{"slug": "tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for", "title": "Tech Bills of the Week: Leveraging AI for cancer research; Securing chatbots for underage users; and more", "summary": "Congress introduced multiple AI-related bills this week, including the Accelerating Innovation for Kids with Cancer Act to leverage AI for pediatric cancer research, the People-First Chatbot Act to mandate safety measures for AI chatbots protecting underage users, and the Spot the Fakes Act requiring labeling of AI-generated content. These measures aim to apply AI for public benefit while enhancing federal oversight and consumer protections.", "body_md": "# Tech Bills of the Week: Leveraging AI for cancer research; Securing chatbots for underage users; and more\n\n## Congress’ latest bills look to apply AI for both public benefit and enhanced federal operations, namely safeguarding AI chatbots, helping the government strengthen pediatric cancer research and securing the U.S.-Mexico border.\n\n*This week’s roundup includes several measures that were introduced in the week leading up to the July 4 holiday. *\n\n**AI to help fight pediatric cancer**\n\nRep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas is looking to leverage AI capabilities to make strides in cancer research in children by introducing [the Accelerating Innovation for Kids with Cancer Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9632/text?s=2&r=1&hl=artificial+intelligence) on July 9.\n\nThe bill seeks to improve federal government coordination to accelerate the use of AI systems and improve diagnoses, treatments, prevention strategies and cures for pediatric cancer.\n\nIt specifically tasks the president to work alongside the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Service to appoint a Coordinator of AI Innovation, who would then identify where the federal government can support pediatric cancer research, with a focus on AI.\n\nThat coordinator would be responsible for organizing and improving the data infrastructure that supports cancer research to make it ready for AI analyses, as well as improving clinical trial designs to incorporate multimodal data and AI approaches.\n\n**Mandatory chatbot safety measures**\n\nA bill introduced by Reps. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., and Greg Casar, D-Texas, adds to the growing body of proposed legislation that asks for developers to add security measures to their generative AI products.\n\n[The People-First Chatbot Act](https://foushee.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-foushee-casar-introduce-legislation-to-protect-children-and-americans-privacy-from-ai-chatbot-harms-and-require-chatbot-safety-assessments), introduced on July 9, seeks to prevent adverse encounters between humans and AI chatbot through instilling strong safeguards. It specifically prohibits tech companies from using data from underage users, —mainly from their chat logs with the product — to further train AI chatbots. It additionally requires companies to disable harmful AI chatbot design features for minors, limits the application of users’ data for targeted ads, gives users the right to access and delete stored chat logs, requires that developers reveal when users are communicating with AI and and mandates that those developers conduct monthly safety assessments, among other provisions.\n\n“The recent tragedies involving AI chatbots emphasize the urgent need for Congress to ensure AI companies and their products are transparent, safe for kids, and most importantly, accountable,” said Foushee in the press release. “The People-First Chatbot Act makes clear that American families deserve control over their personal data, clear disclosure when they are interacting with AI, real protections for children and vulnerable users, and meaningful recourse when AI chatbots cause harm.”\n\n**Spotting AI-made content**\n\nA bipartisan cohort of House lawmakers introduced a bill July 2 that would set a labeling regime for content created by artificial intelligence software.\n\nLed by Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Tom Kean Jr., R-N.J., and Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., the [Spot the Fakes Act](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9578?hl=artificial+intelligence&s=2&r=2) requires the Federal Trade Commission to work alongside the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop a series of technical rules mandating how covered technology companies and AI developers would need to label content generated by an AI tool.\n\nKey to the bill’s mission is to have an AI-generated label be embedded in that content’s metadata.\n\n“Americans deserve to know if what they’re seeing, reading, or hearing was made by a machine,” Gottheimer [said in a press release](https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-bipartisan-legislation-to-require-labels-on-ai-generated-content). “This is a commonsense, bipartisan fix — we’re simply requiring that AI content come with a built-in label, so platforms, journalists, and everyday people can tell fact from fabrication.”\n\n**New AI application prize challenges**\n\nA bill introduced on June 29 seeks to outfit the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act of 2020 with prize competition programs to incentivize the development of AI in the U.S. and addresses measurable present-day challenges.\n\n[H.R.9506](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9506/text?s=7&r=2&hl=quantum), introduced by Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, amends the landmark National AI Initiative Act of 2020 to include a federal prize challenge. The challenge would focus on developing AI solutions for a myriad of fields, including next-generation algorithm design, chemistry and material science, biotechnology, cybersecurity, energy efficiency, AI safety applications, mechanistic interpretability, quantum computing and more.