[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4487 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>





                                                       Calendar No. 487
118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4487

To require the Secretary of Commerce to develop artificial intelligence 
training resources and toolkits for United States small businesses, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 11, 2024

Ms. Cantwell (for herself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

                             August 1, 2024

              Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to develop artificial intelligence 
training resources and toolkits for United States small businesses, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Artificial 
Intelligence Training and Toolkit Act of 2024''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING RESOURCES AND 
              TOOLKITS FOR SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) Definitions.--In this section:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
                and Transportation and the Committee on Small Business 
                and Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                Technology and the Committee on Small Business of the 
                House of Representatives.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Artificial intelligence.--The term 
        ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in 
        section 5002 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 
        9401).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Center.--The term ``Center'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 25(a) of the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the 
        Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Hollings manufacturing extension 
        partnership.--The term ``Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership'' has the meaning given such term in section 25(a) 
        of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
        U.S.C. 278k(a)).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has 
        the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        5304).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (7) Key emerging technologies.--The term ``key 
        emerging technologies'' means the technologies included in the 
        initial list of key technology focus areas set forth by section 
        10387(c) of the Research and Development, Competition, and 
        Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19107(c)), photonics, and 
        electronics.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (8) Rural community.--The term ``rural community'' 
        means a community that is located in areas that are not 
        classified as urban by the Bureau of the Census.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Commerce.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (10) Small business concern.--The term ``small 
        business concern'' has the meaning given such term in section 
        3(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Development of Training Resources and Toolkits 
Required.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, acting 
        through the Director, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership, and the Centers and in consultation and 
        coordination with the Administrator of the Small Business 
        Administration, the Secretary of Agriculture, and such persons 
        in the private sector as the Secretary of Commerce considers 
        appropriate, develop training resources and toolkits for small 
        business concerns, including small business concerns located in 
        rural, Tribal, or underserved communities or involved in 
        advanced manufacturing, relating to the adoption and use of 
        artificial intelligence and such other key emerging 
        technologies, such as quantum-hybrid computing, as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Contents.--The training and toolkits developed 
        under paragraph (1) shall include prompt engineering and the 
        use of artificial intelligence or emerging technologies, such 
        as quantum hybrid tools, relating to access to credit and 
        capital, financial management and accounting, business planning 
        and operations, cybersecurity, marketing, supply chain 
        management, government contracting, and exporting.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Review and Update of Training Resources and 
Toolkits.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, 
the Secretary shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) review the training resources and toolkits 
        developed pursuant to subsection (b); and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) update such resources and toolkits as the 
        Secretary considers appropriate.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Distribution and Use of Training Resources and 
Toolkits.--The Secretary shall coordinate with the Administrator of the 
Small Business Administration on the distribution and use of the 
training resources and toolkits that are developed pursuant to 
subsection (b) through the resource partners of the Small Business 
Administration, including small business development centers, women 
business centers, SCORE, veteran business opportunity centers, and the 
Apex Accelerator.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Grants Program.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Authority.--The Secretary may carry out a 
        program on the award of grants to persons providing training 
        relating to artificial intelligence to small business concerns 
        using the training resources developed under subsection 
        (b).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Gift authority.--The Secretary may receive 
        gifts that the Secretary shall use to carry out paragraph 
        (1).</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Reports to Congress.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 
        submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report on 
        the development, distribution, and use of the training 
        resources and toolkits developed pursuant to subsection 
        (b).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Biennial reports.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) Reports required.--Not later than 3 
                years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and 
                not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, 
                the Secretary shall submit to appropriate committees of 
                Congress a biennial report on the development, 
                distribution, and use of training resources and 
                toolkits developed pursuant to subsection 
                (b).</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Contents.--Each report submitted to 
                subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period of 
                covered by the report, the following:</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) A list of the training 
                        resources and toolkits developed pursuant to 
                        subsection (b).</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) A description of the 
                        measurable outcomes of the distribution of such 
                        training resources and toolkits, including the 
                        following:</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (I) The number and type of 
                                small business concerns using such 
                                training resources and 
                                toolkits.</DELETED>
                                <DELETED>    (II) The effect of such 
                                use on the revenues, sales, and 
                                workforces of the small business 
                                concerns. </DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Artificial 
Intelligence Training Act of 2024''.

