H.R. 7334: National Commission on Robotics Act

H.R. 7334 would create a new federal advisory body called the "Commission on American Leadership in Robotics" under the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary would have to establish it no later than 30 days after enactment, and the commission would then have to be filled within 45 days. The structure is intentionally bipartisan and spread across government: 18 total members, with 3 appointed by the Speaker of the House, 3 by the House Minority Leader, 3 by the Senate Majority Leader, 3 by the Senate Minority Leader, and 6 by the President.

The bill is unusually strict about missed deadlines. If any appointing authority fails to make its picks by the 45-day deadline after the commission is established, that authority loses the power to appoint and the commission permanently shrinks by the number of seats left empty. That means the bill prioritizes speed over full membership. Once in place, the commission must be led by a Chair jointly designated by the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader, and a Vice Chair jointly designated by the House Minority Leader and the Senate Minority Leader. Members serve for the life of the commission and can be removed only for cause by the original appointing authority, with notice and agreement from three-quarters of the commission.

The deliverables also run on a fixed schedule. The commission must submit an interim report no later than 1 year after establishment and a final report no later than 2 years after establishment. It would then terminate 18 months after the final report is submitted. In practical terms, this is a temporary strategy body, not a permanent new agency. Its jurisdiction is broad because the bill defines "robotics" expansively, covering everything from programmable industrial machines operating in three or more axes to autonomous systems that sense their environment and act on it, and even unmanned ground vehicle systems that move on the ground based on commands, sensor data, or both.

The bill also gives the commission real operating support. The Secretary of Commerce must designate at least one Department officer or employee as a liaison. Federal agencies may detail personnel without reimbursement. Within 45 days of establishment, the Secretary may provide help from a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit institute under section 501(a), and must provide support from a Department-sponsored Federally Funded Research and Development Center if the commission asks. The General Services Administration must identify or provide excess federal space within 30 days of establishment, and if none is available, the commission can lease space. The measure does not authorize a specific dollar amount, but it does set guardrails: experts and consultants cannot be paid more than the daily rate for Level IV of the Executive Schedule under 5 U.S.C. 5315, and the commission may accept services, goods, and property from non-federal entities but cannot accept gifts of money.