[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 88 (Thursday, May 20, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3256]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1816. Mr. KELLY (for himself and Ms. Sinema) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 1260, to 
establish a new Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the 
National Science Foundation, to establish a regional technology hub 
program, to require a strategy and report on economic security, 
science, research, innovation, manufacturing, and job creation, to 
establish a critical supply chain resiliency program, and for other 
purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO NATIONAL NETWORK FOR 
                   MICROELECTRONICS RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

       Section 9903(b) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National 
     Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 
     116-283) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), in the matter before subparagraph 
     (A), by striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:
       ``(3) Structure.--(A) In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
     Secretary shall, through a competitive process, select--
       ``(i) three eligible entities to carry out the core 
     activities described in paragraph (2) as part of the network 
     established under paragraph (1);
       ``(ii) up to ten eligible entities to carry out the hub 
     activities described in paragraph (2) as part of the network 
     established under paragraph (1);
       ``(iii) an eligible entity--
       ``(I) to conduct the competition for selecting the core 
     activities and the hub activities; and
       ``(II) establishing and managing the network established 
     under paragraph (1).
       ``(B) The Secretary shall ensure that the eligible entities 
     selected under subparagraph (A) collectively represent the 
     geographic diversity of the United States.
       ``(C) The Secretary shall ensure that each eligible entity 
     selected under subparagraph (A) leads a distinct area of 
     research determined by the Secretary.
       ``(D) In carrying out activities described in paragraph (2) 
     as part of the network established under paragraph (1), an 
     eligible entity selected under subparagraph (A) may award a 
     subcontract to an additional entity to carry out work on 
     behalf of the eligible entity.
       ``(E)(i) In this paragraph--
       ``(I) a core activity is an activity that is capable of 
     producing 300 millimeter silicon wafers to enable direct 
     technology transfer to domestic state of the art fabricators 
     of silicon wafers; and
       ``(II) a hub activity is an activity specialized in one or 
     more microelectronics innovation areas and is capable of 
     producing 200 millimeter silicon wafers to enable technology 
     transfer to a core activity.
       ``(ii) For purposes of this paragraph, both core activities 
     and hub activities are activities that support the maturation 
     and transfer of leap ahead, new computing concepts, devices 
     and materials, and beyond approaches, in effect as of the 
     date of the enactment of this paragraph, for the 
     complementary-symmetry metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) 
     fabrication process.
       ``(4) Eligible entities.--(A) For purposes of clauses (i) 
     and (ii) of paragraph (3)(A), an eligible entity is--
       ``(i) an institution of higher education (as defined in 
     section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1002)); or
       ``(ii) a consortium led by an institution of higher 
     education (as so defined) and one or more nonprofit or not-
     for-profit research institutions, operators of a federally 
     funded research and development center, or for-profit 
     entities.
       ``(B) For purposes of paragraph (3)(A)(iii), an eligible 
     entity is a suitably qualified nonprofit or governmental 
     organization.
       ``(5) Priority.--In selecting eligible entities under 
     paragraph (3)(A), the Secretary shall give priority to 
     eligible entities that are located in close proximity to 
     existing semiconductor manufacturing and research and 
     development entities.''.
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