AI in Government Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-260, Div. U, Title I, §104)
United States · Pub. L. No. 116-260, Div. U, Title I, §104 (Dec. 27, 2020); 40 U.S.C. §11301 note
Enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (Dec. 27, 2020), the AI in Government Act of 2020 created the GSA AI Center of Excellence, directed OMB to issue federal AI use guidance, and required OPM to establish federal AI workforce occupational series. One of three enacted pre-2024 federal AI statutes — foundational federal procurement and workforce architecture.
Technical detail
AI in Government Act of 2020, Pub. L. No. 116-260, Div. U, Title I, §104, 134 Stat. 2286 (Dec. 27, 2020), codified at 40 U.S.C. §11301 note — (1) established the AI Center of Excellence within GSA's Technology Transformation Services to advise agencies on AI procurement and adoption, (2) directed OMB to issue federal AI use guidance addressing risk, civil rights, and transparency, (3) directed OPM to identify AI competencies, create or update an AI occupational series, estimate AI workforce needs, and produce 2- and 5-year forecasts.
Who is protected: Federal workforce + public via downstream AI procurement standards
Who must comply: Federal agencies via OMB/OPM/GSA
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | United States |
|---|---|
| Level | Federal |
| Status | In effect |
| Protection strength | Limited protection |
| Effective date | 2020-12-27 |
| Enacted | 2020-12-27 |
| Citation | Pub. L. No. 116-260, Div. U, Title I, §104 (Dec. 27, 2020); 40 U.S.C. §11301 note |
| Enforced by | Office of Management and Budget / Office of Personnel Management / GSA |
| Private right of action | No — agency enforcement only |
| Topics | government use of AI · AI disclosure and transparency |
| Last verified | 2026-06-17 |
| Official source | Pub. L. 116-260 (Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021, incl. AI in Government Act, PDF) ↗ |
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