Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) today introduced bipartisan legislation to support U.S. competitiveness in innovation and technology and strengthen Nevada’s 21st-century economy. Her legislation with Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) will ensure innovators and government agencies are working together to provide guidance on technological issues like artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, the digital divide in broadband, and smart communities.
“Nevada companies are at the forefront of cutting-edge technologies,” said Senator Cortez Masto, “and I want to make sure our state and the whole country are in a position to be competitive globally, enabling Nevada and the nation to create good-paying jobs.”
Senator Cortez Masto introduced the National Science, Innovation, and Technology Strategy Act with Steve Daines (R-Mont.) to require a national strategy and regular national reviews to assess what the federal government is doing to maintain global leadership in science and technology. Analysis from this bill will help make advancements in these areas and provide guidance on the coordination of federal programs needed to address societal and national challenges. Areas of expected focus include artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, the nation’s digital divide, and smart communities.
Senator Cortez Masto has led in the Senate on issues of innovation and technology as part of her Innovation State Initiative to strengthen and diversify Nevada’s economy and develop jobs in in-demand industries like clean energy, electric vehicles, and batteries. Most recently, she secured a range of provisions in the bipartisan Senate infrastructure package to promote battery technology, zero-emissions vehicles, and energy efficiency. In 2020, Cortez Masto secured major investments to boost the clean energy sector, including an extension of the Investment Tax Credit and residential renewable energy tax credit for the solar industry and its workers.
Full text of the bill is available here.
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