WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) introduced a bill to establish a nonprofit foundation that would support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by bolstering public-private collaboration on U.S. technological innovation and competitiveness.
Part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, NIST works to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness in science and technology. In the First State, NIST supports the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a public-private partnership focused on solving challenges in biopharmaceutical production and developing Delaware’s workforce for the future. The Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness (EPIC) Act would establish a foundation to help NIST achieve its mission. Congress has established similar foundations to support the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other federal agencies.
“NIST plays a critical role in ensuring American leadership in science and technology,” said Senator Coons. “The EPIC Act, by establishing a nonprofit foundation to support NIST, would fuel public-private partnerships and mobilize resources to support U.S. leadership on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotech, and quantum computing. This bipartisan, bicameral bill already has widespread support, and I encourage my colleagues to sign on.”
“Maintaining and encouraging research and development in the United States is critical to winning the technological race against China and other adversaries,” said Senator Young. “Our bipartisan legislation will support these efforts by establishing an independent foundation to identify and foster innovative public-private partnerships across the country and strengthen the American economy.”
“Whether it’s AI or quantum computing, the United States is pushing the boundaries of technological innovation on all fronts,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “There are no second chances with technologies this powerful; NIST needs every tool at its disposal to ensure responsible R&D from the start.”
“America should leverage every possible resource to stay ahead of adversaries like China,” said Senator Fischer. “Our bill will encourage public-private collaboration to keep the United States at the forefront of emerging technologies, including AI, cybersecurity, advanced computing, and more. A bipartisan coalition in Congress recognizes the need for our legislation, and I look forward to advancing the EPIC Act in the Senate.”
Specifically, the EPIC Act would establish a nonprofit Foundation for Standards and Metrology, enabling NIST to:
The EPIC Act is endorsed by four former directors of NIST as well as SEMI Americas, the Semiconductor Industry Association, NIST Coalition, SPIE, SeedAI, Institute for Progress, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Center for AI Policy, Telecommunications Industry Association, Institute for AI Policy and Strategy, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Colorado Boulder, Americans for Responsible Innovation, Chainguard, CJW Quantum Consulting, American Physical Society, ACT | The App Association, CivAI, SandboxAQ, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and Google.
Additional supporters of the EPIC Act can be found here.
Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, which was cleared unanimously by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
The full text of the bill is available here.
A one-pager of the bill is available here.