Federal · Senate Bill · 119th Congress, 1st Session
S1633
Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025 (TEST AI Act of 2025)

Status ● Introduced Effective N/A Passage Likelihood M

How Is This Bill Enforced

Enforcement Authority
No enforcement mechanism. The bill directs NIST to establish a pilot program and working group; it does not create private compliance obligations or designate an enforcement authority.
Private Right of Action
No private right of action. Enforcement is exclusive to the designated authority.
Penalties
No remedies, penalties, or damages provisions. The bill is a government-internal pilot program directive.

What This Bill Requires

Verbatim statutory text on the left; plain-language analysis and a per-section checklist on the right. Numbered markers cross-link to the matching checklist row.

Statutory Text
Analysis & Obligations
Sec. 1
Short title

This Act may be cited as the "Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025" or the "TEST AI Act of 2025".

Establishes the short title of the Act as the "Testing and Evaluation Systems for Trusted Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025" or the "TEST AI Act of 2025." This section creates no compliance obligations.

Sec. 2
Definitions

(1) The term "artificial intelligence systemArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1)" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).

(2) The term "covered foreign countryCovered foreign countryThe term "covered foreign country" means— (A) the People's Republic of China; (B) the Russian Federation; (C) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and (D) the Islamic Republic of Iran.Sec. 2(2)" means— (A) the People's Republic of China; (B) the Russian Federation; (C) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and (D) the Islamic Republic of Iran.

(3) The term "DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3)" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

(4) The term "InstituteInstituteThe term "Institute" means the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(4)" means the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

(5) The term "testbedTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5)" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.

(6) The term "Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6)" means the working groupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) established under section 3(c)(1).

Defines six terms used throughout the Act: artificial intelligence system (by cross-reference to 15 U.S.C. § 9401), covered foreign country (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran), Director (NIST Director), Institute (NIST), testbed (a facility for rigorous, transparent, replicable testing of AI tools), and Working Group (the advisory body established under Section 3(c)(1)). This section creates no compliance obligations.

Sec. 3
Pilot program on testbeds for development of measurement standards for evaluation of AI systems

(a)(1) 1 The DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) shall, in coordination with the Secretary of Energy and after consultation with the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6), carry out a pilot program of testbedsTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5) to assess the feasibility and advisability of developing measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) used by Federal agencies through the use of testbedsTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5).

(a)(2) 1 The DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) shall carry out the pilot program required by paragraph (1) by building and demonstrating an iterative process whereby measurement science is advanced and standards are developed using testbedsTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5) in accordance with subsection (d), and the results of the tests are reviewed by stakeholders from government, the private sector, and academia.

(b)(1)–(2) 2 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy shall enter into a memorandum of understanding to implement the coordination between the Secretary of Energy and the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) required by paragraph (2). The memorandum shall be sufficient to ensure the InstituteInstituteThe term "Institute" means the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(4) and other Federal agencies have access, as may be necessary and as determined by the Secretary of Energy, to the resources, personnel, and facilities at the Department of Energy, including the cross-cutting research and development programs to support the activities of the pilot program require by subsection (a)(1).

(b)(3) 2 Not later than 2 years after the establishment of the pilot program required by subsection (a)(1), and every 2 years thereafter, Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy shall reassess the memorandum of understanding to ensure that it meets the needs of the agencies and adequately supports the activities of the pilot program.

(c)(1) 3 Not later than 90 days after the memorandum of understanding required by subsection (b)(1) is signed, the Secretary of Commerce shall establish a working groupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) to provide advice to the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Energy on the development of measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) under the pilot program required by subsection (a). The working groupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) established under subparagraph (A) shall be known as the "Artificial Intelligence Testing Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6)".

