[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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