\n\nThe director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy will be tasked with establishing the prize challenge, acting through the National Science and Technology Council and the Interagency Committee. The secretary of Commerce, the secretary of Transportation and the director of the National Science Foundation would be eligible for setting up their own challenge-based acquisitions and other research and development investment initiatives relevant to the bill’s priority technology fields.\n\n**Promoting U.S. quantum information sciences and technology**\n\nReps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., [introduced](https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?documentid=6174) legislation on July 2 to expand the definition of quantum technologies covered by the landmark Export-Import Bank Act of 1945’s Program on China and Transformational Exports, which sets key priority sectors where the government has committed to supporting U.S. manufacturers.\n\nTitled as [the Advancing American Quantum Leadership Act of 2026](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9585/text?s=7&r=1&hl=quantum), the bill would change the current “quantum computing” covered by the 1945 law into “quantum information science and technology,” broadening its application to quantum innovations beyond the computing space.\n\n“When it comes to emerging technologies like quantum, the United States must lead, not follow,” Lawler said in a statement. “This legislation would allow for the Export-Import Bank’s ability to support the full quantum ecosystem, helping American companies compete globally, expand exports, and maintain our technological edge over adversaries like China.”\n\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Andy Kim, D-N.J.; and Mike Rounds, R-S.D.\n\n**AI at the border**\n\n[A new bill](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9566?hl=artificial+intelligence&s=8&r=3) introduced on June 30 by Rep. David Schweikert, R-Ariz., would establish a pilot program for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to leverage AI solutions at land entry points along the Arizona border. The technology would specifically include an anomaly detection algorithm.\n\nFollowing introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.\n\n**AI for tax fraud detection**\n\nRep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., introduced a bill that seeks to help the federal government catch tax fraud with support from AI.\n\nIntroduced on June 29, [the AI Tax Integrity Act of 2026](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/9501/text?s=2&r=7&hl=artificial+intelligence) would enact an AI Fraud Detection Pilot Program, implemented by the Treasury Secretary, to examine how AI can catch identity theft; fraudulent claims for tax credits, deductions, or refunds by individuals or business entities; and tax returns improperly prepared by third parties.\n\nThe program is intended to last between 18 months and two years. The report documenting its performance would be created 180 days after termination of the pilot, created by the comptroller general and submitted to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and to the Committee on Finance of the Senate.\n\n**Markey unveils package of AI accountability measures**\n\nSen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. — a vocal proponent of AI guardrails — released an “[AI Accountability Agenda](https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senator-markey-releases-the-ai-accountability-agenda-taking-power-back-from-big-tech)” on Friday that includes many of his previously introduced measures designed to mitigate potential harms associated with uses of the emerging capabilities.\n\nThe senator’s agenda is built around six priority areas, which include: giving power back to workers; protecting the privacy and safety of children and teens; keeping civil rights safe from AI bias; putting humans first in healthcare; safeguarding against energy and environmental impacts of data centers; and sharing the AI wealth.\n\nTen bills that Markey previously introduced are outlined in the agenda. These include [measures](https://www.nextgov.com/artificial-intelligence/2025/12/democrats-bring-back-ai-civil-rights-bill/409869/) to eliminate algorithmic biases, develop AI privacy safeguards for children — including the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act — and curtail the use of AI surveillance and automated hiring and firing decisions within U.S. workplaces.\n\nMarkey also previously released a discussion draft of a proposal, the Protecting Communities from Data Center Impacts Act, that his office said “would require data centers to receive a certificate from the federal government prior to construction that affirms the data center has met minimum standards for energy, environmental, and economic impacts.” The proposal is included in the agenda.\n\nAlthough Markey has not yet officially rolled out that measure in the Senate, Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, [introduced](https://landsman.house.gov/posts/landsman-introduced-third-ai-data-center-bill-in-congress) the bill in the lower chamber on Friday.\n\nIn a statement, Landsman said “our bill makes sure these environmental impacts are studied so communities have the information they need and peace of mind they deserve.”", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for", "canonical_source": "https://www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/07/tech-bills-week-leveraging-ai-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-underage-users-and-more/414714/", "published_at": "2026-07-10 21:20:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-10 21:36:45.979893+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-policy", "ai-safety", "ai-ethics", "ai-products"], "entities": ["Michael McCaul", "Valerie Foushee", "Greg Casar", "Josh Gottheimer", "Tom Kean Jr.", "Sam Liccardo", "Federal Trade Commission", "National Institute of Standards and Technology"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/tech-bills-of-the-week-leveraging-ai-for-cancer-research-securing-chatbots-for.jsonld"}}