(c)(2) 3 The Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) shall be comprised of not more than 10 members that include the following: (i) The Secretary of Commerce or a designee of the Secretary of Commerce from the Department of Commerce. (ii) The Secretary of Energy or a designee of the Secretary of Energy from the Department of Energy. (iii) The DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) or a designee of the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) from the InstituteInstituteThe term "Institute" means the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(4). (iv) Representatives from the private sector, as the members described in clauses (i) through (iii) consider appropriate. (v) Representatives from academic institutions, as the members described in clauses (i) through (iii) consider appropriate. No citizen of a covered foreign countryCovered foreign countryThe term "covered foreign country" means— (A) the People's Republic of China; (B) the Russian Federation; (C) the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and (D) the Islamic Republic of Iran.Sec. 2(2) may serve as a member of the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6).

(c)(3) 4 Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) is established under paragraph (1), the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) shall develop a strategy for the development of measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1). The strategy required by subparagraph (A) shall— (i) identify measurement standards that the members of the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6) consider necessary, including standards with respect to an artificial intelligence systemArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) for— (I) reliability; (II) performance; (III) capability; (IV) interpretability; (V) security, including the propensity of the system for leaking data; (VI) privacy; (VII) data bias; and (VIII) bounds for applicability and use cases; (ii) include a proposed blueprint for developing the measurement standards; (iii) identify the applications or artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) to which the standards should initially apply; and (iv) identify metrics for the assessment of the pilot program.

(c)(3)(C) 5 The Secretary of Commerce shall publish on a publicly accessible website of the Department of Commerce the strategy for measurement standards required by subparagraph (A) to provide the information contained in the strategy to stakeholders, including code and model developers, researchers, and industrial users of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1).

(d)(1)–(2) 6 Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) shall, in collaboration with the Secretary of Energy and in coordination with the Working GroupWorking GroupThe term "Working Group" means the working group established under section 3(c)(1).Sec. 2(6), develop, in accordance with the strategy developed under subsection (c)(3)(A), testbedsTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5) on which to demonstrate the development of measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) to be used by Federal agencies. In carrying out paragraph (1), the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) may hire any expert the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) considers necessary, including experts from academia, industry, and standards development organizations.

(e) 7 Not later than 180 days after the date on which the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) completes the first testbedTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5) demonstration and development of measurement standards under subsection (d)(1), the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) shall submit to Congress a report that— (1) reviews the findings of the DirectorDirectorThe term "Director" means the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.Sec. 2(3) with respect to the initial demonstration carried out under this section; (2) recommends revisions to the pilot program plan, including by identifying any resources, funding, or personnel that is needed to improve and continue the development of testbedsTestbedThe term "testbed" means a facility or mechanism equipped for conducting rigorous, transparent, and replicable testing of tools or technologies to evaluate the functionality, performance, and security of those tools or technologies.Sec. 2(5) and measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1) for multiple applications; and (3) makes recommendations for legislative or administrative action to advance the development of measurement standards for the evaluation of artificial intelligence systemsArtificial intelligence systemThe term "artificial intelligence system" has the meaning given the term "artificial intelligence" in section 5002 of the National Artificial Intelligence Act of 2020 (15 U.S.C. 9401).Sec. 2(1).

Section 3 is the operative heart of the bill, directing the NIST Director to carry out a pilot program using testbeds to assess the feasibility of developing measurement standards for evaluating AI systems used by federal agencies. The section establishes a multi-step process: a memorandum of understanding between the Departments of Commerce and Energy within 180 days; creation of an Artificial Intelligence Testing Working Group within 90 days of that MOU; development of a measurement-standards strategy by the Working Group within one year; development of testbeds by NIST within two years; and a report to Congress after the first testbed demonstration.

All obligations run to federal officials and agencies — the NIST Director, the Secretaries of Commerce and Energy, and the Working Group. The bill imposes no compliance duties on private-sector entities, AI developers, or deployers. The standards it contemplates cover reliability, performance, capability, interpretability, security, privacy, data bias, and bounds for applicability.

Passage Likelihood

Medium
Status Introduced
Chamber No passage
Committee No action
Majority party (No data)
Bipartisan Yes
Prior session None

Legislative History

2025-05-07 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Entry Last Reviewed

2026-05-20
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