U.S. Congressional sources said on Thursday that the U.S. Senate is considering including $30 billion in a new bill for previously approved measures to strengthen the U.S. chip manufacturing industry.

Reuters reported that people familiar with the matter disclosed that lawmakers plan to vote on the plan in April, and the plan will also include other areas that boost the US technology industry.

It is reported that the plan is led by the U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, but Schumer’s spokesperson did not respond to reporters’ requests for comment.

Schumer said last month that he had asked legislators to draft a new bill to enhance the US's competitiveness against China. Schumer and Republican Senator Todd Young proposed last year that they would provide $100 billion in funding to stimulate research in key technology areas ranging from artificial intelligence to quantum computing and semiconductors.

Schumer's office also stated that the program may be used as a tool to provide emergency funding for bipartisan semiconductor projects, including last year's National Defense Authorization Act, which is still awaiting funding.

One of the unfunded projects will provide funding to factories and equipment companies that invest in US semiconductor manufacturing, testing, and research and development. The other requires the government to establish a public-private partnership to form a corporate consortium to produce "safer microelectronic products."

In addition, the report said that the US semiconductor industry has also been promoting investment tax credits for semiconductor facilities, and the cost of a new plant may be as high as billions of dollars, which is usually much higher than the construction cost.