In Feb 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act, which appropriates funding for semiconductor manufacturing (H.R. 4521). The Senate passed their version of the bill in June 2021 (S.1260). Congressional leaders must now work to reconcile the two bills before sending the to the President to be signed (CSIS, Semiconductor Industry Association). 

Semiconductor packaging connects integrated circuits to electronic products by transmitting signals from the silicon out to something that can actually be used. Advanced packaging embeds increased functionality into electronics by allowing for a higher density of electronic components in a smaller space. Both versions of the bill allocate $2.5 billion in funding for the Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (i.e., subsection (d) of section 9906 of Public Law 116-283) for Fiscal Year 2022. Fiscal Year 2022 began on Oct. 1, 2021 and ends Sept. 30, 2022. Funds allocated to the Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program will be “transferred to and merged with accounts within the Department of Commerce to be used for such purposes."