[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 13 (Tuesday, January 24, 2017)]
[House]
[Pages H646-H657]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH AND INNOVATION ACT
=========================== NOTE ===========================
January 24, 2017 on Page H646 the following appeared:
proceedings on this question will be postponed. ------------------
------ DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
The online version has been corrected to read: proceedings on
this question will be postponed. ------------------------
ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE The SPEAKER pro tempore.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, the Chair will postpone further
proceedings today on motions to suspend the rules on which a
recorded vote or the yeas and nays are ordered, or on which the
vote incurs objectionunder clause 6 of rule XX. Record votes on
postponed questions will be taken later. ------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
========================= END NOTE =========================
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 589) to establish Department of Energy policy for
science and energy research and development programs, and reform
National Laboratory management and technology transfer programs, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 589
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Department
of Energy Research and Innovation Act''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents of this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
TITLE I--LABORATORY MODERNIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. Inclusion of early stage technology demonstration in
authorized technology transfer activities.
Sec. 103. Sense of Congress on accelerating energy innovation.
Sec. 104. Restoration of laboratory directed research and development
program.
Sec. 105. Research grants database.
Sec. 106. Technology transfer and transitions assessment.
Sec. 107. Agreements for commercializing technology pilot program.
Sec. 108. Short-term cost-share pilot program.
TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH COORDINATION
Sec. 201. Short title.
[[Page H647]]
Sec. 202. Protection of information.
Sec. 203. Crosscutting research and development.
Sec. 204. Strategic research portfolio analysis and coordination plan.
Sec. 205. Strategy for facilities and infrastructure.
Sec. 206. Energy Innovation Hubs.
TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE POLICY
Sec. 301. Short title.
Sec. 302. Mission.
Sec. 303. Basic energy sciences.
Sec. 304. Advanced scientific computing research.
Sec. 305. High-energy physics.
Sec. 306. Biological and environmental research.
Sec. 307. Fusion energy.
Sec. 308. Nuclear physics.
Sec. 309. Science laboratories infrastructure program.
TITLE IV--NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION CAPABILITIES
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Nuclear energy innovation capabilities.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Science of the Department, except as otherwise
indicated.
(3) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory''
has the meaning given that term in section 2 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
TITLE I--LABORATORY MODERNIZATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Laboratory Modernization
and Technology Transfer Act''.
SEC. 102. INCLUSION OF EARLY STAGE TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION
IN AUTHORIZED TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ACTIVITIES.
Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16391) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (h); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
``(g) Early Stage Technology Demonstration.--The Secretary
shall permit the directors of the National Laboratories to
use funds authorized to support technology transfer within
the Department to carry out early stage and precommercial
technology demonstration activities to remove technology
barriers that limit private sector interest and demonstrate
potential commercial applications of any research and
technologies arising from National Laboratory activities.''.
SEC. 103. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON ACCELERATING ENERGY
INNOVATION.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) although important progress has been made in cost
reduction and deployment of clean energy technologies,
accelerating clean energy innovation will help meet critical
competitiveness, energy security, and environmental goals;
(2) accelerating the pace of clean energy innovation in the
United States calls for--
(A) supporting existing research and development programs
at the Department and the world-class National Laboratories;
(B) exploring and developing new pathways for innovators,
investors, and decision-makers to leverage the resources of
the Department for addressing the challenges and comparative
strengths of geographic regions; and
(C) recognizing the financial constraints of the
Department, regularly reviewing clean energy programs to
ensure that taxpayer investments are maximized;
(3) the energy supply, demand, policies, markets, and
resource options of the United States vary by geographic
region;
(4) a regional approach to innovation can bridge the gaps
between local talent, institutions, and industries to
identify opportunities and convert United States investment
into domestic companies; and
(5) Congress, the Secretary, and energy industry
participants should advance efforts that promote
international, domestic, and regional cooperation on the
research and development of energy innovations that--
(A) provide clean, affordable, and reliable energy for
everyone;
(B) promote economic growth;
(C) are critical for energy security; and
(D) are sustainable without government support.
SEC. 104. RESTORATION OF LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the
Secretary shall ensure that laboratory operating contractors
do not allocate costs of general and administrative overhead
to laboratory directed research and development.
(b) Exception for National Security Laboratories.--This
section shall not apply to the national security laboratories
with respect to which section 3119 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328)
applies.
SEC. 105. RESEARCH GRANTS DATABASE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain
a public database, accessible on the website of the
Department, that contains a searchable listing of each
unclassified research and development project contract,
grant, cooperative agreement, task order for a federally
funded research and development center, or other transaction
administered by the Department.
(b) Requirements.--Each listing described in subsection (a)
shall include, at a minimum, for each listed project, the
Department office carrying out the project, the project name,
an abstract or summary of the project, funding levels,
project duration, contractor or grantee name (including the
names of any subcontractors), and expected objectives and
milestones.
(c) Relevant Literature and Patents.--The Secretary shall
provide information through the public database established
under subsection (a) on relevant literature and patents that
are associated with each research and development project
contract, grant, or cooperative agreement, or other
transaction, of the Department.
SEC. 106. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND TRANSITIONS ASSESSMENT.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, and as often as the Secretary determines to be necessary
thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit to the appropriate
committees of Congress a report that includes recommended
changes to the policy of the Department and legislative
changes to section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 16391) to improve the ability of the Department to
successfully transfer new energy technologies to the private
sector.
SEC. 107. AGREEMENTS FOR COMMERCIALIZING TECHNOLOGY PILOT
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out the
Agreements for Commercializing Technology pilot program of
the Department, as announced by the Secretary on December 8,
2011, in accordance with this section.
(b) Terms.--Each agreement entered into pursuant to the
pilot program referred to in subsection (a) shall provide to
the contractor of the applicable National Laboratory, to the
maximum extent determined to be appropriate by the Secretary,
increased authority to negotiate contract terms, such as
intellectual property rights, payment structures, performance
guarantees, and multiparty collaborations.
(c) Eligibility.--
(1) In general.--Any director of a National Laboratory may
enter into an agreement pursuant to the pilot program
referred to in subsection (a).
(2) Agreements with non-federal entities.--To carry out
paragraph (1) and subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary
shall permit the directors of the National Laboratories to
execute agreements with a non-Federal entity, including a
non-Federal entity already receiving Federal funding that
will be used to support activities under agreements executed
pursuant to paragraph (1), provided that such funding is
solely used to carry out the purposes of the Federal award.
(3) Restriction.--The requirements of chapter 18 of title
35, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Bayh-Dole
Act'') shall apply if--
(A) the agreement is a funding agreement (as that term is
defined in section 201 of that title); and
(B) at least one of the parties to the funding agreement is
eligible to receive rights under that chapter.
(d) Submission to Secretary.--Each affected director of a
National Laboratory shall submit to the Secretary, with
respect to each agreement entered into under this section--
(1) a summary of information relating to the relevant
project;
(2) the total estimated costs of the project;
(3) estimated commencement and completion dates of the
project; and
(4) other documentation determined to be appropriate by the
Secretary.
(e) Certification.--The Secretary shall require the
contractor of the affected National Laboratory to certify
that each activity carried out under a project for which an
agreement is entered into under this section--
(1) is not in direct competition with the private sector;
and
(2) does not present, or minimizes, any apparent conflict
of interest, and avoids or neutralizes any actual conflict of
interest, as a result of the agreement under this section.
(f) Extension.--The pilot program referred to in subsection
(a) shall be extended until September 30, 2019.
(g) Reports.--
(1) Overall assessment.--Not later than 60 days after the
date described in subsection (f), the Secretary, in
coordination with directors of the National Laboratories,
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report that--
(A) assesses the overall effectiveness of the pilot program
referred to in subsection (a);
(B) identifies opportunities to improve the effectiveness
of the pilot program;
(C) assesses the potential for program activities to
interfere with the responsibilities of the National
Laboratories to the Department; and
(D) provides a recommendation regarding the future of the
pilot program.
(2) Transparency.--The Secretary, in coordination with
directors of the National Laboratories, shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress an annual report that
accounts for all incidences of, and provides a justification
for, non-Federal entities using funds derived from a Federal
contract or award to carry out agreements pursuant to this
section.
[[Page H648]]
SEC. 108. SHORT-TERM COST-SHARE PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 988(b) of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352(b)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Except as provided in
paragraphs (2) and (3)'' and inserting ``Except as provided
in paragraphs (2), (3), and (4)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Exemption for institutions of higher education and
other nonprofit institutions.--
``(A) In general.--Paragraph (1) shall not apply to a
research or development activity performed by an institution
of higher education or nonprofit institution (as defined in
section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act
of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703)).
