Tech bills of the week: Mitigating risks to critical infrastructure; incentivizing domestic high-tech manufacturing; and more

Addressing cyber threats to critical infrastructure

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced two measures on Tuesday to combat cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure services. 

The first, the Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act, would establish a joint interagency task force to detect, analyze and respond to Chinese-connected threat actors. 

Scott’s office said in a press release that the group would be helmed by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and would “align and reinforce the work of Sector Risk Management Agencies and other key departments by sharing analysis, inspections, audits, and other relevant information.”

A House version of the measure was introduced by Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., last year. That bill overwhelmingly passed the House in November.

Scott, alongside Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., also rolled out the Maritime Cybersecurity Act to address digital threats to critical waterways and related systems. That proposal would direct the Department of Homeland Security to conduct annual vulnerability assessments of the software and hardware used at maritime facilities to identify cyber weaknesses.

“America’s enemies are looking for vulnerabilities and cracks in our armor,” Scott said in a statement. “Facilitating basic assessments to identify our weaknesses in security is a commonsense measure to keep American assets safe both domestic and abroad. My bill makes sure our trade and waters cannot be disrupted by bad actors, especially the Chinese Communist Party.”

Supporting U.S. manufacturing of high-tech systems 

To help incentivize the domestic production of printed circuit boards, Sens. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., and Jim Justice, R-W.V., introduced legislation earlier this week to offer a 25% tax credit for purchases or acquisitions of domestically-made PCBs.

The circuit boards play a key role in the semiconductors that underpin many artificial intelligence tools, since they are the physical foundations on which the chips operate. The senators said in a press release that decreasing U.S. market share of PCBs over the past several decades has made America dependent on foreign providers like China, which they said now produces more than half of the world’s circuit boards.

“America must do everything we can to stay competitive with other countries around the world, and that starts with making more products right here at home — including printing circuit boards,” Justice said in a statement. “The Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act is a win for American workers, manufacturers, and supply chains. It’s time to bring business back home from overseas, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and lower costs by investing in products proudly made right here in the United States of America,” said Senator Justice.

Supporting state and local tech modernization

Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., introduced a measure to create a federal grant program overseen by the Commerce Department that would provide state and local governments with funds to enhance their technology services.

Through the bill, known as the State and Local Public Sector Innovation Act, states and localities would be able to access funds for technology modernization efforts, cybersecurity enhancements, permitting process upgrades and onboarding and training new staff. The proposal would also require that 70% of funds granted to a state be dispersed to local governments.

“Modernizing public institutions and utilizing technology to improve the administration of public services is a necessity in today’s growing digital age,” Foushee said in a statement. “While technology continues to advance at a rapid rate, state and local governments are too often left behind without the proper infrastructure and training to keep up.”

Small Business Administration AI use

A bill from Rep. Brad Finstad, R-Minn., is looking to improve visibility into how the Small Business Administration is using AI.

The SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026, introduced on Tuesday, tasks the SBA’s administrator with developing a report on the use of AI and machine learning systems within the agency. The report would also document the benefits and risks posed by uses of AI, identify specific use cases within SBA where AI can “reliably and effectively perform” and where to “retain human involvement” in the decisions made by a given AI tool. The report would be presented to Congress on an annual basis. 

“In a time of increasing amounts of accessible artificial intelligence, it’s important to ensure our government agencies adopt AI responsibly and transparently,” Finstad said in a press release. “My legislation, the SBA Artificial Intelligence Utilization Act of 2026, requires the SBA to report its use of AI and machine learning within their operations, while also assessing the advantages and risks.”

The bill passed the House Small Business Committee this week in a 23-0 vote.

Foundations for digital opportunity

House and Senate Democrats are seeking to create an organization focused on expanding digital opportunities for Americans. 

The measure from Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Sens. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., would establish a nonprofit Foundation for Digital Opportunity that would use public and private funding to expand digital opportunity networks with the primary goal of democratizing access and adoption of broadband, advanced digital tools and other emerging technologies. 

“The Digital Opportunity Foundation Act recognizes that closing the digital divide takes more than building broadband networks. It requires sustained investment in digital skills, devices, and trusted community partnerships that help people fully participate in our economy and society,” Matsui said in a press release. 

The nonprofit would supplement the work of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission in awarding grants, supporting research and collecting data to promote widespread technology adoption. 

The bill’s primary focus is to ensure all communities in the U.S. receive access to advanced technologies, closing the digital divide in certain areas. 

