[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 158 (Tuesday, September 25, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H8868-H8872]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VETERANS' HEALTH INITIATIVE ACT
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 6398) to authorize the Department of Energy to conduct
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs in order
to improve healthcare services for veterans in the United States, and
for other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 6398
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
Veterans' Health Initiative Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
[[Page H8869]]
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) 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).
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are to advance Department of
Energy expertise in artificial intelligence and high
performance computing in order to improve health outcomes for
veteran populations by--
(1) supporting basic research through the application of
artificial intelligence, high performance computing, modeling
and simulation, machine learning, and large scale data
analytics to identify and solve outcome-defined challenges in
the health sciences;
(2) maximizing the impact of the Department of Veterans
Affairs' health and genomics data housed at the National
Laboratories, as well as data from other sources, on science,
innovation, and health care outcomes through the use and
advancement of artificial intelligence and high-performance
computing capabilities of the Department of Energy;
(3) promoting collaborative research through the
establishment of partnerships to improve data sharing between
Federal agencies, National Laboratories, institutions of
higher education, and nonprofit institutions;
(4) establishing multiple scientific computing user
facilities to house and provision available data to foster
transformational outcomes; and
(5) driving the development of technology to improve
artificial intelligence, high performance computing, and
networking relevant to mission applications of the Department
of Energy, including modeling, simulation, machine learning,
and advanced data analytics.
SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VETERANS HEALTH RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish and carry
out a research program in artificial intelligence and high
performance computing, focused on the development of tools to
solve big data challenges associated with veteran's
healthcare, and to support the efforts of the Department of
Veterans Affairs to identify potential health risks and
challenges utilizing data on long term healthcare, health
risks, and genomic data collected from veteran populations.
The Secretary shall carry out this program through a
competitive, merit-reviewed process, and consider
applications from National Laboratories, institutions of
higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and
other appropriate entities.
(b) Program Components.--In carrying out the program
established under subsection (a), the Secretary may--
(1) conduct basic research in modeling and simulation,
machine learning, large scale data analytics, and predictive
analysis in order to develop novel or optimized algorithms
for prediction of disease treatment and recovery;
(2) develop methods to accommodate large data sets with
variable quality and scale, and to provide insight and models
for complex systems;
(3) develop new approaches and maximize the use of
algorithms developed through artificial intelligence, machine
learning, data analytics, natural language processing,
modeling and simulation, and develop new algorithms suitable
for high performance computing systems and large biomedical
data sets;
(4) advance existing and construct new data enclaves
capable of securely storing data sets provided by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and
other sources; and
(5) promote collaboration and data sharing between National
Laboratories, research entities, and user facilities of the
Department by providing the necessary access and secure data
transfer capabilities.
(c) Coordination.--In carrying out the program required
under subsection (a), the Secretary is authorized to--
(1) enter into memoranda of understanding in order to carry
out reimbursable agreements with the Department of Veterans
Affairs and other entities in order to maximize the
effectiveness of Department of Energy research and
development to improve veterans' healthcare;
(2) consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs and
other Federal agencies as appropriate; and
(3) ensure that data storage meets all privacy and security
requirements established by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, and that access to data is provided in accordance
with relevant Department of Veterans Affairs data access
policies, including informed consent.
(d) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives, and the
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the Committee
on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate, a report detailing the
effectiveness of--
(1) the interagency coordination between each Federal
agency involved in the research program carried out under
this section;
(2) collaborative research achievements of the program; and
(3) potential opportunities to expand the technical
capabilities of the Department.
(e) Funding.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
devote $27,000,000 to carry out the activities authorized
under this section during fiscal years 2019 through 2023,
subject to the availability of appropriations, to come from
amounts made available for medical and prosthetic research.
This section shall be carried out using funds otherwise
appropriated by law after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, DATA ANALYTICS, AND
COMPUTATIONAL RESEARCH PILOT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary shall carry out a pilot
program to develop tools for big data analytics by utilizing
data sets generated by Federal agencies, institutions of
higher education, nonprofit research organizations, and
industry in order to advance artificial intelligence
technologies to solve complex, big data challenges. The
Secretary shall carry out this program through a competitive,
merit-reviewed process, and consider applications from
National Laboratories, institutions of higher education,
multi-institutional collaborations, and other appropriate
entities.
(b) Program Components.--In carrying out the pilot program
established under subsection (a), the Secretary may--
(1) establish a cross-cutting research initiative to
prevent duplication and coordinate research efforts in
artificial intelligence and data analytics across the
Department;
(2) conduct basic research in modeling and simulation,
artificial intelligence, machine learning, large scale data
analytics, natural language processing, and predictive
analysis in order to develop novel or optimized predictive
algorithms suitable for high performance computing systems
and large biomedical data sets;
(3) develop multivariate optimization models to accommodate
large data sets with variable quality and scale in order to
visualize complex systems;
(4) establish multiple scientific computing user facilities
to serve as data enclaves capable of securely storing data
sets created by Federal agencies, institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, or industry at National
Laboratories; and
(5) promote collaboration and data sharing between National
Laboratories, research entities, and user facilities of the
Department by providing the necessary access and secure data
transfer capabilities.
