American Innovation Act

This bill, called the American Innovation Act, would boost and sustain federal funding for basic science research. It sets rising yearly budgets starting in fiscal year 2026 and, after 2036, automatically adjusts them for inflation so support keeps up with costs . It funds five major science areas: the National Science Foundation; the Department of Energy’s Office of Science; Department of Defense science and technology programs; the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s research; and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. These funds would remain available until they are fully used, rather than expiring each year .

The bill also shields these science funds from across-the-board budget cuts (sequestration) and keeps their costs off federal “PAYGO” scorecards, so future automatic cuts or budget rules are less likely to reduce them.

• Who is affected: NSF, DOE Office of Science, DoD science and tech programs, NIST research, and NASA’s Science Mission Directorate .
• What changes: Multi-year, increasing funding; inflation adjustments after 2036; money stays available until spent; protected from sequestration; not counted on PAYGO scorecards .
• When: Starts in fiscal year 2026, with the inflation adjustment mechanism beginning after 2036.