“In today’s world, digital skills are vital for success for students, entrepreneurs, and all Americans,” Luján said in a statement. “To expand digital opportunity in New Mexico and nationwide, my Digital Opportunity Foundation Act would establish a nonprofit foundation to help close the divide on digital opportunity, inclusion, and literacy.”

A digital system to lay to rest unclaimed veterans

Rep. David Valadao, D-Calif., introduced legislation on Friday to create a centralized digital portal within the Department of Veterans Affairs to help officials locate and collect the unclaimed remains of deceased veterans to provide them with proper military funerals. In a press release, Valadao’s office said VA estimated that there were more than 20,000 unclaimed deceased veterans in 2023. 

The Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act would direct the Veterans Benefits Administration “to implement a digital intake and identification system for unclaimed remains and match it against existing VA records.” VA would also be tasked with creating Memorandums of Understanding with the Social Security Administration, FBI and Pentagon to develop the digital system. 

“All veterans deserve to receive a military burial and recognition for their service to our nation," Valadao said in a press release. "Unfortunately, when a deceased veteran has lost contact with their family — or has no next-of-kin at all — their unclaimed remains can sit on a funeral home shelf collecting dust for years. Ahead of Memorial Day, I’m proud to introduce the Locating Our Unclaimed Veterans Act to create a centralized system that helps Department of Veterans Affairs identify any unclaimed remains and ensure these veterans are laid to rest with the dignity, respect, and military honors they deserve."

Enhancing the cyberdefenses of small businesses

On Tuesday, Rep. Simon Lateefah, D-Calif., introduced the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act of 2026, a measure that seeks to understand the cyberdefense needs of small businesses and how the federal government could help.

The bill tasks the U.S. Comptroller General with evaluating federal cybersecurity assistance programs and resources that are designed to help small businesses. The measure also calls for the creation of a study that identifies cyberthreats related to small businesses, outlines preparedness approaches, and provides mitigation and recovery measures. The ensuing study would also identify funding sources for supporting these activities. 

The report would also document the efficacy of existing federal cybersecurity initiatives that look to help small businesses, identify foundational cybersecurity concepts absent from current federal cybersecurity programs and provide recommendations for improvement.

The bill was referred to the House Small Business Committee earlier this week and passed the panel in a 23-0 vote.

Tax credits for space-based semiconductor manufacturing

A bipartisan trio of lawmakers rolled out legislation on Thursday to spur investments in the domestic manufacturing of space-based semiconductors. 

The measure — introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and co-sponsored by Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Suzan DelBene, D-Wash. — would explicitly add “semiconductor manufacturing facilities located in outer space” to Section 48D of the Internal Revenue Code, which provides tax credits for U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. 

In a press release, the lawmakers said the Semiconductor Superiority Act explicitly adds this wording to the Section 48D Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit to provide clarity for companies. 

“Semiconductor materials manufactured in low-Earth orbit will be a critical component of the next-generation semiconductor chips that will power U.S. leadership in AI, quantum computing and advanced defense systems,” Buchanan said in a statement. “My Semiconductor Superiority Act will ensure U.S. companies developing cutting-edge semiconductor technologies in space can access the same incentives already available for semiconductor production here on Earth.”

Protecting intellectual property in the digital age

Rep. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., introduced a bill on Wednesday to protect intellectual property rights in the digital age

The bill aims to protect IP rights in the “voice and visual likeness of individuals.” Following introduction, the bill was referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. 

Before this bill’s introduction, Salazar introduced the TAKE IT DOWN Act, a bill that criminalized using the likeness of digital users in artificial intelligence-generated pornography. The bill was signed into law in 2025.

Creating a biotech-savvy U.S. workforce

Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Rich McCormick, R-Ga., introduced the Federal Biotechnology Workforce Assessment Act on Thursday to spur the U.S. biotechnology industry via its workforce. 

The legislation combines elements of previous bills from both members that were focused on addressing U.S. workforce gaps in the biotech sector. The lawmakers said in a press release that the measure forms a “comprehensive, two-pronged strategy” to close the gaps. 

Among its provisions, the measure directs the Office of Personnel Management to work with federal agency leadership to define the biotechnology workforce and assess its current and future needs to cultivate a biotech-fluent federal workforce. The offices will also be required to submit a report to Congress to inform future policy decisions. 

"America leads the world in biotechnology, and we need to keep it that way. Right now, we're making historic investments in biotech research and biomanufacturing,” McCormick said in the press release. “By aligning federal research priorities with real workforce development and getting a clear-eyed assessment of our gaps, we can ensure America stays ahead of our adversaries and continues to lead the world in the industries of tomorrow.”