Tech bills of the week: Managing biological data; Evaluating quantum computing’s impact on national security; and more

Organizing and sharing biological data 

A proposal seeks to create a comprehensive database of biological data to make available to American researchers with the goal of centralizing critical information to accelerate the U.S. biotechnology sector. 

Introduced on Tuesday by Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., Mike Rounds, R-S.D., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., the Web of Biological Data Act looks to democratize access to biological data for research and development purposes. The bill stems from an earlier Senate report that examined the national security implications of emerging biotechnology and found that China’s approach to exploit public data has translated to a stronger biotech industry for the nation.

The solution proposed in the bill tasks the Energy secretary with creating an implementation plan, beginning with the appointment of a single national lab to helm a pilot program that collects, secures and democratizes specific biological data.

“High-quality, AI-ready biological data will be the foundation of future American biotechnology innovation,” Young said in a press release. “This bill would unleash researchers to focus on innovation while preserving existing privacy protections, and it would secure U.S. biological data from exploitation by the Chinese Communist Party. This data is a strategic national resource that will prime the best and brightest in American biotechnology to launch U.S. innovation into the age of AI.”

On the House side, Reps. Matt Van Epps, R-Tenn., and Jake Auchincloss, D-Mass., introduced companion legislation. 

Evaluating U.S. quantum innovations

Reps. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., and Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., introduced a bill on Wednesday that seeks to create a government commission to evaluate the myriad implications of quantum information technologies, including looking at the national security ramifications. 

The National Security Commission on Quantum Computing Act would establish an 11-member, bipartisan group of congressional lawmakers to assess the national security, economic, scientific and military repercussions of quantum computing. 

The goal of the commission would be to use this assessment to craft a report that recommends actions Congress and the executive branch should take on public-private partnerships, research initiatives, workforce planning, and more to fortify the U.S. quantum tech sector. 

“Quantum computing has the potential to transform our economy, strengthen our national defense, and reshape the future of technological innovation,” Lawler said in the press release. “Creating a commission focused on this emerging technology will help ensure the U.S. has a comprehensive strategy to maintain America’s technological edge, protect our security interests, and prepare our workforce for the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

Nationalizing AI

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., released legislation on Thursday that functions as a framework to give the U.S. government shares in leading AI companies, aiming to share the revenue generated by major tech firms with the public. 

The American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act’s topline goal is to give the public a 50% ownership stake in the largest U.S. AI companies. The 50% share would be executed as a one-time tax on the stock of large, publicly traded AI developers, which would then be deposited into a separate wealth fund that would allocate annual dividends as direct payments to U.S. citizens. 

“The principle is simple: When a public resource generates wealth, the public should share in that wealth,” Sanders said in a press release. “The future of AI and the fate of humanity must not be decided behind closed doors in Silicon Valley by billionaires seeking to maximize their power and profit. It must be decided by workers, parents, teachers, artists, scientists, communities and the American people.”

Sanders’ office said current valuations of the Sovereign Wealth Fund amount to about $7 trillion. The proposed commission to oversee the fund and manage the dividends, called the Independent Commission for Democratic AI, would consist of seven members nominated by the president and then confirmed by the Senate. Nominees themselves would be selected from a list of bipartisan names provided by Congress.

The commission would use voting shares to manage the fund in the public interest and block potentially harmful policy decisions. Companies that would participate in the fund must record at least $200 million in annual sales. 

Policing online shopping platform competition

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee reintroduced the American Innovation and Choice Online Act on June 11 to level the playing field among online shopping platforms.

Introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Mich., the bill permits the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys to enforce antitrust laws within the online platform ecosystem. It specifically looks to ensure that larger corporations are not undercutting small businesses in online retailing by leveraging data on digital platform features in favor of one product or business. 

“American prosperity was built on a foundation of open markets and fair competition, but right now our country faces a monopoly problem, and American consumers, workers, and businesses are paying the price,” Klobuchar said in a press release. “As dominant digital platforms — some of the biggest companies our world has ever seen — increasingly give preference to their own products and services, we must ensure small businesses and entrepreneurs still have the opportunity to succeed in the digital marketplace.

To fall under the bill's purview, an online platform must have a minimum annual revenue of $175 billion, along with at least 34% of the U.S. population over the age of 12 counted as active users. It also covers platforms that count at least 34% of U.S. households as subscribers.