[House Report 109-36]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



109th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     109-36

======================================================================



 
         HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING REVITALIZATION ACT OF 2005

                                _______
                                

 April 12, 2005.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. Boehlert, from the Committee on Science, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                             together with

                            ADDITIONAL VIEWS

                         [To accompany H.R. 28]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

  The Committee on Science, to whom was referred the bill (H.R. 
28) to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, having 
considered the same, report favorably thereon with an amendment 
and recommend that the bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
   I. Amendment.......................................................2
  II. Purpose of the Bill.............................................5
 III. Background and Need for the Legislation.........................5
  IV. Summary of Hearings.............................................6
   V. Committee Actions...............................................7
  VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill.........................7
 VII. Section-by-Section Analysis (by Title and Section)..............8
VIII. Committee Views................................................12
  IX. Cost Estimate..................................................13
   X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate......................14
  XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 (Unfunded Mandates)...........15
 XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations...............15
XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives..........15
 XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement.............................16
  XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement...........................16
 XVI. Congressional Accountability Act...............................16
XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law.........16
XVIII.Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported..........16

 XIX. Committee Recommendations......................................27
  XX. Additional View................................................28
 XXI. Proceedings of the Full Committee Markup.......................32

                              I. Amendment

  The amendment is as follows:
  Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``High-Performance Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

  Section 2 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 
5501) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
          ``(10) Commercial application of the results of Federal 
        investment in basic and computing science is consistent with 
        longstanding United States technology transfer policy and is a 
        critical national priority, particularly with regard to 
        cybersecurity and other homeland security applications, because 
        of the urgent needs of commercial, academic, and individual 
        users as well as the Federal and State Governments.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

  Section 4 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 
5503) is amended--
          (1) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and multidisciplinary 
        teams of researchers'' after ``high-performance computing 
        resources'';
          (2) in paragraph (3)--
                  (A) by striking ``scientific workstations,'';
                  (B) by striking ``(including vector supercomputers 
                and large scale parallel systems)'';
                  (C) by striking ``and applications'' and inserting 
                ``applications''; and
                  (D) by inserting ``, and the management of large data 
                sets'' after ``systems software'';
          (3) in paragraph (4), by striking ``packet switched''; and
          (4) by amending paragraphs (5) and (6) to read as follows:
          ``(5) `Program' means the High-Performance Computing Research 
        and Development Program described in section 101; and
          ``(6) `Program Component Areas' means the major subject areas 
        under which are grouped related individual projects and 
        activities carried out under the Program.''.

SEC. 4. HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

  Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511 
et seq.) is amended--
          (1) in the title heading, by striking ``AND THE NATIONAL 
        RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK'' and inserting ``RESEARCH AND 
        DEVELOPMENT'';
          (2) in section 101--
                  (A) the section heading, by striking ``national 
                high-performance computing'' and inserting 
                ``high-performance computing research 
                and development'';
                  (B) in subsection (a)--
                          (i) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                        ``National High-Performance Computing'' and 
                        inserting ``High-Performance Computing Research 
                        and Development'';
                          (ii) by striking paragraphs (1) and (2) and 
                        inserting the following: ``(1) The President 
                        shall implement a High-Performance Computing 
                        Research and Development Program, which shall--
          ``(A) provide for long-term basic and applied research on 
        high-performance computing;
          ``(B) provide for research and development on, and 
        demonstration of, technologies to advance the capacity and 
        capabilities of high-performance computing and networking 
        systems;
          ``(C) provide for sustained access by the research community 
        in the United States to high-performance computing systems that 
        are among the most advanced in the world in terms of 
        performance in solving scientific and engineering problems, 
        including provision for technical support for users of such 
        systems;
          ``(D) provide for efforts to increase software availability, 
        productivity, capability, security, portability, and 
        reliability;
          ``(E) provide for high-performance networks, including 
        experimental testbed networks, to enable research and 
        development on, and demonstration of, advanced applications 
        enabled by such networks;
          ``(F) provide for computational science and engineering 
        research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for 
        applications in all fields of science and engineering;
          ``(G) provide for the technical support of, and research and 
        development on, high-performance computing systems and software 
        required to address Grand Challenges;
          ``(H) provide for educating and training additional 
        undergraduate and graduate students in software engineering, 
        computer science, computer and network security, applied 
        mathematics, library and information science, and computational 
        science; and
          ``(I) provide for improving the security of computing and 
        networking systems, including Federal systems, including 
        research required to establish security standards and practices 
        for these systems.'';
                          (iii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) 
                        as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
                          (iv) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated by 
                        clause (iii) of this subparagraph--
                                  (I) by striking subparagraph (B);
                                  (II) by redesignating subparagraphs 
                                (A) and (C) as subparagraphs (D) and 
                                (F), respectively;
                                  (III) by inserting before 
                                subparagraph (D), as so redesignated by 
                                subclause (II) of this clause, the 
                                following new subparagraphs:
          ``(A) establish the goals and priorities for Federal high-
        performance computing research, development, networking, and 
        other activities;
          ``(B) establish Program Component Areas that implement the 
        goals established under subparagraph (A), and identify the 
        Grand Challenges that the Program should address;
          ``(C) provide for interagency coordination of Federal high-
        performance computing research, development, networking, and 
        other activities undertaken pursuant to the Program;''; and
                          (IV) by inserting after subparagraph (D), as 
                        so redesignated by subclause (II) of this 
                        clause, the following new subparagraph:
          ``(E) develop and maintain a research, development, and 
        deployment roadmap for the provision of high-performance 
        computing systems under paragraph (1)(C); and''; and
                          (v) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by 
                        clause (iii) of this subparagraph--
                                  (I) by striking ``paragraph (3)(A)'' 
                                and inserting ``paragraph (2)(D)'';
                                  (II) by amending subparagraph (A) to 
                                read as follows:
          ``(A) provide a detailed description of the Program Component 
        Areas, including a description of any changes in the definition 
        of or activities under the Program Component Areas from the 
        preceding report, and the reasons for such changes, and a 
        description of Grand Challenges supported under the Program;'';
                                  (III) in subparagraph (C), by 
                                striking ``specific activities'' and 
                                all that follows through ``the 
                                Network'' and inserting ``each Program 
                                Component Area'';
                                  (IV) in subparagraph (D), by 
                                inserting ``and for each Program 
                                Component Area'' after ``participating 
                                in the Program'';
                                  (V) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
                                ``applies;'' and inserting ``applies; 
                                and'';
                                  (VI) by striking subparagraph (E) and 
                                redesignating subparagraph (F) as 
                                subparagraph (E); and
                                  (VII) in subparagraph (E), as so 
                                redesignated by subclause (VI) of this 
                                clause, by inserting ``and the extent 
                                to which the Program incorporates the 
                                recommendations of the advisory 
                                committee established under subsection 
                                (b)'' after ``for the Program'';
                  (C) in subsection (b)--
                          (i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through 
                        (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), 
                        respectively;
                          (ii) by inserting ``(1)'' after ``Advisory 
                        Committee.--'';
                          (iii) in paragraph (1)(C), as so redesignated 
                        by clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph, 
                        by inserting ``, including funding levels for 
                        the Program Component Areas'' after ``of the 
                        Program'';
                          (iv) in paragraph (1)(D), as so redesignated 
                        by clauses (i) and (ii) of this subparagraph, 
                        by striking ``computing'' and inserting ``high-
                        performance computing and networking''; and
                          (v) by adding at the end the following new 
                        paragraph:
  ``(2) In addition to the duties outlined in paragraph (1), the 
advisory committee shall conduct periodic evaluations of the funding, 
management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the 
Program, and shall report not less frequently than once every two 
fiscal years to the Committee on Science of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate on its findings and recommendations. The 
first report shall be due within one year after the date of enactment 
of this paragraph.''; and
                  (D) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``Program 
                or'' and inserting ``Program Component Areas or''; and
          (3) by striking sections 102 and 103.

SEC. 5. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.

  Title II of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 
5521 et seq.) is amended--
          (1) by amending subsection (a) of section 201 to read as 
        follows:
  ``(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program described in 
title I, the National Science Foundation shall--
          ``(1) support research and development to generate 
        fundamental scientific and technical knowledge with the 
        potential of advancing high-performance computing and 
        networking systems and their applications;
          ``(2) provide computing and networking infrastructure support 
        to the research community in the United States, including the 
        provision of high-performance computing systems that are among 
        the most advanced in the world in terms of performance in 
        solving scientific and engineering problems, and including 
        support for advanced software and applications development, for 
        all science and engineering disciplines; and
          ``(3) support basic research and education in all aspects of 
        high-performance computing and networking.'';
          (2) by amending subsection (a) of section 202 to read as 
        follows:
  ``(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program described in 
title I, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall 
conduct basic and applied research in high-performance computing and 
networking, with emphasis on--
          ``(1) computational fluid dynamics, computational thermal 
        dynamics, and computational aerodynamics;
          ``(2) scientific data dissemination and tools to enable data 
        to be fully analyzed and combined from multiple sources and 
        sensors;
          ``(3) remote exploration and experimentation; and
          ``(4) tools for collaboration in system design, analysis, and 
        testing.'';
          (3) in section 203--
                  (A) by striking subsections (a) through (d) and 
                inserting the following:
  ``(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program described in 
title I, the Secretary of Energy shall--
          ``(1) conduct and support basic and applied research in high-
        performance computing and networking to support fundamental 
        research in science and engineering disciplines related to 
        energy applications; and
          ``(2) provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support, including the provision of high-performance computing 
        systems that are among the most advanced in the world in terms 
        of performance in solving scientific and engineering problems, 
        and including support for advanced software and applications 
        development, for science and engineering disciplines related to 
        energy applications.''; and
                  (B) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection 
                (b);
          (4) by amending subsection (a) of section 204 to read as 
        follows:
  ``(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program described in 
title I--
          ``(1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
        shall--
                  ``(A) conduct basic and applied metrology research 
                needed to support high-performance computing and 
                networking systems;
                  ``(B) develop benchmark tests and standards for high-
                performance computing and networking systems and 
                software;
                  ``(C) develop and propose voluntary standards and 
                guidelines, and develop measurement techniques and test 
                methods, for the interoperability of high-performance 
                computing systems in networks and for common user 
                interfaces to high-performance computing and networking 
                systems; and
                  ``(D) work with industry and others to develop, and 
                facilitate the implementation of, high-performance 
                computing applications to solve science and engineering 
                problems that are relevant to industry; and
          ``(2) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
        shall conduct basic and applied research on high-performance 
        computing applications, with emphasis on--
                  ``(A) improving weather forecasting and climate 
                prediction;
                  ``(B) collection, analysis, and dissemination of 
                environmental information; and
                  ``(C) development of more accurate models of the 
                ocean-atmosphere system.''; and
          (5) by amending subsection (a) of section 205 to read as 
        follows:
  ``(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program described in 
title I, the Environmental Protection Agency shall conduct basic and 
applied research directed toward advancement and dissemination of 
computational techniques and software tools for high-performance 
computing systems with an emphasis on modeling to--
          ``(1) develop robust decision support tools;
          ``(2) predict pollutant transport and the effects of 
        pollutants on humans and on ecosystems; and
          ``(3) better understand atmospheric dynamics and 
        chemistry.''.

