Democracy Technology Partnership Act

Democracy Technology Partnership Act

This bill establishes the International Technology Partnership Office, led by the Special Ambassador for Technology, in the Department of State. The office shall advance U.S. technology policy through the creation of an International Technology Partnership with specified foreign countries.

Specifically, the office must create a partnership of democratic countries to develop technology governance regimes, with a focus on key technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, 5G telecommunications, semiconductor chip manufacturing, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Partner countries must be democratic countries with advanced technology sectors that have a demonstrated record of trust or an expressed interest in international cooperation and coordination with the United States on defense and intelligence matters.

The bill also establishes the International Technology Partnership Fund in the Department of the Treasury. The State Department may use amounts from this fund to support joint research projects from International Technology Partnership member countries and technology investments in third-country markets.

The State Department must also submit reports (1) outlining a national strategy for technology and national security; and (2) assessing other countries' standards and governance regimes for privacy, human rights, consumer protection, and free expression.