation. Employers, schools, labs, and agencies could use the guidance to align hiring and training.
Which labs qualify for AI programs
If enacted, the bill would make the term "National Laboratory" mean the same as in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This would decide which laboratories count as National Laboratories for AI initiative programs and related placements or awards. The change is definitional and affects institutional eligibility rather than individual benefits.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18]
CA • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Lucas, Frank D. [R-OK-3]
OK • R
Sponsored 6/18/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov