Issue: ORN-2026-10

Tech bills of the week: Improved biological data for research; Section 702 reform; and more: On Thursday, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., jointly introduced the AI-Ready Bio-Data Standards Act, a new bill that aims to set standards for biological data so that it can be used to train AI models tailored to working on biological and medical breakthroughs.  Citing biological data as a strategic asset that can enhance U.S. national security posture, the bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to “establish definitions, standards, resources, and frameworks” for biological datasets for research use.  In the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Jay Obernotle, R-Calif., introduced companion legislation. “Ushering in the Golden Age of Innovation is about more than just winning the global tech race — it’s about securing the safety and prosperity of our country for generations to come. Our bill is an important step in this effort and will better ensure the United States has the infrastructure in place to lead the 21st century,” Young said in a press release. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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IBM unveils new hybrid quantum computing architecture: IBM is betting on hybrid systems being the future of near-term quantum computing, introducing a new computing architecture that uses both classical and quantum-specific technology to apply the benefits of quantum-based capabilities to current problems.  Announced on Thursday, the new architecture combines quantum hardware with leading classical processing and graphics processing units — along with larger infrastructure like high-speed networks and shared digital storage — to leverage the promised benefits of quantum advantage to modern problems.  Images shared with Nextgov/FCW depict the new architecture as being underpinned by the combination of classical CPUs and GPUs that work alongside IBM’s quantum compute systems, such as its recent large-scale processors, Starling and Heron. It connects to a quantum management resource interface that sits below classical and quantum programming software models, which all receive information from applications and classical and quantum programming libraries. Some entities are already making use of IBM’s new architecture, including Cleveland Clinic researchers simulating digital models of protein molecules and IBM and RIKEN scientists simulating iron-sulfur clusters. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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Senators call on agencies to capture AI’s workforce impact: A bipartisan group of senators are asking the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau to update their national surveys to better understand artificial intelligence’s impacts in the culture and workforce. Nine senators are asking the Department of Labor, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau to update their data collection and reporting to provide insight into the impacts of artificial intelligence on the workforce. 

Citing a need for more reliable data to understand the AI-driven changes to the labor market, Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind.; Mark Warner, D-Va.; Josh Hawley, R-Mo.; Jim Banks, R-Ind.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Tim Kaine, D-Va.; and Mike Rounds, R-S.D. wrote to the agencies’ leadership to expand current data collection efforts focusing on AI’s economic disruptions. More information is posted on the NextGov website.