``(B) Termination date.--The exemption under subparagraph
(A) shall apply during the 2-year period beginning on the
date of enactment of this paragraph.''.
(b) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--As soon as practicable after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report that describes
the use of cost-sharing waivers by the Department under
section 988(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16352(b)) during the 2-year period ending on the date of
enactment of this Act.
(2) Annual reports.--Annually during the 2-year period
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a
report that describes the use of cost-sharing waivers by the
Department under section 988(b) of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352(b)) during the period covered by the
report.
TITLE II--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH COORDINATION
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Department of Energy
Research Coordination Act''.
SEC. 202. PROTECTION OF INFORMATION.
Section 5012 of the America Competes Act (42 U.S.C. 16538)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by striking ``subsection (n)(1)''
and inserting ``subsection (o)(1)'';
(2) by redesignating subsection (n) as subsection (o); and
(3) by inserting after subsection (m) the following:
``(n) Protection of Information.--The following types of
information collected by ARPA-E from recipients of financial
assistance awards shall be considered commercial and
financial information obtained from a person and privileged
or confidential and not subject to disclosure under section
552(b)(4) of title 5, United States Code:
``(1) Plans for commercialization of technologies developed
under the award, including business plans, technology-to-
market plans, market studies, and cost and performance
models.
``(2) Investments provided to an awardee from third parties
(such as venture capital firms, hedge funds, and private
equity firms), including amounts and the percentage of
ownership of the awardee provided in return for the
investments.
``(3) Additional financial support that the awardee--
``(A) plans to or has invested into the technology
developed under the award; or
``(B) is seeking from third parties.
``(4) Revenue from the licensing or sale of new products or
services resulting from research conducted under the
award.''.
SEC. 203. CROSSCUTTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall use the capabilities
of the Department to identify strategic opportunities for
collaborative research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application of innovative science and
technologies.
(b) Existing Programs; Coordination of Activities.--To the
maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall seek--
(1) to leverage existing programs of the Department; and
(2) to consolidate and coordinate activities throughout the
Department to promote collaboration and crosscutting
approaches within programs of the Department.
(c) Additional Actions.--The Secretary shall--
(1) prioritize activities that use all affordable domestic
resources;
(2) develop a planning, evaluation, and technical
assessment framework for setting objective long-term
strategic goals and evaluating progress that--
(A) ensures integrity and independence; and
(B) provides the flexibility to adapt to market dynamics;
(3) ensure that activities shall be undertaken in a manner
that does not duplicate other activities within the
Department or other Federal Government activities; and
(4) identify programs that may be more effectively left to
the States, industry, nongovernmental organizations,
institutions of higher education, or other stakeholders.
SEC. 204. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS AND
COORDINATION PLAN.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by striking
section 994 (42 U.S.C. 16358) and inserting the following:
``SEC. 994. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PORTFOLIO ANALYSIS AND
COORDINATION PLAN.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall periodically review
all of the science and technology activities of the
Department in a strategic framework that takes into account--
``(1) the frontiers of science to which the Department can
contribute;
``(2) the national needs relevant to the statutory missions
of the Department; and
``(3) global energy dynamics.
``(b) Coordination Analysis and Plan.--
``(1) In general.--As part of the review under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall develop a plan to improve
coordination and collaboration in research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application activities across
organizational boundaries of the Department.
``(2) Plan contents.--The plan developed under paragraph
(1) shall describe--
``(A) crosscutting scientific and technical issues and
research questions that span more than 1 program or major
office of the Department;
``(B) ways in which the applied technology programs of the
Department are coordinating activities and addressing the
questions referred to in subparagraph (A);
``(C) ways in which the technical interchange within the
Department, particularly between the Office of Science and
the applied technology programs, could be enhanced, including
ways in which the research agendas of the Office of Science
and the applied programs could better interact and assist
each other;
``(D) ways in which the Secretary would ensure that the
overall research agenda of the Department includes, in
addition to fundamental, curiosity-driven research,
fundamental research related to topics of concern to the
applied programs, and applications in Departmental technology
programs of research results generated by fundamental,
curiosity-driven research;
``(E) critical assessments of any ongoing programs that
have experienced subpar performance or cost overruns of 10
percent or more over 1 or more years;
``(F) any activities that may be more effectively left to
the States, industry, nongovernmental organizations,
institutions of higher education, or other stakeholders; and
``(G) detailed evaluations and proposals for innovation
hubs, institutes, and research centers of the Department,
including--
``(i) an affirmation that the hubs, institutes, and
research centers will--
``(I) advance the mission of the Department; and
``(II) prioritize research, development, and demonstration;
and
``(ii) an affirmation that any hubs, institutes, or
research centers that are established or renewed within the
Office of Science are consistent with the mission of the
Office of Science described in subsection (c) of section 209
of the Department of Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C.
7139).
``(c) Submission to Congress.--Every 4 years, the Secretary
shall submit to Congress--
``(1) the results of the review under subsection (a); and
``(2) the coordination plan under subsection (b).''.
SEC. 205. STRATEGY FOR FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Amendments.--Section 993 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16357) is amended--
(1) by striking the section heading and inserting the
following: ``strategy for facilities and infrastructure'';
and
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ``2008'' and
inserting ``2018''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by striking
the item relating to section 993 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 993. Strategy for facilities and infrastructure.''.
SEC. 206. ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Advanced energy technology.--The term ``advanced energy
technology'' means--
(A) an innovative technology--
(i) that produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal,
biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or other renewable energy
resources;
(ii) that produces nuclear energy;
(iii) for carbon capture and sequestration;
(iv) that enables advanced vehicles, vehicle components,
and related technologies that result in significant energy
savings;
(v) that generates, transmits, distributes, uses, or stores
energy more efficiently than conventional technologies,
including through Smart Grid technologies; or
(vi) that enhances the energy independence and security of
the United States by enabling improved or expanded supply and
production of domestic energy resources, including coal, oil,
and natural gas;
(B) a research, development, demonstration, or commercial
application activity necessary to ensure the long-term,
secure, and sustainable supply of an energy-critical element;
or
(C) any other innovative energy technology area identified
by the Secretary.
(2) Hub.--
(A) In general.--The term ``Hub'' means an Energy
Innovation Hub established under this section.
(B) Inclusion.--The term ``Hub'' includes any Energy
Innovation Hub in existence on the date of enactment of this
Act.
[[Page H649]]
(3) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity''
means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an appropriate State or Federal entity, including a
federally funded research and development center of the
Department;
(C) a nongovernmental organization with expertise in
advanced energy technology research, development,
demonstration, or commercial application; or
(D) any other relevant entity the Secretary determines
appropriate.
(b) Authorization of Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to
enhance the economic, environmental, and energy security of
the United States by making awards to consortia for
establishing and operating hubs, to be known as ``Energy
Innovation Hubs'', to conduct and support, at, if
practicable, 1 centralized location, multidisciplinary,
collaborative research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application of advanced energy technologies.
(2) Technology development focus.--The Secretary shall
designate for each Hub a unique advanced energy technology or
basic research focus.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure the
coordination of, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the
activities of each Hub with the activities of--
(A) other research entities of the Department, including
the National Laboratories, the Advanced Research Projects
Agency--Energy, and Energy Frontier Research Centers; and
(B) industry.
(c) Application Process.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive an award for
the establishment and operation of a Hub under subsection
(b)(1), a consortium shall--
(A) be composed of not fewer than 2 qualifying entities;
(B) operate subject to a binding agreement, entered into by
each member of the consortium, that documents--
(i) the proposed partnership agreement, including the
governance and management structure of the Hub;
(ii) measures the consortium will undertake to enable cost-
effective implementation of activities under the program
described in subsection (b)(1); and
(iii) a proposed budget, including financial contributions
from non-Federal sources; and
(C) operate as a nonprofit organization.
(2) Application.--
(A) In general.--A consortium seeking to establish and
operate a Hub under subsection (b)(1) shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require,
including a detailed description of each element of the
consortium agreement required under paragraph (1)(B).
(B) Requirement.--If the consortium members will not be
located at 1 centralized location, the application under
subparagraph (A) shall include a communications plan that
ensures close coordination and integration of Hub activities.
(3) Selection.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary shall select consortia for
awards for the establishment and operation of Hubs through a
competitive selection process.
(B) Considerations.--In selecting consortia under
subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall consider--
(i) the information disclosed by the consortium under this
subsection; and
(ii) any existing facilities a consortium will provide for
Hub activities.
