Sens. Young, Cantwell introduce National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization

On Thursday, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., introduced the National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act to praise from industry leaders.

The National Quantum Initiative Act was initially signed into law by President Donald Trump during his first term in office in 2018. It expired in 2023, and efforts to reauthorize the program have since fallen short of passage.

The new legislation would extend the original act’s funding timeline to expire in December 2034 and would authorize funding for multiple federal agencies to execute new quantum information science and technology research efforts. 

That funding includes authorization of $85 million “for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030” for QIST research and consortium activities within the National Institute of Standards and Technology and an additional $25 million for QIST research at NASA, particularly focusing on quantum satellite communication and quantum sensing work. 

NIST would also be instructed to stand up to three new quantum centers dedicated to advancing research in quantum sensing, measurement and engineering, with $18 million available annually from FY2026 to FY2030 for each center.

The NSF, in conjunction with leadership at NIST and the Energy Department — along with other federal agencies — would also host three new centers focused on quantum research and education; quantum workforce coordination and development; and quantum testbed activity. 

Within the executive branch, the Office of Science and Technology Policy would helm an international quantum cooperation strategy to coordinate research and development activities with ally nations. The reauthorization also establishes prize challenges to pursue the development of quantum algorithms and applications through supporting public and private sector collaboration. 

The provisions in the new version of the NQIA Reauthorization Act mirror the version introduced in late 2024, but industry experts have also underscored new specifics added to this bill, such as the inclusion of quantum annealing and gate-model computing systems within the definition of “quantum computing.”

“We thank Sens. Young and Cantwell for their leadership in introducing legislation to reauthorize and expand the NQI,” said D-Wave’s Global Public Affairs and Government Relations Leader Allison Schwartz. “As the bill advances through Congress, we hope to see language further expanded to support commercialization efforts, given that near-term applications using today’s technology can already address some of our nation’s most pressing optimization challenges in areas such as defense, national security, supply chain management, and emergency response.”

The reintroduction of the NQIA comes as quantum technology — particularly quantum computing — is expected to pose a significant threat to current cryptographic security schemes. 

“Quantum computing is accelerating rapidly, and the time to act is now,” IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said in a statement. “Reauthorizing the NQI is essential to sustaining U.S. leadership in a technology that will transform industries, reshape scientific discovery, and unlock tremendous economic value. We urge Congress to quickly pass this measure and accelerate the research, workforce development, and public-private partnerships that will translate quantum innovation into real-world benefits for the American people.”

The White House has continued to prioritize quantum technology and science policy under Trump’s second term, and officials have been in the process of crafting an executive action that is expected to update federal agency timelines to complete their migrations to a post-quantum resilient cryptographic standard.