H.R. 5351 would extend and expand the authority for the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support education in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). The bill would authorize the appropriation of $1.1 billion annually from 2027 through 2031 for the NSF to:
Establish scholarships and fellowships for undergraduate and graduate students and educators,
Make competitive awards for research on AI in education,
Establish a pilot program of regional cohorts for K–12 educators, and
Conduct an outreach campaign on AI education opportunities
The estimated budgetary effects of the legislation are shown in Table 1. The costs of the legislation fall within budget function 250 (general science, space, and technology).
CBO assumes that H.R. 5351 will be enacted near the beginning of fiscal year 2027 and that the specified amounts will be appropriated each year. On that basis, and using spending patterns for similar programs, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 5351 would cost $2.8 billion over the 2026-2031 period and $2.1 billion after 2031.
Table 1.
Estimated Budgetary Effects of H.R. 5351
By Fiscal Year, Millions of Dollars
2026
2027
2028
2029
2030
2031
2026-2031
Increases in Spending Subject to Appropriation
Authorization
0
1,055
1,055
1,055
1,055
1,055
5,275
Estimated Outlays
0
42
359
644
823
907
2,775
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Katherine Chou. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
