Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act of 2020
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (16 Jun 2020): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
What this bill does
S. 3965, the Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act of 2020, would restructure how the Department of Defense oversees and staffs artificial intelligence efforts. The bill places the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center directly under the Secretary of Defense's authority, requires its Director to report directly to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, and sets the Director's rank at lieutenant general or vice admiral. It also directs the Department to create a training and certification program on AI, data science, and software development for human resources staff, with phased targets for workforce certification, and authorizes $2.5 million for fiscal year 2021 to fund it. Additional provisions call for guidance encouraging direct hiring of AI and data science professionals, use of subject-matter-expert hiring panels, and referral bonuses, along with authority to waive certain federal qualification standards for AI positions (capped at 100 hires government-wide for other national security agencies). The bill also requires modifying the military's aptitude test to assess computational thinking skills.
The bill primarily affects Department of Defense leadership structures, its civilian and military human resources processes, and hiring practices for AI, data science, and software development personnel. It also extends limited hiring flexibilities to other national security agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, State, and Commerce, and intelligence community elements, and could affect military recruits through changes to the aptitude test used for job placement.
The bill was introduced in the Senate on June 16, 2020, by Senator Martin Heinrich with Senator Rob Portman as a cosponsor, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services. It did not receive a vote before the end of the 116th Congress and did not become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act of 2020
This bill directs the Department of Defense (DOD) to (1) exercise authority and direction over the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center; (2) develop a training and certification program on software development, data science, and artificial intelligence that is tailored to the needs of the covered human resources workforce (i.e., the human resources professionals, hiring managers, and recruiters who are or will be responsible for hiring software developers, data scientists, or artificial intelligence professionals); (3) issue guidance to the secretaries of the military departments and the heads of the defense components on improved use of the direct hiring processes for artificial intelligence professionals and other data science and software development personnel; and (4) modify the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test to add a new subtest addressing computational thinking skills relevant to military applications.
Timeline
16 Jun 2020
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
Common questions
- What does S. 3965 do?
- S. 3965, the Artificial Intelligence for the Armed Forces Act of 2020, would restructure how the Department of Defense oversees and staffs artificial intelligence efforts. The bill places the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center directly under the Secretary of Defense's authority, requires its Director to report directly to the Secretary or Deputy Secretary, and sets the Director's rank at lieutenant general or vice admiral. It also directs the Department to create a training and certification program on AI, data science, and software development for human resources staff, with phased targets for workforce certification, and authorizes $2.5 million for fiscal year 2021 to fund it. Additional provisions call for guidance encouraging direct hiring of AI and data science professionals, use of subject-matter-expert hiring panels, and referral bonuses, along with authority to waive certain federal qualification standards for AI positions (capped at 100 hires government-wide for other national security agencies). The bill also requires modifying the military's aptitude test to assess computational thinking skills. The bill primarily affects Department of Defense leadership structures, its civilian and military human resources processes, and hiring practices for AI, data science, and software development personnel. It also extends limited hiring flexibilities to other national security agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, State, and Commerce, and intelligence community elements, and could affect military recruits through changes to the aptitude test used for job placement. The bill was introduced in the Senate on June 16, 2020, by Senator Martin Heinrich with Senator Rob Portman as a cosponsor, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services. It did not receive a vote before the end of the 116th Congress and did not become law.
- Has S. 3965 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for S. 3965. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored S. 3965?
- S. 3965 was sponsored by Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), with 1 cosponsor.
- What's the latest action on S. 3965?
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (16 Jun 2020).
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