WASHINGTON – ACT | The App Association today released the following statement from president Morgan Reed after Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI-11), and Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-CA-23) announced plans to reintroduce the Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness (EPIC) Act in the 119th Congress.

“As small businesses in the app economy, ACT | The App Association’s members have a comparative advantage in agility over their larger counterparts. They are leading the way in developing, adapting, and deploying artificial intelligence (AI) tools across virtually all industries. Robust standards create a stable foundation that enables small businesses to continue leading and creating jobs across the nation and around the world. It is essential for Congress to ensure the federal government, through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), has the resources necessary to carry out its contributory role in standards development. In view of these considerations, the App Association supports the Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness Act.

“This bicameral bipartisan legislation mirrors a bill introduced last Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Haley Stevens and Rep. Jay Obernolte, which the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee unanimously approved. This bipartisan support underscores the critical need for robust standards and the vital role of NIST.

“While NIST’s role is not to set standards themselves or make judgments about which standards are better than others for any particular purpose, it is indispensable as a convener, contributor, and facilitator of metrology. Unfortunately, NIST is underfunded. This is a creative solution to help secure necessary funding for NIST initiatives while upholding ethical standards.

“With the introduction of this bill, we see a promising step towards ensuring that both chambers of Congress recognize the importance of this initiative. We urge Congress to pass this bill and support the facilitation and advancement of technical standards development through a well-funded and effective NIST.”

About ACT | The App Association & Members

The App Association is a global trade association for small and medium-sized technology companies. Our members are entrepreneurs, innovators, and independent developers within the global app ecosystem that engage with verticals across every industry. We work with and for our members to promote a policy environment that rewards and inspires innovation while providing resources that help them raise capital, create jobs, and continue to build incredible technology.

For more information, please visit actonline.org.