RELEASE: RO KHANNA AND NANCY MACE SEND CYBER BILL TO PRESIDENT’S DESK TO BE SIGNED INTO LAW

Washington, D.C. ––Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, led by Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Nancy Mace. The bill now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law:

"As quantum computing continues to progress, we must take steps now to protect America's national security and economy," said Rep. Ro Khanna. "While I support federal funding for quantum computing and believe the technology can one day help us solve many of the world's problems, we have to plan ahead for potential vulnerabilities it may create. I'm glad to see my legislation with Reps. Mace and Connolly headed to President Biden's desk to ensure that our government's data is quantum proof."

"Cybersecurity is national security," said Rep. Nancy Mace. "After 11 federal agencies were hacked by agents of Russia and China in 2020, we must do all we can to strengthen and protect our nation's systems and keep our data secure. Congress will now receive an annual report on the federal government's strategy for facing post-quantum cybersecurity threats."

Senators Hassan and Portman led the Senate companion bill and also voiced their support after today's passage.

"Quantum computing will provide for huge advances in computing power, but it will also create new cybersecurity challenges," said Ranking Member Portman. "I'm pleased the House passed our bipartisan legislation to require the government to inventory its cryptographic systems, determine which are most at risk from quantum computing, and upgrade those systems accordingly and urge the president to sign it into law soon."

"As cutting-edge quantum computing continues to develop, there is an increased risk that our adversaries can weaponize this technology to breach American data systems," said Senator Hassan. "We must proactively address cybersecurity challenges posed by quantum computing-enabled breaches, which is why I introduced a bill to help address this emerging threat. I am glad that our bill to strengthen our quantum cyber defenses has passed the House, and I look forward to this bill heading to the President's desk."

BACKGROUND:

The Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act will:

• Require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to prioritize the acquisition and migration of federal agencies' information technology to post-quantum cryptography;
• Instruct OMB to create guidance for federal agencies to assess critical systems one year after the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) issues planned post-quantum cryptography standards;
• Direct OMB to send an annual report to Congress that includes a strategy on how to address post-quantum cryptography risks, the funding that might be necessary, and an analysis on whole-of-government coordination and migration to post-quantum cryptography standards and information technology.