A bipartisan group of senators is taking another stab at the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act under a new version of the legislation introduced Thursday.
The latest proposal is led by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Todd Young, R-Ind., who had previously sponsored the bill that would authorize funding for quantum research and development (R&D) at federal science agencies and government funded research centers over the next five years.
If passed, the bill would continue to fund certain R&D activities that expired in Sept. 2023 under the National Quantum Initiative. That act was passed in 2018 to create a national plan for advancing quantum technology, with focuses on quantum computing, economic development, and promoting security.
Cantwell and Young’s latest iteration would provide $85 million each year for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and $25 million for NASA. The bill authorizes for the first time, NASA’s quantum R&D activities.
Notably, the bill does not include funding for the National Science Foundation (NSF) like past versions, but it does require the agency to build three new centers that would grow the quantum workforce, stand-up quantum testbeds, and boost quantum research and education.
The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy would be required to develop an international quantum cooperation strategy to oversee R&D activities with U.S. allies, under the bill.
Other provisions include new prize challenges for quantum applications and algorithms created under public-private partnerships, three new NIST quantum centers, and it directs the secretary of commerce to submit a plan to Congress on strengthening quantum supply chains.
“By investing in workforce development, promoting international cooperation with trusted allies and supporting resilient domestic supply chains, the National Quantum Initiative will position the United States to drive innovation, benefit from economic growth and create high-skilled jobs,” Cantwell said in a statement.
Young added that the legislation will help “ensure the United States has the talent and research capabilities required to lead the global tech competition and outcompete China.”
Additional co-sponsors of the bill are Sens. Steve Daines, R-Mont., Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., Tedd Budd, R-N.C., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.
So far, industry feedback has been positive. Rajeeb Hazra, president and CEO of Quantinuum, said in a statement shared with MeriTalk that the National Quantum Initiative “has been foundational to U.S. leadership in quantum science, and its reauthorization comes at a moment of growing urgency. As geopolitical rivals accelerate their investments, sustained and coordinated federal action is necessary to protect U.S. national security and technological leadership.”