[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 23, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H7179-H7181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY VETERANS' HEALTH INITIATIVE ACT
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 617) 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. 617
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:
(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,
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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.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out this section
$27,000,000 during the period of fiscal years 2020 through
2024.
SEC. 5. INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary is authorized to carry out
research, development, and demonstration activities to
develop tools to apply to big data that enable Federal
agencies, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
research organizations, and industry to better leverage the
capabilities of the Department to solve complex, big data
challenges. The Secretary shall carry out these activities
through a competitive, merit-reviewed process, and consider
applications from National Laboratories, institutions of
higher education, multi-institutional collaborations, and
other appropriate entities.
(b) Activities.--In carrying out the research, development,
and demonstration activities authorized under subsection (a),
the Secretary may--
(1) utilize all available mechanisms to prevent duplication
and coordinate research efforts across the Department;
(2) establish multiple 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
(3) 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 activities authorized under subsection (a).
(d) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Energy to carry out subsection (a)
$15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2020 through 2023.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Texas (Ms. Johnson) and the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lucas) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Texas.
General Leave
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and
to include extraneous materials on H.R. 617, the bill under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 617, the Department of
Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act. 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. 617 also authorizes the Department of Energy to support
activities that will better enable other Federal agencies to leverage
the Department's capabilities in developing advanced data analytics
tools for a broad range of applications.
I would like to thank the members of the Veterans' Affairs Committee
for working with us to improve this legislation. I would also like to
thank the bill's sponsor, Mr. Norman, for his hard work on this bill.
Before I began my career in politics, I worked as a chief psychiatric
nurse for the Dallas VA Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. In that
position, I saw firsthand the unique healthcare needs of the veteran
community. I believe the bill before us today 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.
I strongly support this bipartisan bill and encourage my colleagues
to do the same.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Norman's bill, H.R.
617, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act.
This bill authorizes a critical and ongoing partnership between the
Department of Energy and the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve
the way we diagnose and care for our veterans. This partnership, known
as the MVP-CHAMPION initiative, allows DOE to support the VA in
analyzing healthcare data.
H.R. 617 formally authorizes this program, allowing VA researchers to
gain access to DOE's high-performance computing research facilities and
significant resources, including DOE's extensive expertise in data
analysis and complex modeling.
The VA currently collects genomic and healthcare data, including the
deepest levels of DNA sequencing that allows for high-quality genomic
research, from veterans who have volunteered for the program. This data
is then securely transferred to DOE, where it is stored and analyzed in
a secure site at DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
This partnership and exchange of data benefits both DOE and the VA.
The rich and expansive dataset provided by the VA presents an
incredible opportunity to train DOE's next-generation computing
capacities to solve complex challenges; and with what they learn from
this analysis, the VA can improve and better target health treatments
for veterans.
This data can help the VA make discoveries about the causes of
various diseases and develop diagnostics to move more quickly to detect
them in our veterans. It will also help the VA develop more effective
treatments and improve treatment for critical medical needs.
In return, 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,
capacities that are critical in maintaining U.S. science and
technological leadership.
These enhanced capacities can then be applied in support of DOE's
core mission areas and has the potential to enhance expertise in
everything from biosciences and material designs to maintaining our
nuclear weapons stockpile.
With the next generation of supercomputers right around the corner,
most notably, the computing systems that DOE is expected to field in
2021, DOE will be able to tackle even bigger challenges after gaining
expertise in solving big data problems like this.
In short, the Department of Energy Veterans' Health Initiative Act
will improve the healthcare for those men and women who have served our
country. It also maximizes our Federal resources for facilitating
collaboration, and gives other agencies, academia, and industry the
chance to benefit from the Department of Energy's R&D expertise.
I want to thank Representative Norman for championing this important
collaboration, along with the basic research that will support our
veterans and American innovation.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no requests for time, and I
continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from South
Carolina (Mr. Norman).
Mr. NORMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairwoman Johnson and
Ranking Member Lucas for their support of this all-important bill.
I rise in support of H.R. 617, the Department of Energy Veterans'
Health Initiative Act.
This legislation authorizes a partnership between the Department of
Energy--the DOE--and the Department of Veterans Affairs--the VA--to
conduct collaborative research in computing, artificial intelligence,
and big data science in order to improve healthcare for all of our
veterans.
The VA hosts one of the largest and most valuable health datasets.
Through its voluntary data collection program, entitled the Million
Veterans Program, MVP, the VA has collected
[[Page H7181]]
detailed health information and genomic data volunteered by over
600,000 veterans.
But the VA simply doesn't have the computing power or expertise to
analyze all of this complex data. In order to learn from their data and
provide better healthcare for veterans, the VA needs access to more
advanced computing capabilities, expertise, and infrastructure than is
currently available at the agency.
As a world leader in high-performance computing, the DOE is an ideal
partner to help the VA meet this need. In its national laboratory
system, DOE hosts 5 of the world's top 10 fastest supercomputers,
including the fastest supercomputer in the world, Summit, at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory.
The DOE also funds research and 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
between DOE and the VA authorized by my bill is necessary to analyze
this data and ultimately provide better care for our Nation's veterans.
DOE has the capability to securely store, using supercomputers at the
national labs, and analyze the VA's health data to look for patterns.
Learning from these patterns can help us improve the medical treatments
for heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and cancer.
I think we can all agree that we should be taking any steps possible
to improve the medical care of our men and women who have answered the
call to serve. Not only does this bill take that step, but it has
benefit in giving our scientists the ability to analyze complex data
that will help America remain the world's leader in advanced computing.
The bill also requires the DOE 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 programs.
I am grateful that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle have been
able to come together and move this bill forward. Providing better care
for our veterans is a place where we can find common ground, especially
since America's veterans fought to keep us all safe, regardless of our
political party.
In closing, I would like to thank my fellow Committee on Science,
Space, and Technology members who cosponsored this legislation and the
many veterans serving in the House who supported my bill. I also want
to thank Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, who has been a strong advocate
of this partnership.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``yes'' in favor of
improving healthcare for veterans.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Puerto Rico (Miss Gonzalez-Colon).
Miss GONZALEZ-COLON of Puerto Rico. Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking
Member Lucas for yielding me the time.
I rise in strong support of H.R. 617, the Department of Energy
Veterans' Health Initiative Act, introduced by my colleague,
Congressman Ralph Norman from South Carolina.
I think this bill is very simple, but very essential at the same
time. It essentially authorizes collaboration between the Department of
Energy and the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a program
that facilitates computing capabilities to process data on health
issues affecting all of our veterans. The bill will subsequently
support the Veterans Administration with identifying potential health
risks and challenges that our communities have.
I think it is important because combining those processing
capabilities with health information compiled by the VA will help us to
better understand the healthcare issues related to our veterans and the
general population as well and ensures that both agencies will remain
at the forefront of scientific and medical research.
I am a proud cosponsor of this bill on behalf of our veterans.
Actually, we have more than 90,000 veterans registered in Puerto Rico,
and we are very grateful to Congressman Ralph Norman for introducing
this bill.
I want to also thank Chairwoman Johnson and Ranking Member Lucas for
their great work together on behalf of the scientific community and our
veterans.
I urge all of my colleagues to vote in favor of this bill.
Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume to
close, since I have no additional speakers.
Mr. Speaker, simply put, H.R. 617 harnesses the power of DOE's
supercomputers to revolutionize the way we care for America's veterans.
I want to thank Representative Norman for his leadership on this
bill.
I strongly encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I would like to close by simply
thanking all of the members of the full committee, as well as the
staff, and to urge passage of this legislation, H.R. 617.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Johnson) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 617, 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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