Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Technology Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill to create 'quantum innovation zones' to boost California's quantum economy
Summary
AB 940 would allow cities and counties to form quantum innovation zones to coordinate investment, incentives and workforce programs for quantum computing and related sectors; the subcommittee voted to pass the bill to Appropriations 8-0.
Assemblymember Wicks introduced AB 940, a proposal to authorize the formation of regional "quantum innovation zones" that would concentrate academic, industry and government resources to foster quantum computing commercialization and workforce development in California.
Wicks said California risks losing ground to other states that have already invested in quantum innovation, and the bill would let two or more cities and counties form a zone that could access tax incentives, grants, loan programs and workforce training targeted to quantum technology. "AB 940 allows 2 or more cities and counties to establish themselves as quantum innovation zone," Wicks said.
Assemblymember Ellis, a joint author and founder of a quantum encryption lab, told the committee that quantum computing could produce dramatic advances across medicine, energy and AI and urged California to lead the field. Academic witnesses included Jessica Duong of the University of California Office of the President and Steve Kahn, dean of mathematical and physical sciences at UC Berkeley. Kahn testified that the state has existing academic strength and industry assets that could support commercial-scale quantum development and workforce training.
Committee members asked about likely locations and governance; witnesses said multiple academic centers — including UC Berkeley, Stanford, Caltech, UC Santa Barbara and UCLA — and regions across the state could participate. The committee voted to pass AB 940 to Appropriations on an 8-0 vote.
Proponents framed AB 940 as an early-state economic development measure aimed at positioning California to compete for federal funding, private investment and high-skilled jobs in quantum information science. No opposition was recorded during the hearing.