                        II. Purpose of the Bill

    The purpose of the bill is to revitalize interagency 
coordination and planning for the interagency program 
established by the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 and 
to focus greater attention and resources on federal high-
performance computing programs. The program includes activities 
at the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of 
Energy (DOE) Office of Science, the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration (NASA), the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA).

              III. Background and Need for the Legislation


State of high-performance computing in the world today

    High-performance computers (also called supercomputers or 
high-end computers) are an essential component of U.S. 
scientific, industrial, and military competitiveness.
    However, in June 2002, a new Japanese supercomputer--the 
``Earth Simulator''--was named the fastest in the world, a 
title it held through November 2004. The success of Japan's 
Earth Simulator, both its speed and its efficiency, caused a 
great deal of soul-searching in the high-performance computing 
community in the U.S. The Earth Simulator was the culmination 
of a serious, sustained investment by the Japanese government 
in research, development, and construction of a customized 
computer designed to be the best in the world at tackling 
specific scientific and engineering tasks, including climate 
modeling and earthquake simulation. While Japan pursued this 
course, the U.S. chose to favor the use of commercially 
available components for constructing high-performance 
computers. An advantage of this approach was that it made high-
performance computers more cost-effective to develop by 
leveraging development costs against a larger market. A 
disadvantage was that certain kinds of research questions are 
difficult to pursue on the kinds of computers that can be built 
with commercial components.

The role of the U.S. Government in high-performance computing

    Despite the technical success of the Japanese, the return 
of U.S.-made supercomputers to the top two positions on the 
November 2004 list of the fastest supercomputers in the world 
demonstrated that the U.S. is still highly competitive in high-
performance computing. The depth and strength of U.S. 
capability stems in part from the sustained research and 
development program carried out by federal science agencies 
under an interagency program codified by the High-Performance 
Computing Act of 1991. That Act is widely credited with 
reinvigorating U.S. high-performance computing capabilities 
after a period of relative decline during the late 1980s.
    The Federal government promotes high-performance computing 
in several different ways. First, it funds research and 
development at universities, government laboratories and 
companies to help develop new computer hardware and software; 
second, it funds the purchase of high-performance computers for 
universities and government laboratories; and third, it 
provides access to high-performance computers for a wide 
variety of researchers by allowing them to use government-
supported computers at universities and government 
laboratories.
    According to the National Coordination Office of the 
National Information Technology Research and Development 
Program (NITRD), 10 agencies or offices participate in the 
high-end computing elements of the NITRD program. The total 
estimated NITRD budget for all 10 agencies in Fiscal Year 2005 
(FY05) for high-performance computing is $967.1 million. The 
largest research and development programs are at NSF, $300.7 
million, the DOE Office of Science, $205.5 million, and the 
National Institutes of Health (NIH), $200.4 million. Other 
major agency activities (with funding ranging between $54 and 
$66 million each) are at the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency, the National Security Agency, NASA, and DOE's National 
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). These budget estimates 
do not include the procurement costs for high-performance 
computers purchased by agencies such as NNSA and NOAA for 
computational science related to their missions. In addition to 
high-end computing, the NITRD program includes other program 
component areas, such as large scale networking.

