Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Readiness Act of 2026

(a) Program authorized. The Secretary of Education shall establish a program to award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to assist individuals from underserved communities in pursuing—

(1) artificial intelligence-disrupted career pathways; and

(2) other training opportunities to prepare such individuals to enter artificial intelligence-augmented occupations.

(b) Eligible entity. In this section, the term eligible entity means—

(1) an institution specified in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)); and

(2) a consortium consisting of—

(A) an institution described in paragraph (1); and

(B) 1 or more—

(i) employers;

(ii) local boards;

(iii) industry or sector partnership; or

(iv) State boards.

(c) Priority. In awarding a grant under this section, the Secretary of Education shall prioritize an eligible entity—

(1) that is or includes an institution of higher education at which no less than 30 percent of students received a Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.) for the academic year preceding the year in which such eligible entity submits an application for such grant; and

(2) that intends to collaborate with an employer or labor organization to provide internships or employment opportunities to individuals receiving support pursuant to such grant.

(d) Uses of funds. An eligible entity may use a grant awarded under this section for the following:

(1) Providing scholarships to individuals from underserved communities to defray the cost of tuition, fees, and expenses included in the cost of attendance, as defined in section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087ll) for degrees or credential programs related to artificial intelligence-disrupted career pathways or artificial intelligence-augmented occupations.

(2) Providing such individuals with—

(A) childcare assistance;

(B) transportation assistance;

(C) assistive technology;

(D) internet access;

(E) internship placements in artificial intelligence-augmented occupations; and

(F) career navigation support.

(3) Training faculty of such eligible entity to integrate into artificial intelligence instruction content on—

(A) artificial intelligence ethics; and

(B) the humanities and social sciences.

(4) Establish mentorship networks to match such individuals with experienced employees in artificial intelligence-augmented occupations.

(5) Organize events to promote inclusive artificial intelligence employment practices.

(e) Grant period. A grant awarded to an eligible entity under this section shall be for a period of not longer than 5 years, which shall be renewable at the discretion of the Secretary of Education.

(f) Reports

(1) Eligible entity reports. Not later than 1 year after the date on which such grant is awarded and annually thereafter during the period of such grant, each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary of Education a report describing with respect to the 1-year period covered by such report—

(A) the number of students supported by such grant;

(B) the percentage of such students who graduate from such eligible entity (or, in the case of an eligible entity that is a consortium, the institution of higher education within such consortium) within the expected period of graduation, as determined by such eligible entity; and

(C) the percentage of such participants who obtain employment, including employment in an artificial intelligence-augmented occupation, upon completion of such pathway, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, disability status, Pell Grant recipient status, and first-generation college student status, consistent with data collected under the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

(2) Reports to Congress. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Education shall submit to Congress a report describing the grants awarded under this section during the 1-year period covered by such report and the outcomes achieved during such 1-year period by eligible entities receiving such grants.

(g) Compliance. Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall be subject to the requirements under section 6.