Issue: ORN-2026-14

Tech bills of the week: Boosting export controls; AI-focused workforce development; and more: A group of bipartisan senators introduced a companion bill to an earlier House measure that updates semiconductor export control laws to ensure that adversaries cannot purchase key pieces of technology and equipment for semiconductor manufacturing from either the U.S. or its allies.  The Multilateral Alignment of Technology Controls on Hardware Act, introduced on Wednesday, aims to harmonize export controls among the U.S. and its allies to ensure that critical technologies do not fall into the hands of adversarial nations, like China.  Introduced by Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Pete Ricketts, R-Neb., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., the MATCH Act is also cosponsored by Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. On the House side, companion legislation was introduced by Rep. Michael Baumgartner, R-Wash.

“Idaho and America are at the leading edge of semiconductor innovation. It is vital we maintain this position by strengthening our export controls and closing loopholes that our adversaries exploit to obtain critical technologies like semiconductor manufacturing equipment,” Risch said in a press release. “The MATCH Act will prevent adversaries from undermining the U.S. semiconductor industry and threatening our national security.” The bill targets the essential, or “chokepoint,” inputs for semiconductor manufacturing as the main subject of the new export controls. If passed, it would prohibit the sale of these chokepoints from the U.S. and allies to countries of concern. More information is posted on the NextGov website.

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President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2027 “Skinny” Budget Proposal Items: President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) “skinny” budget proposal with topline recommendations for discretionary funding for FY27 so that Congress can begin their work on the FY27 Appropriations bills that annually fund the federal government. The proposal includes $660 billion in non-defense discretionary funding, a decrease of 10% below the current-year spending level, and $1.5 trillion, a 42% increase, for defense discretionary spending. The request reiterates Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Quantum as Administration priorities, proposing using $1.2 billion from the Biden-era Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) recently created Office of AI and Quantum, which the request states will coordinate all DOE AI and quantum information science activities, including those related to the Genesis Mission. Additionally, across the federal government, the request proposes eliminating funds and programs dedicated to minority-serving institutions, including for Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Asia American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Intuitions. Following are some of the agency specific highlights in the proposed budget (summary provided by WSW). 

U.S. Department of Education

• Topline: $76.5 billion, a decrease of $2.3 billion or 2.9% below the FY26 enacted level
  • Pell Grant Program: $33 billion in discretionary funding, an increase of $10.5 billion over the FY26 level to cover the Pell shortfall estimated at $17 billion. Maintains the Pell Grant maximum of $7,395 for the 2027-2028 award year.
  • Federal Student Aid: $2,1 billion for student aid administration, level funding
  • Federal Work Study Program: $123 million, decrease of $1.1 billion below FY26. Proposes to make reforms to the program, including requiring employers pay 90% of a student’s hourly wages reducing the Federal contribution to 10%
  • Higher Education Programs: $610.1 million
  • Institute of Education Sciences (IES):  $39.8 million, decrease of $39.4 million
  • Eliminates the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), TRIO programs, Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Program (GEAR UP), Teacher Quality Partnerships program, Child Care Access Means Parents in School program, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) program, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) program, Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), International Education, Strengthening Institutions program, and Minority Serving Institution funding/funding

National Science Foundation

• Topline: $4 billion, a decrease of $4.8 billion or 54.7% below the FY26 level
• Priorities and Crosscutting Research Topics:
  • Artificial Intelligence: $655.23 million
  • Quantum Information Science: $231.15 million
  • Advanced Materials and Manufacturing: $175.85 million
  • Biotechnology: $248.59 million
  • National Nanotechnology Initiative: $272.78 million
  • Networking and Information Technology R&D: $821.34 million
• Research Programs: $3.41 billion, a decrease of $4.7 billion below the FY26 level
  • Biological Sciences: $224.89 million
  • Computer and Information Science and Engineering: $346 million
  • STEM Education: $427.68 million
  • Engineering: $185.2 million
  • Geosciences: $426.32 million
  • Mathematics and Physical Sciences: $515.28 million
  • Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships: $350 million
  • Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences: $0
• Fellowships, Scholarships and Postdoctoral Programs: $311.21 million, decrease of $275 million
  • CyberCorps: Scholarships for Service: $21.71 million
  • Graduate Research Fellowship Program: $246.54 million
  • Robert Noyce Scholarship Program: $18.22 million
  • Entrepreneurial Fellowships: $4.12 million

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

• Topline: $111.1 billion, a $15.8 billion or 12.5% decrease from FY26
• Establishes the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA) as part of a major reorganization of HHS to prioritize programs that improve nutrition, food and drug quality and safety standards, and prevent chronic disease.
• National Institutes of Health (NIH): $41 billion, a decrease of $5 billion below the FY26 enacted level
  • Retains the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
  • Eliminates the National Institute on Minority and Health Disparities. Fogarty International Center, and National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• Topline: $18.8 billion, a decrease of $5.6 billion or 23% below the FY26 enacted level
• Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Engagement: $143 million decrease from FY26