By: Fred Qiu and Glenn Kesselman
On June 22, 2026, President Trump signed two executive orders that together represent one of the most significant federal quantum policy actions in recent years. The first, Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation (EO 14413), focuses on accelerating U.S. leadership in quantum computing, sensing, networking, supply chains, and workforce development. The second, Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks (EO 14412), establishes an accelerated federal timeline for migrating government systems and contractors to post-quantum cryptography (PQC).
The innovation order directs the Assistant to the President for Science and Technology to update the National Quantum Strategy within 180 days, with an emphasis on commercialization, deployment, enabling technologies, and partnerships with U.S. industry. It establishes the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) Effort — a national initiative to develop a quantum computer capable of enabling scientific discovery and to make at least one such system available at a Department of Energy facility. The order further directs agencies to develop five-year plans for quantum sensing and networking, strengthen domestic quantum supply chains, partner with the private sector to develop quantum-enabling component technologies, and develop a government-wide QIST recruitment and retention strategy.
The companion PQC order assigns overall coordination responsibility to OMB and the National Cyber Director, with NIST, NSA, and CISA directed to provide technical guidance and implementation support. Within 30 days, agencies must designate a PQC migration lead. Within 90 days, OMB must issue guidance requiring agencies to identify high-value assets and high-impact systems and develop plans to transition them to PQC. The hard migration deadlines are December 31, 2030, for key establishment and December 31, 2031, for digital signatures. On the contractor side, the FAR Council has 180 days to publish a proposed rule requiring covered contractors to comply with NIST PQC-related FIPS standards by December 31, 2030. The order also directs NIST to initiate a pilot PQC migration project on a subset of its own information systems, to be completed by December 31, 2027, and tasks relevant agencies with encouraging foreign governments and industry groups to adopt NIST-standardized PQC algorithms.
Together, the orders reflect a dual-track federal strategy: accelerating the development and commercialization of quantum technologies while preparing federal systems, contractors, and critical infrastructure for quantum-enabled cybersecurity threats.
On June 17, 2026, Representatives Mike Lawler (R-NY-17) and Pat Ryan (D-NY-18) introduced the National Security Commission on Quantum Computing Act of 2026 (H.R. 9318). The bill would establish an independent, 11-member commission to evaluate the strategic implications of quantum computing and make recommendations to Congress and the President. The commission’s review would cover U.S. competitiveness, national and economic security, public-private partnerships, foreign investment, workforce development, and military applications. If enacted, the commission would receive up to $10 million in Department of Defense funding, submit an initial report within 180 days of enactment, and operate through October 1, 2030.
On June 18, 2026, Senators Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) introduced the Advancing American Quantum Leadership Act. The bipartisan bill would amend the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 by expanding the China and Transformational Exports Program’s definition of “quantum” from “quantum computing” to “quantum information science and technology.” The change would broaden the Export-Import Bank’s authority to support exports involving quantum sensing, quantum communications, and other quantum-enabling technologies, aligning the program more closely with the National Quantum Initiative Act and reflecting a broader view of the U.S. quantum ecosystem.
On June 16, 2026, at the France Quantum conference in Paris, ANSSI Chief of Staff Samih Souissi announced that beginning in 2027, France’s national cybersecurity agency will no longer certify security products that lack quantum-resistant encryption. Because ANSSI certification is required for deployment by French government agencies and critical infrastructure operators, the policy effectively establishes a phase-out pathway for products that rely solely on conventional public-key cryptography. Souissi also stated that businesses should purchase only quantum-safe security products by 2030. The announcement marks one of the clearest examples to date of a government using certification and procurement policy to accelerate the transition to post-quantum cryptography.
On June 16, 2026, Science Minister Lord Vallance announced a £10 million National Quantum Standards Network (QSN), described by the U.K. government as the world’s first national framework for quantum standards. The network will be established and led by the National Physical Laboratory, in partnership with the British Standards Institution, UKRI’s National Quantum Computing Centre, the National Cyber Security Centre, and the industry consortium UKQuantum. The QSN will coordinate standards across quantum computing, sensing, and related technologies, with the goal of helping U.K. companies develop products that meet internationally recognized standards and strengthening the United Kingdom’s influence in global quantum standard-setting.