(d) Term.--
(1) In general.--An award made to a Hub under this section
shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, subject to
the availability of appropriations, after which the award may
be renewed, subject to a rigorous merit review.
(2) Existing hubs.--A Hub already in existence on, or
undergoing a renewal process on, the date of enactment of
this Act--
(A) may continue to receive support during the 5-year
period beginning on the date of establishment of that Hub;
and
(B) shall be eligible for renewal of that support at the
end of that 5-year period.
(e) Hub Operations.--
(1) In general.--Each Hub shall conduct or provide for
multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy
technologies within the technology development focus
designated under subsection (b)(2).
(2) Activities.--Each Hub shall--
(A) encourage collaboration and communication among the
member qualifying entities of the consortium and awardees;
(B) develop and publish proposed plans and programs on a
publicly accessible website;
(C) submit an annual report to the Department summarizing
the activities of the Hub, including--
(i) detailing organizational expenditures; and
(ii) describing each project undertaken by the Hub; and
(D) monitor project implementation and coordination.
(3) Conflicts of interest.--Each Hub shall maintain
conflict of interest procedures, consistent with the conflict
of interest procedures of the Department.
(4) Prohibition on construction.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B)--
(i) no funds provided under this section may be used for
construction of new buildings or facilities for Hubs; and
(ii) construction of new buildings or facilities shall not
be considered as part of the non-Federal share of a Hub cost-
sharing agreement.
(B) Test bed and renovation exception.--Nothing in this
paragraph prohibits the use of funds provided under this
section or non-Federal cost share funds for the construction
of a test bed or renovations to existing buildings or
facilities for the purposes of research if the Secretary
determines that the test bed or renovations are limited to a
scope and scale necessary for the research to be conducted.
TITLE III--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF SCIENCE POLICY
SEC. 301. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Department of Energy
Office of Science Policy Act''.
SEC. 302. MISSION.
Section 209 of the Department of Energy Organization Act
(42 U.S.C. 7139) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(c) Mission.--The mission of the Office of Science shall
be the delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and
major scientific tools to transform the understanding of
nature and to advance the energy, economic, and national
security of the United States.''.
SEC. 303. BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES.
(a) Energy Frontier Research Centers.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program to
provide awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to
multi-institutional collaborations or other appropriate
entities to conduct fundamental and use-inspired energy
research to accelerate scientific breakthroughs.
(2) Collaborations.--A collaboration receiving an award
under this subsection may include multiple types of
institutions and private sector entities.
(3) Selection and duration.--
(A) In general.--A collaboration under this subsection
shall be selected for a period of 4 years.
(B) Existing centers.--An Energy Frontier Research Center
in existence and supported by the Director on the date of
enactment of this Act may continue to receive support for a
period of 4 years beginning on the date of establishment of
that center.
(C) Reapplication.--After the end of the period described
in subparagraph (A) or (B), as applicable, a recipient of an
award may reapply for selection on a competitive, merit-
reviewed basis.
(D) Termination.--Consistent with the existing authorities
of the Department, the Director may terminate an
underperforming center for cause during the performance
period.
(4) No funding for construction.--No funding provided
pursuant to this subsection may be used for the construction
of new buildings or facilities.
(b) Basic Energy Sciences User Facilities.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program for
the development, construction, operation, and maintenance of
national user facilities.
(2) Requirements.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
national user facilities developed, constructed, operated, or
maintained under paragraph (1) shall serve the needs of the
Department, industry, the academic community, and other
relevant entities to create and examine materials and
chemical processes for the purpose of improving the
competitiveness of the United States.
(3) Included facilities.--The national user facilities
developed, constructed, operated, or maintained under
paragraph (1) shall include--
(A) x-ray light sources;
(B) neutron sources;
(C) nanoscale science research centers; and
(D) such other facilities as the Director considers
appropriate, consistent with section 209 of the Department of
Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7139).
(c) Accelerator Research and Development.--The Director
shall carry out research and development on advanced
accelerator and storage ring technologies relevant to the
development of basic energy sciences user facilities, in
consultation with the High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics
programs of the Office of Science.
(d) Solar Fuels Research Initiative.--
(1) In general.--Section 973 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16313) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 973. SOLAR FUELS RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
``(a) Initiative.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a research
initiative, to be known as the `Solar Fuels Research
Initiative' (referred to in this section as the `Initiative')
to expand theoretical and fundamental knowledge of
photochemistry, electrochemistry, biochemistry, and materials
science useful for the practical development of experimental
systems to convert solar energy to chemical energy.
``(2) Leveraging.--In carrying out programs and activities
under the Initiative, the Secretary shall leverage expertise
and resources from--
``(A) the Basic Energy Sciences Program and the Biological
and Environmental Research Program of the Office of Science;
and
``(B) the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
``(3) Teams.--
[[Page H650]]
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the Initiative, the
Secretary shall organize activities among multidisciplinary
teams to leverage, to the maximum extent practicable,
expertise from the National Laboratories, institutions of
higher education, and the private sector.
``(B) Goals.--The multidisciplinary teams described in
subparagraph (A) shall pursue aggressive, milestone-driven,
basic research goals.
``(C) Resources.--The Secretary shall provide sufficient
resources to the multidisciplinary teams described in
subparagraph (A) to achieve the goals described in
subparagraph (B) over a period of time to be determined by
the Secretary.
``(4) Additional activities.--The Secretary may organize
additional activities under this subsection through Energy
Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other
organizational structures.
``(b) Artificial Photosynthesis.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out under the
Initiative a program to support research needed to bridge
scientific barriers to, and discover knowledge relevant to,
artificial photosynthetic systems.
``(2) Activities.--As part of the program described in
paragraph (1)--
``(A) the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
shall support basic research to pursue distinct lines of
scientific inquiry, including--
``(i) photoinduced production of hydrogen and oxygen from
water; and
``(ii) the sustainable photoinduced reduction of carbon
dioxide to fuel products including hydrocarbons, alcohols,
carbon monoxide, and natural gas; and
``(B) the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy shall support translational research,
development, and validation of physical concepts developed
under the program.
``(3) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review
activities carried out under the program described in
paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical
milestones.
``(4) Prohibition.--No funds allocated to the program
described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for
commercial application of energy technology.
``(c) Biochemistry, Replication of Natural Photosynthesis,
and Related Processes.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out under the
Initiative a program to support research needed to replicate
natural photosynthetic processes by use of artificial
photosynthetic components and materials.
``(2) Activities.--As part of the program described in
paragraph (1)--
``(A) the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
shall support basic research to expand fundamental knowledge
to replicate natural synthesis processes, including--
``(i) the photoinduced reduction of dinitrogen to ammonia;
``(ii) the absorption of carbon dioxide from ambient air;
``(iii) molecular-based charge separation and storage;
``(iv) photoinitiated electron transfer; and
``(v) catalysis in biological or biomimetic systems;
``(B) the Associate Director of Biological and
Environmental Research shall support systems biology and
genomics approaches to understand genetic and physiological
pathways connected to photosynthetic mechanisms; and
``(C) the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy shall support translational research,
development, and validation of physical concepts developed
under the program.
``(3) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review
activities carried out under the program described in
paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical
milestones.
``(4) Prohibition.--No funds allocated to the program
described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for
commercial application of energy technology.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of contents for the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by striking the item
relating to section 973 and inserting the following:
``Sec. 973. Solar fuels research initiative.''.
(e) Electricity Storage Research Initiative.--
(1) In general.--Section 975 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16315) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 975. ELECTRICITY STORAGE RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
``(a) Initiative.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out a research
initiative, to be known as the `Electricity Storage Research
Initiative' (referred to in this section as the
`Initiative')--
``(A) to expand theoretical and fundamental knowledge to
control, store, and convert--
``(i) electrical energy to chemical energy; and
``(ii) chemical energy to electrical energy; and
``(B) to support scientific inquiry into the practical
understanding of chemical and physical processes that occur
within systems involving crystalline and amorphous solids,
polymers, and organic and aqueous liquids.
``(2) Leveraging.--In carrying out programs and activities
under the Initiative, the Secretary shall leverage expertise
and resources from--
``(A) the Basic Energy Sciences Program, the Advanced
Scientific Computing Research Program, and the Biological and
Environmental Research Program of the Office of Science; and
``(B) the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
``(3) Teams.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the Initiative, the
Secretary shall organize activities among multidisciplinary
teams to leverage, to the maximum extent practicable,
expertise from the National Laboratories, institutions of
higher education, and the private sector.
