Senate Bill Seeks to Boost US International Leadership in Creating Tech Standards

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., have introduced the Promoting United States Leadership in Standards Act of 2024, a bill seeking to ensure U.S. leadership in developing international rules and regulations for artificial intelligence, biotechnology, quantum computing and other emerging technologies. 

Focused on maintaining U.S. global competitiveness, the proposed legislation mandates the National Institute of Standards and Technology to create a website helping stakeholders access global standards-setting efforts and a pilot $10 million fund for the U.S. hosting of standards meetings, Nextgov/FCW reported Thursday.

The bill would also require the NIST to submit to Congress a summary of U.S. roles in current international standards development. 

The proposed legislation identifies China as the U.S. top rival in tech standard-setting, a threat impacting the development of emerging technologies and companies’ market dominance.

According to Warner, China’s status has risen in global technology while that of the U.S. has declined. He pointed out that the legislation outlines the necessary steps to reestablish U.S. leadership in setting global standards for emerging technologies. 

In a 2023 German Marshall Fund event, Warner, a former Potomac Officers Club speaker, said the United States has grown complacent about leadership tech standards development and stopped sending representatives to international standards-setting activities.