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Congress·In Committee·S. 1290

Sen. Peters Introduces Bill to Create National AI Workforce Standards and Career Paths

Artificial Intelligence and Critical Technology Workforce Framework Act of 2025

12 months ago·View on Congress.gov

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
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Key Points

  • The bill expands NIST's role to create official workforce frameworks for AI and other critical technologies, defining the skills, knowledge, and tasks needed for different roles so that schools, employers, and training programs share a common language.

    From policy text

    “to develop, maintain, and provide industry, government, research, nonprofit, labor organizations, and educational institutions with workforce frameworks for critical and emerging technologies and other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains for the purpose of bolstering scientific and technical education, training, and workforce development”
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  • NIST must publish a complete AI workforce framework — including workforce categories, work roles, and competency areas — within 540 days of enactment, making AI the first technology to receive a mandatory framework under this law.

    From policy text

    “not less than 540 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall develop and publish a workforce framework, workforce categories, work roles, and competency areas for artificial intelligence”
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  • The policy emphasizes career pathways for people without traditional four-year degrees, requiring each framework to show how individuals with nontechnical or nontraditional backgrounds can use their existing skills and obtain relevant credentials like certificates and certifications.

    From policy text

    “information that promotes the discovery of careers in critical and emerging technologies and the multiple career pathways for learners from a variety of backgrounds, including individuals with nontechnical or other nontraditional backgrounds and education”
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  • Frameworks must cover non-engineering roles like ethics, law, finance, human resources, and supply chain security, ensuring the full range of jobs surrounding AI and tech — not just coding positions — are included.

    From policy text

    “relevant support or operations work roles and competency areas such as administration and finance, law and policy, ethics, privacy, human resources, information technology, operational technology, supply chain security, and acquisition and procurement”
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  • Existing cybersecurity workforce standards (the NICE Framework) must be reviewed and updated at least every three years, and NIST must report to Congress within 180 days on its process for making those updates.
Technology DigitalLabor EmploymentEducation

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Apr 3, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

180 days after enactment

NIST submits a report to Congress on how it plans to update the existing cybersecurity workforce framework

This is the first deliverable — it kicks off the modernization of cybersecurity job standards that schools and employers rely on.

540 days after enactment

NIST publishes a complete AI workforce framework with defined job categories, roles, and skills

For the first time, there would be an official national standard describing what AI jobs look like and what skills they require — useful for schools, employers, and job seekers.

Related Bills

1 bill
S. 3957Related bill

NSF AI Education Act of 2026

Mar 2 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Artificial Intelligence and Critical Technology Workforce Framework Act of 2025

Bill NumberS 1290
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
R: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.