This week, Representatives Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Don Beyer (D-VA) reintroduced H.R. 2385, the Creating Resources for Every American To Experiment with Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025, or the CREATE AI Act. This legislation establishes the National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR), a cyberinfrastructure resource proposed by a Congressionally appointed task force and started as a pilot program by NSF in early 2024. While the Policy Blog has written about this legislation previously, it faces new challenges within the current political climate in Washington, particularly concerning the Trump Administration.

The reintroduced bill is similar to its previous version, with a key change: it contains a new section which allows the program to accept donations from the private sector and federal agencies. The bill’s sponsors say this will ensure that NAIRR’s, “impact is achieved without requiring a massive new federal expenditure.” They envision participating partners contributing such things as, “cloud computing power, datasets, storage capabilities, AI models, and educational tools,” in order to leverage, “existing infrastructure to maximize access and minimize cost.” The legislation also doesn’t specify authorized funding levels for the program. Both of these are a result of the current federal budget environment and expected cuts in the next federal fiscal year.

Given the potential for significant budget and staffing cuts at federal research agencies, especially at NSF, the reliance on private support and the lack of authorized funding levels are concerning. Should Congressional appropriations not materialize, NSF would be obligated to reallocate its budget to operate NAIRR, and private donations are unlikely to fully compensate for a lack of the federal commitment. The computing research community must consider if maintaining such a program without federal support is prudent in this funding environment.

The bill’s prospects in Congress remain unchanged from the last session. It enjoys bipartisan support but will need to be included in a broader legislative package to advance. The Trump Administration’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, and their forthcoming AI Action Plan, will likely impact the legislation’s prospects. CRA will continue monitoring the legislation and provide updates.