Overview
The National Quantum Initiative was established by the National Quantum Initiative Act in 2018. This act was amended by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 and by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. A document prepared by the National Quantum Coordination Office, showing the National Quantum Initiative Act with these amendments is available here.
In addition, the NDAA for Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, and 2022, as well as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, all contain QIS-relevant legislation that did not amend the 2018 National Quantum Initiative Act. A document prepared by the National Quantum Coordination Office containing QIS-relevant excerpts of these pieces of legislation that supplement, but do not amend the NQI Act, is available here.
Although the National Quantum Initiative Act only authorizes research activities for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy, the National Quantum Initiative is a whole-of-government approach that extends beyond these three agencies. Executive Order 14073 clarifies that the National Quantum Initiative, “encompasses contributions from across the Federal Government, as exemplified by the QIS research, development, demonstration, and training activities pursued by executive departments and agencies (agencies) with membership on either the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science or the National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science.”
National Quantum Initiative Act
The National Quantum Initiative Act (NQI Act) was signed into law by President Trump on December 21, 2018 “to accelerate quantum research and development for the economic and national security of the United States.” The NQI Act authorizes the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy to strengthen QIS Programs, Centers, and Consortia. The NQI Act also calls for a coordinated approach to QIS Research and Development efforts across the United States Government, including the civilian, defense, and intelligence sectors. To guide these actions, the NQI Act legislates some responsibilities to the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, the NSTC Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science, the National Quantum Coordination Office, and the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee. Recognizing that QIS technologies have commercial and defense applications, additional authorization for QIS Research and Development is legislated by the National Defense Authorization Act. Civilian, defense, and intelligence agencies all have a long history of investments in QIS and have a stake in future QIS discoveries and technology development. The National Quantum Initiative now provides an overarching framework to strengthen and coordinate QIS Research and Development activities across U.S. Departments and Agencies, private sector industry, and the academic community.
NDAA and Defense Legislation for QIS
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 and the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020 legislate the Department of Defense to carry out and support quantum information science and technology research and development. The NDAA authorizes the Department of Defense to increase the technology readiness level of quantum information science technologies under development in the United States, support the development of a quantum information science and technology workforce, and enhance awareness of quantum information science and technology. The NDAA provides authorization to coordinate all quantum information science and technology research and development within the Department of Defense, including through consultation with the National Quantum Coordination Office, the NSTC Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science, and other appropriate Federal and private sector entities. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2020 further authorizes the establishment of Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2022 amended the National Quantum Initiative Act to include the NSTC Subcommittee on the Economic and Security Implications of Quantum Science.
CHIPS and Science Act of 2022
The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 amended the National Quantum Initiative Act to authorize research and development in quantum networking infrastructure, the development of standards in quantum networking and communication, the establishment of a program to facilitate a competitive, merit-reviewed base process for access to U.S.-based quantum computing resources for research purposes, and the integration of quantum information science and engineering into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics curriculum at all education levels. It also explicitly includes quantum information science in the new National Science Foundation Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, as well as in existing Federal scholarship programs.