[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 51 (Tuesday, April 16, 2013)]
[House]
[Pages H2048-H2053]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




ADVANCING AMERICA'S NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
                        DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2013

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the bill (H.R. 967) to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 
to authorize activities for support of networking and information 
technology research, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

[[Page H2049]]

                                H.R. 967

       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 ``Advancing America's 
     Networking and Information Technology Research and 
     Development Act of 2013''.

     SEC. 2. PROGRAM PLANNING AND COORDINATION.

       (a) Periodic Reviews.--Section 101 of the High-Performance 
     Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Periodic Reviews.--The agencies identified in 
     subsection (a)(3)(B) shall--
       ``(1) periodically assess the contents and funding levels 
     of the Program Component Areas and restructure the Program 
     when warranted, taking into consideration any relevant 
     recommendations of the advisory committee established under 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(2) ensure that the Program includes large-scale, long-
     term, interdisciplinary research and development activities, 
     including activities described in section 104.''.
       (b) Development of Strategic Plan.--Section 101 of such Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by adding after 
     subsection (d), as added by subsection (a) of this Act, the 
     following new subsection:
       ``(e) Strategic Plan.--
       ``(1) In general.--The agencies identified in subsection 
     (a)(3)(B), working through the National Science and 
     Technology Council and with the assistance of the National 
     Coordination Office described under section 102, shall 
     develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the 
     Advancing America's Networking and Information Technology 
     Research and Development Act of 2013, and update every 3 
     years thereafter, a 5-year strategic plan to guide the 
     activities described under subsection (a)(1).
       ``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan shall specify near-term 
     and long-term objectives for the Program, the anticipated 
     time frame for achieving the near-term objectives, the 
     metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the 
     objectives, and how the Program will--
       ``(A) foster the transfer of research and development 
     results into new technologies and applications for the 
     benefit of society, including through cooperation and 
     collaborations with networking and information technology 
     research, development, and technology transition initiatives 
     supported by the States;
       ``(B) encourage and support mechanisms for 
     interdisciplinary research and development in networking and 
     information technology, including through collaborations 
     across agencies, across Program Component Areas, with 
     industry, with Federal laboratories (as defined in section 4 
     of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 
     U.S.C. 3703)), and with international organizations;
       ``(C) address long-term challenges of national importance 
     for which solutions require large-scale, long-term, 
     interdisciplinary research and development;
       ``(D) place emphasis on innovative and high-risk projects 
     having the potential for substantial societal returns on the 
     research investment;
       ``(E) strengthen all levels of networking and information 
     technology education and training programs to ensure an 
     adequate, well-trained workforce; and
       ``(F) attract more women and underrepresented minorities to 
     pursue postsecondary degrees in networking and information 
     technology.
       ``(3) National research infrastructure.--The strategic plan 
     developed in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be 
     accompanied by milestones and roadmaps for establishing and 
     maintaining the national research infrastructure required to 
     support the Program, including the roadmap required by 
     subsection (a)(2)(E).
       ``(4) Recommendations.--The entities involved in developing 
     the strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall take into 
     consideration the recommendations--
       ``(A) of the advisory committee established under 
     subsection (b); and
       ``(B) of the stakeholders whose input was solicited by the 
     National Coordination Office, as required under section 
     102(b)(3).
       ``(5) Report to congress.--The Director of the National 
     Coordination Office shall transmit the strategic plan 
     required under paragraph (1) to the advisory committee, the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
     of the House of Representatives.''.
       (c) Additional Responsibilities of Director.--Section 
     101(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (A) by inserting ``education,'' before 
     ``and other activities'';
       (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as 
     subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
     subparagraph:
       ``(E) encourage and monitor the efforts of the agencies 
     participating in the Program to allocate the level of 
     resources and management attention necessary to ensure that 
     the strategic plan under subsection (e) is developed and 
     executed effectively and that the objectives of the Program 
     are met;''.
       (d) Advisory Committee.--Section 101(b)(1) of such Act (15 
     U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)) is amended--
       (1) after the first sentence, by inserting the following: 
     ``The co-chairs of the advisory committee shall meet the 
     qualifications of committee membership and may be members of 
     the President's Council of Advisors on Science and 
     Technology.''; and
       (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``high-performance'' 
     and inserting ``high-end''.
       (e) Report.--Section 101(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5511(a)(3)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (B)--
       (A) by redesignating clauses (vii) through (xi) as clauses 
     (viii) through (xii), respectively; and
       (B) by inserting after clause (vi) the following:
       ``(vii) the Department of Homeland Security;'';
       (2) in subparagraph (C)--
       (A) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is 
     submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
       (B) by striking ``each Program Component Area;'' and 
     inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area 
     supported in accordance with section 104;'';
       (3) in subparagraph (D)--
       (A) by striking ``each Program Component Area,'' and 
     inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area 
     supported in accordance with section 104,'';
       (B) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is 
     submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
       (C) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
       (4) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G); 
     and
       (5) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new 
     subparagraphs:
       ``(E) include a description of how the objectives for each 
     Program Component Area, and the objectives for activities 
     that involve multiple Program Component Areas, relate to the 
     objectives of the Program identified in the strategic plan 
     required under subsection (e);
       ``(F) include--
       ``(i) a description of the funding required by the National 
     Coordination Office to perform the functions specified under 
     section 102(b) for the next fiscal year by category of 
     activity;
       ``(ii) a description of the funding required by such Office 
     to perform the functions specified under section 102(b) for 
     the current fiscal year by category of activity; and
       ``(iii) the amount of funding provided for such Office for 
     the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the 
     Program; and''.
       (f) Definition.--Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5503) is 
     amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
       (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, 
     the following new paragraph:
       ``(1) `cyber-physical systems' means physical or engineered 
     systems whose networking and information technology functions 
     and physical elements are deeply integrated and are actively 
     connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators, 
     or other means to perform monitoring and control 
     functions;'';
       (3) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology'';
       (4) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated--
       (A) by striking ``high-performance computing'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
       (B) by striking ``supercomputer'' and inserting ``high-end 
     computing'';
       (5) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``network referred to as'' and all that follows through the 
     semicolon and inserting ``network, including advanced 
     computer networks of Federal agencies and departments;''; and
       (6) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking 
     ``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology research and 
     development program''.