SEC. 2. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE TRAINING RESOURCES FOR SMALL BUSINESS 
              CONCERNS.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation and the Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
                and the Committee on Small Business of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (2) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial 
        intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 5002 
        of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (15 U.S.C. 9401).
            (3) Center.--The term ``Center'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 25(a) of the National Institute of Standards 
        and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)).
            (4) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
            (5) Hollings manufacturing extension partnership.--The term 
        ``Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 25(a) of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)).
            (6) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
        Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304).
            (7) Key emerging technologies.--The term ``key emerging 
        technologies'' means the technologies included in the initial 
        list of key technology focus areas set forth by section 
        10387(c) of the Research and Development, Competition, and 
        Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 19107(c)), photonics, and 
        electronics.
            (8) Rural community.--The term ``rural community'' means a 
        community that is located in areas that are not classified as 
        urban by the Bureau of the Census.
            (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (10) Small business concern.--The term ``small business 
        concern'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(a) of 
        the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(a)).
    (b) Development of Training Resources Required.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall, acting through 
        the Director, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, 
        and the Centers and in consultation and coordination with the 
        Administrator of the Small Business Administration, the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, and such persons in the private 
        sector as the Secretary of Commerce considers appropriate, 
        develop training resources for small business concerns, 
        including small business concerns located in rural, Tribal, or 
        underserved communities or involved in advanced manufacturing, 
        relating to the adoption and use of artificial intelligence and 
        such other key emerging technologies, such as quantum-hybrid 
        computing, as the Secretary considers appropriate.
            (2) Contents.--The training resources developed under 
        paragraph (1) shall include prompt engineering and the use of 
        artificial intelligence or emerging technologies, such as 
        quantum hybrid tools, relating to access to credit and capital, 
        financial management and accounting, business planning and 
        operations, cybersecurity, marketing, supply chain management, 
        government contracting, and exporting.
    (c) Review and Update of Training Resources.--Not later than 18 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less 
frequently than once each year thereafter, the Secretary shall, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration--
            (1) review the training resources developed pursuant to 
        subsection (b); and
            (2) update such resources as the Secretary considers 
        appropriate.
    (d) Distribution and Use of Training Resources.--The Secretary 
shall coordinate with the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration on the distribution and use of the training resources 
that are developed pursuant to subsection (b) through the resource 
partners of the Small Business Administration, including small business 
development centers, women business centers, SCORE, veteran business 
opportunity centers, and the Apex Accelerator.
    (e) Grants Program.--The Secretary may, in coordination with the 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration, carry out a program 
on the award of grants to persons providing training relating to 
artificial intelligence to small business concerns using the training 
resources developed under subsection (b).
    (f) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        appropriate committees of Congress a report on the development, 
        distribution, and use of the training resources developed 
        pursuant to subsection (b).
            (2) Annual reports.--
                    (A) Reports required.--Not later than 2 years after 
                the date of the enactment of this Act, and not less 
                frequently than once each year thereafter, the 
                Secretary shall, in consultation with the Administrator 
                of the Small Business Administration, submit to 
                appropriate committees of Congress an annual report on 
                the development, distribution, and use of training 
                resources developed pursuant to subsection (b).
                    (B) Contents.--Each report submitted to 
                subparagraph (A) shall include, for the period of 
                covered by the report, the following:
                            (i) A list of the training resources 
                        developed pursuant to subsection (b).
                            (ii) A description of the measurable 
                        outcomes of the distribution of such training 
                        resources, including the following:
                                    (I) The number and type of small 
                                business concerns using such training 
                                resources.
                                    (II) The effect of such use on the 
                                revenues, sales, and workforces of the 
                                small business concerns.
    (g) Sunset.--The authorities and requirements under this section 
shall terminate on the date that is 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
                                                       Calendar No. 487

118th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 4487

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To require the Secretary of Commerce to develop artificial intelligence 
training resources and toolkits for United States small businesses, and 
                          for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             August 1, 2024

                       Reported with an amendment