Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Readiness Act of 2026

(a) NIST measurement standards

(1) In general. Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall develop measurement standards for evaluating the energy and water consumption associated with the operation of artificial intelligence systems, including infrastructure related to artificial intelligence, at the level of an individual query, task, or inference.

(2) Mandatory use by Federal agencies. Each Federal agency shall use the measurement standards developed under paragraph (1) in evaluating the energy and water consumption of artificial intelligence systems procured or adopted by such agency, consistent with the guidance issued under section 404(c).

(3) Voluntary use. Use of the measurement standards developed under paragraph (1) by a person or entity other than a Federal agency is voluntary.

(4) Updates. The Director shall periodically update the measurement standards developed under paragraph (1) to reflect advancements in artificial intelligence technology and measurement methodology.

(b) Federal artificial intelligence environmental inventory

(1) In general. Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and biennially thereafter, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy and the heads of other relevant Federal agencies, shall conduct an inventory of the energy and water consumption associated with artificial intelligence systems used by Federal agencies.

(2) Methodology. The inventory conducted under paragraph (1) shall apply the measurement standards developed and updated under subsection (a).

(3) Publication. The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall publish each inventory conducted under paragraph (1) and submit such inventory to Congress.

(c) Public availability and incorporation into literacy curricula

(1) Public availability. The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall make the measurement standards developed and updated under subsection (a) publicly available in plain language.

(2) Incorporation. Any curriculum developed to increase artificial intelligence literacy (as defined in section 3 of this Act) using amounts made available under this Act shall, to the extent practicable, incorporate information regarding the measurement standards made available under paragraph (1), for informational and educational purposes.