     SEC. 3. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

       Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding 
     at the end the following new section:

     ``SEC. 104. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL 
                   IMPORTANCE.

       ``(a) In General.--The Program shall encourage agencies 
     identified in section 101(a)(3)(B) to support large-scale, 
     long-term, interdisciplinary research and development 
     activities in networking and information technology directed 
     toward application areas that have the potential for 
     significant contributions to national economic 
     competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits. 
     Such activities, ranging from basic research to the 
     demonstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to 
     advance the development of research discoveries. The advisory 
     committee established under section 101(b) shall make 
     recommendations to the Program for candidate research and 
     development areas for support under this section.
       ``(b) Characteristics.--
       ``(1) In general.--Research and development activities 
     under this section shall--
       ``(A) include projects selected on the basis of 
     applications for support through a competitive, merit-based 
     process;
       ``(B) involve collaborations among researchers in 
     institutions of higher education and industry, and may 
     involve nonprofit research institutions and Federal 
     laboratories, as appropriate;
       ``(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through 
     collaboration with related State initiatives; and
       ``(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research 
     discoveries and the results of technology demonstration 
     activities, including from institutions of higher education 
     and Federal laboratories, to industry for commercial 
     development.
       ``(2) Cost-sharing.--In selecting applications for support, 
     the agencies shall give special consideration to projects 
     that include cost sharing from non-Federal sources.
       ``(3) Agency collaboration.--If 2 or more agencies 
     identified in section 101(a)(3)(B), or other appropriate 
     agencies, are working on large-scale research and development 
     activities in the same area of national importance, then

[[Page H2050]]

     such agencies shall strive to collaborate through joint 
     solicitation and selection of applications for support and 
     subsequent funding of projects.
       ``(4) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and 
     development activities under this section may be supported 
     through interdisciplinary research centers that are organized 
     to investigate basic research questions and carry out 
     technology demonstration activities in areas described in 
     subsection (a). Research may be carried out through existing 
     interdisciplinary centers, including those authorized under 
     section 7024(b)(2) of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 
     110-69; 42 U.S.C. 1862o-10).''.