(c) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate a report evaluating the effectiveness
of the pilot program under subsection (a), including basic
research discoveries achieved in the course of the program
and potential opportunities to expand the technical
capabilities of the Department through the development of
artificial intelligence and data analytics technologies.
(d) Funding.--For purposes of carrying out this section,
the Secretary of Energy shall devote $52,000,000 to carry out
this section, which shall include $26,000,000 for each fiscal
years 2019 and 2020, subject to the availability of
appropriations. This section shall be carried out using funds
otherwise appropriated by law after the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 6. 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
South Carolina (Mr. Norman) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr.
Lipinski) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from South Carolina.
General Leave
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous materials on H.R. 6398, the bill now under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from South Carolina?
There was no objection.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, H.R. 6398, the Department
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
This legislation authorizes the Department of Energy, DOE, to conduct
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA,
in order to solve complex, big data challenges in order to improve
veterans' healthcare and basic research in advanced computing and data
analytics.
The VA hosts one of the world's largest and most valuable health
datasets. Through its voluntary data collection program entitled the
Million Veterans Program, MVP, the VA has collected detailed health
information and
[[Page H8870]]
genomic data volunteered by over 600,000 veterans.
In order to better use this data to provide better healthcare for our
veterans, the VA needs more advanced computing capabilities,
infrastructure, and expertise than it has in-house.
As a world leader in high performance computing, DOE is well suited
to meet this need. In its national laboratory system, DOE possesses a
unique set of cutting-edge research capabilities.
It hosts six of the world's top 10 fastest supercomputers, including
the Summit computer in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is the
world's fastest supercomputer. DOE also funds robust research in
computational sciences and data analytics, which can be used to solve a
range of complex big data challenges in the physical sciences.
The interagency partnership authorized in my bill combines the VA's
clinical and population science expertise with DOE's big data science
in advanced computing expertise in order to solve critical health
challenges for our veterans while creating another path forward for the
advancement of big data science tools for the American researchers.
This partnership, called the Million Veterans Program-Computational
Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve Outcomes Now, or the
MVP-CHAMPION program, will use DOE supercomputers to analyze VA health
data and look for patterns that will help inform and improve medical
treatment for heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and cancer.
Ultimately, the goal of this legislation is for the DOE national
laboratories to provide the VA with information it can use to improve
healthcare services for veterans.
The bill also requires the Department to establish data storage
facilities to securely transmit and store data that the VA provides.
This will make certain that privacy and security are maintained for
veterans who volunteer for the program.
In addition, this legislation establishes a pilot program within DOE
to create a cross-cutting research initiative in artificial
intelligence, data analytics, and computational research.
This program will help American scientists stay on the cutting-edge
as the computing landscape changes and international competition
increases, and will promote the development of the computing tools
needed to address big data challenges.
These tools will both help improve the existing MVP-CHAMPION
partnership and will advance key DOE mission goals in nuclear security,
energy technology, and innovative science research.
Our veterans should have access to better healthcare services and our
scientists should remain leaders in advanced computing. The Department
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act promises to deliver on both
fronts.
Once again, I would like to thank Chairman Smith and the 15 other
Science, Space, and Technology Committee members who cosponsored this
legislation for supporting my bill.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
Washington, DC, September 20, 2018.
Hon. Lamar Smith,
Chairman, Committee on Space, Science, and Technology,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning H.R.
6398, as amended, the ``Department of Energy Veterans' Health
Initiative Act.'' As you know, there are provisions in the
legislation that fall within the jurisdiction of the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In the interest of permitting your committee to proceed
expeditiously to floor consideration of this legislation, I
am willing to waive this committee's right to sequential
referral. I do so with the understanding that by waiving
consideration of the bill, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
does not waive any future jurisdictional claim over the
subject matters contained in the bill which fall within its
jurisdiction. I also request that you urge the Speaker to
name members of this committee to any conference committee
which is named to consider such provisions.
Please place this letter into the committee report on H.R.
6398, as amended, and into the Congressional Record during
consideration of this legislation on the House floor.
Sincerely,
David P. Roe, M.D.,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives, Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology,
Washington, DC, September 20, 2018.
Hon. David P. Roe,
Chairman, Committee on Veterans' Affairs, House of
Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you for your letter regarding the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs jurisdictional interest in
H.R. 6398, the ``Department of Energy Veterans' Health
Initiative Act,'' and your willingness to forego
consideration of H.R. 6398 by your committee.
