119th Congress · introduced in the Senate · Dec 11, 2025
National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (Jul 13, 2026): Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 451.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Reported to Senate (Jul 13, 2026)
National Programmable Cloud Laboratories Network Act of 2025
This bill provides statutory authority for a national programmable cloud laboratories program established by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Programmable cloud laboratories allow researchers to remotely design and run experiments in an automated, artificial-intelligence-enabled laboratory.
Under the bill, NSF, in consultation with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), must designate up to six entities to operate cloud laboratories, called nodes, to comprise a national network. Eligible entities include institutions of higher education, private or nonprofit research entities, and groups thereof. In designating nodes, NSF must ensure, to the extent practicable, that at least one node can support biotechnology research. (On July 16, 2025, NSF issued a program solicitation seeking applicants to serve as nodes.)
Designated nodes must provide access to advanced scientific and manufacturing instruments and a secure digital infrastructure. Where practicable, nodes must leverage commercially available hardware and software to minimize cost and accelerate deployment of automated capabilities.
NIST, in cooperation with NSF and designated nodes, must establish and periodically update network-wide interoperability standards, data-sharing protocols, and minimum technical requirements and operating procedures.
Further, after all nodes are designated, NSF must identify other laboratories that have or are developing programmable, automated, or remotely accessible research infrastructure and assess the potential for coordination between nodes and these laboratories.
Show the full summary (1 more paragraphs)Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 451.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with amendments. With written report No. 119-129.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Cruz with amendments. With written report No. 119-129.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
Advanced technology and technological innovations · Computer security and identity theft · Computers and information technology · Data collection, sharing, protection · Employment and training programs · Intergovernmental relations · Internet, web applications, social media · Public-private cooperation · Research and development · Telephone and wireless communication
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 23, 2026.
2 citations.
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY · lobbying firm or registrant: CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 20, 2026 · issue area: Budget/Appropriations
$95,000
Spent on own lobbying
…my AI Integration Center. Support for funding a national AI for Science Initiative (ASAP) including the development of a national network of self-driving labs (S. 3468). Support for the Institute of Education Sciences in the Department of Education. Support for ARPA H. Support for maintaining the current partnership between t…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY · lobbying firm or registrant: CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Budget/Appropriations
$90,000
Spent on own lobbying
…my AI Integration Center. Support for funding a national AI for Science Initiative (ASAP) including the development of a national network of self-driving labs (S. 3468). Support for NSF, NIST, the University Transportation Centers in US DOT and the Institute of Education Sciences in the Department of Education. Support for AR…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing