Rep. Foster, Sen. Luján Introduce Legislation to Fund Infrastructure Upgrades at National Laboratories

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) introduced the Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act. The bill would authorize $25 billion through Fiscal Year 2030 to support maintenance and infrastructure at the Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories.

Rep. Foster secured $14.7 billion for this effort through the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This new legislation seeks to build on that work, addressing the current needs of the National Labs. 

“An ongoing challenge at our national laboratories is the lack of sufficient funding for essential maintenance and upgrades. Right now, there's a severe backlog of unfunded modernization projects,” said Rep. Foster, Co-Chair of the House National Labs Caucus. “Our national laboratories make remarkable contributions to technologies that improve everyday life and keep the U.S. on the cutting edge of innovation. Ensuring the necessary resources to make capital improvements will allow the labs to continue driving research and supporting our economy.”

“Across the country, our National Labs – including Sandia and Los Alamos in New Mexico – have positioned the U.S. as a global leader in cutting-edge research and scientific innovation,” said Senator Luján, Co-Chair of the Senate National Labs Caucus. “To meet the challenges of the 21st century – from driving innovation in emerging technologies like quantum and AI to strengthening national security – our Labs need strong, reliable infrastructure. That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Restore and Modernize Our National Labs Act to upgrade outdated facilities and expand the capabilities of our world-class institutions. I’ll keep fighting to ensure our National Labs have access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technology, and a skilled workforce.”

This bill is cosponsored by Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Shri Thanedar (D-MI) and Adam Smith (D-WA). The bill is endorsed by the Federation of American Scientists.

The Senate companion bill is led by Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

A full copy of the bill can be found here.  

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