I agree that the Committee on Veterans' Affairs has a valid
jurisdictional interest in certain provisions of H.R. 6398,
and that the Committee's jurisdiction will not be adversely
affected by your decision to forego consideration of H.R.
6398. As you have requested, I will support your request for
an appropriate appointment of outside conferees from your
Committee in the event of a House-Senate conference on this
or similar legislation should such a conference be convened.
Finally, I will include a copy of your letter and this
response in the Committee Report and in the Congressional
Record during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you
again for your cooperation.
Sincerely,
Lamar Smith,
Chairman.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy
Veterans' Health Initiative Act, and I thank Mr. Norman for introducing
this bill.
This bill authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs to
address large and complex data management challenges associated with
veterans' healthcare issues.
H.R. 6398 also directs the DOE to carry out a 2-year research pilot
program to advance research in artificial intelligence and data
analytics for a broad range of applications.
These technologies have the potential to significantly improve the
efficiency of the use and distribution of our Nation's resources.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the majority and minority members
of the Veterans' Affairs Committee for working with the Science, Space,
and Technology Committee to improve this legislation. Together, I
believe we have ensured that this bill will be a positive step toward
tackling some of the critical problems that the VA is currently facing
in providing our veterans with the care they deserve when they come
home.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Weber), the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6398, the Department of
Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
The DOE and VA national research program, housed within the agencies'
Big Data Science Initiative, is called the Million Veterans Program-
Computational Health Analytics for Medical Precision to Improve
Outcomes Now, or MVP-CHAMPION. This initiative utilizes DOE's unique
capabilities in big data analytics, artificial intelligence, and
advanced computing by providing VA researchers access to DOE's research
facilities and scientific expertise while the DOE receives access to a
massive collection of data from the VA.
Through the MVP program, VA patients volunteer genomic and healthcare
data that is transferred into the secure enclave at Oak Ridge National
Lab. Part of the data includes the deepest levels of DNA sequencing,
which allows for high quality genomic research.
With such a rich and expansive dataset, the VA MVP program provides
an incredible opportunity to use DOE'S next-generation computing
capabilities to solve complex healthcare challenges facing our
veterans.
For the DOE, this application of computer science tools could
transform basic and early-stage research. DOE's core mission areas are
full of complex, big data challenges like physics, environmental
systems, combustion, and nuclear weapons modeling. DOE is also working
to enhance its expertise in biosciences and materials design.
Experience working with big datasets and applications in data
science, Mr. Speaker, has the potential to improve
[[Page H8871]]
computational science methods for any big data problem. With the next
generation of supercomputers, including the exascale computing systems
DOE is expected to fill by 2021, DOE will be able to tackle even bigger
challenges.
Mr. Speaker, increasing computing power will expand DOE's
capabilities and improve the quality of computational tools for any big
dataset or any complex problem.
Ultimately, the goal of MVP-CHAMPION is for the DOE national
laboratories to provide the VA with useful information to improve
healthcare services for our veterans. The access to the breadth, depth,
and complexity of the VA dataset will also advance the next generation
of data science tools.
Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the DOE is the right partner for this
important research. I want to encourage my colleagues to support this
bill.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the Science, Space, and Technology
Committee.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the
gentleman from South Carolina, Congressman Ralph Norman, for yielding
me this time to speak in support of his bill, H.R. 6398, the Department
of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
I also want to say, I appreciate his serving as vice chairman of the
Environment Subcommittee on the Science, Space, and Technology
Committee.
This important legislation was approved unanimously by the Science,
Space, and Technology Committee and is cosponsored by 15 members of the
committee.
H.R. 6398 authorizes the Department of Energy to conduct
collaborative research with the Department of Veterans Affairs to
address complex challenges in veterans' healthcare by using advanced
computational tools.
Currently, DOE and the VA collaborate through the MVP-CHAMPION
initiative. The VA collects genomic and healthcare data from veterans
who have volunteered for the program and then securely transfers it to
DOE, where it is stored and analyzed in a secure site at the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory.
This partnership and exchange of data benefits both DOE and the VA
and provides valuable services to our veterans.
DOE is the Nation's largest Federal supporter of basic research in
the physical sciences. It funds programs in applied mathematics and
computer and computational science.
Under this program, authorized by Mr. Norman's bill, VA researchers
gain access to DOE's high performance computing research facilities and
significant resources, including DOE's extensive expertise in data
analysis and complex modeling.
This could help the VA make discoveries about the causes and warning
signs of various diseases. It will also speed up care for veterans'
critical medical needs and help the VA develop more effective
treatments in the future.
By giving DOE access to such a large database of information, the VA
will help DOE researchers improve their ability to develop next-
generation computing systems, algorithms, and models. These are
capabilities that are critical to maintaining U.S. science and
technology leadership.
