This legislation directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, to establish a pilot program for a national cloud laboratory network. This network will coordinate both NSF-funded and independently operated cloud laboratories, which are physical facilities equipped with remotely controlled research instrumentation and robots for conducting continuous experiments and collecting biological data. The primary goal is to generate high-quality biological data through automated experimentation for training artificial intelligence models and other biological data analysis. The cloud laboratory network will serve several key purposes, including tracking and cataloging biotechnology capabilities, connecting researchers to necessary resources, and facilitating collaboration on best practices, data collection, and data standards. Within 360 days of enactment, the Director must submit an implementation plan to Congress, detailing an assessment of existing cloud labs, a plan for the national network and associated grant programs, and strategies for data storage, public access, and cybersecurity. A Cloud Laboratory Advisory Board, composed of federal employees, academic researchers, biosafety experts, and industry representatives, must be established within 180 days to guide data collection priorities, lab development, and ensure research and cybersecurity. The bill authorizes competitive grant awards for the development and operation of new cloud laboratories, with at least two Phase II labs to be funded within two years for an 8-year period, and at least three Phase III labs within four years for a 6-year period. The Director is also required to submit annual reports to Congress on the program's progress, and the entire section will cease to have effect 12 years after enactment.
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Science, Technology, Communications
Cloud LAB Act of 2026
USA119th CongressHR-7801| House
| Updated: 3/4/2026
This legislation directs the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in consultation with the Secretary of Energy and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, to establish a pilot program for a national cloud laboratory network. This network will coordinate both NSF-funded and independently operated cloud laboratories, which are physical facilities equipped with remotely controlled research instrumentation and robots for conducting continuous experiments and collecting biological data. The primary goal is to generate high-quality biological data through automated experimentation for training artificial intelligence models and other biological data analysis. The cloud laboratory network will serve several key purposes, including tracking and cataloging biotechnology capabilities, connecting researchers to necessary resources, and facilitating collaboration on best practices, data collection, and data standards. Within 360 days of enactment, the Director must submit an implementation plan to Congress, detailing an assessment of existing cloud labs, a plan for the national network and associated grant programs, and strategies for data storage, public access, and cybersecurity. A Cloud Laboratory Advisory Board, composed of federal employees, academic researchers, biosafety experts, and industry representatives, must be established within 180 days to guide data collection priorities, lab development, and ensure research and cybersecurity. The bill authorizes competitive grant awards for the development and operation of new cloud laboratories, with at least two Phase II labs to be funded within two years for an 8-year period, and at least three Phase III labs within four years for a 6-year period. The Director is also required to submit annual reports to Congress on the program's progress, and the entire section will cease to have effect 12 years after enactment.