To establish a grant program to provide awards to National Laboratories and institutions of higher education to develop secure artificial intelligence (AI) cyber-physical testbeds to simulate grid-scale cyberattacks, and for other purposes.

H.R. 7696 would create a federal grant program to fund National Laboratories and universities in developing artificial intelligence-based cyber-physical testbeds. These testbeds would simulate large-scale cyberattacks against the electrical grid to help researchers understand vulnerabilities and improve grid security. If enacted, the program would support research institutions in building safer systems to protect critical energy infrastructure from cyber threats. The bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process, having been introduced in February 2026 and referred to committee for consideration.