[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1095-H1097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2018

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 
the

[[Page H1096]]

bill (H.R. 4376) to direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out certain 
upgrades to research equipment and the construction of a research user 
facility, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4376

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Energy 
     Research Infrastructure Act of 2018''.

     SEC. 2. ADVANCED LIGHT SOURCE UPGRADE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall provide for 
     the upgrade to the Advanced Light Source described in the 
     publication approved by the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory 
     Committee on June 9, 2016, titled ``Report on Facility 
     Upgrades'', including the development of a multi-bend 
     achromat lattice to produce a high flux of coherent x-rays 
     within the soft x-ray energy region.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Flux.--The term ``flux'' means the rate of flow of 
     photons.
       (2) Soft x-ray.--The term ``soft x-ray'' means a photon 
     with energy in the range from 50 to 2,000 electron volts.
       (c) Start of Operations.--The Secretary shall, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, ensure that the start of full 
     operations of the upgrade under this section occurs before 
     December 31, 2026.
       (d) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for the Office of Science to carry out to 
     completion the upgrade under this section--
       (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;
       (2) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
       (3) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
       (4) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
       (5) $52,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
       (6) $22,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
       (7) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.

     SEC. 3. LINAC COHERENT LIGHT SOURCE II HIGH ENERGY UPGRADE.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall provide for 
     the upgrade to the Linac Coherent Light Source II facility 
     described in the publication approved by the Basic Energy 
     Sciences Advisory Committee on June 9, 2016, titled ``Report 
     on Facility Upgrades'', including the development of 
     experimental capabilities for high energy x-rays to reveal 
     fundamental scientific discoveries. The Secretary shall 
     ensure the upgrade under this section enables the production 
     and use of high energy, ultra-short pulse x-rays delivered at 
     a high repetition rate.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) High energy x-ray.--The term a ``high energy x-ray'' 
     means a photon with an energy at or exceeding 12 kiloelectron 
     volts.
       (2) High repetition rate.--The term ``high repetition 
     rate'' means the delivery of x-ray pulses up to one million 
     pulses per second.
       (3) Ultra-short pulse x-rays.--The term ``ultra-short pulse 
     x-rays'' means x-ray bursts capable of durations of less than 
     one hundred femtoseconds.
       (c) Start of Operations.--The Secretary shall, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, ensure that the start of full 
     operations of the upgrade under this section occurs before 
     December 31, 2025.
       (d) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for the Office of Science to carry out to 
     completion the upgrade under this section--
       (1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;
       (2) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
       (3) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
       (4) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
       (5) $54,000,000 for fiscal year 2022; and
       (6) $31,000,000 for fiscal year 2023.

     SEC. 4. FACILITY FOR RARE ISOTOPE BEAMS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall provide for 
     a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams to advance the 
     understanding of rare nuclear isotopes and the evolution of 
     the cosmos.
       (b) Facility Capabilities.--In carrying out subsection (a), 
     the Secretary shall ensure that the user facility will 
     provide, at a minimum, the following:
       (1) A rare isotope beam facility capable of 400 kW of beam 
     power.
       (2) Scientific instruments, which may include a gamma-ray 
     energy tracking array, a particle spectrometer with high 
     rigidity, and a beta-decay detection system.
       (c) Start of Operations.--The Secretary shall, to the 
     maximum extent practicable, ensure that the start of full 
     operations of the facility under this section occurs before 
     June 30, 2022, with early operation in 2018.
       (d) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Secretary for the Office of Science to carry out to 
     completion the construction of the facility under this 
     section--
       (1) $101,200,000 for fiscal year 2018;
       (2) $86,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
       (3) $64,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
       (4) $36,300,000 for fiscal year 2021;
       (5) $24,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
       (6) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
       (7) $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.

     SEC. 5. SPENDING LIMITATION.

       No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to 
     carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and 
     this Act and such amendments shall be carried out using 
     amounts otherwise available for such purpose.