``(B) Goals.--The multidisciplinary teams described in
subparagraph (A) shall pursue aggressive, milestone-driven,
basic research goals.
``(C) Resources.--The Secretary shall provide sufficient
resources to the multidisciplinary teams described in
subparagraph (A) to achieve the goals described in
subparagraph (B) over a period of time to be determined by
the Secretary.
``(4) Additional activities.--The Secretary may organize
additional activities under this subsection through Energy
Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, or other
organizational structures.
``(b) Multivalent Systems.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out under the
Initiative a program to support research needed to bridge
scientific barriers to, and discover knowledge relevant to,
multivalent ion materials in electric energy storage systems.
``(2) Activities.--As part of the program described in
paragraph (1)--
``(A) the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
shall investigate electrochemical properties and the dynamics
of materials, including charge transfer phenomena and mass
transport in materials; and
``(B) the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy shall support translational research,
development, and validation of physical concepts developed
under the program.
``(3) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review
activities carried out under the program described in
paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical
milestones.
``(4) Prohibition.--No funds allocated to the program
described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for
commercial application of energy technology.
``(c) Electrochemistry Modeling and Simulation.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out under the
Initiative a program to support research to model and
simulate organic electrolytes, including the static and
dynamic electrochemical behavior and phenomena of organic
electrolytes at the molecular and atomic level in monovalent
and multivalent systems.
``(2) Activities.--As part of the program described in
paragraph (1)--
``(A) the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences,
in coordination with the Associate Director of Advanced
Scientific Computing Research, shall support the development
of high performance computational tools through a joint
development process to maximize the effectiveness of current
and projected high performance computing systems; and
``(B) the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy shall support translational research,
development, and validation of physical concepts developed
under the program.
``(3) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review
activities carried out under the program described in
paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical
milestones.
``(4) Prohibition.--No funds allocated to the program
described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for
commercial application of energy technology.
``(d) Mesoscale Electrochemistry.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out under the
Initiative a program to support research needed to reveal
electrochemistry in confined mesoscale spaces, including
scientific discoveries relevant to--
``(A) bio-electrochemistry and electrochemical energy
conversion and storage in confined spaces; and
``(B) the dynamics of the phenomena described in
subparagraph (A).
``(2) Activities.--As part of the program described in
paragraph (1)--
``(A) the Director of the Office of Basic Energy Sciences
and the Associate Director of Biological and Environmental
Research shall investigate phenomena of mesoscale
electrochemical confinement for the purpose of replicating
and controlling new electrochemical behavior; and
``(B) the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy shall support translational research,
development, and validation of physical concepts developed
under the program.
``(3) Standard of review.--The Secretary shall review
activities carried out under the program described in
paragraph (1) to determine the achievement of technical
milestones.
``(4) Prohibition.--No funds allocated to the program
described in paragraph (1) may be obligated or expended for
commercial application of energy technology.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of contents for the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by striking the item
relating to section 975 and inserting the following:
[[Page H651]]
``Sec. 975. Electricity storage research initiative.''.
SEC. 304. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH.
(a) American Super Computing Leadership.--
(1) 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 ``American Super Computing Leadership Act of
2017''.
(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 ``American Super
Computing Leadership Act of 2017''.
(2) Definitions.--Section 2 of the American Super Computing
Leadership Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 5541) is amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (5) as
paragraphs (3) through (6), respectively;
(B) 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 operations per
second.''; and
(C) in paragraph (6) (as redesignated by subparagraph (A)),
by striking ``, acting through the Director of the Office of
Science of the Department of Energy''.
(3) Department of energy high-end computing research and
development program.--Section 3 of the American Super
Computing Leadership Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 5542) is
amended--
(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``program'' and
inserting ``coordinated program across the Department'';
(B) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``, which may'' and
all that follows through ``architectures''; and
(C) 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') for
exascale computing, including the development of 2 or more
exascale computing machine architectures, to promote the
missions of the Department.
``(2) Execution.--
``(A) In general.--In carrying out the Program, the
Secretary shall--
``(i) establish 2 or more National Laboratory partnerships
with industry partners and institutions of higher education
for the research and development of 2 or more exascale
computing architectures across all applicable organizations
of the Department;
``(ii) conduct mission-related codesign activities in
developing the exascale computing architectures under clause
(i);
``(iii) develop such advancements in hardware and software
technology as are required to fully realize the potential of
an exascale production system in addressing Department target
applications and solving scientific problems involving
predictive modeling and simulation and large scale data
analytics and management;
``(iv) explore the use of exascale computing technologies
to advance a broad range of science and engineering; and
``(v) provide, as appropriate, on a competitive, merit-
reviewed basis, access for researchers in industries in the
United States, institutions of higher education, National
Laboratories, and other Federal agencies to the exascale
computing systems developed pursuant to clause (i).
``(B) Selection of partners.--The Secretary shall select
the partnerships with the computing facilities of the
Department under subparagraph (A) through a competitive,
peer-review process.
``(3) Codesign and application development.--
``(A) In general.--The Secretary shall--
``(i) carry out the Program through an integration of
applications, computer science, applied mathematics, and
computer hardware architecture using the partnerships
established pursuant to paragraph (2) to ensure that, to the
maximum extent practicable, 2 or more exascale computing
machine architectures are capable of solving Department
target applications and broader scientific problems,
including predictive modeling and simulation and large scale
data analytics and management; and
``(ii) conduct outreach programs to increase the readiness
for the use of such platforms by domestic industries,
including manufacturers.
``(B) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress a
report describing--
``(i) how the integration under subparagraph (A) is
furthering application science data and computational
workloads across application interests, including national
security, material science, physical science, cybersecurity,
biological science, the Materials Genome and BRAIN
Initiatives of the President, advanced manufacturing, and the
national electric grid; and
``(ii) the roles and responsibilities of National
Laboratories and industry, including the definition of the
roles and responsibilities within the Department to ensure an
integrated program across the Department.
``(4) Project review.--
``(A) In general.--The exascale architectures developed
pursuant to partnerships established pursuant to paragraph
(2) shall be reviewed through a project review process.
``(B) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this subsection, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on--
``(i) the results of the review conducted under
subparagraph (A); and
``(ii) the coordination and management of the Program to
ensure an integrated research program across the Department.
``(5) Annual reports.--At the time of the budget submission
of the Department for each fiscal year, the Secretary, in
consultation with the members of the partnerships established
pursuant to paragraph (2), shall submit to Congress a report
that describes funding for the Program as a whole by
functional element of the Department and critical
milestones.''.
(b) High-performance Computing and Networking Research.--
The Director shall support research in high-performance
computing and networking relevant to energy applications,
including modeling, simulation, and advanced data analytics
for basic and applied energy research programs carried out by
the Secretary.
(c) Applied Mathematics and Software Development for High-
end Computing Systems.--The Director shall carry out
activities to develop, test, and support--
(1) mathematics, models, and algorithms for complex systems
and programming environments; and
(2) tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end
computing systems (as defined in section 2 of the American
Super Computing Leadership Act of 2017 (15 U.S.C. 5541)).
SEC. 305. HIGH-ENERGY PHYSICS.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Director should incorporate the findings and
recommendations of the report of the Particle Physics Project
Prioritization Panel entitled ``Building for Discovery:
Strategic Plan for U.S. Particle Physics in the Global
Context'' into the planning process of the Department; and
(2) the nations that lead in particle physics by hosting
international teams dedicated to a common scientific goal
attract the world's best talent and inspire future
generations of physicists and technologists.
(b) International Collaboration.--The Director, as
practicable and in coordination with other appropriate
Federal agencies as necessary, shall ensure the access of
United States researchers to the most advanced accelerator
facilities and research capabilities in the world, including
the Large Hadron Collider.
(c) Neutrino Research.--The Director shall carry out
research activities on rare decay processes and the nature of
the neutrino, which may include collaborations with the
National Science Foundation or international collaborations.
(d) Dark Energy and Dark Matter Research.--The Director
shall carry out research activities on the nature of dark
energy and dark matter, which may include collaborations with
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration or the
National Science Foundation; or international collaborations.
SEC. 306. BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH.
(a) Biological Systems.--The Director shall carry out
research and development activities in fundamental,
structural, computational, and systems biology to increase
systems-level understanding of the complex biological
systems, which may include activities--
(1) to accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that
would enable the cost-effective, sustainable production of--
(A) biomass-based liquid transportation fuels;
(B) bioenergy; and
(C) biobased materials;
(2) to improve understanding of the global carbon cycle,
including processes for removing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere, through photosynthesis and other biological
processes, for sequestration and storage; and
(3) to understand the biological mechanisms used to
transform, immobilize, or remove contaminants from subsurface
environments.
