Bonamici Introduces Human-Centered Framework to Provide Guardrails for AI in Education and Workforce

WASHINGTON, DC [9/22/26] – Today Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) introduced comprehensive legislation to establish guardrails against AI risks in education and the workforce and invest in protections for students, educators, and workers.

The Artificial Intelligence Education and Workforce Readiness Act is a robust federal framework to protect students, educators, and workers and help them safely navigate the technology in their classrooms and careers. The bill establishes national workforce strategies and coordinates evidence-based programs across the Departments of Education and Labor, and it directs safety research at federal science agencies. It creates enforceable safeguards, protects workers and communities, invests in professional development, and more.

“AI is already shaping how students learn and how people earn a living, but federal rules and regulations to protect students, support workers, and enforce ethical standards do not exist,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “The companies building these tools don’t get to regulate themselves; we need clear rules and accountability for how AI is used in classrooms and workplaces. My human-centered legislation will empower and protect students, families, educators and others in the workforce by investing in evidence-based research, reskilling, transparency, safety, and long-term strategies. Congress must act now so AI does not continue to threaten the development of critical thinking skills and the wellbeing of humanity.”

The legislation has been endorsed by Alliance for Learning Innovation, Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), American Council on Education, American Federation of Teachers, Center for American Progress, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and Workday.

“As concerns about the risks of AI mount and industry leaders urge the federal government to act, Congresswoman Bonamici is answering the call with urgency,” said Center for American Progress Senior Director of K-12 Education Policy Weadé James, Ph.D. “This bill advances safeguards to promote responsible AI adoption in schools and the workforce, ensuring our nation’s 49 million public school students continue to receive an education rooted in learning science and human interaction.”

“As educators, school systems, and parents confront the rapidly changing use of artificial intelligence applications throughout society, including with children in schools, education researchers applaud Congresswoman Bonamici’s effort to establish a comprehensive federal framework for the responsible use of AI in our nation’s schools including professional development and open-access evidence-based research,” said Emily Tanner-Smith, Dean, University of Oregon College of Education and Thomson Professor in Counseling Psychology and Human Services. “Our faculty are committed to generating the research and preparing the educators needed to ensure AI is used responsibly, ethically, and in ways that expand opportunity for all learners.”

"We appreciate Rep. Bonamici's efforts to encourage students and assist our institutions in navigating the fast-changing AI frontier,” said Sarah Spreitzer, Vice President and Chief of Staff for Government Relations, American Council on Education. “This much-needed legislation will create new programs and provide resources to ensure that postsecondary education is ready to respond to the array of questions and challenges posed by AI."

“Workday is pleased to support Congresswoman Bonamici’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education and Workforce Readiness Act,” said Chandler Morse, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Workday. “AI will fundamentally reshape the world of work and Congress needs to take steps to help modernize labor market data, pinpoint the skills of the future, and empower employers to invest deeply in upskilling their talent.  By bridging the gap between emerging technology and workforce development, this legislation creates a framework for driving responsible innovation while building an AI-ready workforce.”

Additional statements of support can be found here.

The full text of the legislation can be found here. A summary of the legislation can be found here, and a section-by-section breakdown can be found here. The bill will:

• Require AI risk assessment standards for classroom technology, safeguards against harmful content, parental notice and opt-out rights, human review of automated decisions in federally funded workforce programs, and a secure student data breach reporting portal, enforced jointly by the Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission;
• Create strict safety compliance requirements, including prohibiting the use of student data to train AI models, open licensing and access of funded research and learning materials, independent evaluations and audits, human oversight and bias testing, robust data security protocols, and adoption of NIST's AI risk management framework;
• Prohibit model developers from directing school instructional content or requiring exclusive use of their AI product;
• Require data center operators to disclose pre-construction energy and water consumption projections and actual operational consumption, direct NIST to develop AI infrastructure energy and water measurement standards, and funds state, local, and community capacity for data center oversight, audits, and environmental research;
• Establish an Interagency Council on Artificial Intelligence in Education and the Workforce to publish and update list of AI-disrupted jobs to guide program design;
• Establish grants for regional career pathways and stackable micro-credential pilot programs to support interdisciplinary studies and project-based learning;
• Support in-service training for school leaders that pairs AI literacy with humanities, critical thinking, and work-based learning, including on algorithmic bias, student data privacy, and preventing reliance on AI for critical educator roles;
• Provide resources for educator professional development on responsible and ethical AI use; facilitate open-access education research on evidence-based, voluntary materials for AI-related literacy, ethics, civics, and humanities;
• Fund open-access research on AI effects in education, Regional Centers for Human-Centered AI in Education and Work, and updated federal practice guides for the responsible use of AI in the classroom;
• Invest in applied AI workforce research on employment disruption, regional training with wraparound supports, and evidence-based educator toolkits;
• Direct a National AI Workforce Strategy and State AI Workforce Implementation Plans, supported by a national workforce coordination council, to assess skills gaps, identify disrupted occupations, and align programs with regional labor needs;
• Provide grants for community colleges, small employers, and workforce programs to develop research and upskilling resources for individuals in non-traditional career pathways;
• Create grants for apprenticeships, reskilling, and public service fellowships; require AI accessibility in vocational programs; provide a small business reskilling tax credit; and require reporting on AI-caused worker displacement;
• Establish grants for equitable AI education access, capacity building at minority serving institutions, career scholarships, mentorship networks, and technical assistance; and
• Require EEOC liability guidance on preventing discriminatory AI use in recruitment, training, and performance evaluation.

The package is cosponsored by Representatives Ted Lieu (D-CA), Valerie P. Foushee (D-NC), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Frederica Wilson (D-FL), and Greg Landsman (D-OH).

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