March 17, 2026
Mr. Subramanyam (for himself, Mr. Obernolte, and Mr. Gottheimer) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
To authorize the Department of Commerce to carry out a study on challenges faced by United States small artificial intelligence businesses, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Small AI Innovators Empowerment Act
.
Sec. 2. Study on challenges faced by small artificial intelligence businesses
(a) In general
Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and in consultation with the Administrator of the Small Business Administration, shall seek to enter into an agreement with an appropriate entity with relevant expertise, as determined by the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which may include a federally funded research and development center, to conduct a study on challenges faced by United States small artificial intelligence businesses located across the United States.
(b) Elements
The study under subsection (a) shall include the following:
(1)
An analysis of Federal and non-Federal resource funding opportunities for United States small artificial intelligence businesses, including relating to the following:
(A)
Data on early and seed funding sources.
(B)
Accessibility of Federal funding opportunities, timeline of receiving such funding, and the impact of physical asset collateral and other loan requirements on United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(C)
Availability and use of non-Federal funding opportunities.
(2)
Usage of research and development tax credits, and the impact of tax credit restrictions or changes on United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(3)
Usage of accelerators and incubators in the process of establishing United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(4)
An analysis of downstream impacts of Federal policy on United States small artificial intelligence businesses, including an assessment of technology stacks, with consideration of the following:
(A)
Differences in usage of artificial intelligence tools between United States small artificial intelligence businesses and other businesses across the infrastructure, model, and application layers of the artificial intelligence ecosystem, and the role of access to computing resources, cloud services, and data.
(B)
Impact of regulatory uncertainty on exit strategies and acquisition opportunities for United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(C)
Impact of partnerships with larger firms and competition policy frameworks on opportunities for growth of United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(5)
An analysis of talent recruitment and retainment challenges faced by United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
(6)
An analysis of any other potential challenges faced by United States small artificial intelligence businesses the Secretary determines appropriate.
(7)
Proposals and recommendations to address any such challenges.
(c) 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) United States small artificial intelligence business
The term United States small artificial intelligence business means a business that creates, develops, or customizes artificial intelligence products or services as its primary business activity and that—
(A)
is headquartered in the United States;
(B)
is organized for profit;
(C)
operates primarily within the United States or makes a significant contribution to the United States economy through payment of taxes or use of American products, materials, or labor;
(D)
is independently owned and operated, including a business that is backed by private funding, equity financing, or an institutional investor; and
(E)
employs 250 or fewer people.
(3) Technology stacks
The term technology stacks means the collection of technologies, tools, and infrastructure utilized by such businesses.