                        IV. Summary of Hearings

    On May 13, 2004, the Committee on Science held a hearing to 
examine the current state of federal high-performance computing 
research and development activities. Dr. John Marburger, 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), 
endorsed H.R. 4218 (the virtually identical version of this Act 
introduced in the 108th Congress) on behalf of the 
Administration. Dr. Marburger also released the report of 
OSTP's High-End Computing Revitalization Task Force, Federal 
Plan for High-End Computing, during his appearance before the 
Committee.
    The other witnesses also voiced their support for the 
legislation. The Committee heard testimony from Dr. Irving 
Wladawsky-Berger, Vice President for Technology and Strategy, 
IBM Corporation; Dr. Daniel Reed, Director of the Renaissance 
Computing Institute at the University of North Carolina at 
Chapel Hill; and Dr. Rick Stevens, Director of the Mathematics 
and Computer Science Division at Argonne National Laboratory. 
Witnesses addressed the need for an ongoing, coordinated 
interagency planning process to guide federal investment in 
high-performance computing procurements, research, and 
development. The witnesses noted the importance of the federal 
role in high-performance computing to ensure U.S. leadership in 
the field, and to ensure that U.S. academic and industrial 
researchers have access to leadership class machines.

                          V. Committee Actions

    On January 4, 2005, Representative Judy Biggert, 
Representative Lincoln Davis, and Representative Sherwood 
Boehlert introduced H.R. 28, the High-Performance Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2005, a bill to update the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 and to strengthen the U.S. 
position in high-performance computing.
    The Full Committee on Science met on Thursday, March 17, 
2005, to consider the bill.
    Mrs. Biggert offered an amendment to add a finding to the 
High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 that emphasizes the 
importance of commercial application of the results of Federal 
investment in computer science. The amendment was adopted by a 
voice vote.
    Mr. Sherman offered an amendment to require that NSF 
support research into the implications of computers that would 
be capable of mimicking human abilities to learn, reason, and 
make decisions. The amendment was defeated by a roll call vote 
(Y-17; N-19).
    Mr. Gordon moved that the Committee favorably report the 
bill, H.R. 28, to the House with the recommendation that the 
bill do pass, and that the staff be instructed to make 
technical and conforming changes to the bill and prepare the 
legislative report and that the Chairman take all necessary 
steps to bring the bill before the House for consideration. 
With a quorum present, the motion was agreed to by a voice 
vote.

              VI. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill

    Finds that commercial application of the results of Federal 
investment in computer science is critical.
    Defines ``high-performance computing'' as advanced 
computing, communications, and information technologies, 
including supercomputer systems, high-capacity and high-speed 
networks, special purpose and experimental systems, 
applications and systems software, and the management of large 
data sets.
    Updates the authorized activities of the interagency High-
Performance Computing Research and Development Program. 
Requires the program to provide for long-term basic and applied 
research on high-performance computing; sustained access by the 
research community in the United States to high-performance 
computing systems; computational science and engineering 
research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for 
applications in all fields of science and engineering; and 
educating and training of additional undergraduate and graduate 
students in fields relevant to high-performance computing.
    Updates and strengthens the coordination responsibilities 
of the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
(OSTP). Requires the Director to establish the goals and 
priorities for Federal high-performance computing research, 
development, networking, and other activities and to develop 
and maintain a research, development, and deployment roadmap 
for the provision of high-performance computing systems for use 
by the research community in the United States.
    Requires the President's Information Technology Advisory 
Committee (PITAC) to conduct periodic evaluations of the 
funding, management, coordination, implementation, and 
activities of the Program, and to report to Congress on the 
findings.
    Authorizes specific responsibilities for the National 
Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science, 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration, and the Environmental Protection 
Agency under the High-Performance Computing Research and 
Development Program. Requires NSF and the DOE Office of Science 
to provide U.S. researchers with access to world-class high-
performance computing systems.

        VII. Section-by-Section Analysis (by Title and Section)


SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF H.R. 28, THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING 
                      REVITALIZATION ACT OF 20050

Section 1. Short title

    ``High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005.''

Section 2. Findings

    Amends section 2 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991 (HPC Act) to add a finding that emphasizes the importance 
of commercial application of the results of Federal investment 
in computer science.

Section 3. Definitions

    Amends section 4 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991 (HPC Act) to further elaborate on, or amend, the 
definition of terms used in the Act:
          ``Grand Challenge'' means a fundamental problem in 
        science or engineering, with broad economic and 
        scientific impact, whose solution will require the 
        application of high-performance computing resources and 
        multidisciplinary teams of researchers;
          ``High-performance computing'' means advanced 
        computing, communications, and information 
        technologies, including supercomputer systems, high-
        capacity and high-speed networks, special purpose and 
        experimental systems, applications and systems 
        software, and the management of large data sets;
          ``Program'' means the High-Performance Computing 
        Research and Development Program described in section 
        101;
          ``Program Component Areas'' means the major subject 
        areas under which are grouped related individual 
        projects and activities carried out under the Program.
    Strikes the definition of ``Network'' because it refers to 
the National Research and Education Network, which no longer 
exists as such.

