[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 193 (Wednesday, November 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7747-S7748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 4254. Ms. HASSAN (for herself and Mr. Thune) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 3867 submitted by Mr.
Reed and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 4350, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2022 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place in title II, insert the
following:
SEC. 2__. APPLICATION OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE TALENT EXCHANGE
PROGRAMS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO
QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH.
In carrying out section 1599g of title 10, United States
Code, the Secretary of Defense may establish public-private
exchange programs, each with up to 10 program participants,
focused on private sector entities working on quantum
information sciences and technology research applications.
SEC. 2__. MODIFICATION OF SCIENCE, MATHEMATICS, AND RESEARCH
FOR TRANSFORMATION (SMART) DEFENSE EDUCATION
PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 2192a(b) of title 10, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following
new paragraphs:
``(4) The Secretary shall, to the degree the Secretary
considers practicable and appropriate, allow a person
receiving financial assistance under this section to delay
completion of the person's service obligation under this
section until the person has completed--
``(A) the terminal degree program of education that is
typically expected in the field the person is pursuing; or
``(B) a post-graduate fellowship at a non-Department
laboratory.
``(5) In employing participants during the period of
obligated service, the Secretary shall strive to ensure that
participants are compensated, to the extent practicable, at a
rate that is comparable to the rate of compensation for
employment in a similar position in the private sector.''.
(b) Report on Quantum Science Activities Within SMART
Program.--Not later than three years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit
to Congress a report on participation and use of the program
under section 2192a of title 10, United States Code, as
amended by this subsection, with a particular focus on levels
of interest from students engaged in studying quantum fields.
SEC. 2__. IMPROVEMENTS TO DEFENSE QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE
AND TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
(a) Fellowships.--Section 234 of the John S. McCain
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
(Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection (f):
``(f) Fellowships.--
``(1) Program required.--In carrying out the program
required by subsection (a) and subject to the availability of
appropriations to carry out this subsection, the Secretary
shall carry out a program of fellowships in quantum
information science and technology research and development
for individuals who have a graduate or post-graduate degree.
[[Page S7748]]
``(2) Guidelines.--The Secretary shall award fellowships
under the program required by paragraph (1) pursuant to
guidelines that the Secretary shall establish and using
appropriate authorities and programs available to the
Secretary.
``(3) Equal access.--In carrying out the program required
by paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish procedures to
ensure that minority, geographically diverse, and
economically disadvantaged students have equal access to
fellowship opportunities under such program.''.
(b) Multidisciplinary Partnerships With Universities.--Such
section is further amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (g), as redesignated by
subsection (a)(1), as subsection (h); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (f), as added by
subsection (a)(2), the following new subsection (g):
``(g) Multidisciplinary Partnerships With Universities.--In
carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary
of Defense may develop partnerships with universities to
enable students to engage in multidisciplinary courses of
study.''.
(c) Comptroller General of the United States Assessment of
Program.--
(1) Assessment and briefing.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall--
(A) commence an assessment of the program carried out under
section 234 of the John S. McCain National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115-232;
10 U.S.C. 2358 note), as amended by this section, with
consideration of the report submitted under subsection (h) of
such section (as redesignated by subsection (b)(2) of this
section); and
(B) provide the congressional defense committees a briefing
on the preliminary findings of the Comptroller General with
respect to such program.
(2) Final report.--At a date agreed to by the Comptroller
General and the congressional defense committees at the
briefing provided pursuant to paragraph (1)(B), the
Comptroller General shall submit to the congressional defense
committees a final report with the findings of the
Comptroller General with respect to the assessment conducted
under paragraph (1)(A).
SEC. 2__. IMPROVEMENTS TO NATIONAL QUANTUM INITIATIVE
PROGRAM.
(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the execution of the National Defense Strategy is
critical to national security; and
(2) the success of the National Quantum Initiative Program
is necessary for the Department of Defense to carry out the
National Defense Strategy.
(b) Department of Defense Participation in National Quantum
Initiative Program.--
(1) Consultation.--Section 234 of the John S. McCain
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
(Public Law 115-232; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note), as amended by
section [2__], is further amended by inserting after
subsection (h), as redesignated by section [2__], the
following new subsection:
``(i) Consultation.--The Secretary of Defense shall consult
with the Secretary of Energy, the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the
National Science Foundation, and such other officials as the
Secretary of Defense considers appropriate in development of
efforts to conduct basic research to accelerate scientific
breakthroughs in quantum information science and
technology.''.
(c) Additional Improvements Regarding Consultation and
Coordination.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of
Commerce acting through the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Director of the
National Science Foundation, and the heads of other Federal
agencies participating in the National Quantum Initiative
Program shall consult with each other and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, including the Secretary of Defense
and the Director of National Intelligence, to carry out the
goals of the National Quantum Initiative Program.
(2) Involvement of department of defense and intelligence
community in national quantum initiative advisory
committee.--
(A) Qualifications.--Subsection (b) of section 104 of the
National Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368; 15
U.S.C. 8814) is amended by striking ``and Federal
laboratories'' and inserting ``Federal laboratories, and
defense and intelligence researchers''.
(B) Integration.--Such section is amended--
(i) by redesignating subsections (e) through (g) as
subsection (f) through (h), respectively; and
(ii) by inserting after subsection (d) the following new
subsection (e):
``(e) Integration of Department of Defense and Intelligence
Community.--The Advisory Committee shall take such actions as
may be necessary, including by modifying policies and
procedures of the Advisory Committee, to ensure the full
integration of the Department of Defense and the intelligence
community (as defined in section 3 of the National Security
Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003)) in activities of the Advisory
Committee.''.
(3) Clarification of purpose of multidisciplinary centers
for quantum research and education.--Section 302(c) of the
National Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368; 15
U.S.C. 8842(c)) is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) encouraging workforce collaboration, both with
private industry and among Federal entities, including
national defense agencies and the intelligence community (as
defined in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50
U.S.C. 3003)).''.
(4) Coordination of national quantum information science
research centers.--Section 402(d) of the National Quantum
Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368; 15 U.S.C. 8852(d)) is
amended--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs
(3) and (4), respectively; and
(B) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph (2):
``(2) other research entities of the Federal government,
including research entities in the Department of Defense and
research entities in the intelligence community (as defined
in section 3 of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C.
3003));''.
(5) National quantum coordination office, collaboration
when reporting to congress.--Section 102 of the National
Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368; 15 U.S.C. 8812)
is amended--
(A) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
(B) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new
subsection (c):
``(c) Collaboration When Reporting to Congress.--The
Coordination Office shall ensure that when participants in
the National Quantum Initiative Program prepare and submit
reports to Congress that they do so in collaboration with
each other and as appropriate Federal civilian, defense, and
intelligence research entities.''.
(6) Reporting to additional committees of congress.--
Paragraph (2) of section 2 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 8801) is
amended to read as follows:
``(2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
`appropriate committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation, the Committee on Armed Services, and the
Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Armed
Services, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
of the House of Representatives.''.
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