Budd, Fetterman Bipartisan Bill to Create Network of AI-Enabled Automated Labs Clears Committee and Heads to Senate Floor
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and John Fetterman (D-Pa.), members of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statements after their National Programmable Cloud Lab Network (NPCLN) Act received overwhelming bipartisan support and passed out of committee yesterday. This legislation would create a national network of six remotely accessible programmable cloud laboratories (PCLs) for academic research, led by the National Science Foundation (NSF), and is now headed to the Senate floor.
“Building out a national network of AI-enabled and automated labs would be a pivotal step in pushing the boundaries of American data integration and technological leadership. With North Carolina remaining at the forefront of American innovation, I am proud to be working with Senator Fetterman to advance the NPCLN Act to do just that. I appreciate the wide bipartisan support from my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee to get this legislation one step closer to the president’s desk,” said Senator Budd.
“I’m glad to see the NPCLN Act pass the Senate Commerce Committee, bringing us one step closer to empowering researchers and developing cutting edge technologies in Pennsylvania and across our great country. This is an effort I’m proud to lead with Senator Budd, and I appreciate the work of my colleagues to ensure this network of cloud labs enables biotechnical research for the U.S. to lead in,” said Senator Fetterman.
“Cloud labs are essential to accelerating scientific discovery and lowering barriers to innovation in North Carolina and beyond. We applaud Senator Budd and Senator Fetterman for leading the National Programmable Cloud Lab Network Act, a transformative step that expands access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and strengthens U.S. leadership, advance high-tech workforce development, and spur biotech innovation across life sciences, advanced manufacturing, and national security,” said Doug Edgeton, President and CEO, North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech).
“Senator Budd's leadership on the National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act addresses a critical need in our industry. North Carolina life sciences companies are already using AI to accelerate drug discovery, optimize clinical trials, advance precision medicine, and support digital manufacturing. This legislation would codify the NSF's vision for connected cloud laboratory networks, supporting the lab automation that our state's companies are pioneering. We commend Senators Budd and Fetterman for this bipartisan effort to strengthen America's research infrastructure,” said Laura Gunter, President, North Carolina Life Sciences Organization (NCLifeSci).
“Duke University wholeheartedly supports the creation of cloud laboratories for a variety of workloads - both traditional wet chemistry and biology lab work, but also the types of lab processes needed to support biotechnology. Duke feels strongly that the creation of standards and reusable workflows for sciences will help with lowering costs and increasing the repeatability of experiments,” said Jennifer Lodge, PhD, Duke University’s Vice President for Research and Innovation.
The National Programmable Cloud Lab Network Act is endorsed by NCBiotech, NCLifeSci, UNC Chapel Hill, Duke University, Carnegie Mellon University, SeedAI, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Pittsburgh AI Strike Team, and Persist AI.
BACKGROUND
The NPCLN Act would codify existing NSF proposals to create a network of up to six PCL nodes through a competitive selection process open to academic, private-sector, and non-profit research institutions, or to partnerships among any of the three prior types of institutions.
Applicants for PCL node designation would be evaluated on:
The level of existing laboratory infrastructure with automated capabilities and data integration;
Capacity to support cloud-enabled workflows for multiple users;
Ability to sustain long-term operations without continuous federal funding;
Ability to collaborate with partners in academia, industry, or federal research entities;
Protocols for research security, cybersecurity, and responsible access;
Demonstration of user interest and research needs.
During committee markup, Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Andy Kim (D-N.J.) introduced an amendment that was adopted upon passage. The amendment adds an authorization for $30 million in funding over five years, allowing the six selected labs to receive up to $5 million per fiscal year. Additionally, the amendment requires one of the selected labs to support cloud-enabled biotechnology. The amendment was accepted by the committee and included in the final bill text, now headed to the Senate floor.
Senators Budd and Fetterman introduced the legislation in December 2025. Read more HERE.
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