Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the House Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Economy, unveiled a comprehensive, bipartisan back-to-school agenda to make sure students in the Fifth District and across the country are prepared for a world increasingly shaped by AI.
Speaking at George Washington Middle School, Gottheimer announced his new bipartisan AI LABS Act, co-led by Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23), to help K-12 schools build dedicated AI labs and train teachers — and paired it with a broader push to keep phones out of the classroom, protect New Jersey’s phone-free schools resources, boost AI literacy in the classroom, and close the digital divide so no community gets left offline.
“There is a reason why AI companies are now hiring college students with philosophy and history degrees, not just those with computer science degrees. They want people who can think critically. The trades also want young people who know how to use AI on the shop floor and in building and manufacturing. That means learning how to use AI, how to question it, and how to know when to – and not to – trust it,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “AI can be a powerful tool, but it can never replace the fundamentals. Give our schools the tools. Give our teachers the training. And give our children a real head start, instead of a false choice between banning technology outright and drowning in it.”
AI is already reshaping how students study, how teachers plan, and how employers hire, but K-12 schools have unequal access to the tools and curricula students need to learn how to use it responsibly. The bipartisan AI LABS Act tackles that gap head-on.
This legislation directs the Department of Education to create a new federal grant program or make resources from existing grant programs available to help K-12 schools establish dedicated AI labs, much like the computer and typing labs that became a fixture in schools a generation ago.
Those labs would provide students with hands-on curricula to use and understand AI, help teachers better understand the technology, and enable them to incorporate it into their classrooms. The bill also directs the Department to study who receives the resources and how they are used, and to make recommendations for future investment so that students and educators stay ahead in AI education.
Alongside the AI LABS Act, Gottheimer announced additional steps in his AI back-to-school agenda:
- Protecting New Jersey’s phone-free schools resources. Gottheimer is sending a letter to Governor Mikie Sherrill and New Jersey Commissioner of Education Dr. Lily Laux that emphasizes the importance of the state’s Phone-Free Schools Grant Program. Public school districts across Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex counties — including eleven here in the Fifth District — received grants to go bell-to-bell phone-free this year.
- Boosting AI education in New Jersey. Gottheimer is calling on the State to dedicate K-12 resources to responsibly integrating AI literacy, ethics, and practical skills into the K-12 public school curriculum while limiting screen time to ensure fundamentals remain a priority in education.
- Keeping phones out of the classroom. Gottheimer is supporting the bipartisan UNPLUGGED Act, introduced by Representatives Eugene Vindman (VA-7) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), which supports state and local policies that keep personal electronic devices out of the classroom during school hours. It also establishes a Department of Education grant program to help schools purchase secure lock boxes and pouches, with commonsense exceptions for students with medical needs, disabilities, and English learners.
- Ensuring Connectivity for All Students and Families. Gottheimer is sending a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) urging the agencies to prioritize broadband deployment to rural and underserved school districts, so the benefits of AI are not concentrated in the wealthiest, most connected communities. This letter builds on Gottheimer’s work fighting for broadband funding for New Jersey, including more than $260 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that he helped write, negotiate, and sign into law.
These actions build on Gottheimer’s consistent support for New Jersey schools, including fighting against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to over $1 billion in education funding for New Jersey, which were fortunately blocked.
Ridgewood Public School District, one of the largest and top-ranked school districts in Bergen County, is implementing a “Return to a Strong Foundation” emphasis this year, focused on limiting screen time in the classroom and keeping fundamentals front and center in the age of AI.
Gottheimer was joined by Ridgewood Councilman Frank Mortimer, Ridgewood School District Superintendent Dr. Mark Schwarz, George Washington Middle School Principal Dave Bailey, Bergen County Association of School Administrators President Dr. Joseph Cirillo, NJ PTA President Jackie Gibbs, NJ PTA Federal Legislative Chairperson Sharon Roseboro, and NJ PTA Bergen County Council of PTAs President Nancy Wallace. Gottheimer was also joined by four George Washington Middle School students involved in student government – Alaiya Barnes, Landon Ponchak, Karleigh Cadaret, and Druv Kethini.