House Companion Proposal Aims to Launch Commission to Study AI, US Jobs

A bipartisan House proposal introduced Tuesday would create a new commission to study how artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the American economy and develop policy recommendations. 

Led by Reps. Jay Obernolte, R-Calif., and Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., the Economy of the Future Commission Act of 2026 is the companion legislation to the Senate version of the bill introduced last month by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. 

The bipartisan, bicameral commission would evaluate workforce development, education systems, federal AI adoption, and methods of strengthening U.S. competitiveness in emerging technologies, according to the legislators. 

Those evaluations would be delivered in two reports to Congress. The first interim report will be delivered within seven months and outline the projected impacts of AI on jobs and the economy. A second report completed within 13 months will contain legislative recommendations. 

“Artificial intelligence will reshape every sector of our economy, and Congress has a responsibility [to] prepare for those changes. This legislation brings together experts and lawmakers to develop clear, actionable recommendations to strengthen our workforce, support American workers, and ensure the United States continues to lead the world in innovation,” Obernolte said in a statement. 

Jacobs said that the bill aims in part to address concerns about future job prospects. “I’m constantly hearing from young people who are absolutely terrified that AI will take their jobs and make their degrees irrelevant,” Jacobs said. 

“That’s why we need to understand whether these fears are well-founded, how and when AI will reshape the labor market, and what we must do now to prepare workers and students for the future,” she added, and said that the recommendations can help “ensure that all Americans – especially young people – are ready for the future of work and our economy is stable, growing, and competitive.” 

Rounds and Warner’s version of the bill received acclaim from industry and academia, which said that the effort is a step in the right direction to support workers in an AI-driven future.  

Recent projections of how AI may impact the American workforce estimate job losses at approximately 100 million, with industries most affected including fast food and counter workers, accountants, and truck drivers.