[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 121 (Monday, September 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H7643-H7647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             NEXT GENERATION INTERNET RESEARCH ACT OF 1998

  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 3332) to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 for the 
Next Generation Internet program, to require the Advisory Committee on 
High-Performance Computing and Communications, Information Technology, 
and the Next Generation Internet to monitor and give advice concerning 
the development and implementation of the Next Generation Internet 
program and report to the President and the Congress on its activities, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3332

       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 ``Next Generation Internet 
     Research Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       (a) In General.--The Congress finds that--
       (1) United States leadership in science and technology has 
     been vital to the Nation's prosperity, national and economic 
     security, and international competitiveness, and there is 
     every reason to believe that maintaining this tradition will 
     lead to long-term continuation of United States strategic 
     advantages in information technology;
       (2) the United States investment in science and technology 
     has yielded a scientific and engineering enterprise without 
     peer, and that Federal investment in research is critical to 
     the maintenance of United States leadership;
       (3) previous Federal investment in computer networking 
     technology and related fields has resulted in the creation of 
     new industries and new jobs in the United States;
       (4) the Internet is playing an increasingly important role 
     in keeping citizens informed of the actions of their 
     government; and
       (5) continued inter-agency cooperation is necessary to 
     avoid wasteful duplication in Federal networking research and 
     development programs.
       (b) Additional Findings for the 1991 Act.--Section 2 of the 
     High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501) is 
     amended by--
       (1) striking paragraph (4) and inserting the following:
       ``(4) A high-capacity, flexible, high-speed national 
     research and education computer network is needed to provide 
     researchers and educators with access to computational and 
     information resources, act as a test bed for further research 
     and development for high-capacity and high-speed computer 
     networks, and provide researchers the necessary vehicle for 
     continued network technology improvement through research.''; 
     and
       (2) adding at the end thereof the following:
       ``(7) Additional research must be undertaken to lay the 
     foundation for the development of new applications that can 
     result in economic growth, improved health care, and improved 
     educational opportunities.
       ``(8) Research in new networking technologies holds the 
     promise of easing the economic burdens of information access 
     disproportionately borne by rural users of the Internet.
       ``(9) Information security is an important part of 
     computing, information, and communications systems and 
     applications, and research into security architectures is a 
     critical aspect of computing, information, and communications 
     research programs.''.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

       (a) In General.--The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to authorize, through the High-Performance Computing 
     Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.), research programs 
     related to--
       (A) high-end computing and computation;
       (B) human-centered systems;
       (C) high confidence systems; and
       (D) education, training, and human resources; and
       (2) to provide, through the High-Performance Computing Act 
     of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.), for the development and 
     coordination of a comprehensive and integrated United States 
     research program which will--
       (A) focus on the research and development of a coordinated 
     set of technologies that seeks to create a network 
     infrastructure that can support greater speed, robustness, 
     and flexibility than is currently available and promote 
     connectivity and interoperability among advanced computer 
     networks of Federal agencies and departments;
       (B) focus on research in technology that may result in 
     high-speed data access for users that is both economically 
     viable and does not impose a geographic penalty; and
       (C) encourage researchers to pursue approaches to 
     networking technology that lead

[[Page H7644]]

     to maximally flexible and extensible solutions wherever 
     feasible.
       (b) Modification of Purposes of the 1991 Act.--Section 3 of 
     the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5502) 
     is amended by--
       (1) striking the section caption and inserting the 
     following:

     ``SEC. 3. PURPOSES.'';

       (2) striking ``purpose of this Act is'' and inserting 
     ``purposes of this Act are'';
       (3) striking subparagraph (A) of paragraph (1) and 
     redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (I) as subparagraphs 
     (A) through (H), respectively;
       (4) striking ``Network'' and inserting ``Internet'' in 
     paragraph (1)(B), as so redesignated by paragraph (3) of this 
     subsection;
       (5) striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1)(H), as so 
     redesignated by paragraph (3) of this subsection;
       (6) in paragraph (2), by striking ``efforts.'' and 
     inserting ``network research and development programs;''; and
       (7) adding at the end thereof the following:
       ``(3) promoting the more rapid development and wider 
     distribution of networking management and development tools; 
     and
       ``(4) promoting the rapid adoption of open network 
     standards.''.

