Q–LEAP

On December 16, 2025, Rep. Foushee (D-NC) introduced HR6742, the Quantum Leaders Education and Advancement Program Act (Q-LEAP). The bill amends Section 10661(f)(5) of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (Public Law 117-167) by changing the sunset date of the Next Generation Quantum Leaders Pilot Program from '2026' to '2028'.

The bill authorizes no new funding. It does not appropriate any money. It does not create any new program, grant, contract, or procurement mechanism. It simply allows an existing, small-scale NSF educational pilot program to continue operating under its current authorization for two more years. The program focuses on training K-12 teachers and students in quantum mechanics fundamentals — it is not a quantum computing R&D or procurement program.

The bill's legislative trajectory is minimal. It was referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on introduction day and has seen zero additional actions in over four months. It has only two cosponsors (Rep. Obernolte, R-CA-23). Neither sponsor holds a committee leadership position. No companion bill exists in the Senate. The bill faces the standard hurdles of committee markup, House floor vote, Senate passage, and presidential signature — with no apparent urgency or momentum.

For public companies, there is no causal chain connecting this bill to any revenue stream, cost structure, or competitive position. Quantum computing pure-plays ($IONQ, $RGTI, $QBTS, $ARQQ) and diversified players ($IBM, $GOOGL, $MSFT) are all unaffected — this bill does not fund quantum hardware, software, or services. It reauthorizes a teacher training program with no budget. The impact is zero.