(b) Limitation for Research Funds.--The Director shall not
approve new climate science-related initiatives without
making a determination that such work is well-coordinated
with any relevant work carried out by other Federal agencies.
(c) Low-dose Radiation Research Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a research
program on low-dose radiation.
(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the program is to enhance the
scientific understanding of, and reduce uncertainties
associated with, the effects of exposure to low-dose
radiation to inform improved risk-management methods.
SEC. 307. FUSION ENERGY.
(a) Fusion Materials Research and Development.--As part of
the activities authorized in section 978 of the Energy Policy
Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16318)--
(1) the Director, in coordination with the Assistant
Secretary for Nuclear Energy of the Department, shall carry
out research and
[[Page H652]]
development activities to identify, characterize, and
demonstrate materials that can endure the neutron, plasma,
and heat fluxes expected in a fusion power system; and
(2) the Director shall provide an assessment of--
(A) the need for 1 or more facilities that can examine and
test potential fusion and next generation fission materials
and other enabling technologies relevant to the development
of fusion power; and
(B) whether a single new facility that substantially
addresses magnetic fusion and next generation fission
materials research needs is feasible, in conjunction with the
expected capabilities of facilities operational as of the
date of enactment of this Act.
(b) Tokamak Research and Development.--The Director shall
support research and development activities and facility
operations to optimize the tokamak approach to fusion energy.
(c) Inertial Fusion Energy Research and Development.--The
Director shall support research and development activities
for inertial fusion for energy applications.
(d) Alternative and Enabling Concepts.--The Director shall
support research and development activities and facility
operations at institutions of higher education, National
Laboratories, and private facilities in the United States for
a portfolio of alternative and enabling fusion energy
concepts that may provide solutions to significant challenges
to the establishment of a commercial magnetic fusion power
plant, prioritized based on the ability of the United States
to play a leadership role in the international fusion
research community.
(e) Coordination With ARPA-E.--The Director shall
coordinate with the Director of the Advanced Research
Projects Agency-Energy (referred to in this subsection as
``ARPA-E'') to--
(1) assess the potential for any fusion energy project
supported by ARPA-E to represent a promising approach to a
commercially viable fusion power plant;
(2) determine whether the results of any fusion energy
project supported by ARPA-E merit the support of follow-on
research activities carried out by the Office of Science; and
(3) avoid the unintentional duplication of activities.
(f) Fairness in Competition for Solicitations for
International Project Activities.--Section 33 of the Atomic
Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2053) is amended by inserting
before the first sentence the following: ``In this section,
with respect to international research projects, the term
`private facilities or laboratories' means facilities or
laboratories located in the United States.''.
(g) Identification of Priorities.--
(1) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress
a report on the fusion energy research and development
activities that the Department proposes to carry out over the
10-year period following the date of the report under not
fewer than 3 realistic budget scenarios, including a scenario
based on 3-percent annual growth in the non-ITER portion of
the budget for fusion energy research and development
activities.
(B) Inclusions.--The report required under subparagraph (A)
shall--
(i) identify specific areas of fusion energy research and
enabling technology development in which the United States
can and should establish or solidify a lead in the global
fusion energy development effort;
(ii) identify priorities for initiation of facility
construction and facility decommissioning under each of the 3
budget scenarios described in subparagraph (A); and
(iii) assess the ability of the fusion workforce of the
United States to carry out the activities identified under
clauses (i) and (ii), including the adequacy of programs at
institutions of higher education in the United States to
train the leaders and workers of the next generation of
fusion energy researchers.
(2) Process.--In order to develop the report required under
paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall leverage best practices
and lessons learned from the process used to develop the most
recent report of the Particle Physics Project Prioritization
Panel of the High Energy Physics Advisory Panel.
(3) Requirement.--No member of the Fusion Energy Sciences
Advisory Committee shall be excluded from participating in
developing or voting on final approval of the report required
under paragraph (1)(A).
SEC. 308. NUCLEAR PHYSICS.
(a) Isotope Development and Production for Research
Applications.--The Director--
(1) may carry out a program for the production of isotopes,
including the development of techniques to produce isotopes,
that the Secretary determines are needed for research,
medical, industrial, or related purposes; and
(2) shall ensure that isotope production activities carried
out under the program under this paragraph do not compete
with private industry unless the Director determines that
critical national interests require the involvement of the
Federal Government.
(b) Renaming of the Rare Isotope Accelerator.--Section 981
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16321) is
amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``RARE ISOTOPE
ACCELERATOR'' and inserting ``FACILITY FOR RARE ISOTOPE
BEAMS''; and
(2) by striking ``Rare Isotope Accelerator'' each place it
appears and inserting ``Facility for Rare Isotope Beams''.
SEC. 309. SCIENCE LABORATORIES INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Director shall carry out a program to
improve the safety, efficiency, and mission readiness of
infrastructure at laboratories of the Office of Science.
(b) Inclusions.--The program under subsection (a) shall
include projects--
(1) to renovate or replace space that does not meet
research needs;
(2) to replace facilities that are no longer cost effective
to renovate or operate;
(3) to modernize utility systems to prevent failures and
ensure efficiency;
(4) to remove excess facilities to allow safe and efficient
operations; and
(5) to construct modern facilities to conduct advanced
research in controlled environmental conditions.
TITLE IV--NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION CAPABILITIES
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``Nuclear Energy Innovation
Capabilities Act''.
SEC. 402. NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION CAPABILITIES.
(a) Nuclear Energy.--Section 951 of the Energy Policy Act
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 951. NUCLEAR ENERGY.
``(a) Mission.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out programs
of civilian nuclear research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application, including activities under this
subtitle.
``(2) Considerations.--The programs carried out under
paragraph (1) shall take into consideration the following
objectives:
``(A) Providing research infrastructure to promote
scientific progress and enable users from academia, the
National Laboratories, and the private sector to make
scientific discoveries relevant for nuclear, chemical, and
materials science engineering.
``(B) Maintaining nuclear energy research and development
programs at the National Laboratories and institutions of
higher education, including infrastructure at the National
Laboratories and institutions of higher education.
``(C) Providing the technical means to reduce the
likelihood of nuclear proliferation.
``(D) Increasing confidence margins for public safety of
nuclear energy systems.
``(E) Reducing the environmental impact of activities
relating to nuclear energy.
``(F) Supporting technology transfer from the National
Laboratories to the private sector.
``(G) Enabling the private sector to partner with the
National Laboratories to demonstrate novel reactor concepts
for the purpose of resolving technical uncertainty associated
with the objectives described in subparagraphs (A) through
(F).
``(b) Definitions.--In this subtitle:
``(1) Advanced nuclear reactor.--The term `advanced nuclear
reactor' means--
``(A) a nuclear fission reactor with significant
improvements over the most recent generation of nuclear
fission reactors, which may include--
``(i) inherent safety features;
``(ii) lower waste yields;
``(iii) greater fuel utilization;
``(iv) superior reliability;
``(v) resistance to proliferation;
``(vi) increased thermal efficiency; and
``(vii) the ability to integrate into electric and
nonelectric applications; or
``(B) a nuclear fusion reactor.
``(2) Commission.--The term `Commission' means the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission.
``(3) Fast neutron.--The term `fast neutron' means a
neutron with kinetic energy above 100 kiloelectron volts.
``(4) National laboratory.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph (B),
the term `National Laboratory' has the meaning given the term
in section 2.
``(B) Limitation.--With respect to the Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and
the Sandia National Laboratories, the term `National
Laboratory' means only the civilian activities of the
laboratory.
``(5) Neutron flux.--The term `neutron flux' means the
intensity of neutron radiation measured as a rate of flow of
neutrons applied over an area.
``(6) Neutron source.--The term `neutron source' means a
research machine that provides neutron irradiation services
for--
``(A) research on materials sciences and nuclear physics;
and
``(B) testing of advanced materials, nuclear fuels, and
other related components for reactor systems.''.
(b) Nuclear Energy Research Programs.--
(1) In general.--Section 952 of the Energy Policy Act of
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16272) is amended--
(A) by striking subsection (c); and
(B) by redesignating subsections (d) and (e) as subsections
(c) and (d), respectively.
(2) Conforming amendment.--Section 641(b)(1) of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16021(b)(1)) is amended by
striking ``section 942(d)'' and inserting ``section 952(c)''.