     SEC. 4. NATIONAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING PROGRAM.

       (a) Program Elements.--Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 
     101(a)(2) of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C 5511(a)(2)(A) and (B)) are amended to read as follows:
       ``(A) provide for the development of technologies to 
     advance the capacity and capabilities of the Internet;
       ``(B) provide for high performance testbed networks to 
     enable the research, development, and demonstration of 
     advanced networking technologies and to develop and 
     demonstrate advanced applications made possible by the 
     existence of such testbed networks;''.
       (b) Advisory Committee.--Section 101(b) of the High-
     Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C 5511(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``High-Performance Computing'' in the 
     subsection heading.

     SEC. 5. NEXT GENERATION INTERNET.

       Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 
     U.S.C 5511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``SEC. 103. NEXT GENERATION INTERNET.

       ``(a) Establishment.--The National Science Foundation, the 
     Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the 
     National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the 
     National Institute of Standards and Technology may support 
     the Next Generation Internet program. The objectives of the 
     Next Generation Internet program shall be to--
       ``(1) support research, development, and demonstration of 
     advanced networking technologies to increase the capabilities 
     and improve the performance of the Internet;
       ``(2) develop an advanced testbed network connecting a 
     significant number of research sites, including universities, 
     Federal research institutions, and other appropriate research 
     partner institutions, to support networking research and to 
     demonstrate new networking technologies; and
       ``(3) develop and demonstrate advanced Internet 
     applications that meet important national goals or agency 
     mission needs, and that are supported by the activities 
     described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
       ``(b) Duties of Advisory Committee.--The President's 
     Information Technology Advisory Committee (established 
     pursuant to section 101(b) by Executive Order No. 13035 of 
     February 11, 1997 (62 F.R. 7131), as amended by Executive 
     Order No. 13092 of July 24, 1998), in addition to its 
     functions under section 101(b), shall--
       ``(1) assess the extent to which the Next Generation 
     Internet program--
       ``(A) carries out the purposes of this Act; and
       ``(B) addresses concerns relating to, among other matters--
       ``(i) geographic penalties (as defined in section 7(1) of 
     the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998);
       ``(ii) the adequacy of access to the Internet by 
     Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic 
     Serving Institutions, and small colleges and universities 
     (whose enrollment is less than 5,000) and the degree of 
     participation of those institutions in activities described 
     in subsection (a); and
       ``(iii) technology transfer to and from the private sector;
       ``(2) review the extent to which the role of each Federal 
     agency and department involved in implementing the Next 
     Generation Internet program is clear and complementary to, 
     and non-duplicative of, the roles of other participating 
     agencies and departments;
       ``(3) assess the extent to which Federal support of 
     fundamental research in computing is sufficient to maintain 
     the Nation's critical leadership in this field; and
       ``(4) make recommendations relating to its findings under 
     paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
       ``(c) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall review 
     implementation of the Next Generation Internet program and 
     shall report, not less frequently than annually, to the 
     President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
     Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, and the Committee 
     on Science, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
     Committee on National Security of the House of 
     Representatives on its findings and recommendations for the 
     preceding fiscal year. The first such report shall be 
     submitted 6 months after the date of enactment of the Next 
     Generation Internet Research Act of 1998 and the last report 
     shall be submitted by September 30, 2000.
       ``(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated for the purposes of this 
     section--
       ``(1) for the Department of Energy, $22,000,000 for fiscal 
     year 1999 and $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       ``(2) for the National Science Foundation, $25,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 1999 and $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2000, as 
     authorized in the National Science Foundation Authorization 
     Act of 1998;
       ``(3) for the National Institutes of Health, $5,000,000 for 
     fiscal year 1999 and $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2000;
       ``(4) for the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and 
     $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; and
       ``(5) for the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and $7,500,000 
     for fiscal year 2000.

