Mike Rounds (R-SD)
Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Robotics Supply Chain Improvement Act aims to bolster the development of the robotics industry within the United States. The bill tasks the National Institute of Standards and Technology with identifying barriers to data collection and promoting the use of robotics in industry. It also calls for the coordination of standards for emerging use cases, such as humanoid robots, and the development of worker training programs. Additionally, the Secretary of Commerce is required to submit annual reports regarding the rate of robotics adoption across various industries. Finally, the bill directs NASA to prioritize licensing its robotics-related inventions and technologies to the private sector to support the domestic industrial base.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +6
Is this likely to grow the economy?
By boosting the domestic robotics industrial base and technological commercialization, the bill aims to stimulate economic growth.
- Scored +5
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill facilitates industrial adoption and access to high-tech innovations for businesses.
- Scored +5
Is this likely to create jobs?
The bill promotes workforce development and in-demand skills to support job creation within the robotics industry.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Workforce Training and Upskilling: The bill directs the coordination of standards for training and apprenticeship programs to upskill workers (Section 3, subsection 3, subparagraph C). It also involves coordination with the Secretary of Education and the Secretary of Labor to develop curricula for in-demand skills to support job creation (Section 3, subsection 5).
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Industry Support and Development: The Director of NIST is tasked with identifying solutions to expand data collection to support the development of robotics hardware and artificial intelligence models (Section 3, subsection 1).
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Support for Specific Sectors: The bill encourages the development of solutions for specific industries including mining, critical mineral processing, food processing, and home and elder care (Section 3, subsection 4).
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Commercialization of Innovation: The NASA Administrator is directed to prioritize licensing inventions, patents, and technologies related to robotics to the private sector to support the domestic robotics industrial base (Section 5, subsection a).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly identified in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill facilitates industrial adoption and access to high-tech innovations for businesses. Would students be better off under this? — The focus on new curricula and in-demand skills benefits students entering the workforce. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill emphasizes training and apprenticeship programs for worker upskilling. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — New training and curricula support workforce readiness for young professionals entering the robotics field. Would retired people be better off under this? — Advancements in robotics for elder care may benefit the retiree community. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill promotes robotics development for elder care applications.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to grow the economy? — By boosting the domestic robotics industrial base and technological commercialization, the bill aims to stimulate economic growth. Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill promotes workforce development and in-demand skills to support job creation within the robotics industry.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill promotes the commercialization and licensing of NASA's robotics-related technologies. Does this put more into space exploration? — By prioritizing the licensing of NASA inventions, the bill supports the transition of space tech to industry.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates reporting on robotics adoption and NASA technology commercialization efforts.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill specifically explores robotics solutions for home and elder care.
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado