H.R. 7381 (Health AI)

Summary

Establishes a grant program by the Director of the National Institutes of Health to fund research on the use of generative AI in health care.

Permits research to include enhancing note-taking, reducing administrative burdens, expediting insurance claims, improving customer service efficiency, and other health care improvements.

Prioritizes grants for entities promoting AI adoption in health care, investing in workforce development, mitigating workforce burnout, reducing health disparities, and improving care for medically underserved populations.

Defines eligible entities to include higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations, and various governmental agencies.

Defines "generative artificial intelligence" as AI producing content in response to prompts.

Directs the NIH Director to establish a grant program for generative AI research in health care.

H. R. 7381

To direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a grant program to facilitate research regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence in health care, and for other purposes.

Directs the NIH Director to establish a grant program for generative AI research in healthcare.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

February 15, 2024

Mr. Lieu introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

A BILL To direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health to establish a grant program to facilitate research regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence in health care, and for other purposes.

Cites the Act as the "HEALTH AI Act."

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 “Healthcare Enhancement And Learning Through Harnessing Artificial Intelligence Act” or the “HEALTH AI Act”.

Establishes grants for research on using generative AI to enhance various health care processes and outcomes.

SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PERFORM RESEARCH REGARDING THE USE OF GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN HEALTH CARE.

(a) In General.—The Director of the National Institutes of Health shall establish a grant program to award grants to eligible entities to perform research regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence in health care.

(b) Permissible Research.—Research funded pursuant to a grant under this section may include research regarding the use of generative artificial intelligence to—

(1) improve the ability of health care practitioners to record comprehensive notes or ask medically relevant questions during an appointment with a patient;

(2) reduce the administrative or documentation burden on clinicians;

(3) expedite the health insurance claims process;

(4) improve the efficiency and quality of customer service in the health care sector; or

(5) otherwise improve health care, as determined appropriate by the Director.

(c) Priority.—In awarding grants under this section, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall give priority to eligible entities that—

(1) encourage the adoption and deployment of generative artificial intelligence across the health care sector;

(2) invest in workforce development of clinicians and administrators;

(3) mitigate burnout in the health care workforce;

(4) reduce gender, racial, and ethnic disparities in health outcomes; or

(5) improve the availability of patient care for members of a medically underserved population.

Defines artificial intelligence, eligible entities, generative AI, and medically underserved population with specific legal references.

(d) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) 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).

(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term “eligible entity” means—

(A) an institution of higher education has the meaning given that term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001);

(B) a nonprofit organization, as that term is defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 501(c)(3)) and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code; or

(C) an agency of—

(i) the Federal Government;

(ii) a State;

(iii) a unit of local government; or

(iv) an Indian Tribe.

(3) GENERATIVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.—The term “generative artificial intelligence” means artificial intelligence that, in response to a prompt, uses data to produce text, media, computer code, or other content.

(4) MEDICALLY UNDERSERVED POPULATION.—The term “medically underserved population” has the meaning given such term in section 330(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b(b)).