H.R. 6398 also authorizes a 2-year research pilot program to advance
basic research in artificial intelligence, data analytics, and
computational science.
This pilot program supports DOE's efforts to improve the application
of advanced data analysis techniques to big data challenges.
Congressman Norman's DOE Veterans' Health Initiative Act promotes
improved healthcare for American servicemen and -women. It facilitates
more high-yielding DOE collaborations, maximizes resources, and gives
other Federal agencies, academia, and industry the opportunity to
benefit from the Energy Department's R&D expertise.
We can thank Representatives Ralph Norman and Neal Dunn for
championing collaboration and basic research to support our veterans
and American innovation.
{time} 2215
I also want to thank Chairman Roe of the House Veterans' Affairs
Committee for his help and cooperation in bringing this bill before the
House this evening.
Mr. Speaker, I hope my colleagues will support this bill.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I am sure my colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree
that supporting technology to improve the lives of our veterans should
be a high priority. Unfortunately, many face an uphill battle to
overcome the physical and mental toll of war once they return home.
Those who sacrificed so much for our country deserve our best efforts
to provide them with the latest technologies to improve their quality
of life.
There are almost 20 million veterans in our Nation today, and just
under half are enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs
healthcare system. The health records generated from decades of care
provide a trove of information that may lead to more accurate diagnoses
and treatment of certain conditions and diseases.
High-performance computing and machine learning can help analyze this
massive amount of data to make it more useful for delivering better
health outcomes, not only for veterans, but also the general
population.
The Federal Government has made strategic investments over the years
to advance data analytics in data science research and development. We
have also invested in supercomputing facilities at our national labs,
including the Leadership Computing Facility at Argonne National Lab in
my district.
The programs created by this bill will take advantage of these
resources to improve health, deliver a high quality of life, and lower
treatment costs while advancing American leadership and artificial
intelligence and data analytics.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman Smith, Representative
Dunn, Representative Higgins, Representative Lucas, Representative
Weber, Representative Knight, Representative Rohrabacher,
Representative Hultgren, Representative Babin, Representative Comstock,
Representative Abraham, Representative Biggs, Representative Marshall,
Representative Lesko, Representative Lipinski, Representative Rosen,
Representative Bilirakis, Representative Gallagher, Representative Bill
Johnson, and Representative Walter Jones for their continued leadership
in providing support for our veterans and enabling critical science
research.
I would also like to thank the stakeholders and researchers who have
provided valuable feedback as we develop this legislation.
H.R. 6398 supports a program that will encourage innovation in basic
science and big data research at DOE, and ensure that we as a Nation
are doing everything we can to improve healthcare for our veterans.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the adoption of this commonsense legislation and
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, today we are
considering three good bills from the Science Committee: H.R. 5509, the
Innovation in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act; H.R. 6229,
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Reauthorization Act
of 2018; and, H.R. 6398, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health
Initiative Act. I support each of these bills, and look forward to
their passage.
I want to thank Majority leader McCarthy for introducing H.R. 5509,
the Innovations in Mentoring, Training, and Apprenticeships Act. This
legislation directs the National Science Foundation to support research
to improve STEM degree programs and apprenticeships in partnership with
the private sector. H.R. 5509 also supports labor market research to
draw upon lessons learned in countries already benefitting from an
emphasis on apprenticeships and skilled-based learning. This is a good
bill that will help to bring the education and training our students
receive more in line with the skills employers value most. This will
benefit those preparing to enter an ever-changing job market, employers
seeking to innovate and increase production, and our economy as a
whole. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this bill.
H.R. 6229, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Reauthorization Act of
[[Page H8872]]
2018, is a two-year, bipartisan reauthorization of programs and
activities for the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or
NIST. I am glad to see that this bill increases funding levels for the
agency's laboratory programs and funds research and standards
facilitation for important issues such as advanced communications,
cybersecurity and privacy, internet of things, quantum information
science, artificial intelligence research, and infrastructure
resilience. I am glad to support this bill today, and furthermore, urge
my colleagues to support increased funding in the future for crucial
laboratory infrastructure enhancements on the NIST campuses.
H.R. 6398, The Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act,
authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct collaborative
research with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in order to
address complex, large data management challenges associated with
veterans' health care issues. Specifically, it aims to leverage DOE's
expertise in high performance computing in order to analyze VA-provided
health and genomics data.
This bill also directs DOE to carry out a two-year research pilot
program to advance research in artificial intelligence and data
analytics for a broad range of potential applications. It provides the
Secretary with the authority to establish user facilities capable of
securely storing large data sets created by Federal agencies, academic
institutions, or industry at DOE National Laboratories. I appreciate
the need to utilize the entire resource base of the Federal government
to address the needs of our veterans' health care. This bill provides
an important tool to try and make our veterans lives better, and I
strongly support the bill's passage.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 6398, 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.
____________________