NEWS: Sens. Schiff, Rounds Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Bolster Artificial Intelligence Literacy for Students

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) introduced the Literacy in Future Technologies (LIFT) Artificial Intelligence Act, bipartisan legislation to improve artificial intelligence literacy as part of students' K-12 education. The bill comes as AI adoption has begun to reshape our economy and workforce and would ensure that students are well prepared to enter the workforce harnessing the power of artificial intelligence.

"With the growing adoption of artificial intelligence across industries, it's crucial that our young people and workforce are equipped to succeed in this evolving landscape. I'm proud to join Senator Rounds in introducing this bicameral, bipartisan legislation to ensure that students and educators have the resources they need to enhance their knowledge around AI and how to use it to compete in our modern economy," said Senator Schiff.

"President Trump's National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence made it clear that we must support American education and the development of an AI-ready workforce," said Senator Rounds. "We want to give American students and workers the best possible opportunity to benefit from AI-driven growth. The LIFT AI Act would introduce AI literacy education to K-12 students, starting them early in learning how to harness the power of AI as it continues to transform our workforce."

Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (R-N.J.-07) and Gabe Amo (D-R.I.-01) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"AI is rapidly reshaping the world our students will enter, and it's our responsibility to ensure they are prepared-not as passive consumers, but as critical thinkers who can use and apply AI tools on their own terms. The LIFT AI Act is an investment in both students and educators, providing the resources necessary to build AI literacy in engaging, ethical and accessible ways. By supporting hands-on learning, commonsense guardrails and educator training, this legislation helps ensure that every child-no matter their ZIP code-has the opportunity to thrive in an era of profound change," said Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers President.

"Developing AI literacy and proficiency at the elementary and secondary level plays a fundamental role in ensuring students can succeed in an AI-driven world," said Jason Oxman, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) President and CEO. "ITI welcomes Senators Schiff and Rounds' bipartisan LIFT AI Act as it will support students and teachers by advancing curriculum development focused on essential competencies needed for AI literacy, creating evaluation tools, and implementing professional development courses for educators."

"The Software & Information Industry Association is proud to support the LIFT AI Act. This bipartisan legislation will help to ensure that the United States prioritizes AI literacy for K-12 educators and students, laying the groundwork for the workforce of tomorrow. By empowering institutions of higher education and nonprofits to build curricula and professional development resources, LIFT AI also strengthens the engine of public-private collaboration essential for continued American leadership in science and technology. SIIA applauds the vision of Senators Schiff and Rounds on this important initiative to ensure our students are prepared for an AI-driven future," said Paul Lekas, Executive VP for Global Public Policy & Government Affairs, Software & Information Industry Association."

"For AI to benefit everyone, the next generation must have the skills to use AI tools responsibly and effectively. The LIFT AI Act does exactly this by expanding AI literacy to all students K-12 and providing educators with the resources to teach it safely. We thank Senators Schiff and Rounds for helping students navigate and solve problems in an AI-enabled world," said Anne Wall, Head of U.S. Federal Affairs, Google.

The LIFT AI Act would:

• Support a grant program within the National Science Foundation for research and development of AI literacy curriculum and evaluation methods for K-12.
• Support professional learning opportunities for educators, principals, and school leaders to enhance their AI literacy and proficiency through courses, mentoring, and best practice development.
• Promote the creation of hands-on learning tools, integration of AI literacy into existing curriculums, and development of evaluation tools to assess AI literacy proficiency.

This bill is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Google, OpenAI, Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), and Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA).

The full text of the bill can be found HERE.

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