“A bill to establish the Immersive Technology Advisory Panel to promote the use of immersive technology in the United States, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states seven congressional findings on immersive technology (i.e., augmented reality, virtual reality, and mixed reality), including its inclusion in the initial list of key technology focus areas under 42 U.S.C. 19107(c), its designation as a critical technology by the National Science and Technology Council and Department of Defense, its expected role as the next major computing platform with broad societal impacts, U.S. leadership in its invention and industry, foreign competition (e.g., China), and the U.S. interest in leading its development to embed American values.
This section defines terms used in the Act, including (1) "Advisory Panel" as the panel established by section 5(a); (2) "agency" as defined in 5 U.S.C. §551; (3) "appropriate committees of Congress" as the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce; (4) "augmented reality" as a changed version of reality created by overlaying digital information onto the view of the physical world through a device; (5) "immersive technology" as technology deployed into interstate commerce that integrates the physical environment with digital content to support user engagement, including augmented reality, mixed reality, and virtual reality; (6) "mixed reality" as an immersive technology tool that blends augmented and virtual reality, allowing users to experience simulated content within their physical worlds and to manipulate and interact with virtual elements in real time; (7) "Secretary" as the Secretary of Commerce; and (8) "virtual reality" as an immersive technology tool that occludes the physical surroundings of a user and replaces it with a simulated virtual or digital environment.
This section directs the Secretary, in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees, to designate a principal advisor on immersive technology. The advisor must (1) support and promote the improvement, deployment, and security of recommendations on immersive technology use in the United States; and (2) consider policies and programs to encourage and improve interagency coordination on immersive technology.
This section establishes the Immersive Technology Advisory Panel not later than 180 days after enactment of the Act to assess the economic impact of immersive technology and make recommendations on (1) enhancing U.S. economic competitiveness, (2) federal-private sector collaboration on technical standards, strategic investments, cybersecurity, and commercialization, (3) ethical safeguards for individual data and privacy, and (4) global leadership and allied-nation collaboration. The panel is chaired by a Secretary appointee (in consultation with congressional committees); includes a vice chair selected from agency representatives and designees of the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Secretaries of Defense, Energy, State, Labor, Education, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, Transportation, and Agriculture; and comprises 6 to 10 additional experts from academia, think tanks, private-sector technology firms, civil society, or other sectors. The panel meets at least every four months, and the Secretary provides administrative and technical support.
This section directs the Advisory Panel to complete, not later than two years after the date of enactment, a study on the state of the immersive technology industry (i.e., a key technology focus area under current law) and its effects on U.S. economic competitiveness and national security. The study must (1) assess immersive technology's role in the emerging technology ecosystem and support for related key technology focus areas; (2) examine its economic impacts across sectors including manufacturing, energy, health care, education, and entertainment; (3) evaluate benefits to businesses including small- and medium-sized businesses and workforce development; (4) determine required investments and personnel for U.S. global leadership; (5) identify standards or best practices for ease of use and protection of individual rights (i.e., privacy, accessibility, digital identity, intellectual property); (6) assess national and economic security benefits and risks; and (7) address objectives described in section 5(d). Not later than 90 days after the study's completion, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, and publish on a publicly accessible White House website, a report summarizing the study's findings and recommendations for congressional action.