     Such funds may not be used for routine upgrades to existing 
     federally funded communication networks.

     SEC. 6. STUDY OF EFFECTS ON TRADEMARK RIGHTS OF ADDING 
                   GENERIC TOP-LEVEL DOMAINS.

       (a) Study by National Research Council.--Not later than 30 
     days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
     of Commerce shall request the National Research Council of 
     the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a comprehensive 
     study, taking into account the diverse needs of domestic and 
     international Internet users, of the short-term and long-term 
     effects on trademark rights of adding new generic top-level 
     domains and related dispute resolution procedures.
       (b) Matters To Be Assessed in Study.--The study shall 
     assess and, as appropriate, make recommendations for policy, 
     practice, or legislative changes relating to--
       (1) the short-term and long-term effects on the protection 
     of trademark rights and consumer interests of increasing or 
     decreasing the number of generic top-level domains;
       (2) trademark rights clearance processes for domain names, 
     including--
       (A) whether domain name databases should be readily 
     searchable through a common interface to facilitate the 
     clearing of trademark rights and proposed domain names across 
     a range of generic top-level domains;
       (B) the identification of what information from domain name 
     databases should be accessible for the clearing of trademark 
     rights; and
       (C) whether generic top-level domain registrants should be 
     required to provide certain information;
       (3) domain name trademark rights dispute resolution 
     mechanisms, including how to--
       (A) reduce trademark rights conflicts associated with the 
     addition of any new generic top-level domains; and
       (B) reduce trademark rights conflicts through new technical 
     approaches to Internet addressing;
       (4) choice of law or jurisdiction for resolution of 
     trademark rights disputes relating to domain names, including 
     which jurisdictions should be available for trademark rights 
     owners to file suit to protect such trademark rights;
       (5) trademark rights infringement liability for registrars, 
     registries, or technical management bodies;
       (6) short-term and long-term technical and policy options 
     for Internet addressing schemes and the impact of such 
     options on current trademark rights issues; and
       (7) public comments on the interim report and on any 
     reports that are issued by intergovernmental bodies.
       (c) Cooperation With Study.--
       (1) Interagency cooperation.--The Secretary of Commerce 
     shall--
       (A) direct the Patent and Trademark Office, the National 
     Telecommunications and Information Administration, and other 
     Department of Commerce entities to cooperate fully with the 
     National Research Council in its activities in carrying out 
     the study under this section; and
       (B) request all other appropriate Federal departments, 
     Federal agencies, Government contractors, and similar 
     entities to provide similar cooperation to the National 
     Research Council.
       (2) Private corporation cooperation.--The Secretary of 
     Commerce shall request that any private, not-for-profit 
     corporation established to manage the Internet root server 
     system and the top-level domain names provide similar 
     cooperation to the National Research Council.
       (d) Reports.--
       (1) In general.--
       (A) Interim report.--After a period of public comment and 
     not later than 4 months after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the National Research Council shall submit an interim 
     report on the study to the Secretary of Commerce.
       (B) Final report.--After a period of public comment and not 
     later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     the National Research Council shall complete the study under 
     this section and submit a final report on the study to the 
     Secretary of Commerce. The final report shall set forth the 
     findings, conclusions, and recommendations

[[Page H7645]]

     of the Council concerning the effects of adding new generic 
     top-level domains and related dispute resolution procedures 
     on trademark rights.
       (2) Submission to congressional committees.--
       (A) Interim report.--Not later than 7 days after the date 
     on which the interim report is submitted to the Secretary of 
     Commerce, the Secretary shall submit the interim report to 
     the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and 
     the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and to the 
     Committee on Commerce, the Committee on Science, and the 
     Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
       (B) Final report.--Not later than 7 days after the date on 
     which the final report is submitted to the Secretary of 
     Commerce, the Secretary shall submit the final report to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the 
     Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, and to the 
     Committee on Commerce, the Committee on Science, and the 
     Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated $800,000 for the study conducted under 
     this section.

     SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) In General.--For purposes of this Act--
       (1) Geographic penalty.--The term ``geographic penalty'' 
     means the imposition of costs on users of the Internet in 
     rural or other locations, attributable to the distance of the 
     user from network facilities, the low population density of 
     the area in which the user is located, or other factors, that 
     are disproportionately greater than the costs imposed on 
     users in locations closer to such facilities or on users in 
     locations with significantly greater population density.
       (2) Internet.--The term ``Internet'' means the 
     international computer network of both Federal and non-
     Federal interoperable packet switched data networks.
       (b) Additional Definition for the 1991 Act.--Section 4 of 
     the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5503) 
     is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs 
     (5) and (6), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(4) `Internet' means the international computer network 
     of both Federal and non-Federal interoperable packet switched 
     data networks;''.

                              {time}  1230

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule the gentleman from 
Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie 
Bernice Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. 
Sensenbrenner).
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3332, the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 
1998, amends the high-performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize 
appropriations for the next generation Internet program for fiscal 
years 1999 and 2000. It was passed by a voice vote by the Committee on 
Science on May 13, 1998.
  Today's Internet bears little resemblance to the original network 
that grew out of the work sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research 
Programs Agency and later by the National Science Foundation. What 
started out as a relatively small but important network linking 
Department of Defense and research university computers has exploded 
into a highly integrated worldwide system used largely by commercial 
and other enterprises. From 1998 to 2002, for example, the number of 
Internet users worldwide is expected to grow from 148 million to 477 
million. Over the same period business-to-business electronic commerce 
is expected to grow from $78 billion to $300 billion.
  The explosive growth in Internet traffic and its increasing 
importance to commerce and research has highlighted the need for new 
technologies to increase the speed and capacity of the system. Indeed 
the current system suffers limitations that could slow communications 
costing users both time and money. The NGI program will develop many of 
the technologies that will help the Internet keep pace with the 
increased demands placed on it.
  I have long been supportive of the NGI program in concept but was 
initially reluctant to endorse the program because the administration 
had not developed an adequate plan on how it would be managed and how 
the funds would be spent. It was only in July 1997 that a draft 
implementation plan was put forward by the administration, too late for 
the Committee on Science to authorize the program in the First Session 
of the 105th Congress. With the release of the final implementation 
plan in February 1998 the committee felt it had a justifiable basis to 
move ahead with legislation to authorize the NGI program. The result is 
the bill before us today.
  The NGI program will support R&D of advanced networking technologies 
to improve Internet performance, develop an advanced testbed network to 
demonstrate new technologies and use new technologies to develop more 
sophisticated Internet applications. One major goal of this program is 
to connect 100 NGI sites at 100 times the speed of today's Internet and 
to connect an additional 10 NGI sites at a thousand times the speed of 
today's Internet.
  Specifically the bill authorizes $67 million for fiscal year 1999 and 
$75 million for Fiscal Year 2000 for the NGI programs run by the 
following five agencies:
  Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, the National 
Institutes for Health, NASA and the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology. None of the money authorized is to be used for routine 
upgrades but only for research related activities.
  H.R. 3332 also authorizes research into improving Internet access for 
rural areas, minority institutions and small colleges and promoting 
technology transfer to the private sector. The President's Information 
Technology Advisory Committee is required to report annually to 
Congress and to the President about the NGI program's progress in these 
and other areas.
  In addition the bill directs the Secretary of Commerce to sponsor a 
National Academy of Sciences study that will look at the effects on 
trademark rights of adding new top-level domain names and make 
recommendations on how best to protect trademarks in the growing 
cyberspace economy. Eight hundred thousand dollars is authorized for 
this study.
  H.R. 3332 is an excellent piece of legislation that will enhance a 
variety of fields and services including national defense, weather 
forecasting, air safety, telemedicine, the media, and education and 
research. And if that is not enough, it will also improve the quality 
of Internet service provided to the average consumer.
  I would like to take a moment to thank my colleague, ranking minority 
member of the Committee on Science, the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Brown) for cosponsoring this bill with me. I believe we have crafted a 
bill that will earn the support of our colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle and both sides of the capital, and I thank the gentleman for all 
the time and insight he has contributed to this legislation. H.R. 3332 
is an important and timely piece of legislation, and I ask my 
colleagues to support it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3332, the Next 
Generation Internet Research Act of 1998. I want to congratulate the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner) the chairman of the 
Committee on Science and also the gentleman from California (Mr. Brown) 
the ranking democratic Member, for their efforts to develop the bill 
and to bring it before the House.
  H.R. 3332 authorizes the Next Generation Internet initiative which 
will support the research and development activities necessary to 
expand the capacity and capabilities to the Internet to meet the 
growing demands placed upon it. The applications that are straining the 
current Internet or even exceed its capabilities are coming largely 
from the research and education communities.
  Achieving the goals of the Next Generation Internet initiative will 
require leading-edge research on networking hardware and software 
technologies. It also will require the creation of a large-scale high-
performance testbed network. This testbed network will provide 
connectivity among many academic, industry and government user sites. 
It can then be used to implement challenging applications that will 
test the new networking technologies and ensure that they are scalable 
to the worldwide network.
  In short, this initiative is a collaborative research project to 
develop and

