Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop best practices and technical guidance for documenting artificial intelligence models. Requires NIST to initiate a pilot program to establish a structured documentation template for AI models and associated data, in consultation with relevant federal agencies. Instructs NIST to ensure the template is modular and flexible to cater to sector-specific needs and to provide accompanying technical guidelines with relevant metrics and industry standards. Mandates collaboration with private entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, international standards organizations, and federal agencies for stakeholder input. Requires publication of a draft template in the Federal Register for public comments. Obligates NIST to report on the pilot program's effectiveness and, if effective, plan for its permanent implementation and make documentation available on its website.
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HR 6461 READ AI Models Act 2025
ETO AGORA · U.S. federal laws · 2025
Summary
Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to develop best practices and technical guidance for documenting artificial intelligence models.
Requires NIST to initiate a pilot program to establish a structured documentation template for AI models and associated data, in consultation with relevant federal agencies.
Instructs NIST to ensure the template is modular and flexible to cater to sector-specific needs and to provide accompanying technical guidelines with relevant metrics and industry standards.
Mandates collaboration with private entities, educational institutions, nonprofits, international standards organizations, and federal agencies for stakeholder input.
Requires publication of a draft template in the Federal Register for public comments.
Obligates NIST to report on the pilot program's effectiveness and, if effective, plan for its permanent implementation and make documentation available on its website.
Requires NIST to develop best practices and technical guidance on AI model documentation.
119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6461
To direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop best practices and technical guidance on artificial intelligence model documentation, and for other purposes.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 4, 2025
Ms. McBride (for herself and Mr. Obernolte) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
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A BILL
To direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop best practices and technical guidance on artificial intelligence model documentation, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Resources for Evaluating and Documenting AI Models'' or the ``READ AI Models Act''.
Requires NIST Director to initiate a pilot program for AI model documentation templates and technical guidelines.
SEC. 2. RESOURCES FOR ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MODEL DOCUMENTATION.
(a) Resources.--
(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, in consultation with the heads of other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall initiate a pilot program to establish a structured template and associated technical guidelines for documentation to accompany artificial intelligence models and associated data developed and used by the public sector or private sector.
(2) Activities.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, in carrying out paragraph (1), the Director shall carry out the following:
(A) Produce a structured template designed to enable a user to document information about an artificial intelligence model and associated data, which may include the following information:
(i) The name of such model.
(ii) The identification of the developer of such model.
(iii) The identification of the location where such developer is incorporated.
(iv) The release date of such model.
(v) The knowledge cutoff date for such model's training data.
(vi) Languages supported by such model.
(vii) Terms of service of such model.
(viii) Any other information the Director determines appropriate.
(B) Ensure such template is modular in nature, such that users can flexibly adopt and complete sections, categories, or other similar components of such template in accordance with a specific use case, including relating to sector-specific needs, intended audiences, and a set of desired characteristics.
(C) Provide detailed technical guidelines accompanying such template that--
(i) make available relevant metrics or benchmarks for each component of such template for a range of artificial intelligence model types, as applicable; and
(ii) incorporate voluntary consensus-based technical standards and industry best practices, as appropriate.
Requires the Director to collaborate with stakeholders and solicit public comments on AI guidelines.
(3) Stakeholder input.--In carrying out paragraph (2), the Director shall carry out the following:
(A) Collaborate with private sector entities, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, international standards organizations, and Federal agencies, as the Director determines appropriate, including conducting periodic outreach to such entities, institutions, organizations, and agencies.
(B) Publish in the Federal Register a draft of the structured template and associated technical guidelines referred to in paragraph (1), and provide an opportunity for submission of public comments for a period of not less than 60 days to be considered for incorporation into such template and guidelines.
Requires the Director to report pilot program effectiveness and publish guidelines on NIST's website.
(4) Reporting and publication.--Not later than 12 months after the date on which the Director establishes the pilot program pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director shall carry out the following:
(A) Submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes the following:
(i) An assessment on the effectiveness of such pilot program.
(ii) If so assessed to be effective, a plan for permanent implementation, including relating to administration, of such pilot program.
(B) Make publicly available on the website of the National Institute of Standards and Technology the structured template and associated technical guidelines referred to in paragraph (1), including the incorporation of any appropriate comments in accordance with paragraph (3)(B).
Defines key terms including artificial intelligence, AI model, and Director, relevant to the Act's provisions.
(5) Definitions.--In this Act:
(A) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(B) Artificial intelligence.--The term ``artificial intelligence'' has the meaning given such term in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).
(C) Artificial intelligence model.--The term ``artificial intelligence model'' means a software component of an information system that implements artificial intelligence technology and uses computational, statistical, or machine-learning techniques to produce outputs from a defined set of inputs.
(D) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(E) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit organization'' means an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
(F) International standards organization.--The term ``international standards organization'' has the meaning given such term in section 451 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 2571).