     SEC. 4. CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS.

       (a) Additional Program Characteristics.--Section 101(a)(1) 
     of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon;
       (2) in subparagraph (I)--
       (A) by striking ``improving the security'' and inserting 
     ``improving the security, reliability, and resilience''; and
       (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting a 
     semicolon; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
       ``(J) provide for increased understanding of the scientific 
     principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods 
     available for the design, development, and operation of 
     cyber-physical systems that are characterized by high 
     reliability, safety, and security; and
       ``(K) provide for research and development on human-
     computer interactions, visualization, and big data.''.
       (b) Workshop.--Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is 
     amended further by adding after section 104, as added by 
     section 3 of this Act, the following new section:

     ``SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY/INDUSTRY WORKSHOP.

       ``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
     of enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, 
     the Director of the National Coordination Office shall 
     convene a workshop, with participants from institutions of 
     higher education, Federal laboratories, and industry, to 
     explore mechanisms for carrying out collaborative research 
     and development activities for cyber-physical systems, 
     including the related technologies required to enable these 
     systems, and to develop grand challenges in cyber-physical 
     systems research and development.
       ``(b) Functions.--The workshop participants shall--
       ``(1) develop options for models for research and 
     development partnerships among institutions of higher 
     education, Federal laboratories, and industry, including 
     mechanisms for the support of research and development 
     carried out under these partnerships;
       ``(2) develop options for grand challenges in cyber-
     physical systems research and development that would be 
     addressed through such partnerships;
       ``(3) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual 
     property rights and for the transfer of research results to 
     the private sector; and
       ``(4) make recommendations for how Federal agencies 
     participating in the Program can help support research and 
     development partnerships in cyber-physical systems, including 
     through existing or new grant programs.
       ``(c) Participants.--The Director of the National 
     Coordination Office shall ensure that participants in the 
     workshop are individuals with knowledge and expertise in 
     cyber-physical systems and that participants represent a 
     broad mix of relevant stakeholders, including academic and 
     industry researchers, cyber-physical systems and technologies 
     manufacturers, cyber-physical systems and technologies users, 
     and, as appropriate, Federal government regulators.
       ``(d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, 
     the Director of the National Coordination Office shall 
     transmit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science, 
     Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives a 
     report describing the findings and recommendations resulting 
     from the workshop required under this section.''.

     SEC. 5. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH.

       Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by 
     adding after section 105, as added by section 4(b) of this 
     Act, the following new section:

     ``SEC. 106. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES FOR RESEARCH.

       ``(a) Interagency Working Group.--Not later than 180 days 
     after the date of enactment of the Advancing America's 
     Networking and Information Technology Research and 
     Development Act of 2013, the Director of the National 
     Coordination Office, working through the National Science and 
     Technology Council, shall convene an interagency working 
     group to examine--
       ``(1) the research and development needed--
       ``(A) to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of cloud 
     computing environments;
       ``(B) to increase the trustworthiness of cloud applications 
     and infrastructure; and
       ``(C) to enhance the foundations of cloud architectures, 
     programming models, and interoperability; and
       ``(2) how Federal science agencies can facilitate the use 
     of cloud computing for federally funded science and 
     engineering research, including--
       ``(A) making recommendations on changes in funding 
     mechanisms, budget models, and policies needed to remove 
     barriers to the adoption of cloud computing services for 
     research and for data preservation and sharing; and
       ``(B) providing guidance to organizations and researchers 
     on opportunities and guidelines for using cloud computing 
     services for federally supported research and related 
     activities.
       ``(b) Consultation.--In carrying out the tasks in 
     paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), the working group 
     shall consult with academia, industry, Federal laboratories, 
     and other relevant organizations and institutions, as 
     appropriate.
       ``(c) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of the Advancing America's Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013, 
     the Director of the National Coordination Office shall 
     transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
     of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report 
     describing the findings and any recommendations of the 
     working group.
       ``(d) Termination.--The interagency working group shall 
     terminate upon transmittal of the report required under 
     subsection (c).''.