Section 4. High-Performance Computing Research and Development Program

    Amends section 101 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
organization and responsibilities of the interagency research 
and development program originally referred to as the National 
High-Performance Computing Program--and renamed the High-
Performance Computing Research and Development Program in this 
Act. Requires the program to:
          Provide for long-term basic and applied research on 
        high-performance computing;
          Provide for research and development on, and 
        demonstration of, technologies to advance the capacity 
        and capabilities of high-performance computing and 
        networking systems;
          Provide for sustained access by the research 
        community in the United States to high-performance 
        computing systems that are among the most advanced in 
        the world in terms of performance in solving scientific 
        and engineering problems, including provision for 
        technical support for users of such systems;
          Provide for efforts to increase software 
        availability, productivity, capability, security, 
        portability, and reliability;
          Provide for high-performance networks, including 
        experimental testbed networks, to enable research and 
        development on, and demonstration of, advanced 
        applications enabled by such networks;
          Provide for computational science and engineering 
        research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for 
        applications in all fields of science and engineering;
          Provide for the technical support of, and research 
        and development on, high-performance computing systems 
        and software required to address Grand Challenges;
          Provide for educating and training additional 
        undergraduate and graduate students in software 
        engineering, computer science, computer and network 
        security, applied mathematics, library and information 
        science, and computational science;
          Provide for improving the security of computing and 
        networking systems, including research required to 
        establish security standards and practices for these 
        systems.
    Requires the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy (OSTP) to:
          Establish the goals and priorities for Federal high-
        performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities;
          Establish Program Component Areas that implement the 
        goals established for the Program and identify the 
        Grand Challenges that the Program should address;
          Provide for interagency coordination of Federal high-
        performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities undertaken pursuant to 
        the Program;
          Develop and maintain a research, development, and 
        deployment roadmap for the provision of high-
        performance computing systems for use by the research 
        community in the United States.
    Leaves substantially unchanged the provisions of the HPC 
Act requiring the Director of OSTP to:
          Provide an annual report to Congress, along with the 
        annual budget request, describing the implementation of 
        the Program, including current and proposed funding 
        levels and programmatic changes, if any, from the 
        previous year;
          Consult with academic, State, and other appropriate 
        groups conducting research on and using high-
        performance computing.
    Requires the Director of OSTP to include in his annual 
report to Congress:
          A detailed description of the Program Component 
        Areas, including a description of any changes in the 
        definition of activities under the Program Component 
        Areas from the previous year, and the reasons for such 
        changes, and a description of Grand Challenges 
        supported under the Program;
          An analysis of the extent to which the Program 
        incorporates the recommendations of the Advisory 
        Committee established by the HPC Act--currently 
        referred to as the President's Information Technology 
        Advisory Committee (PITAC).
    Requires PITAC to conduct periodic evaluations of the 
funding, management, coordination, implementation, and 
activities of the Program, and to report to Congress once every 
two fiscal years, with the first report due within one year of 
enactment.
    Repeals section 102 of HPC Act, the ``National Research and 
Education Network,'' which required the development of a 
network to link research and educational institutions, 
government, and industry. This network was developed but has 
since been supplanted by the Internet.
    Repeals section 103 of the HPC Act, ``Next Generation 
Internet,'' as this program is no longer in existence.

Section 5. Agency activities

    Amends section 201 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the National Science Foundation (NSF) under 
the Program. Requires NSF to:
          Support research and development to generate 
        fundamental scientific and technical knowledge with the 
        potential of advancing high-performance computing and 
        networking systems and their applications;
          Provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support to the research community in the United States, 
        including the provision of high-performance computing 
        systems that are among the most advanced in the world 
        in terms of performance in solving scientific and 
        engineering problems, including support for advanced 
        software and applications development, for all science 
        and engineering disciplines;
          Support basic research and education in all aspects 
        of high-performance computing and networking.
    Amends section 202 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA) under the Program. Requires NASA to 
conduct basic and applied research in high-performance 
networking, with emphasis on:
          Computational fluid dynamics, computational thermal 
        dynamics, and computational aerodynamics;
          Scientific data dissemination and tools to enable 
        data to be fully analyzed and combined from multiple 
        sources and sensors;
          Remote exploration and experimentation;
          Tools for collaboration in system design, analysis, 
        and testing.
    Amends section 203 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Department of Energy (DOE) under the 
Program. Requires DOE to:
          Conduct and support basic and applied research in 
        high-performance computing and networking to support 
        fundamental research in science and engineering 
        disciplines related to energy applications;
          Provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support, including the provision of high-performance 
        computing systems that are among the most advanced in 
        the world in terms of performance in solving scientific 
        and engineering problems, and including support for 
        advanced software and applications development, for 
        science and engineering disciplines related to energy 
        applications.
    Amends section 204 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Department of Commerce, including the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under 
the Program.
    Requires NIST to:
          Conduct basic and applied metrology research needed 
        to support high-performance computing and networking 
        systems;
          Develop benchmark tests and standards for high-
        performance computing and networking systems and 
        software;
          Develop and propose voluntary standards and 
        guidelines, and develop measurement techniques and test 
        methods, for the interoperability of high-performance 
        computing systems in networks and for common user 
        interfaces to high-performance computing and networking 
        systems;
          Work with industry and others to develop, and 
        facilitate the implementation of, high-performance 
        computing applications to solve science and engineering 
        problems that are relevant to industry.
    Requires NOAA to conduct basic and applied research in 
high-performance computing applications, with emphasis on:
          Improving weather forecasting and climate prediction;
          Collection, analysis, and dissemination of 
        environmental information;
          Development of more accurate models of the ocean-
        atmosphere system.
    Amends section 205 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
under the Program. Requires EPA to conduct basic and applied 
research directed toward the advancement and dissemination of 
computational techniques and software tools with an emphasis on 
modeling to:
          Develop robust decision-support tools;
          Predict pollutant transport and their effects on 
        humans and on ecosystems;
          Better understand atmospheric dynamics and chemistry.

