Defense Department would set quantum system testing rules

The Secretary of Defense would issue a policy for developing and buying quantum computing systems. The policy would apply to quantum computing systems developed or acquired by the Department of Defense. The policy would define the term quantum computing system. It would create a process to validate and verify systems before the Department develops or acquires them. It would follow the findings and processes of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Quantum Benchmarking Initiative, or a successor initiative. The Secretary would issue the policy no later than 180 days after the Act is enacted.

After the policy is issued, Defense Department elements would have to validate and verify a quantum computing system before developing or buying it. The limit would cover each quantum computing system developed or acquired by any Department of Defense element. The Secretary of Defense could waive the limit for a specific system on a case-by-case basis. For each waiver, the Secretary would have to send the congressional defense committees written notice and a justification. The development and acquisition limit would begin after the policy is issued. Waiver notice and justification would be due no later than 15 days after the waiver is issued.