     SEC. 6. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.

       Section 102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended to read 
     as follows:

     ``SEC. 102. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.

       ``(a) Office.--The Director shall continue a National 
     Coordination Office with a Director and full-time staff.
       ``(b) Functions.--The National Coordination Office shall--
       ``(1) provide technical and administrative support to--
       ``(A) the agencies participating in planning and 
     implementing the Program, including such support as needed in 
     the development of the strategic plan under section 101(e); 
     and
       ``(B) the advisory committee established under section 
     101(b);
       ``(2) serve as the primary point of contact on Federal 
     networking and information technology activities for 
     government organizations, academia, industry, professional 
     societies, State computing and networking technology 
     programs, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange 
     technical and programmatic information;
       ``(3) solicit input and recommendations from a wide range 
     of stakeholders during the development of each strategic plan 
     required under section 101(e) through the convening of at 
     least 1 workshop with invitees from academia, industry, 
     Federal laboratories, and other relevant organizations and 
     institutions;
       ``(4) conduct public outreach, including the dissemination 
     of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee, as 
     appropriate; and
       ``(5) promote access to and early application of the 
     technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Program 
     activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal 
     Government and to United States industry.
       ``(c) Source of Funding.--
       ``(1) In general.--The operation of the National 
     Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each 
     agency participating in the Program.
       ``(2) Specifications.--The portion of the total budget of 
     such Office that is provided by each agency for each fiscal 
     year shall be in the same proportion as each such agency's 
     share of the total budget for the Program for the previous 
     fiscal year, as specified in the report required under 
     section 101(a)(3).''.

     SEC. 7. IMPROVING NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
                   EDUCATION.

       Section 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as 
     paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(2) the National Science Foundation shall use its 
     existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as 
     appropriate, to improve the teaching and learning of 
     networking and information technology at all levels of 
     education and to increase participation in networking and 
     information technology fields, including by women and 
     underrepresented minorities;''.

     SEC. 8. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Section 3.--Section 3 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5502) is 
     amended--
       (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking 
     ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND 
     INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY'';
       (2) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology'';
       (B) in subparagraphs (A), (F), and (G), by striking ``high-
     performance computing'' each place it appears and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology''; and
       (C) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``high-performance'' 
     and inserting ``high-end''; and
       (3) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``high-performance computing and'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology and''; and
       (B) by striking ``high-performance computing network'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''.
       (b) Title I.--The heading of title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5511) is amended by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING'' 
     and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY''.
       (c) Section 101.--Section 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE 
     COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION 
     TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT'';

[[Page H2051]]

       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``National High-
     Performance Computing'' and inserting ``Networking and 
     Information Technology Research and Development'';
       (B) in paragraph (1) of such subsection--
       (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking 
     ``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting 
     ``networking and information technology research and 
     development program'';
       (ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing, including networking'' and inserting ``networking 
     and information technology'';
       (iii) in subparagraphs (B) and (G), by striking ``high-
     performance'' each place it appears and inserting ``high-
     end''; and
       (iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing and networking'' and inserting ``high-end 
     computing, distributed, and networking''; and
       (C) in paragraph (2) of such subsection--
       (i) in subparagraphs (A) and (C)--

       (I) by striking ``high-performance computing'' each place 
     it appears and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''; and
       (II) by striking ``development, networking,'' each place it 
     appears and inserting ``development,''; and