                         VIII. Committee Views


Interagency planning and coordination

    The High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 codified an 
interagency planning process that remains in place today. The 
Committee expects all of the participating agencies to engage 
in a forward-looking planning and coordination process led by 
OSTP to coordinate high-performance computing activities across 
the federal government. The agencies, led by OSTP, should 
submit a coordinated budget for federal high-performance 
computing activities to the Office of Management and Budget. 
Furthermore, the agencies, led by OSTP, should develop and 
periodically refine a research, development, and deployment 
roadmap for high-performance computing systems. In addition, in 
formulating plans for the Program, the Committee expects the 
participating agencies to take into consideration the findings 
and recommendations of the President's Information Technology 
Advisory Committee, which is required to conduct recurring 
reviews of the planning, implementation, and contents of the 
Program.

Assuring U.S. researchers sustained access to high-performance 
        computing infrastructure

    The Committee believes that the High-Performance Computing 
Research and Development Program, in general, and NSF and DOE's 
Office of Science, in particular, must provide U.S. researchers 
with sustained access to high-performance computers that are 
among the most advanced in the world in terms of performance in 
solving scientific and engineering problems. This is necessary 
in order for the U.S. to maintain its position as a world 
leader in scientific and engineering fields and in technology 
innovation. By ``among the most advanced in the world,'' the 
Committee means general purpose scientific computing systems 
that would rank among the top few systems in existence in 
performance (1) on widely accepted standardized tests, such as 
the LINPACK Benchmark used to generate the Top 500 list; and 
(2) on actual production codes for solving the most demanding 
problems in science and engineering disciplines. The Committee 
intends that such computing systems be equivalent to 
``Leadership Systems'' as described in the May 10, 2004 report 
of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, Federal Plan 
for High-End Computing.
    The Committee is supportive of recent initiatives to make 
DOE's Office of Science high-performance computing resources 
more broadly available to researchers not otherwise supported 
by DOE and to allocate those resources on a competitive, merit-
reviewed basis. The Committee encourages DOE to increase the 
quantity of supercomputing resources allocated to U.S. 
researchers in this fashion and to provide information to the 
research community on the long-term availability of these 
resources.
    The Committee is supportive of continued NSF funding of 
software, algorithms, networking and data storage techniques, 
and education and outreach activities associated with high-
performance computing. However, the Committee emphasizes that 
significant attention and funding must also be devoted to 
procurement of high-performance computing hardware for high-
performance computing user facilities, including the NSF 
supercomputer centers.
    Overall, the Committee believes that for the federal 
government to effectively meet the scientific community's high-
performance computing needs, NSF and DOE's Office of Science 
each must support Leadership Systems which should be available 
for use by researchers from academia, industry, and government 
laboratories. By use of the phrase ``sustained access'' the 
Committee expects NSF and DOE to develop and maintain plans and 
budgets to assure ongoing improvements in the capability of 
high-performance computing user facilities, such as the NSF 
supercomputer centers and DOE's Office of Science high-end 
(high-performance) computing user facilities, so that the 
computing infrastructure made available through these 
facilities remains among the most advanced in the world.
    But the most advanced high-performance computing hardware, 
on its own, will not be enough to enable researchers to conduct 
the most advanced science. The Committee believes that the 
development of software, applications, networking, and data 
storage and management techniques, including support for the 
applied mathematics required to develop advanced software and 
algorithms, will be essential to enable researchers to make 
effective use of the high-performance computing resources made 
available under this Act.

National Information Technology Research and Development Program 
        (NITRD)

    The NITRD program includes six program component areas: 
High End Computing, Large Scale Networking, Software Design and 
Productivity, Human Computer Interaction and Information 
Management, High Confidence Software and Systems, and Social, 
Economic, and Workforce Implications of Information Technology. 
While the focus of this Act is on high-performance computing, 
the Committee recognizes that all program component areas are 
essential parts of the federal information technology research 
and development effort and expects the planning and 
coordination process for the NITRD program to result in an 
appropriate balance of resources among the program component 
areas. The committee expects the annual report for the program 
to provide the rationale for the allocation of funding among 
the program component areas. The Committee expects that the 
allocations for the high end computing program component area 
will be sufficient to carry out this Act.

