[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 115 (Tuesday, July 31, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5734-S5735]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Alexander, and Mr. Durbin):
  S. 3459. A bill to amend the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2004 to improve the high-end computing research 
and development program of the Department of Energy, and for other 
purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce the Department 
of Energy High-End Computing Improvement Act of 2012, along with my co-
sponsors, Senators Alexander and Durbin. This bipartisan bill addresses 
the need for ongoing high performance computing and the establishment 
of an exascale program within the Department of Energy, DOE.
  America's leadership in high performance computing, HPC, is essential 
to a vast range of national priorities in science, energy, environment, 
health, and national security. For decades the U.S. was the leader in 
HPC through collaborative efforts led by the DOE between national 
laboratories, academia, and industry. Investments in HPC have 
facilitated extraordinary scientific and technological advances that 
have enabled a wide range of simulation and analysis saving time, 
money, energy and fuel, which has strengthened the U.S. economy and 
contributed to national security.
  U.S. leadership in HPC has recently been challenged through 
significant governmental investment in HPC programs in Japan, China, 
South Korea, Russia, and the European Union, and the race to exascale 
computing is on. Exascale computers will be able to perform 10 to the 
18th power floating point operations per second making them 1000 times 
more powerful than the most advanced computers today. These new 
computers will require the development of new software and computer 
architectures with improved power consumption, memory, and reliability.
  This bipartisan bill updates the Department of Energy High-End 
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 to preserve DOE HPC and to 
distinguish the exascale initiative from other high-end computing 
efforts. Based on input from the DOE, appropriate funding levels are 
established through this bill to support the exascale initiative 
through fiscal year 2015. This bill will ensure that the U.S. remains 
competitive in the race to exascale and as with previous generations of 
HPC systems, the resulting technological advances will further support 
Federal priorities like research and national security and will be 
integrated into electronics industries strengthening high-tech 
competitiveness and driving economic growth.
  I would like to conclude by taking a moment to acknowledge the 
exceptional efforts of a few staff members who have worked diligently 
to help craft this important piece of legislation. Jonathan Epstein, a 
former staff member on my Energy and Natural Resources Committee and 
current staff member on the Armed Services Committee and Jennifer 
Nekuda Malik, a AAAS Science Policy Fellow on my Energy and Natural 
Resources Committee worked with Neena Imam, a Legislative Fellow on 
Senator Alexander's staff and Tom Craig, a staff member on the 
Appropriations Committee, to update the DOE's high-end computing 
program to account for changes since the Department of Energy High-End 
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 and establish the exascale 
computing program. I appreciate the efforts of these staff members and 
I thank them for their work.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3459

       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 ``Department of Energy High-
     End Computing Improvement Act of 2012''.

     SEC. 2. RENAMING OF ACT.

       (a) In General.--Section 1 of the Department of Energy 
     High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5501 
     note; Public Law 108-423) is amended by striking ``Department 
     of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004'' and 
     inserting ``Department of Energy High-End Computing Act of 
     2012''.
       (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 976(a)(1) of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16316(1)) is amended by 
     striking ``Department of Energy High-End Computing 
     Revitalization Act of 2004'' and inserting ``Department of 
     Energy High-End Computing Act of 2012''.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       Section 2 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
     Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5541) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as 
     paragraphs (3) through (6), respectively;
       (2) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) Department.--The term `Department' means the 
     Department of Energy.
       ``(2) Exascale computing.--The term `exascale computing' 
     means computing through the use of a computing machine that 
     performs near or above 10 to the 18th power floating point 
     operations per second.''; and
       (3) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by paragraph (1)), by 
     striking ``, acting through the Director of the Office of 
     Science of the Department of Energy''.

     SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HIGH-END COMPUTING RESEARCH AND 
                   DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

       Section 3 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
     Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5542) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``program'' and 
     inserting ``coordinated program across the Department'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``, which may'' and 
     all that follows through ``architectures''; and
       (3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
       ``(d) Exascale Computing Program.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a research 
     program (referred to in this subsection as the `program') to 
     develop 1 or more exascale computing machines to promote the 
     missions of the Department.
       ``(2) Coordination.--In carrying out the program, the 
     Secretary shall coordinate the development of 1 or more 
     exascale computing machines across all applicable agencies of 
     the Department.
       ``(3) Codesign.--The Secretary shall carry out the program 
     through an integration of application, computer science, and 
     computer hardware architecture using public-private 
     partnerships to ensure that, to the maximum extent 
     practicable, 1 or more exascale computing machines are 
     capable of solving Department target applications and 
     scientific problems.
       ``(4) Merit review.--The development of 1 or more exascale 
     computing machines shall be conducted through a merit review 
     process.
       ``(5) Annual reports.--At the time of the budget submission 
     of the Department for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     submit to Congress a report that describes funding for the 
     exascale computing program as a whole by functional element 
     of the Department and critical milestones.''.

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       Section 4 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
     Act of 2012 (15 U.S.C. 5543) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``this Act'' and inserting ``section 
     3(d)''; and

[[Page S5735]]

       (2) by striking paragraphs (1) through (3) and inserting 
     the following:
       ``(1) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
       ``(2) $220,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
       ``(3) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
                                 ______