Tech bills of the week: No data centers on public lands; Creating a VA Office of Innovation; and more
Nextgov/FCW - All Content ·
In their first full week back after the midterm elections, lawmakers continued to introduce measures focused on reining in data center development.
Blocking data center development on public lands
Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Ore., introduced a bill on Wednesday that would ban the construction of new data centers and related infrastructure on federal lands managed by the Interior Department and the U.S. Forest Service.
In a bill one-pager , Dexter’s office said that “at least 17 data center campuses are being proposed on public land across six Western states.” Data center development, in general, has become a hot button issue across the U.S., with many Americans opposing the construction of the centers in their local communities over concerns about higher energy costs and water usage.
“Public lands belong in public hands and Oregonians must have a say before the federal government hands over millions of acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for data centers,” Dexter said in a statement. “These treasured lands are where people hunt, fish, hike and graze livestock. They are where wildlife habitat and our critical watersheds are protected. My bill keeps these lands safe from data centers now, and for the generations who come after us.”
Driving VA innovation
Reps. Morgan McGarvey, D-Ky., and Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, rolled out legislation on Wednesday to help strengthen innovation within the Department of Veterans Affairs by creating a new Office of Innovation within the VA’s healthcare arm.
The new Veterans Health Administration would “invest in the development of technology the market hasn’t yet developed or optimized for veterans’ healthcare,” and also be empowered to “quickly and competitively hire the most qualified clinical and technical experts.” The bill would also enhance VA’s collaboration with veteran-owned small businesses, startups, researchers and the healthcare community to more quickly develop and onboard new technologies.
“Veterans deserve the best and most cutting-edge care in the world,” McGarvey said in a statement. “We must leverage VA’s resources to speed up and encourage that innovation. Like DARPA did for the Defense Department, this bill gives VA the flexibility and agency to discover the newest treatments and keep up with veterans’ changing needs.”
Enhancing emerging tech education
Reps. Vince Fong, R-Calif., and Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., introduced legislation on Thursday that seeks to enhance higher education pathways for Americans looking to enter emerging technology professions.
The lawmakers’ proposal would establish a five-year Energy Department pilot program “for accelerated bachelor’s-to-Ph.D. pathways in critical and emerging technology fields,” including artificial intelligence and quantum science. Participants in the program would be able to receive hands-on research experience through participating universities, National Laboratories, and industry partners.
“America’s economy and national security depends on us having a deep bench of skilled, capable, and credentialed American workers,” Fong said in a statement. “Whether it’s cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, defense research, advanced energy systems, medical innovations, or other emerging technologies, we need more homegrown talent.”
Authorizing the National Guard to counter drone threats
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, introduced legislation on Wednesday that would give the National Guard the authorization to counter threats posed by drones, while still remaining under the control of state governors.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, introduced the House version of the legislation in May, alongside Reps. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Eli Crane, R-Ariz., and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J.
“Drones in the wrong hands pose a significant threat to homeland security, and America cannot afford to assume that such an attack will never happen,” Lee said in a press release . “Major events like concerts, rallies, races, and sports—including the upcoming 2034 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah—should be secured. The Guard the Skies Act authorizes the National Guard to cooperate with state governors to counter unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats against Americans, protecting our people from harm and our infrastructure from sabotage.”
Regulating frontier AI models
Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., introduced legislation on Tuesday that would direct the Commerce Department to develop regulations for certain advanced artificial intelligence models that could pose national security risks.
Commerce would determine which frontier AI models would be covered by establishing a “minimum parameter threshold” for risks, including those capable of conducting a cyberattack. The department would also require that covered developers work with the National Security Agency to have their models evaluated before deployment, as well as disclose how their models were trained and the results of performed safety tests.
Developers could face civil penalties of $500,000 per day if they fail to provide required access to the covered models or violate any deployment restrictions. The bill would also create an “Artificial Intelligence Security Review Court” to hear appeals from developers challenging the NSA’s recommendations.
Community control over data center development
Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., introduced legislation on Tuesday that would prevent federal funds from being used to build or operate data centers before approval from state and local officials.
“As the former Mayor of Knox County, I know how important local control is over projects that could have adverse effects on the municipality where they’re located,” Burchett said in a statement. “This bill allows local governments to retake control over new data center construction, putting the power back in the hands of the folks who are most affected. People are sick and tired of federal overreach that harms their communities, businesses, and the places they call home.”
Evaluating space-based military data capabilities
Rep. Michael Cloud, R-Texas, introduced a measure on Tuesday that would direct the Pentagon to undertake an operational pilot program “to evaluate the use of commercially available orbital data center services and space-based cloud computing capabilities relevant to national security space and joint mission requirements.”
Within one year of the bill’s passage, the Defense Innovation Unit would be directed to carry out testing and assessments on space-based data processing and storage.
Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., previously introduced the measure in the upper chamber in June.