Tech Policy
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China Opens First Mandatory L2 Driver-Assistance Standard to Public Comment
China has opened a public comment period on a mandatory national standard for L2 driver-assistance systems, signaling a tighter safety baseline for intelligent connected vehicles.
European Commission Awards €180 Million Sovereign Cloud Tender to Four European Provider Groups as Brussels Codifies Digital Sovereignty Into Procurement Rules
Brussels awarded a six-year framework contract for sovereign cloud services to Post Telecom, STACKIT, Scaleway, and Proximus, using a new eight-criteria sovereignty framework that allows Google Cloud to participate only through the Proximus-led consortium.
Congress Advances Bipartisan Push to Incentivize Domestic Biomanufacturing With Dueling Tax Credit Bills
At least four bipartisan bills in the 119th Congress would create tax credits, authorize funding, and stand up USDA task forces to reduce US dependence on petroleum-derived chemicals by scaling plant-based biomanufacturing.
Alaska Secures First Federal Funding to Bring ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System North
Congress allocates $2 million from the USGS ShakeAlert budget to begin building Alaska's first earthquake early warning system, targeting 90 percent of the state's population.
FCC to Vote on Overhauling Satellite Spectrum Rules That Could Boost LEO Broadband Capacity Sevenfold
The FCC will vote April 30 on replacing 1990s-era power limits for LEO satellite constellations, a move that could reshape competition between Starlink, Amazon Leo, and legacy operators.
US Treasury Proposes Stablecoin AML Rules Under GENIUS Act as Bessent Pushes Congress on CLARITY Act
FinCEN and OFAC jointly proposed anti-money laundering and sanctions compliance rules for stablecoin issuers on April 8, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged Congress to advance the CLARITY Act to complete the federal digital asset regulatory framework.
FCC Launches Sweeping Review of Drone Spectrum Policy, Seeks to Open Seven Frequency Bands for Commercial and Defense UAS Operations
Public Notice DA 26-314 invites industry comment on opening the 5030-5091 MHz, 960-1164 MHz, CBRS 3.5 GHz, 450 MHz, and 24 GHz bands to drone operations, creating innovation zones, and modernizing counter-UAS experimental licensing, with responses due May 1.
America's Largest Infrastructure Law in a Generation Expires in Six Months With No Replacement in Sight
The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act expires September 30, 2026, threatening to slash highway, bridge, transit, and broadband funding to pre-2021 levels as Congress struggles to agree on reauthorization.
EU and US Near Critical Minerals Pact as Washington Pours $69 Million Into Domestic Extraction
The EU and US are finalizing a non-binding agreement to coordinate critical minerals supply chains and challenge China's processing dominance, while the DOE launches a $69 million funding program for domestic extraction and refining.
Western States Race to Adopt Wildfire Building Codes as Fire Season Approaches, but Implementation Gaps Remain
Colorado, California, and Oregon are all enforcing or adopting wildfire-resistant construction standards in 2026, though municipal capacity and cost concerns threaten to slow the rollout.
US Biosecurity Oversight Faces Its Biggest Overhaul in Decades as Congress and the White House Move on Parallel Tracks
A bipartisan Senate bill, a sweeping executive order on gain-of-function research, and a GAO report exposing transparency gaps converge to reshape how the United States governs biological risk.
US Open Banking Enters Regulatory Limbo as April Deadline Passes Without Enforcement
The CFPB's landmark open banking rule missed its April 1 compliance deadline after a court injunction and agency reconsideration, but major banks are forging private data-sharing deals that may shape the market before regulators act.