Bipartisan quantum funding bill advances from committee

A bill that would accelerate the Department of Energy’s quantum information sciences research efforts advanced through the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Tuesday, signaling ongoing congressional interest in pushing emerging technology-centric legislation through both chambers. 

The Department of Energy Quantum Leadership Act of 2024 — a bipartisan bill authored by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Steve Daines, R-Mont. — contains multiple provisions related to quantum technology and sciences research, namely funding federal efforts in quantum networking research and development, establishing domestic foundry programs and conducting industry outreach efforts.

Pursuant to the bill’s name, these research efforts will be helmed by Energy through a budget of $2.5 billion distributed over the next five years, should the bill pass into law. 

“When America invests in science, we lead the world,” Durbin said in a press release. “And nowhere is this truer than in advanced computing. I’m encouraged that the Energy and Natural Resources Committee sees the value in funding DOE’s quantum projects by passing my bipartisan bill with Senator Daines.”

The DOE Quantum Leadership Act’s advancement comes during a lame duck session in Congress ahead of the incoming 2025 Trump administration. As another key piece of quantum tech legislation — the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act — still awaits House approval, the advancement of the senators' bill could help continue authorizing federal funding for advancements in the quantum technology industry. 

Other federal entities have impressed the need for steady government funding into quantum information sciences research amid increasing global competition and national security implications.