Is the Government Using AI Fairly? New Bill Demands Transparency from Federal Agencies

Democrats and Republicans in the House Oversight and Accountability Committee have collaborated on proposed legislation that focuses government resources on increasing transparency, oversight, and responsible use of federal AI systems while protecting the public’s privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

The bipartisan Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act was introduced by Reps. James Comer, and Jamie Raskin,  chair and ranking member of the committee along with six other cosponsors including Republican Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Clay Higgins of Louisiana, and Nick Langworthy of New York, as well as Democratic Reps. Gerry Connolly of Virginia, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Ro Khanna of California. 

“Agencies have already begun to use AI to improve oversight, save taxpayer dollars, and increase government efficiency. The bipartisan Federal AI Governance and Transparency Act ensures that the federal government’s use of AI will improve government operations while protecting privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties, and upholding American values. We look forward to taking up this bipartisan bill this week at the Oversight Committee’s markup,” says Chairman Comer.

The proposed legislation mandates that agencies inform individuals when significant government decisions are influenced by AI and offers the option of an alternative review process through existing appeals channels. 

Additionally, agencies must publicly disclose governance charters for high-risk AI systems or those interacting with Privacy Act-covered records. These charters, containing details such as system responsibility and development process, will be stored in a centralized Federal AI System Inventory and regularly updated.

Earlier this year, leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives announced the formation of a bipartisan task force to explore how Congress can ensure the U.S. continues to lead globally in AI innovation while considering appropriate guardrails to safeguard the nation against current and emerging threats.

Speaker Mike Johnson and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries each appointed twelve members to the Task Force that represent key committees of jurisdiction and will be jointly led by Chair Jay Obernolte and Co-Chair Ted Lieu.

The Task Force aims to generate a thorough report comprising guiding principles, forward-thinking recommendations, and bipartisan policy proposals, crafted in consultation with relevant committees.