       (ii) in subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by 
     section 2(c)(1) of this Act, by striking ``high-performance'' 
     each place it appears and inserting ``high-end'';
       (3) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by striking ``high-performance computing'' both places 
     it appears and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), in the second sentence, by striking 
     ``2'' and inserting ``3''; and
       (4) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (d) Section 201.--Section 201(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5521(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and all that follows through ``networking;'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information research and 
     development;''.
       (e) Section 202.--Section 202(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5522(a)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (f) Section 203.--Section 203(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5523(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing and networking'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information technology''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``high-performance'' 
     and inserting ``high-end''.
       (g) Section 204.--Section 204 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5524) 
     is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing systems and networks'' and inserting ``networking 
     and information technology systems and capabilities'';
       (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``interoperability of 
     high-performance computing systems in networks and for common 
     user interfaces to systems'' and inserting ``interoperability 
     and usability of networking and information technology 
     systems''; and
       (C) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''; and
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``High-Performance 
     Computing and Network'' and inserting ``Networking and 
     Information Technology''; and
       (B) by striking ``sensitive''.
       (h) Section 205.--Section 205(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5525(a)) is amended by striking ``computational'' and 
     inserting ``networking and information technology''.
       (i) Section 206.--Section 206(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5526(a)) is amended by striking ``computational research'' 
     and inserting ``networking and information technology 
     research''.
       (j) Section 207.--Section 207(b) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
     5527(b)) is amended by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technology''.
       (k) Section 208.--Section 208 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5528) 
     is amended--
       (1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE 
     COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION 
     TECHNOLOGY''; and
       (2) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``High-performance 
     computing and associated'' and inserting ``Networking and 
     information'';
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing'' and inserting ``networking and information 
     technologies'';
       (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``high-performance'' and 
     inserting ``high-end'';
       (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``high-performance 
     computers and associated'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information''; and
       (E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``high-performance 
     computing and associated'' and inserting ``networking and 
     information''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice 
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 967, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis) for 
her work on this bill. And I'm pleased to join the Science Committee's 
ranking member, Ms. Johnson, as a cosponsor of H.R. 967, the Advancing 
America's Networking and Information Technology Research and 
Development Act of 2013. This bill had broad bipartisan support in the 
last Congress, and I hope it will receive that same level of support 
today.
  In the digital age, protecting our Nation's computer networking 
systems is more important than ever. This bill provides the coordinated 
research and development efforts necessary to improve cyber and data 
security nationwide. And better network security promotes U.S. 
competitiveness, enhances national security, and creates high-tech 
jobs.
  The NITRD program is an extension of the High-Performance Computing 
Act of 1991. It represents the Federal Government's main R&D investment 
portfolio for unclassified networking, computing, software, 
cybersecurity, and related information technologies. Currently, 15 
Federal agencies are contributing members of NITRD, with an additional 
20 or so participating in the program.
  This bill serves as the mechanism for interagency coordination of R&D 
to ensure no duplication of research efforts among Federal agencies or 
the private sector. It rebalances R&D portfolios to focus less on 
short-term goals and more on large-scale, long-term interdisciplinary 
research.
  While this bill does not authorize specific funding amounts, NITRD 
spending totals over $3.7 billion annually. Over $1.1 billion of this 
is from the National Science Foundation and over $550 million is from 
the Department of Energy. The bill updates the underlying High-
Performance Computing statute and codifies work undertaken by the 
National Coordination Office, housed within NSF, to oversee the 15 
different agencies.
  The NITRD program has eight strategic priorities for its research: 
cybersecurity; autonomous, robotic systems; high-end computing and 
applications; exascale computing; human-computer interaction; large-
scale networking, workforce development; and software design and 
productivity.
  Technologies that come from these research priorities are applied by 
the commercial sector and the government to protect and enhance 
emergency communications, the power grid, air traffic control networks, 
and national defense systems. Networking and information technology 
support and boost American competitiveness, enhance national security, 
and help strengthen the economy.
  American job creators also recognize the importance of networking and 
information technology research and development. Many industry partners 
and stakeholders have written letters in support of this bill. They 
include the National Association of Manufacturers, TechAmerica, 
Computing Research Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronic 
Engineers-USA, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, and the 
U.S. Public Policy Council of the Association for Computing Machinery.
  Cybersecurity provisions in the bill include research necessary to 
detect, prevent, and recover from actions that can compromise or 
threaten computer-based systems.
  I again thank my Science Committee colleague, Representative Lummis, 
the chairwoman of the Energy Subcommittee, for her initiative on this 
issue. I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of H.R. 967, the Advancing America's Networking and 
Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2013. H.R. 967 
is a good, bipartisan bill which I was pleased to join Mrs. Lummis from 
Wyoming and Mr. Hall from Texas in introducing.

