Cantwell, Moran Introduce Bill to Boost AI Education

Bill would create student scholarships, fellowships for professional development, AI guidance for K-12 teachers & new AI education hubs at community colleges

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), a senior member of the Commerce Committee, introduced the bipartisan NSF AI Education Act of 2026 to expand scholarship and professional development opportunities to study artificial intelligence with support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

"By authorizing scholarships, fellowships, AI Centers of Excellence and a new grant program focused on land-grant universities, this bill will open doors to AI for students at all levels and will give our workforce the skills they need to continue to drive American tech innovation and entrepreneurship," said Sen. Cantwell. "Demand for AI expertise is already high and will continue to grow, and we must meet that demand if we are to out-compete China and make the American AI tech stack the global standard."

"The future of our state depends on a strong workforce that is equipped with the tools needed to meet tomorrow's challenges," said Sen. Moran. "As the capabilities of AI increase, we must make certain the next generation can utilize its full potential, supporting a strong economy, building thriving communities and maintaining America's global leadership. Through investments in STEM education, fellowships and hands-on-learning from kindergarten to college, this legislation takes an all-of-the-above approach that will provide critical opportunities to students from all across the country."

The NSF AI Education Act would authorize the agency to award undergraduate and graduate scholarships in AI, including scholarships focused on the use of AI in agriculture, education and advanced manufacturing. It would create fellowships for professional development for those already in the STEM and education workforce. It would require NSF to work with educators and academics to create guidance to introduce AI skills and education in K-12 classrooms and create Centers of Excellence at community colleges. It would also create grants for AI research, development and training in agriculture through Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension Service.

The Bipartisan NSF AI Education Act:

1. Boosts Educational and Professional Development Opportunities to Create AI Leaders of Tomorrow: This bill authorizes NSF to award undergraduate and graduate scholarships for students to study every aspect of AI - its development, deployment, integration or application. It establishes scholarships for future educators, farmers and growers, and those in advanced manufacturing to study AI. It also provides professional development opportunities for current educators and STEM workers. The bill leverages financial support from the private sector to support the NSF scholarships and fellowships authorized by this bill.
2. Advances AI Technology to Support Agriculture: This bill propels AI research in agriculture to equip farmers with advanced farming tools for better crop production. It authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in collaboration with the NSF, to make grants for AI research, development and training in agriculture through Land-Grant Universities and the Cooperative Extension Service to reach rural communities.
3. Supports Community Colleges to Lead AI Education: In coordination with the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub Program from the CHIPS & Science Act, this bill calls for creating at least five community college and vocational school "Centers of AI Excellence" across the country. These centers will focus on building upon the best practices for teaching and researching AI and disseminating those practices across the country. These Centers will focus on topics like AI education and training, manufacturing, agriculture and more.
4. Spurs Innovation to Educate Workforce: This bill establishes NSF Grand Challenges to help find strategies to educate 1 million or more workers on AI in the United States by 2028. The bill also supports the creation of an AI education and training framework that does not displace existing workers, including teachers and helps more underrepresented populations such as women and rural residents to receive and benefit from artificial intelligence education and training.
5. Supports AI Resources for Classrooms: As AI rapidly develops, this bill instructs the NSF to collaborate with educators and academics and lead research on AI in the classroom. NSF would be tasked with researching teaching tools and creating publicly available education guidance for using AI in classrooms, with a focus on tools for K-12, low-income, rural and tribal students.

Today's introduction follows the February 17, 2026 introduction of Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Moran's Small Business Artificial Intelligence Training Act of 2026 to create and distribute AI training resources and tools to help small businesses leverage AI in their operations. On February 26, 2026, Sen. Cantwell and Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) introduced the Future of AI Innovation Act that lays the foundation to maintain U.S. leadership in the global race to develop AI and other emerging technologies. Both bills build on her 2020 legislation with Sen. Young that created the National AI Advisory Committee (NAIAC) and become law as part of the 2021 NDAA. Sen. Cantwell was a lead architect and spearheaded the passage of the CHIPS and Science Act, which also directs the DOE and NSF to identify and invest in ten key technology focus areas, including artificial intelligence.

The bill text is HERE.

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