U.S. House H.R.8747 "K-12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act of 2026" — making AI education an allowable use of federal funds
A House bill amending the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) to make using AI in a "safe, effective, and responsible" way — for student instruction and teacher/staff professional development — an allowable use of federal Title IV funds, supporting K-12 AI literacy.
Bill overview (primary data)
- Bill numberH.R. 8747
- TypeHouse Bill
- Congress119th Congress
- Latest actionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.（2026-05-12）
Key points
- Amends ESEA Title IV to make AI use an allowable use of federal education funds
- Covers both student AI-literacy instruction and professional development for teachers and staff
- Limits it to "safe, effective, and responsible" AI use (per the 2020 National AI Initiative Act definition)
- Mainly clarifies/expands allowable uses rather than creating a large new appropriation
- Introduced by Rep. Fine (R-FL), May 12, 2026; referred to Education and Workforce
H.R.8747, the "K-12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act of 2026," was introduced by Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL-6) on May 12, 2026, and referred to the House Education and Workforce Committee.
The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), Title IV (Student Support and Academic Enrichment), to add AI as an allowable use of funds. Specifically, it adds — for state-level student instruction, state-level teacher/school-leader uses, local-level student instruction, and local-level teacher/school-leader uses — using AI (as defined in 15 U.S.C. 9401) in a "safe, effective, and responsible" manner, and giving teachers, paraprofessionals, librarians and media personnel, specialized instructional support personnel, and administrators the knowledge and skills to use and teach AI safely, effectively, and responsibly (including through professional development).
In short, it lets existing federal education funds be used for K-12 AI literacy and teacher AI training; the focus is clarifying and expanding allowable uses, not creating a large new appropriation.
Why it matters
Shows the U.S. positioning AI literacy in public K-12 education and extending support to teacher training. A useful tailwind reference for providers of education-focused AI tools and curricula.
FAQ
Does it add new funding?
Which grades?
Sources (primary)
Source: Congress.gov (Library of Congress; U.S. legislative materials, public domain). Links go to the official site.
- Congress.gov (bill page, original)
- H.R. 8747（119th Congress）