[[Page H2052]]

  H.R. 967 is largely based on a 2009 House-passed bill that was 
introduced by then-Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall. But the 
current bill also includes some updates from the 2009 bill that reflect 
changes to the network and information technology landscape as well as 
policy and management recommendations made by an outside panel of 
experts charged with evaluating the NITRD program.
  The NITRD program, as it is known, involves a collaboration of 15 
Federal research and development agencies, each contributing its own 
unique expertise and effort to ensure that we make most effective use 
of our Federal R&D resources and remain a leader in these fields. H.R. 
967 requires that all 15 agencies come together to develop and 
periodically update a strategic plan for Federal investments in NIT 
R&D.
  H.R. 967 calls for increased support for large-scale, long-term 
interdisciplinary research in NIT that will help us tackle national 
challenges such as improving the effectiveness and efficiency of our 
health care and energy delivery service systems. The bill also promotes 
partnerships between the Federal Government, academia, and industry to 
foster technology transfer.
  In particular, I'd like to highlight H.R. 967's role in ensuring that 
the education of the future NIT workforce remains an important 
component of the NITRD program. I am hearing every day from small and 
large companies alike that the demand for skilled IT professionals is 
much higher than the supply. We hear this same message from university 
faculty, who tell us their computer science graduates are snatched up 
the moment they graduate, regardless of the health of the overall job 
market. This gap between supply and demand exists despite the fact that 
these jobs are among the highest-paying and the most stable jobs in our 
economy today.
  It is imperative that we encourage more young Americans to pursue 
studies in the NIT fields. In particular, because of the stark gender 
and racial gaps we see in computer science programs, it is imperative 
that we encourage more young women and students of color to enter these 
fields. We simply won't be able to remain a global leader in these 
important fields without more than 50 percent of our Nation's 
brainpower sitting on the sidelines.
  H.R. 967 doesn't go quite as far as I'd like it to go in addressing 
these education challenges, but it still sends an important message 
about the need to educate more of our students in our NIT fields and 
provides the necessary authority for the agencies to play an important 
and appropriate role here.
  Finally, I would be remiss not to mention that the NITRD program 
serves as a coordinating and planning umbrella for all unclassified 
Federal cybersecurity R&D. Our committee addressed specific needs in 
cybersecurity R&D separately in H.R. 756; but in doing so, we made sure 
that both the intellectual and financial resources for cybersecurity 
R&D are appropriately integrated with the rest of the Federal NIT 
portfolio. Information security R&D should not take place in its own 
silo. IT bears on all networking and information technologies.