                           IX. Cost Estimate

    A cost estimate and comparison prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office under section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 has been timely submitted to 
the Committee on Science prior to the filing of this report and 
is included in Section IX of this report pursuant to House Rule 
XIII, clause 3(c)(3).
    H.R. 28 does not contain new budget authority, credit 
authority, or changes in revenues or tax expenditures. H.R. 28 
does not authorize additional discretionary spending, as 
described in the Congressional Budget Office report on the 
bill, which is contained in Section X of this report.

              X. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

                                                     April 4, 2005.
Hon. Sherwood L. Boehlert,
Chairman, Committee on Science,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 28, the High-
Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mike Waters.
            Sincerely,
                                       Douglas Holtz-Eakin,
                                                          Director.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 28--High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005

    Summary: H.R. 28 would amend existing statutory guidelines 
for interagency research and development (R&D) related to high-
performance computing. Nondefense R&D on high-performance 
computing is conducted at six agencies: the National Science 
Foundation (NSF), the Department of Energy (DOE), the National 
Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, the Department of Commerce, and the 
Environmental Protection Agency. This bill would realign 
program objectives with current R&D priorities, repeal 
authorizations for activities that are technologically outdated 
and emphasize newer issues, such as providing researchers 
sustained access to the most advanced computing systems in the 
world. In addition, the bill would direct the program's 
advisory committee to evaluate program funding, management, and 
effectiveness on a periodic basis.
    CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 28 would cost a total 
of $220 million over the 2006-2010 period, assuming 
appropriation of necessary funds for the new directives in the 
bill. CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 28 would have no effect 
on direct spending or revenues.
    H.R. 28 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) 
and would impose no costs on state, local, and tribal 
governments.
    Estimated cost to the Federal Government: The estimated 
budgetary impact of H.R. 28 is shown in the following table. 
For this estimate, CBO assumes that the bill will be enacted 
during 2005 and that outlays will follow historical patterns 
for similar R&D infrastructure programs. The cost of this 
legislation primarily falls within budget function 250 (general 
science, space, and technology).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                  By fiscal year, in millions of dollars--
                                                          ------------------------------------------------------
                                                              2006       2007       2008       2009       2010
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                  CHANGES IN SPENDING SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATION

Estimated Authorization Level............................         34         34         70         86         88
Estimated Outlays........................................         10         22         45         62         81
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Basis of estimate: CBO expects that agencies would need to 
increase spending to meet the bill's new goal of providing 
researchers with sustained access to ``high-performance 
computing systems that are among the most advanced in the world 
in terms of performance in solving scientific and engineering 
problems.'' (The six agencies currently conducting nondefense 
R&D on high-performance computing systems received 
appropriations of approximately $1.9 billion in 2005.) For this 
estimate, CBO assumes that this provision would authorize 
appropriations to provide sustained access to such leadership-
class facilities. Under the bill, two agencies--NSF and DOE--
would be required to provide such systems for researchers.
    According to a May 2004 federal task report on high-end 
computing, leadership-class facilities are high-end computers 
that will enable breakthroughs in challenging scientific and 
engineering computational problems. There are no such systems 
currently available for U.S. civilian researchers, but CBO 
expects that DOE will build one leadership-class facility under 
current law.
    According to DOE and NSF, such systems are typically 
acquired over a three-year period and need to be replaced every 
three or four years. Hence, it is likely that NSF and DOE would 
need continuous funding for facility acquisition to provide 
researchers with sustained access to the most advanced 
computers. Based on information from those agencies, CBO 
expects that the cost of individual facilities could range from 
$60 million to $150 million (or an average of about $100 
million in 2005), depending on the capabilities of the 
facilities and the software and infrastructure needed to 
support them. Experience with existing systems suggest that 
operations and maintenance for each facility would cost about 
$15 million a year. For this estimate, CBO assumes that NSF 
would build one facility over the 2006-2008 period and would 
begin acquiring a replacement facility in 2009; we assume that 
DOE would begin acquiring its next replacement facility in 
2008.
    Intergovernmental and private-sector impact: H.R. 28 
contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as 
defined in UMRA and would impose no costs on state, local, and 
tribal governments.
    Estimate prepared by: Federal Costs: Mike Waters; Impact on 
State, Local, and Tribal Governments: Gregory Waring; Impact on 
the Private Sector: Craig Cammarata.
    Estimate approved by: Peter H. Fontaine, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

        XI. Compliance With Public Law 104-4 (Unfunded Mandates)

    H.R. 28 contains no unfunded mandates.

         XII. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations

    The Committee on Science's oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.

      XIII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause (3)(c) of House rule XIII, the goals of 
H.R. 28 are to update the activities of the interagency High-
Performance Computing Research and Development Program; to 
authorize specific program areas at NSF, DOE, NASA, NIST, NOAA, 
and EPA; and to expand the responsibilities of OSTP and PITAC 
in order to enhance the planning, management, and coordination 
of the Program.

