[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S2907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5848. Mr. KIM submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2027 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, insert the following:
SEC. ___. UNIVERSITY AFFILIATED RESEARCH CENTER QUANTUM
INFORMATION SCIENCE RESEARCH.
(a) Feasibility and Advisability Assessment.--The Secretary
of Defense shall, in consultation with the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering--
(1) assess the feasibility and advisability of expanding
the scope, capacity, or capabilities of an existing
university affiliated research center that operates at the
Office of the Secretary of Defense level to support quantum
science, engineering, and national security applications; and
(2) submit a recommendation regarding the feasibility and
advisability of such expansion to the congressional defense
committees.
(b) Determination.--Not later than 15 days after submitting
the assessment required under subsection (a), the Secretary
shall determine whether it is feasible and advisable to
expand such a university affiliated research center and--
(1) for a positive determination, submit to the
congressional defense committees a plan described in
subsection (c); and
(2) for a negative determination, submit to the
congressional defense committees a justification for such
determination that includes the data and analysis supporting
such determination.
(c) Plan.--If the Secretary of Defense determines that
expanding a university affiliated research center is feasible
and advisable under subsection (b), the Secretary shall
submit to the congressional defense committees a plan for
such expansion, including an assessment of the institutional
capacity of the covered educational institution at which such
university affiliated research center is operated.
(d) Elements.--The plan described in subsection (c) shall
include the following:
(1) An assessment of the existing capabilities of the
university affiliated research center and associated research
programs at the host institution in quantum science, systems
integration, quantum engineering, and related fields.
(2) An assessment of the ability of the university
affiliated research center--
(A) to conduct basic and applied research in quantum
technologies relevant to national defense;
(B) to integrate quantum technologies across multiple
military departments and defense agencies; and
(C) to support the mission of the Under Secretary of
Defense for Research and Engineering in advancing cross-
cutting technologies.
(3) An assessment of the activities and investments
necessary--
(A) to augment facilities, laboratories, or secure research
environments--
(i) to support research, development, test, and evaluation
activities relating to quantum technologies;
(ii) to access, secure, and conduct research involving
sensitive or classified information; and
(iii) to respond rapidly to emerging Department-wide
requirements in quantum-enabled capabilities;
(B) expand the participation of the university affiliated
research center and affiliated research centers and
laboratories at the host institution supporting the
university affiliated research center mission in Department
of Defense research, engineering, and workforce development
activities relating to quantum technologies; and
(C) to improve the ability of the university affiliated
research center to support the transition of quantum
technologies into operational use.
(4) Recommendations identifying actions that may be taken
by the Secretary, the Under Secretary, Congress, and other
stakeholders to strengthen the role of such university
affiliated research center in advancing quantum technologies
for national security purposes.
(5) Any specific goals, incentives, and metrics developed
by the Secretary to increase and measure the capacity of such
university affiliated research center to support Department-
wide quantum capabilities.
(e) Report Required.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall--
(1) submit to the congressional defense committees a report
that includes the plan developed under subsection (c); and
(2) make the plan available on a publicly accessible
website of the Department of Defense.
(f) Support for Expansion.--
(1) In general.--The Under Secretary of Defense for
Research and Engineering may establish a program to provide
contracts, grants, or other agreements to support the
expansion of the university affiliated research center
described in subsection (a), including through collaborative
research activities with affiliated research centers and
laboratories at the host institution.
(2) Purposes.--The purposes described in this paragraph are
the following:
(A) Enhancing workforce and research infrastructure
capabilities in quantum science and engineering.
(B) Expanding the ability of the university affiliated
research center to recruit and retain faculty and technical
experts in quantum-related fields.
(C) Supporting collaboration with Federal laboratories,
Federally funded research and development centers, and
private sector entities.
(D) Accelerating the development, testing, and transition
of quantum technologies for Department-wide applications.
(E) Any other purposes the Under Secretary determines
appropriate for strengthening quantum capabilities.
(g) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) The term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
(2) The term ``quantum technologies'' includes quantum
computing, quantum sensing, quantum networking, quantum
communications, and quantum materials.
(3) The term ``University Affiliated Research Center
operating at the Office of the Secretary of Defense level''
means a university affiliated research center that supports
research, engineering, and analytical activities that address
cross-cutting priorities of the Department of Defense and are
not limited to a single military department.
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