                              {time}  1330

  In closing, NIT technologies cut across every sector of our economy 
and our national defense infrastructure. Our relatively modest 20-year 
investment in the NITRD program has contributed immeasurably to our 
economic and national security by enabling innovation and job creation 
in NIT and providing American students with the skills to fill these 
jobs. Let's reauthorize this program today and ensure that it remains 
strong.
  I want to thank my friend Ms. Lummis for reintroducing our bipartisan 
bill once again in this Congress. I'd also like to thank my staff--and 
in particular Dahlia Sokolov--for their hard work on this bill.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 967, and I reserve the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), who is the sponsor of this legislation and 
who also chairs the Energy Subcommittee, the Science, Space, and 
Technology Committee.
  Mrs. LUMMIS. Mr. Speaker, I want to start out by thanking Chairman 
Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for their support in bringing this 
bipartisan legislation to the floor.
  I have found, since being on the Science Committee, that it is an 
acronym-rich environment. Mr. Speaker, I'm an acronym-challenged 
individual, so I'll be talking about the Network and Information 
Technology Research and Development program. In the future, I'm just 
going to call it ``the program.'' It's the Federal Government's main 
research and development effort in unclassified network, computing, 
software, cybersecurity, and related information technologies.
  Research conducted under this program has led to scientific growth 
and innovation in several areas, including visualization technologies 
in science, engineering, and medicine; computer-based education and 
training; and near-real-time weather forecasts, which is really 
important in my State of Wyoming.
  Currently, 15 Federal agencies are contributing members to the 
program, and even more participate.
  H.R. 967, the bill in front of us, does two things: it updates the 
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, and it reauthorizes the program 
to advance our Nation's networking and information technology research 
and development.
  It's the digital age, Mr. Speaker. Advances in networking and 
information technology continue to transform our quality of life, our 
economy, U.S. competitiveness, and our national security. This bill 
provides the coordination necessary for the United States to respond to 
rapid changes in these areas, it encourages innovation, and it protects 
our economy.
  My home State of Wyoming is best known for its stunning mountains and 
open spaces. But not long ago, Wyoming also became home to a 
supercomputing center. It houses one of the world's most powerful 
supercomputers. Mr. Speaker, it makes a mind-boggling number of 
computations every second. It's sponsored by the University Coalition 
on Atmospheric Research, which sponsors the National Center on 
Atmospheric Research, and so it's partially funded by the National 
Science Foundation, which is the taxpayers. So they help fund it. These 
computations enable world-leading research projects in areas including 
atmospheric and geosciences. So this bill facilities work in these 
fields, ranging from research being conducted at the supercomputing 
center to big data--and I mean big data--and cybersecurity as well.
  H.R. 967 implements several recommendations from the 2007 and 2010 
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology assessments 
to improve government coordination and planning with input from policy 
and technical experts. It adjusts research and development portfolios 
so we're focusing less on short-term goals and more on really long-term 
goals.
  Now, specific to cybersecurity, the program includes research and 
development to detect, prevent, and recover from actions that 
compromise or threaten computer and network-based systems. Now, you 
heard from Congressman McCaul just moments ago some of the specific 
examples of the real threats that are directed at computer networks. So 
reauthorizing this program is an important step.
  I thank the chairman, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to 
the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding and 
for her work on this legislation. I'd also like to thank Chairman Smith 
and Chairwoman Lummis for all their work on this bill.
  It's been nearly 4 years since we last reauthorized and updated the 
NITRD program, and it's time we get this job done. The House, again, on 
this bill has passed legislation since that time, but we need to get 
this done today here and get this through the Senate and to the 
President's desk.
  The NITRD program evolved from the High Performance Computing Act of 
1991, which funded the development of Mosaic--the first commercial Web 
browser which made the Internet user friendly and led to its explosion 
in the 1990s. This innovation was created by a team of programmers at 
the National

[[Page H2053]]

Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois.
  As a brief aside, I was just at the NCSA in Urbana-Champaign at the 
University of Illinois for the launch of the Blue Waters supercomputer, 
one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, which is also 
there at the University of Illinois. But Marc Andreessen, one of the 
lead programmers on the original project that created Mosaic and the 
founder of Netscape, summed up the importance of Federal investment in 
this research by saying:

       If it had been left to private industry, it wouldn't have 
     happened, at least, not until years later.

  Innovative breakthroughs like the Mosaic Web browser changed our 
everyday lives and established the United States as the world leader in 
networking and information technologies, and the Federal Government 
played an important role in that. But today we find ourselves in a 
world in which we can no longer take U.S. supremacy for granted. As we 
heard during committee consideration of the bill, China, Japan, 
Germany, and several other countries are increasing their investments 
in NIT R&D as well as their capacity to convert R&D into new commercial 
technologies. We must prioritize cutting-edge, large-scale R&D and 
effective technology transfer policies, focused on the most advanced 
areas of network and information technology, in order to preserve our 
lead in these sectors.
  H.R. 967, the Advancing America's Network and Information Technology 
Research and Development Act, achieves these ends through the 
development of a coordinated Federal R&D investment strategy. This bill 
requires Federal agencies involved in the R&D program to develop 5-year 
plans specifying near- and long-term objectives and to assess and 
evaluate progress periodically to ensure we maintain U.S. leadership in 
these fields.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation will focus our scientific community 
towards the innovative, large-scale, and collaborative R&D we need to 
remain a leader in networking and information technologies. This is a 
good, bipartisan bill, and I urge my colleagues to support it.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am very supportive 
of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. 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 Texas (Mr. Smith) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 967, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________