Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Tuesday will introduce a bill to help establish a national strategy for immersive technology.
Why it matters: Lawmakers say the U.S. lags behind other countries in setting the standards for embracing immersive technology despite being home to the industry's leading companies.
Driving the news: The bill, shared first with Axios, would create an advisory panel tasked with devising a plan to apply virtual reality and augmented reality to commercial and personal use.
- Reps. Suzan DelBene and August Pfluger and Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Mark Warner are spearheading the bill.
- The advisory panel would make recommendations on how the government and private sector can work together on technical standards, strategic investments, cybersecurity, and commercialization.
The same group of lawmakers introduced this bill in December and ran out of time, DelBene communications director Nick Martin said, adding that the legislative strategy for this Congress is coming together.
What they're saying: "This legislation is a crucial step toward ensuring we protect our interests and establish ourselves as leaders in shaping national standards," DelBene, who serves as co-chair of the Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality Caucus, said in a statement.
