[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2998 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2998

 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish the Defense Quantum 
            Information Consortium, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 5, 2018

  Ms. Harris introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
              referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To require the Secretary of Defense to establish the Defense Quantum 
            Information Consortium, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Quantum Computing Research Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) focused and continued investment in the development of 
        viable quantum information science technology is vital to 
        national security;
            (2) quantum information science should address two critical 
        development problems, namely quantum communication and quantum 
        computing;
            (3) alignment of effort within the United States 
        government, academic, and private sectors are vital to ensuring 
        the best technology is made available for the defense of the 
        United States; and
            (4) to the extent possible to protect national security, 
        work performed under section 3 should be maintained at the 
        lowest possible classification level to promote coordination 
        between consortium partners and growth within the field of 
        quantum information science.

SEC. 3. DEFENSE QUANTUM INFORMATION CONSORTIUM.

    (a) Consortium.--
            (1) Establishment.--
                    (A) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall, in 
                coordination with the Director of the Office of Science 
                and Technology Policy, establish a consortium on 
                matters relating to quantum information sciences.
                    (B) Designation.--The consortium established under 
                paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Defense Quantum 
                Information Consortium'' (in this section the 
                ``Consortium'').
            (2) Membership.--The Consortium shall consist of--
                    (A) one component composed of members selected by 
                the Chief of Naval Research from among institutions of 
                higher learning and industry partners located in the 
                eastern half of the United States which are recognized 
                for achievement in quantum information science; and
                    (B) one component composed of members selected by 
                the Director of the Army Research Laboratory from among 
                institutions of higher learning and industry partners 
                located in the western half of the United States which 
                are recognized for achievement in quantum information 
                science.
            (3) Duties.--
                    (A) Chief of naval research.--The Chief of Naval 
                Research shall--
                            (i) coordinate and administer the grants 
                        awarded under subsection (b) to members 
                        selected under paragraph (2)(A); and
                            (ii) coordinate partnerships between such 
                        members.
                    (B) Director of the army research laboratory.--The 
                Director of the Army Research Laboratory shall--
                            (i) coordinate and administer the grants 
                        awarded under subsection (b) to members 
                        selected under paragraph (2)(B); and
                            (ii) coordinate partnerships between such 
                        members.
    (b) Board.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary shall, in coordination 
        with the Director, establish a board to support the Consortium.
            (2) Membership.--The board established under paragraph (1) 
        shall be composed of members as follows:
                    (A) The Chief of Naval Research and a designee of 
                the Chief.
                    (B) The Director of the Army Research Laboratory 
                and a designee of the Director.
                    (C) The Assistant Director of Quantum Information 
                Science at the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
                    (D) Members of the National Quantum Initiative 
                (NQI).
            (3) Duties.--The duties of the board established under 
        paragraph (1) are as follows:
                    (A) To award grants under subsection (c).
                    (B) To assist with ongoing research being conducted 
                by members of the Consortium relating to quantum 
                information sciences.
                    (C) To facilitate partnerships between members of 
                the Consortium.
    (c) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--The board established under subsection 
        (b)(1) shall award grants to members of the Consortium to 
        conduct research on matters relating to quantum information 
        science.
            (2) Application.--A member of the Consortium seeking a 
        grant under this subsection shall submit to the board 
        established under subsection (b)(1) an application therefor at 
        such time, in such manner, and containing such information as 
        the board may prescribe.
            (3) Selection.--
                    (A) Establishment of selection committees.--The 
                board established under subsection (b)(1) shall 
                establish a committee to select applicants for the 
                award of grants under this subsection.
                    (B) Selection process.--In selecting applicants for 
                awards of grants under this subsection, the committee 
                established under subparagraph (A) shall--
                            (i) develop a competitive application and 
                        grant making process that furthers the goals of 
                        ensuring the competitiveness of the United 
                        States in quantum information science; and
                            (ii) exercise that process to solicit grant 
                        applications from Consortium members, select 
                        among applications, and grant high quality 
                        awards.
            (4) Conflicts of interest.--In any case in which a member 
        of the board established under subsection (b)(1) or the 
        committee established under paragraph (3)(A) of this subsection 
        has a conflict of interest with an applicant or an application 
        for a grant under this subsection, such member shall recuse him 
        or herself from all matters relating to consideration of such 
        applicant or application.
    (d) Termination.--The requirements and authorities of this section 
shall terminate at the end of fiscal year 2024.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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