[[Page H7646]]

demonstrate next generation networking technology in a realistic 
network environment.
  This bill will amend the high-performance Computing Act of 1991 to 
incorporate the Next Generation Initiative Internet initiative within 
the existing coordinated multi-agency research and development effort 
in advanced computing and network research. The bill provides general 
authority for agencies carrying out activities under the 1991 act to 
advance the capacity and capabilities of the Internet and to develop 
and demonstrate high-performance testbed networks.
  In addition, this bill explicitly authorizes the participating 
agencies to implement this initiative and task that presidentially 
appointed advisory committee for high-performance computing and 
networking activities to provide periodic critical assessment of the 
initiative. The funding authorization provided by the bill is 
consistent with the level of the President's budget request, and the 
administration fully supports passage of this legislation.
  The Internet is one of the best examples of a Federal research and 
development investment that resulted in significant public benefits. It 
is a growing and increasingly important communications medium for 
commerce as well as for education and research uses and for personal 
communications.
  This initiative authorized by this bill builds on past successes of 
Federal R&D and provides support of research needed to accelerate the 
development of the technologies. It will make it faster, more 
dependable, which will result from this initiative, enable new 
applications and crisis management and response, distance education, 
environmental monitoring, health care delivery and scientific research 
to name a few. In a very real way it will help shape the future, and I 
urge my colleagues to support and pass this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. Does the 
gentlewoman from Texas have any further speakers?
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BLILEY. Mr. Speaker, as you know, the Committee on Commerce has a 
strong interest in the development of the Internet, and over the past 
year has held more than a dozen hearings on the subject of electronic 
commerce. Among the provisions in the legislation currently before the 
House are authorizations of appropriations for the National Institutes 
of Health to engage in activities related to its participation in the 
Next Generation Internet program, as well as a study on the addition of 
new generic top-level Internet domains. Both of these matters fall 
within the Commerce Committee's jurisdiction under Rule X of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I have reviewed these provisions and have no objections. 
At this point, I will insert in the Record an exchange of letters 
between Chairman Sensenbrenner and myself regarding the Commerce 
Committee's desire to see this legislation move forward.
                                         House of Representatives,


