ACT President Morgan Reed issued a statement following the release of Rep. Haley Stevens' draft Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness Act.

“As small businesses in the app economy, ACT | The App Association’s members have a comparative advantage in agility over their larger counterparts. They are leading the way in developing, adapting, and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tools across virtually all industries. Robust standards create a stable foundation that enables small businesses to continue leading and creating jobs across the nation and around the world. It is essential for Congress to ensure the federal government, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has the resources necessary to carry out its contributory role in standards development. In view of these considerations, the App Association supports the Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness Act."

Reed emphasized NIST's critical role as a "convener, contributor, and facilitator of metrology" rather than as an entity that sets or judges standards. He pointed out that NIST is currently underfunded and praised the proposed act as "a creative solution to help secure the necessary funding for NIST initiatives while upholding ethical standards."

He concluded by urging Congress to pass the bill: “We urge Congress to pass this bill and support the facilitation and advancement of technical standards development through a well-funded and effective NIST.”