(c) Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative.--Section 953(a) of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16273(a)) is amended by
striking ``, acting through the Director of the Office of
Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology,''.
[[Page H653]]
(d) University Nuclear Science and Engineering Support.--
Section 954(d)(4) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16274(d)(4)) is amended by striking ``as part of a taking
into consideration effort that emphasizes'' and inserting
``that emphasize''.
(e) Department of Energy Civilian Nuclear Infrastructure
and Facilities.--Section 955 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16275) is amended--
(1) by striking subsections (c) and (d); and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Versatile Neutron Source.--
``(1) Mission need.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than December 31, 2017, the
Secretary shall determine the mission need for a versatile
reactor-based fast neutron source, which shall operate as a
national user facility.
``(B) Consultations required.--In carrying out subparagraph
(A), the Secretary shall consult with the private sector,
institutions of higher education, the National Laboratories,
and relevant Federal agencies to ensure that the user
facility described in subparagraph (A) will meet the research
needs of the largest practicable majority of prospective
users.
``(2) Establishment.--As soon as practicable after
determining the mission need under paragraph (1)(A), the
Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a detailed plan for the establishment of the user
facility.
``(3) Facility requirements.--
``(A) Capabilities.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
user facility will provide, at a minimum, the following
capabilities:
``(i) Fast neutron spectrum irradiation capability.
``(ii) Capacity for upgrades to accommodate new or expanded
research needs.
``(B) Considerations.--In carrying out the plan submitted
under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall consider the
following:
``(i) Capabilities that support experimental high-
temperature testing.
``(ii) Providing a source of fast neutrons at a neutron
flux, higher than that at which current research facilities
operate, sufficient to enable research for an optimal base of
prospective users.
``(iii) Maximizing irradiation flexibility and irradiation
volume to accommodate as many concurrent users as possible.
``(iv) Capabilities for irradiation with neutrons of a
lower energy spectrum.
``(v) Multiple loops for fuels and materials testing in
different coolants.
``(vi) Additional pre-irradiation and post-irradiation
examination capabilities.
``(vii) Lifetime operating costs and lifecycle costs.
``(4) Deadline for establishment.--The Secretary shall, to
the maximum extent practicable, complete construction of, and
approve the start of operations for, the user facility by not
later than December 31, 2025.
``(5) Reporting.--The Secretary shall include in the annual
budget request of the Department an explanation for any delay
in the progress of the Department in completing the user
facility by the deadline described in paragraph (4).
``(6) Coordination.--The Secretary shall leverage the best
practices for management, construction, and operation of
national user facilities from the Office of Science.''.
(f) Security of Nuclear Facilities.--Section 956 of the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16276) is amended by
striking ``, acting through the Director of the Office of
Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology,''.
(g) High-performance Computation and Supportive Research.--
Section 957 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16277) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 957. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTATION AND SUPPORTIVE
RESEARCH.
``(a) Modeling and Simulation.--The Secretary shall carry
out a program to enhance the capabilities of the United
States to develop new reactor technologies through high-
performance computation modeling and simulation techniques.
``(b) Coordination.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall coordinate with relevant
Federal agencies as described by the National Strategic
Computing Initiative established by Executive Order 13702 (80
Fed. Reg. 46177 (July 29, 2015)), while taking into account
the following objectives:
``(1) Using expertise from the private sector, institutions
of higher education, and the National Laboratories to develop
computational software and capabilities that prospective
users may access to accelerate research and development of
advanced nuclear reactor systems and reactor systems for
space exploration.
``(2) Developing computational tools to simulate and
predict nuclear phenomena that may be validated through
physical experimentation.
``(3) Increasing the utility of the research infrastructure
of the Department by coordinating with the Advanced
Scientific Computing Research program within the Office of
Science.
``(4) Leveraging experience from the Energy Innovation Hub
for Modeling and Simulation.
``(5) Ensuring that new experimental and computational
tools are accessible to relevant research communities,
including private sector entities engaged in nuclear energy
technology development.
``(c) Supportive Research Activities.--The Secretary shall
consider support for additional research activities to
maximize the utility of the research facilities of the
Department, including physical processes--
``(1) to simulate degradation of materials and behavior of
fuel forms; and
``(2) for validation of computational tools.''.
(h) Enabling Nuclear Energy Innovation.--Subtitle E of
title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 958. ENABLING NUCLEAR ENERGY INNOVATION.
``(a) National Reactor Innovation Center.--
``(1) In general.--There is authorized a program to enable
the testing and demonstration of reactor concepts to be
proposed and funded by the private sector.
``(2) Participation.--Nothing in this section shall prevent
a private sector entity that has received Federal grants from
participating in this program.
``(b) Technical Expertise.--In carrying out the program
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall leverage the
technical expertise of relevant Federal agencies and the
National Laboratories in order to minimize the time required
to enable construction and operation of privately funded
experimental reactors at National Laboratories or other
Department-owned sites.
``(c) Objectives.--The reactors described in subsection (b)
shall operate to meet the following objectives:
``(1) Enabling physical validation of advanced nuclear
reactor concepts.
``(2) Resolving technical uncertainty and increasing
practical knowledge relevant to safety, resilience, security,
and functionality of advanced nuclear reactor concepts.
``(3) General research and development to improve nascent
technologies.
``(d) Sharing Technical Expertise.--In carrying out the
program under subsection (a), the Secretary may enter into a
memorandum of understanding with the Chairman of the
Commission in order to share technical expertise and
knowledge through--
``(1) enabling the testing and demonstration of advanced
nuclear reactor concepts to be proposed and funded by the
private sector;
``(2) operating a database to store and share data and
knowledge relevant to nuclear science and engineering between
Federal agencies and the private sector;
``(3) developing and testing electric and nonelectric
integration and energy conversion systems relevant to
advanced nuclear reactors;
``(4) leveraging expertise from the Commission with respect
to safety analysis; and
``(5) enabling technical staff of the Commission to
actively observe and learn about technologies developed under
the program.
``(e) Agency Coordination.--The Chairman of the Commission
and the Secretary shall enter into a memorandum of
understanding regarding the following:
``(1) Ensuring that--
``(A) the Department has sufficient technical expertise to
support the timely research, development, demonstration, and
commercial application by the civilian nuclear industry of
safe and innovative advanced nuclear reactor technology; and
``(B) the Commission has sufficient technical expertise to
support the evaluation of applications for licenses, permits,
and design certifications and other requests for regulatory
approval for advanced nuclear reactors.
``(2) The use of computers and software codes to calculate
the behavior and performance of advanced nuclear reactors
based on mathematical models of the physical behavior of
advanced nuclear reactors.
``(3) Ensuring that--
``(A) the Department maintains and develops the facilities
necessary to enable the timely research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application by the civilian
nuclear industry of safe and innovative reactor technology;
and
``(B) the Commission has access to the facilities described
in subparagraph (A), as needed.
``(f) Reporting Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities
Act of 2017, the Secretary, in consultation with the National
Laboratories, relevant Federal agencies, and other
stakeholders, shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report assessing the capabilities of the
Department to authorize, host, and oversee privately funded
experimental advanced nuclear reactors as described in
subsection (b).
``(2) Contents.--The report submitted under paragraph (1)
shall address--
``(A) the safety review and oversight capabilities of the
Department, including options to leverage expertise from the
Commission and the National Laboratories;
``(B) options to regulate privately proposed and funded
experimental reactors hosted by the Department;
``(C) potential sites capable of hosting privately funded
experimental advanced nuclear reactors;
``(D) the efficacy of the available contractual mechanisms
of the Department to partner with the private sector and
Federal agencies, including cooperative research and
development agreements, strategic partnership projects, and
agreements for commercializing technology;
``(E) the liability of the Federal Government with respect
to the disposal of low-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear
fuel, or high-level radioactive waste (as those
[[Page H654]]
terms are defined in section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy
Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101));
``(F) the impact on the aggregate inventory in the United
States of low-level radioactive waste, spent nuclear fuel, or
high-level radioactive waste (as those terms are defined in
section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C.
10101));
``(G) potential cost structures relating to physical
security, decommissioning, liability, and other long-term
project costs; and
``(H) other challenges or considerations identified by the
Secretary.
``(3) Updates.--Once every 2 years, the Secretary shall
update relevant provisions of the report submitted under
paragraph (1) and submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress the update.
