AI Scholarship-for-Service Act

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IntroducedPassed one chamberPassed both chambersBecame law (gold)Resolution agreed to (full, dark)Failed or vetoed (gray)

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 117th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D PetersSponsor

1 cosponsor · 1 R

R Thune

1 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

This bill establishes a federal artificial intelligence (AI) scholarship-for-service program to recruit and train AI professionals to lead and support AI in federal, state, local, and tribal governments.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Apr 20, 2021

AI Scholarship-for-Service Act

Specifically, the National Science Foundation must establish criteria to designate qualified institutions of higher education (IHEs) as eligible to participate in the program. Such criteria must include (1) measures of an IHE's demonstrated excellence in the education of students in AI; and (2) measures of an IHE's ability to attract and retain a diverse and nontraditional student population in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Further, the program must (1) provide scholarships through qualified IHEs to students who are enrolled in programs of study related to AI, (2) provide scholarship recipients with internship opportunities, (3) prioritize the employment placement of scholarship recipients in executive agencies, (4) identify opportunities to promote multidisciplinary programs of study that integrate basic or advanced AI training with other fields of study, and (5) support education research programs to train AI researchers and practitioners.

Additionally, the post-award employment obligations of a scholarship recipient must include three years of work for an executive agency; Congress; an interstate agency; a state, local, or tribal government; or a government-affiliated nonprofit that is considered to be critical infrastructure. A scholarship recipient who completes less than the required three years of service must repay the scholarship, or the scholarship must be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that is subject to repayment.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: AI Scholarship-for-Service Act

Latest action (Apr 20, 2021): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Policy area: Education · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Apr 20, 2021

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.