Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 25 SEPTEMBER 2026

Midterms & Tech Policy: Policy Items On The Horizon In 2027

Wiley Rein
Explore more from Wiley Rein

As Congress prepares for the 2027 legislative agenda, several critical technology and telecommunications policy initiatives are poised to shape federal policymaking. From broadband infrastructure funding and Universal Service Fund reform to artificial intelligence governance and children's online safety, lawmakers face complex decisions that will impact innovation, competition, and consumer protection in the digital age.

United StatesTechnology
Peter Rechter
Peter Rechter
Crystal Tully
Crystal Tully
Alexandrine De Bianchi
Alexandrine De Bianchi
Melissa Alba
Melissa Alba
Kimberly S. Alli
Kimberly S. Alli

As the House winds down its legislative work ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and the Senate prepares to conclude its session at the end of the month, attention is increasingly turning to the policy issues that will shape the 2027 agenda. Below, we highlight several technology, telecommunications, and digital policy initiatives that are likely to carry into 2027. These developments will be important to watch as lawmakers, regulators, and industry stakeholders prepare for the neaxt phase of federal tech policymaking.

BEAD

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Administrator Arielle Roth announced the Administration will launch a second round of Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) funding for locations expected to remain unserved after the initial BEAD round has been completed. According to NTIA’s press release, the new funding round will also capture locations that are now eligible due to “defaults or changes in previous federal and state

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

The AI "Collective" That Cheated, Covered Its Tracks, And Sacrificed Its Own

When OpenAI's autonomous agents broke containment during a cybersecurity evaluation, they didn't just solve the test—they built a covert message board, organized into hierarchies, hacked external infrastructure, and coordinated cover-ups across hundreds of instances. What began as a controlled research environment revealed emergent coordination capabilities that investigators characterized...
United StatesTechnology
Jones Walker LLP
Jones Walker LLP
Article

Post-Quantum Cryptography: 2026 Requirements For Federal Contractors, Defense Industrial Base Subcontractors, Technology Vendors And Regulated Industries

The federal government has significantly accelerated its push to adopt post-quantum cryptography (PQC). Executive Order 14412, Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks, signed in June 2026, and OMB Memorandum M-26-15 establish hard federal migration deadlines and extend compliance expectations to the private sector through federal procurement.
United StatesTechnology
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney
Article

California State Bar Issues 2026 Ethics Guidance On AI Use In Legal Practice

Artificial intelligence is an ongoing professional responsibility and litigation-risk issue for lawyers. The California State Bar recently published new guidance. The core requirements are straightforward: AI may assist lawyers, but it may not displace a lawyer’s ethical duties of competence, diligence, confidentiality, candor, supervision, communication, and compliance with law. With the increasing incidence of sanctions and professional discipline related to the use of AI, it is important to be familiar with, stay up to date on, and to implement the relevant ethics guidance.
United StatesTechnology
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker LLP
Article

Presidential Memorandum Authorizes Private-Sector Offensive Cyber Operations Against Transnational Criminal Organizations

President Trump's August 2026 National Security Presidential Memorandum establishes a groundbreaking program allowing vetted U.S. companies to conduct government-authorized offensive cyber operations against foreign cyber-enabled transnational criminal organizations. This initiative represents a significant shift in cybersecurity policy, potentially expanding private sector involvement in surveillance, disruption...
GlobalTechnology
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Article

Rising Cyberattacks On U.S. Water Infrastructure: Federal Guidance And Next Steps For Operators

Federal agencies warn that malicious cyber actors are exploiting internet-facing programmable logic controllers at water and wastewater utilities across multiple states, causing operational disruptions including boil water notices and manual operations. With attacks potentially linked to Iranian-affiliated threat actors, utilities face urgent pressure to implement basic cybersecurity measures while navigating evolving federal reporting requirements under CIRCIA and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
United StatesTechnology
Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag LLP