On September 19, 2025, Nextgov/FCW reported that the White House was preparing executive action focused on quantum technology in the federal government, citing two sources familiar with the documents and their contents.
According to the reporting, approximately two executive actions focused on quantum information sciences and technology and post-quantum cryptography migration efforts had been in development since early summer 2025. Sources indicated there could be as many as three orders or as few as one, depending on the scope the administration chose to address. The centerpiece was expected to be federal adoption of post-quantum cryptography, with directives likely to include deadlines for agencies and contractors to begin shifting networks and data systems to post-quantum cryptographic standards.
The executive actions would build on the National Quantum Initiative Act, signed into law by President Trump during his first term in 2018. That law’s authorization lapsed in 2023 and was pending reauthorization in Congress. The White House signaled that executive powers would be used to maintain momentum on quantum policy in the interim. Earlier in 2025, the Office of Management and Budget had circulated draft guidance requiring agencies to prepare phased migration plans, and the pending executive actions were expected to give those directives additional weight.
Administration officials linked the importance of quantum technologies to broader competition in artificial intelligence and other emerging fields. The exact timing and final scope of the executive actions remained under internal review at the time of reporting.