Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Readiness Act of 2026

(a) Development. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Commerce, the Director of the National Science Foundation, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall develop and publish a National Artificial Intelligence Workforce Strategy (in this subtitle referred to as the Strategy).

(b) Contents. The Strategy shall—

(1) analyze the impacts of artificial intelligence on the labor market;

(2) evaluate existing gaps in Federal labor market data products and external data collection activities with regard to artificial intelligence-augmented occupations, including such gaps related to—

(A) real-time employer demand for work, including such demand related to relevant skills and tasks;

(B) barriers to hiring difficulties associated with such skills and tasks described in subparagraph (A);

(C) relational data between labor market outcomes and employee cognitive and non-cognitive ability, knowledge, and occupation-specific skills;

(D) standardized, timely, and longitudinal data on occupational tasks, including such data on overall change in how tasks are performed by individual workers;

(E) the granularity of information collected by Federal business surveys for the purposes of determining the impact of new technologies on labor market outcomes, including information about—

(i) the types of technology used by businesses; and

(ii) the tasks performed by individual technologies used by businesses; and

(F) the vulnerability of particular occupations to automation, displacement, or reinstatement as a consequence of the adoption of artificial intelligence;

(3) make such recommendations and implementation plans as may be necessary to mitigate the gaps described in paragraph (2), including by—

(A) incorporating additional questions into existing Federal labor market and business surveys, including questions—

(i) related to occupational tasks and skills; and

(ii) designed to categorize technologies that are adopted or purchased by businesses;

(B) increasing the frequency with which existing Federal labor market surveys are conducted;

(C) improving the transparency and explainability of Federal labor market survey methodologies;

(D) standardizing the production schedule of Federal labor market surveys for the purposes of evaluating changes to skills and tasks performed over time;

(E) producing public statistical estimates of occupational vulnerability to automation, displacement, or reinstatement of labor to complement direct measurement data of tasks performed by humans and machines within individual businesses; or

(F) such other recommendations and implementation plans as the Secretary of Labor determines necessary;

(4) analyze the effects of infrastructure related to artificial intelligence on local labor markets and environmental conditions in covered communities (as defined in section 401);

(5) identify the skills necessary for work in an artificial intelligence-augmented occupation, including with regard to—

(A) such skills necessary for work in individual sectors listed on the Occupational Information Network of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor; and

(B) such skills necessary for work across sectors listed on the Occupational Information Network of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor;

(6) identify the occupations most in need of updates on the Occupational Information Network of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor;

(7) recommend standards for interoperability between—

(A) workforce data systems;

(B) educational credentials; and

(C) labor market information; and

(8) set national objectives for—

(A) workforce participation;

(B) reskilling rates; and

(C) improved access to and participation in artificial intelligence-augmented occupations by individuals from underserved communities.

(c) Updates. The Secretary of Labor shall update the Strategy not less than once every 3 years.

(d) Publication. Not later than 30 days after the date of publication of such Strategy or updated Strategy, the Secretary of Labor shall submit to the Committee on Education and Workforce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate—

(1) the initial Strategy under subsection (a); and

(2) each updated Strategy under subsection (c).