``(g) Savings Clauses.--
``(1) Licensing requirement.--Nothing in this section
authorizes the Secretary or any person to construct or
operate a nuclear reactor for the purpose of demonstrating
the suitability for commercial application of the nuclear
reactor unless licensed by the Commission in accordance with
section 202 of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 (42
U.S.C. 5842).
``(2) Financial protection.--Any activity carried out under
this section that involves the risk of public liability shall
be subject to the financial protection or indemnification
requirements of section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954
(42 U.S.C. 2210) (commonly known as the `Price-Anderson
Act').''.
(i) Budget Plan.--Subtitle E of title IX of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) (as amended by
subsection (h)) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``SEC. 959. BUDGET PLAN.
``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act
of 2017, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives 2 alternative 10-year budget plans for
civilian nuclear energy research and development by the
Secretary, as described in subsections (b) through (d).
``(b) Budget Plan Alternative 1.--One of the budget plans
submitted under subsection (a) shall assume constant annual
funding for 10 years at the appropriated level for the
civilian nuclear energy research and development of the
Department for fiscal year 2016.
``(c) Budget Plan Alternative 2.--One of the budget plans
submitted under subsection (a) shall be an unconstrained
budget.
``(d) Inclusions.--Each alternative budget plan submitted
under subsection (a) shall include--
``(1) a prioritized list of the programs, projects, and
activities of the Department to best support the development
of advanced nuclear reactor technologies;
``(2) realistic budget requirements for the Department to
implement sections 955(c), 957, and 958; and
``(3) the justification of the Department for continuing or
terminating existing civilian nuclear energy research and
development programs.''.
(j) Conforming Amendments.--The table of contents for the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by striking the item
relating to section 957 and inserting the following:
``957. High-performance computation and supportive research.
``958. Enabling nuclear energy innovation.
``959. Budget plan.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on H.R. 589, 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. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 589, Department of Energy Research and Innovation
Act, is the product of over 3 years of work by the Science, Space, and
Technology Committee to advance basic research and set clear science
priorities for the Department of Energy.
I thank my colleagues on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee
who cosponsored this legislation, particularly Ranking Member Eddie
Bernice Johnson.
The Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act prioritizes
basic research and science at the DOE national labs. This legislation
also requires DOE to coordinate research across the Department and
provides private industry with more access to the national labs so they
can develop next generation technology.
Title I of H.R. 589 enables DOE to partner with the private sector
and cuts red tape and bureaucracy in the DOE technology transfer
process. The innovative early stage research performed at the labs can
have great value to the private sector.
Because of a communication gap between the labs and the private
sector, ideas and technology created in the national labs are often
slow to reach the market. And Federal Government bureaucracy further
discourages the private sector from using the unique state-of-the-art
facilities at the national labs.
I thank the gentleman from Illinois, Representative Randy Hultgren,
and the gentleman from Colorado, Representative Ed Perlmutter, for
their initiative on this issue and for sponsoring similar legislation
in the last Congress to advance these important reforms for our
national labs.
{time} 1545
Title II of the legislation requires the DOE to better manage and
coordinate research efforts at the Department of Energy. This title
also requires the DOE to provide a regular strategic analysis of
science and technology activities within the Department. This will help
identify key areas for collaboration across science and applied
research programs. This review allows the Secretary to pinpoint
programs that cost too much and that could be better accomplished by
the private sector.
Title III of the bill provides statutory direction and priorities for
the basic research programs within the DOE's Office of Science. This
includes research and basic energy sciences, biological and
environmental research, high performance computing, nuclear physics,
high energy physics, and fusion energy. These basic research programs
are the core mission of the Department and lead to scientific discovery
that can provide benefits across the economy. This title specifically
authorizes basic research programs in solar fuels, electricity storage,
exascale computing, and low-dose radiation.
In the last Congress, the House separately passed Science, Space, and
Technology Committee legislation to authorize these four key basic
research programs. I again thank Representative Hultgren, as well as
the gentlemen from California--Representative Steve Knight and
Representative Eric Swalwell--and the gentleman from Illinois,
Representative Dan Lipinski, for sponsoring legislation authorizing
these programs in the last Congress.
Finally, title IV of the legislation is the Nuclear Energy Innovation
Capabilities Act. I thank my Texas colleagues, Representative Randy
Weber and committee Ranking Member Johnson, for advancing this
bipartisan, bicameral legislation both in this Congress and in the
last.
This title authorizes nuclear R&D activities at the DOE and harnesses
and combines the strengths of the national labs, universities, and the
private sector in a joint innovation initiative. Advanced nuclear
reactor technology provides a great opportunity to make reliable,
emission-free electricity available throughout the industrialized and
developing world. The nuclear energy innovation language also provides
a clear timeline for the DOE to complete a research reactor user
facility within 10 years. This research reactor will enable proprietary
and academic research to develop supercomputing models and also design
next generation nuclear energy technology.
In summary, H.R. 589 represents a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to
modernize and increase the productivity of the DOE national lab system,
streamline DOE research programs, prioritize basic scientific research,
and enable the development of next generation nuclear technology.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I thank the chairman and the ranking member, Eddie Bernice Johnson,
for bringing this bill to the floor today. It has been a long time in
coming.
I rise in support of H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and
Innovation Act. This bill would authorize important research and
development at the Department of Energy to push the frontiers of
science and find new ways to innovate and power our economy.
[[Page H655]]
This bill would authorize comprehensive policy guidance for the DOE's
Office of Science for the first time in its history. The Office of
Science manages a portfolio, including research in supercomputing,
materials science, nuclear physics, advanced biofuels, fusion energy,
climate modeling, high energy physics, and a number of other areas
across the spectrum of fundamental and applied research.
Additionally, the Office of Science is home to world-class user
facilities used by private industry to collaborate with our national
laboratories and provide our scientists with access to tools and
resources to test the most pressing research questions in a variety of
fields. The neutron sources, particle accelerators, and light sources,
among many other Office of Science user facilities, are home to some of
the most important scientific work conducted in America and represent
some of the best partnerships our labs have with private industry.
These activities and capabilities have never been given the proper
statutory authority by this Congress, so this bill represents a
landmark bipartisan effort.
H.R. 589 also includes the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities
Act, which I cosponsored again this year. By providing the tools and
resources to nuclear scientists and engineers, this bill lays the
groundwork for a future where reliable, clean nuclear energy is a major
source of our electricity generation. This research could lead to
advanced and safer nuclear reactors with the potential to use less
nuclear fuel and produce far less waste.
H.R. 589 is not only bipartisan, but, as the chairman said, it
represents a bicameral agreement that was reached last year during
conference negotiations with the Senate on the comprehensive energy
package. Given the urgent challenge of climate change and the growing
competition around the world in many of these key research areas, we
must keep working together with the Senate to get this bill signed into
law this year.
I thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for working
together to get this bipartisan legislation before us today, and I urge
all of my colleagues to support this bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Perlmutter for his
comments and again thank him for his work on this legislation.
I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight), who
is the vice chairman of the Energy Subcommittee of the Science, Space,
and Technology Committee.
Mr. KNIGHT. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for their
leadership on this.
Madam Speaker, H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and
Innovation Act, sets congressional priorities for basic science
research and nuclear energy R&D.
This legislation also includes text from my bill from the last
Congress, H.R. 5638, the Solar Fuels Innovation Act. This language
directs the Department of Energy to establish a basic research
initiative in solar fuels. The solar fuel process, also known as
artificial photosynthesis, harnesses energy from sunlight to create a
range of storable chemical fuels, overcoming the biggest obstacle to
maximizing the benefits of renewable technologies.
Researchers up and down the coast of California are undertaking this
research from universities in southern California to the Berkeley lab
in the Bay area. The research authorized in this legislation could
solve this key scientific challenge and open the door for American
entrepreneurs to develop the next generation of solar technology and
train the next generation of researchers in chemistry, physics, and
materials science.
H.R. 589 reaffirms the Federal Government's key role in research and
development. My home State of California has long been a world leader
in advanced science and high tech and is home to millions of
entrepreneurs who are eager to engage and take advantage of the latest
breakthroughs. Today we hear a lot of enthusiasm for clean energy, but
the focus is on today's technology, not on fundamentally new approaches
to energy technology that we make possible through early-stage
research. In Congress, it is our responsibility to take the long-term
view and be patient and make smart investments in basic research that
can lead to the next big discovery. H.R. 589 establishes those long-
term priorities.
This bill makes other important adjustments to the flexibility and
utilization of DOE assets to give the U.S.' private sector a stronger
edge, from the national laboratory partnerships with research groups to
allowing the nuclear energy businesses to do their early-stage work on
DOE sites, giving a huge boost to an industry that is about to take
off.