                                        Committee on Commerce,

                               Washington, DC, September 11, 1998.
     Hon. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
     Chairman, Committee on Science, Rayburn House Office 
         Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Jim: On May 13, 1998, the Committee on Science ordered 
     reported H.R. 3332, the Next Generation Internet Research Act 
     of 1998. Among other provisions, this bill authorizes 
     appropriations for the National Institutes of Health 
     (``NIH'') to engage in activities related to its 
     participation in the Next Generation Internet program, as 
     well as a study on the addition of new generic top-level 
     Internet domains. Both of these matters fall within the 
     Committee's jurisdiction under Rule X of the Rules of the 
     House of Representatives.
       Because of the importance of this matter, I recognize your 
     desire to bring this legislation before the House in an 
     expeditious manner. Therefore, I will waive consideration of 
     the bill by the Commerce Committee. By agreeing to waive its 
     consideration of the bill, the Commerce Committee does not 
     waive its jurisdiction over these provisions or similar 
     legislation. In addition, the Commerce Committee reserves its 
     authority to seek conferees on the provisions of the bill 
     that are within the Commerce Committee's jurisdiction during 
     any House-Senate conference that may be convened on this 
     legislation. I request that you support any request by the 
     Commerce Committee for conferees on this or similar 
     legislation.
       I also request that you submit this letter for the record 
     during consideration of H.R. 3332 on the House floor. Thank 
     you for your attention to these matters.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Tom Bliley,
     Chairman.
                                  ____

                                         House of Representatives,


                                         Committee on Science,

                               Washington, DC, September 11, 1998.
     Hon. Thomas Bliley,
     Chairman, House Committee on Commerce, House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter of September 
     11, 1998 concerning H.R. 3332, the Next Generation Internet 
     Research bill.
       I appreciate your willingness to waive consideration of the 
     bill of the Committee on Commerce so that the Science 
     Committee may expedite consideration of the bill on the floor 
     of the House.
       The Committee on Science acknowledges Commerce Committee 
     jurisdiction over the National Institutes of Health and its 
     telecommunications jurisdiction over Internet domain names. 
     Recognizing this I will support your request for conferees on 
     these provisions should the Science Committee seek a House-
     Senate conference that may be convened on this legislation.
       I will submit this exchange of letters for the record 
     during consideration of H.R. 3332 on the House floor.
           Sincerely,
                                      F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr.,
                                                         Chairman.

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to support this bill, 
the Next Generation Internet Act of 1998, which amends the High 
Performance Computing Act (HCPA) of 1991 to expand our development of 
an Internet that is faster, more powerful, and more available to the 
people of the United States than ever before.
  The Next Generation Internet (NGI) Program, created by this bill, 
authorizes funds from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the 
Department of Energy, NASA, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 
and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, to be spent on 
researching and developing advanced networking technologies which can 
be used to bolster the performance of the Internet, as we know it 
today.
  As you all know, the Internet has become an important tool in the 
advancement of education, business, and even politics. For 
schoolchildren, it presents a window to the world, far less expensive 
than a set of encyclopedias, yet far more voluminous and varied. It is 
important for business, because it allows entrepreneurs to present 
their products in an interactive and compelling manner, which can also 
be easily adapted to satisfy the needs of the American, and 
international customer.
  The Internet is important to the citizens of this great country 
because it gives each of them an equal voice. We receive hundreds of e-
mails every month from concerned citizens, who feel obligated to 
participate in the political process, and who now have the ability to 
instantaneously reach their representative here in Congress. That is 
invaluable. We must continue to support programs like NGI, so that we 
can further mine the Internet for the good it can bring the global 
community.
  I am also happy to report to you that this bill contains an important 
provision which I added during its markup in the Judiciary Committee. 
The amendment directs the Advisory Committee to address and make 
recommendations on the participation of ``Historically Black Colleges, 
Hispanic Serving Institutions, and small colleges and universities'' in 
the Next-Generation Internet Program.
  This important provision provides a tremendous benefit to minority 
serving universities and small colleges who need guidance on how to 
gain better access to the Internet, as well as how they can participate 
in exciting Internet research programs, like NGI. We cannot let these 
important institutions fall through the digital divide, and remain 
fundamentally ``disconnected'' from the rest of the world.
  I strongly urge you all to join me in support of the Internet, and of 
these important institutions by supporting this bill.
  Mr. SENSENBRENNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time 
as well.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3332, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  The title of the bill was amended so as to read, ``A bill to amend 
the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal years 1999 and 2000 for the Next Generation Internet 
program, to require the President's Information Technology Advisory 
Committee to monitor and give advice concerning the development and 
implementation of the Next Generation Internet program and report to 
the President and the Congress

[[Page H7647]]

on its activities, and for other purposes.''.

  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________