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


                             General Leave

  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 4376, 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. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy 
Research Infrastructure Act of 2018. H.R. 4376 will support the 
research infrastructure needed to conduct leading basic energy science 
and nuclear physics research initiatives here in the U.S. by 
authorizing upgrades in construction of major user facilities at the 
Department of Energy, DOE, national labs and universities.
  The Advanced Light Source, ALS, at Lawrence Berkeley National 
Laboratory is a specialized particle accelerator that generates bright 
beams of X-ray light for scientific research. The proposed upgrade to 
this facility will ensure that DOE can maintain ALS' status as a world-
class X-ray facility and allow scientists to study the structure and 
behavior of materials at extremely small scales.
  The Linac Coherent Light Source, LCLS, is the world's first hard X-
ray, free-electron laser. The upgrade to this facility located at SLAC 
National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University will provide a 
major jump in imaging capability and will enable researchers to perform 
groundbreaking experiments in chemistry, in materials, in biology, and 
in energy.
  The Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University is a 
one-of-a-kind linear accelerator facility that will allow researchers 
to study rare isotopes and their properties. This facility will support 
research that expands our understanding of atomic structures and could 
facilitate discoveries in medicine and even in physics.
  H.R. 4376 reaffirms the Federal Government's key role in basic 
science research.
  My home State of Texas has long been a world leader in advanced 
science and technology, and it is home to millions of entrepreneurs 
eager to take advantage of the best research facilities in the world.
  These user facility upgrades will give the private sector the tools 
they need to develop breakthrough technologies in medicine, 
manufacturing, and energy. Investing in this research infrastructure 
will also help train the next generation of researchers in chemistry, 
physics, and materials science.
  Here in Congress, it is our responsibility to take the long-term view 
and be patient, making smart investments that can lead to the next big 
discovery. This bill funds the research infrastructure necessary to 
make those very discoveries possible.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Lamar Smith, Representative Dan 
Lipinski, Energy Vice Chairman Steve Knight, and Representative Randy 
Hultgren for joining me as original cosponsors of this very important 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such 
time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy 
Research Infrastructure Act of 2018.
  Mr. Speaker, the legislation includes authorizations of important 
upgrades to the world-class Department of Energy user facilities at 
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the SLAC National Accelerator 
Laboratory.
  These upgrades will enable academic and industrial users to examine 
and develop advanced materials and chemical processes for a wide range 
of applications, from advanced batteries to high-temperature 
superconductors to next generations pharmaceuticals.

                              {time}  1715

  This bill also directs DOE to build a new cutting-edge facility that 
was

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competitively selected to be sited at Michigan State University. This 
facility will enable researchers to advance our fundamental 
understanding of the nature of rare nuclear isotopes, with impacts in 
fields ranging from nuclear astrophysics to medicine.
  Our laboratories are the crown jewels of American innovation, and the 
user-driven science facilities at those labs and at our universities 
are the foundation on which our leadership in science is built.
  I am very pleased to support this bipartisan effort to expand our 
research capabilities at DOE, and I hope this is an area in which we 
can continue to work together.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
distinguished gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), who is the very 
honorable chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. We 
are going to lose Chairman Smith, and we ought to start researching now 
to replace him.
  Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Texas, the 
Energy Subcommittee chairman, for those nice comments and for yielding 
me time on this bill.
  H.R. 4376, the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act, is 
an important piece of legislation introduced by Congressman Steve 
Knight from California.
  The Department of Energy is the leading sponsor of basic research in 
the physical sciences, and DOE national labs host over 30,000 
researchers each year. To maintain America's global leadership in 
scientific discovery, we must ensure our user facilities are the best 
in the world.
  This bill is also cosponsored by Representative Dan Lipinski, Energy 
Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber, and Representative Randy Hultgren, 
and it authorizes funding from within the DOE Office of Science's 
existing budget to complete construction of three science 
infrastructure projects.
  The bill provides for upgrades to the Advanced Light Source at 
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and to the Linac Coherent Light Source 
at the National Accelerator Laboratory at Stanford University.
  The Knight bill also authorizes and directs the construction of the 
Facility for Rare Isotope Beams at Michigan State University through 
the DOE nuclear physics program.
  All together, the enhanced capabilities made possible by this bill 
provide significant breakthroughs in discovery science and maintain 
America's high-tech leadership.
  I thank the Energy Subcommittee chairman and the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Knight) for their initiatives in developing and 
managing this legislation, and I encourage my colleagues to support the 
bill.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. It is my distinct honor now to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Knight).
  Mr. KNIGHT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4376, the 
Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act of 2018.
  This legislation authorizes important upgrades to DOE light sources 
that support the research infrastructure needed to conduct leading 
initiatives in chemistry, physics, biology, medicine, and 
manufacturing. In addition, this bill authorizes a unique user facility 
that will allow researchers to study rare isotopes and their 
properties. These upgrades at DOE's best-in-the-world user facilities 
will facilitate discovery science and bring the best and brightest 
scientists in the world to the U.S.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith and the Energy 
Subcommittee for introducing this important legislation.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4376 authorizes critical investments in research 
infrastructure at our national labs and universities and will ensure 
the next big discoveries in physical sciences, manufacturing, medicine, 
and energy can happen right here in these United States.
  I want to thank, again, the sponsors of this bill and also thank the 
researchers and stakeholders that provided feedback as we developed 
this legislation. I certainly want to thank Congressman Knight from 
California.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this commonsense, bipartisan 
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) that the House suspend the rules and 
pass the bill, H.R. 4376, 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.

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