Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 940 into law and announced $4 million in new funding to advance California’s quantum sector. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, directs the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development to publish a strategic framework for growing the quantum economy in regions throughout the state.
The legislation is intended to help California maintain its position in emerging technologies and to foster new research and development. The new funding will support quantum research and innovation. California is home to both National Science Foundation and Department of Energy quantum federal research centers. The state has a network of university centers, as well as partnerships with major technology companies.
The bill’s goal is to create “quantum innovation zones” to attract businesses and to transform quantum research into industry output. UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons commented that the campus is creating a “Quantum Nexus” that will open this fall. The new funding, along with the state’s existing ecosystem, is intended to help position California to lead in quantum innovation and create jobs.
Read the full announcement from the Governor’s Office here and a related article from UC Berkeley here.
October 7, 2025
