President Biden Signs Two Executive Orders for Quantum Technology

The first Executive Order, Executive Order on Enhancing the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Committee is to enhance the National Quantum Initiative Advisory Board to place it under direct authority of the White House. Previously, members to this committee were appointed by the Secretary of Energy and now they will be appointed by the President. This board was established as a result of the National Quantum Initiative (NQI) act passed in 2018 and consists of quantum experts from industry, academia, and government with a purpose to assess trends and developments in quantum information science and technology (QIST), implementation and management of the NQI, determine whether NQI activities are helping to maintain United States leadership in QIST, recommend any program revisions that may be necessary, point out opportunities that may exist for international collaboration and open standards, and whether national security and economic considerations are adequately addressed by the NQI. The initial membership of the advisory board was announced in August 2020 and they have been meeting ever since.

The second Executive Order, National Security Memorandum on Promoting United States Leadership in Quantum Computing While Mitigating Risks to Vulnerable Cryptographic Systems, provides an outline of the U.S. government's plan to address the risks posed by quantum computers to America’s cybersecurity. It directs Federal agencies to pursue a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to harness the economic and scientific benefits of quantum information science for all Americans, issues a directive to NIST to establish a “Migration to Post-Quantum Cryptography Project”, sets requirements for Federal agencies to update cryptographic systems, and directs Federal agencies to develop comprehensive plans to safeguard American intellectual property, research and development, and other sensitive technology from acquisition by America’s adversaries, and to educate industry and academia on the threats they face.

The White House has issued a fact sheet announcing these two Executive Orders that can be accessed here.

May 4, 2022