Bipartisan National Quantum Initiative reauthorization introduced in Senate
A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation to reauthorize and refocus the National Quantum Initiative after certain research and development activities in its initial five-year run lapsed in September.
The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act (S. 5411) would authorize $2.7 billion for quantum R&D at federal agencies for the next five years and shift the initiative’s focus “from basic research to practical applications.” It would also expand the initiative to include agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the State Department and the Small Business Administration, according to a news release.
“The National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act strengthens America’s competitive edge through critical R&D investments,” Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., the lead sponsor and chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, said in the release. “By fostering public-private collaboration, we will accelerate quantum innovation, create high-skilled jobs, and pioneer discoveries that benefit generations to come.”
Cantwell’s co-sponsors are Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Steve Daines, R-Mont.
The introduction comes roughly a year after a bipartisan House bill of the same name unanimously advanced out of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. That legislation, which is sponsored by Science Committee Chairman Frank Lucas, R-Okla., and ranking member Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., has stalled ever since the committee vote.
The National Quantum Initiative began in 2018 to coordinate R&D in that space and bolster U.S. national security. While some R&D activities expired in September 2023, a news release said the authorization for the entire initiative doesn’t expire until Dec. 21, 2029.
Academics, companies, and researchers cheered the introduction of the Senate bill.
Fred Humphries, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of U.S. government affairs, said in a statement in the release that the company “is proud to contribute to the progress of quantum science and technology and advocates for the swift passage of this essential legislation to secure the United States’ position at the forefront of the quantum revolution.”
Paul Stimers, executive director of the Quantum Industry Coalition, said “the reauthorization enhances engagement with the innovative U.S. quantum industry, supports economic competitiveness, and promotes national security.”
Supporters also urged swift passage.
Allison Schwartz, global government relations and public affairs leader at the quantum computing company D-Wave, underscored the bipartisan support the bill has and encouraged lawmakers to pass the legislation before the end of the year or risk falling behind on quantum.
“Failure to do so continues to put U.S. technological leadership at risk and slows the development and adoption of near-term quantum applications across the federal government,” Schwartz said.
