The National Quantum Initiative Act (NQI) needs some updates to enhance its efficiency and improve its oversight efforts, a federal watchdog warned ahead of a Senate committee markup on the act’s reauthorization.
In a new report published on Friday, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said that the NQI requires several updates to ensure it has the “desirable characteristics of a national strategy.”
The NQI Act was signed into law in 2018 and established a 10-year national plan to accelerate the development of quantum information science and technology. The effort was led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Science Foundation, and the Department of Energy.
While the act runs through 2029, some research and development activities covered by the NQI expired in September 2023.
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is slated to hold a markup this Wednesday on an NQI reauthorization with the aim of extending and updating the original legislation. While there has been bipartisan support for reauthorizing the NQI, Congress hasn’t passed a reauthorization.
The last time a significant markup for an NQI reauthorization occurred was in late 2023, when the bill was favorably reported with bipartisan support.
Still, GAO said the updates will need to address new goals and performance measurements, resources and infrastructure, roles, responsibilities, and coordination, and NQI implementation and workforce planning.
“The National Quantum Initiative Act requires a strategic plan to help direct federal efforts in quantum information science, including quantum computing,” GAO said. “GAO found that, with respect to quantum computing, the current national quantum strategy does not fully address GAO’s desirable characteristics intended to help ensure accountability and more effective results.”
GAO’s recommendations were made to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), which plays a key role in the Subcommittee on Quantum Information Science (SCQIS). That subcommittee is co-chaired by four federal agencies and is responsible for drafting an NQI strategic plan.
Specifically, GAO said that while the current strategy includes broad goals, it lacks specific objectives for quantum computing, and that national-level goals could help agencies track progress. The strategy also lacks metrics to measure the results of federal quantum computing activities.
Additionally, while reporting documents include current budgets, they do not address future budget needs or longer-term cost estimates. GAO said there is also a need for more assessment of federal infrastructure requirements, such as research facilities, and that the strategy needs improved guidance on targeting investments.
More specific roles and outlined responsibilities for federal agencies are needed under an updated strategic plan, and better documentation of coordination efforts across agencies is also lacking, GAO added. This can impact accountability and communication between the federal government and nonfederal organizations, the watchdog explained.
GAO said that the NQI also needs more comprehensive data on the occupational fields within the quantum workforce and clear metrics to assess the effectiveness of training programs. Clearer definitions of what a “quantum job” is must also be clarified, the agency added.
OSTP neither agreed nor disagreed with GAO’s recommendations, the watchdog said.
Outside of GAO’s recommendations, the upcoming NQI reauthorization markup has received attention from the quantum industry. In a letter shared with MeriTalk, the Quantum Industry Coalition (QIC) wrote to committee leaders Sens. Tom Cruz, R-Texas, and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., urging them to affirmatively vote on the legislation.
“Timely action and refocusing of efforts to account for advancements in the technology is critically important as we race with China and others to lead in this vitally important field,” QIC, a coalition of quantum industry members, wrote on March 19.
“Updating the NQI will help ensure that resources are appropriately directed where they will be most effective in our quest for global quantum leadership,” QIC added. “Beyond the value of seizing the current moment is the concern that the election shortens the window to pass meaningful legislation this year. Expeditious committee action maximizes the chance of floor votes before Independence Day, while delay risks postponing reauthorization to the next Congress.”
QIC noted that failure to reauthorize the NQI would put the United States at risk of falling further behind its allies and adversaries in harnessing quantum. Specifically, the coalition urged Congress to embrace efforts related to engineering and near-term application development, going beyond basic hardware research.