Sen. Luján Introduces $25 Billion Bill to Repair and Modernize National Labs
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Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
The roughly 30,000 federal employees who work at or support the 17 national laboratories would benefit from modernized facilities, safer working conditions, and updated infrastructure. Addressing years of deferred maintenance on buildings, utilities, and roads would make these workplaces more functional, efficient, and safer for the people who rely on them every day.
“The Secretary shall fund projects described in paragraph (2) to address the deferred maintenance, critical infrastructure, and modernization needs of National Laboratories.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Rep. Bill Foster, a PhD physicist, proposed infusing the Energy Department with billions to upgrade national laboratories. Foster noted a $30 billion backlog of 'shovel-ready' projects, emphasizing that labs have driven half of U.S. economic growth since WWII through scientific research.
Legislation introduced by Rep. Bill Foster would require the Department of Energy to fund deferred maintenance and modernization projects at its 17 strategically significant research facilities, which focus on areas ranging from clean energy to nuclear weapons stockpile management.
The Restore and Modernize Our National Labs Act seeks to provide a massive injection of federal funding as researchers increasingly rely on labs for work in AI, quantum computing, and biotechnology. The bill addresses a maintenance backlog caused by decades of underfunding.
No votes or related bills recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Restore and Modernize Our National Laboratories Act of 2025
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