I encourage my colleagues to support this very bipartisan, very
supported piece of legislation.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I thank Mr. Knight and especially my cosponsor, Mr. Hultgren, for the
work that they have done on this bill generally, but particularly on
title I of the bill, the Laboratory Modernization and Technology
Transfer Act.
As Mr. Knight said, on this committee, we find places where there is
common ground and where there is an ability to advance the interests of
the United States of America. Sometimes we argue, sometimes we debate,
sometimes we don't agree, but often we do. I appreciate their work as
well as the chairman's work on a number of subjects that face us. I was
proud to work with my friend Mr. Hultgren of Illinois to introduce this
bill, the Modernization and Technology Transfer Act, in the last
Congress.
Title I provides important tools to accelerate the commercialization
of new technologies that are developed at our national labs. It extends
the Agreement for Commercializing Technology pilot program while
expanding the range of companies that are eligible to participate. We
also allow labs to use their technology transfer funds as an incubator
investment for projects that are developed in-house which demonstrate
potential commercial opportunities.
Additionally, the bill encourages the further collaboration between
university researchers and our national labs by creating a pilot
program to reduce the financial burdens on our universities. I hope
this pilot program unleashes the talent at our universities, like the
Colorado School of Mines, the University of Colorado, and Colorado
State University, to discover the next successful technology.
Madam Speaker, one may remember I represent Golden, Colorado, and the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory. NREL is the premier energy
efficiency and renewable energy lab in the world, and title I of this
bill provides labs like NREL more tools to bring life-changing
innovations to consumers by partnering with private industry.
When revolutionary research is harnessed by our entrepreneurs and
business leaders, startups with one or two employees can grow into
companies that can create hundreds of quality jobs. I am proud to
support this legislation, and I am proud to have worked with Mr.
Hultgren in giving scientists and researchers in both the public and
private sectors the tools and the freedom they need to unlock a new
wave of innovation.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from Illinois (Mr. Hultgren), an active member of the Science, Space,
and Technology Committee.
Mr. HULTGREN. Madam Speaker, I want to give a sincere thank-you to
our distinguished chairman, Mr. Smith--the chairman of the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology--for his work in this Congress and in
past Congresses in bringing this bipartisan package of legislation to
the floor.
I also thank my good friend and colleague Congressman Perlmutter from
Colorado, who has been just an active joint member in moving this
forward. I am so grateful for his efforts and his work.
Madam Speaker, the DOE Research and Innovation Act contains a number
of bipartisan provisions that put in place clear research and
development priorities so that Americans can maintain their leadership
position on the world stage and continue attracting the best and the
brightest to the only place they can do their work.
While I have the pleasure of representing Fermilab, our Nation's only
dedicated high energy physics laboratory, I have also had the
opportunity
[[Page H656]]
to visit with and to meet researchers from across the Nation who rely
on our national laboratory system to do their work. More than 30,000
researchers a year visit the DOE user facilities, such as the Advanced
Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, just outside my district.
These facilities are normally operating 24/7, with researchers blocking
off time--sometimes just minutes--to use equipment that no one
university or business could build and maintain on its own. This is why
our national labs are truly the crown jewel in our research ecosystem.
The DOE Research and Innovation Act includes key provisions from my
prior legislation of improving technology transfer and helping get
research from the ``valley of death'' to a point at which the private
sector can pick it up and run with it. This legislation also frees up
the labs to be more nimble and work more easily with outside entities,
such as with nonprofits and universities.
Another provision in this legislation should, hopefully, be a key
priority for the incoming administration. Right now, China not only has
the fastest computer in the world, but the two fastest computers in the
world. Legislation which this body previously passed and is included in
this bill would call on the DOE to carry out a program to build an
exascale computer, which is close to the speed of the human brain. The
United States' computing capabilities have a wide-ranging use and
applications, and the DOE has led the way in developing this
technology.
One of the primary missions at the DOE is the maintenance of our
current nuclear stockpile. This is largely carried out through complex
simulations which require these increasingly powerful machines, but the
crosscutting benefits of this research may have the greatest impact.
When the NIH began its work on sequencing the human genome, it was
only a moonshot mission that many thought was not yet feasible.
Computing facilities at the DOE basically proved the concept and
allowed this work to be completed. In the era of precision medicine and
with the recent passage of the 21st Century Cures, our computing
facilities must be tapped to realize the benefits of targeted
treatments and cures.
Among other research priorities, this legislation also calls on the
DOE to resume its low dose radiation research program. This is
something I supported in the last Congress, working off recommendations
from the scientific community to fill the gaps in our knowledge of the
human health impacts from low dose radiation.
I urge all of my colleagues to support this important bill. I thank
the chairman and the ranking member for their bipartisan work to begin
this Congress by passing pro-growth, pro-science legislation.
{time} 1600
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, so I am going
to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH OF Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Weber), who is the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee
of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 589, the
Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act.
H.R. 589 provides policy direction to the Department of Energy on
basic science research, nuclear energy R&D, research coordination and
priorities, as well as important additional reforms to streamline
national labs management.
I want to particularly highlight title IV, which is the Nuclear
Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. I introduced the same legislation
in the 114th and 115th Congress, and it does a lot of good things. It
lays out a clear timeline and parameters for DOE to complete a research
reactor, which is a crucial part for us.
Right now, we are behind, Mr. Speaker. The Russians are outpacing us
on the next design of nuclear reactors. That is simply unacceptable.
We need a versatile neutron source, and title IV of this will produce
a situation where we will have the ability for the national labs to
partner with private industry and be able to do that so that they don't
get built overseas, which is totally unacceptable.
Mr. Speaker, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has spent a
long time developing this. There is lots of bipartisan buy-in, I might
add, and I appreciate that.
So it is time, Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, for us to get this bill
passed and make sure that we remain on the cutting edge. It helps us
with economics, and it helps us actually with nuclear proliferation as
far as that goes.
So I encourage all of my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 589.
Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this
bill. It is the product of a lot of hard work over the last 3 years. It
helps our laboratories and our private industry stay at the forefront
of science. I thank Chairman Smith of Texas for bringing this bill to
the floor.
I urge passage of this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time to close.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 589 provides basic research direction and good
government reforms to ongoing DOE programs. This legislation
establishes congressional priorities for the Department, and I look
forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate to quickly send
this bill to the President's desk.
I thank the members of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee
who provided valuable input into this legislation. This includes the
cosponsors of the bill, Ranking Member Johnson, and Representatives
Randy Weber, Steve Knight, Randy Hultgren, Frank Lucas, Dan Lipinski,
Dana Rohrabacher, Elizabeth Esty, Brian Babin, Marc Veasey, Barbara
Comstock, Ed Perlmutter, Mo Brooks, Paul Tonko, Jim Banks, Eric
Swalwell, Andy Biggs, Zoe Lofgren, Neal Dunn, and Clay Higgins,
Republicans and Democrats alike.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of H.R. 589.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to
support H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act,
which I am very pleased to co-sponsor.
This bill comprises a significant set of provisions that resulted
from constructive negotiations with our Majority and with the Senate as
part of the energy conference last year. I am also proud to note that
many of these provisions were actually first proposed in the version of
the American Competes Reauthorization Act that was sponsored by every
Democratic Member of the Committee in the last Congress.
The bill includes what would be the first comprehensive authorization
of the DOE Office of Science, which is the largest supporter of
physical sciences research in the country. This is a nearly $6 billion
office that manages 10 of our national laboratories, often called the
crown jewels of our national research infrastructure. Yet thus far,
unlike NSF, NASA, and nearly every other major scientific research
agency stewarded by the federal government, the Office of Science has
not received the statutory guidance and support that its capabilities
and mission warrant. So passing this portion of the bill into law alone
would be a big step in the right direction.
The bill also includes a number of important technology transfer
provisions that previously passed the House as part of a bipartisan
bill that I and many of my colleagues on the Committee co-sponsored. In
addition, it would provide the first authorization of the promising
Innovation Hub model for energy research, and it would enable greater
private sector engagement with ARPA-E. Finally, this bill includes an
updated and improved version of the Nuclear Energy Innovation
Capabilities Act, which I was happy to co-sponsor with my friend Mr.
Weber in the last Congress.
I would like to thank Chairman Smith and his staff for working
closely with us and our Senate counterparts to move beyond what began
as, frankly, a rather contentious process to find common ground on a
wide range of areas that will be critical to ensuring our nation's
competitiveness and our clean energy future.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Womack). 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. 589, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
[[Page H657]]
____________________