                XIV. Constitutional Authority Statement

    Article I, section 8 of the Constitution of the United 
States grants Congress the authority to enact H.R. 28.

                XV. Federal Advisory Committee Statement

    The functions of the advisory committee required by H.R. 28 
could be performed by one or more agencies or by enlarging the 
mandate of another existing advisory committee.

                 XVI. Congressional Accountability Act

    The Committee finds that H.R. 28 does not relate to the 
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services 
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of 
the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).

      XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law

    This bill is not intended to preempt any state, local, or 
tribal law.

      XVIII. Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law 
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new 
matter is printed in italic, existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING ACT OF 1991

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *



SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

  The Congress finds the following:
          (1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (10) Commercial application of the results of Federal 
        investment in basic and computing science is consistent 
        with longstanding United States technology transfer 
        policy and is a critical national priority, 
        particularly with regard to cybersecurity and other 
        homeland security applications, because of the urgent 
        needs of commercial, academic, and individual users as 
        well as the Federal and State Governments.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

  As used in this Act, the term--
          (1) * * *
          (2) ``Grand Challenge'' means a fundamental problem 
        in science or engineering, with broad economic and 
        scientific impact, whose solution will require the 
        application of high-performance computing resources and 
        multidisciplinary teams of researchers;
          (3) ``high-performance computing'' means advanced 
        computing, communications, and information 
        technologies, including [scientific workstations,] 
        supercomputer systems [(including vector supercomputers 
        and large scale parallel systems)], high-capacity and 
        high-speed networks, special purpose and experimental 
        systems, [and] applications and systems software, and 
        the management of large data sets;
          (4) ``Internet'' means the international computer 
        network of both Federal and non-Federal interoperable 
        [packet switched] data networks;
          [(5) ``Network'' means a computer network referred to 
        as the National Research and Education Network 
        established under section 102; and
          [(6) ``Program'' means the National High-Performance 
        Computing Program described in section 101.]
          (5) ``Program'' means the High-Performance Computing 
        Research and Development Program described in section 
        101; and
          (6) ``Program Component Areas'' means the major 
        subject areas under which are grouped related 
        individual projects and activities carried out under 
        the Program.

  TITLE I--HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING [AND THE NATIONAL RESEARCH AND 
              EDUCATION NETWORK] RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

SEC. 101. [NATIONAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING] HIGH-PERFORMANCE 
                    COMPUTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

  (a) [National High-Performance Computing] High-Performance 
Computing Research and Development Program.--[(1) The President 
shall implement a National High-Performance Computing Program, 
which shall--
          [(A) establish the goals and priorities for Federal 
        high-performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities; and
          [(B) provide for interagency coordination of Federal 
        high-performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities undertaken pursuant to 
        the Program.
  [(2) The Program shall--
          [(A) provide for the development of technologies to 
        advance the capacity and capabilities of the Internet;
          [(B) provide for high performance testbed networks to 
        enable the research, development, and demonstration of 
        advanced networking technologies and to develop and 
        demonstrate advanced applications made possible by the 
        existence of such testbed networks;
          [(C) promote connectivity among computer networks of 
        Federal agencies and departments;
          [(D) provide for efforts to increase software 
        availability, productivity, capability, portability, 
        and reliability;
          [(E) provide for improved dissemination of Federal 
        agency data and electronic information;
          [(F) provide for acceleration of the development of 
        high-performance computing systems, subsystems, and 
        associated software;
          [(G) provide for the technical support and research 
        and development of high-performance computing software 
        and hardware needed to address Grand Challenges;
          [(H) provide for educating and training additional 
        undergraduate and graduate students in software 
        engineering, computer science, library and information 
        science, and computational science; and
          [(I) provide--
                  [(i) for the security requirements, policies, 
                and standards necessary to protect Federal 
                research computer networks and information 
                resources accessible through Federal research 
                computer networks, including research required 
                to establish security standards for high-
                performance computing systems and networks; and
                  [(ii) that agencies and departments 
                identified in the annual report submitted under 
                paragraph (3)(A) shall define and implement a 
                security plan consistent with the Program and 
                with applicable law.] (1) The President shall 
                implement a High-Performance Computing Research 
                and Development Program, which shall--
          (A) provide for long-term basic and applied research 
        on high-performance computing;
          (B) provide for research and development on, and 
        demonstration of, technologies to advance the capacity 
        and capabilities of high-performance computing and 
        networking systems;
          (C) provide for sustained access by the research 
        community in the United States to high-performance 
        computing systems that are among the most advanced in 
        the world in terms of performance in solving scientific 
        and engineering problems, including provision for 
        technical support for users of such systems;
          (D) provide for efforts to increase software 
        availability, productivity, capability, security, 
        portability, and reliability;
          (E) provide for high-performance networks, including 
        experimental testbed networks, to enable research and 
        development on, and demonstration of, advanced 
        applications enabled by such networks;
          (F) provide for computational science and engineering 
        research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for 
        applications in all fields of science and engineering;
          (G) provide for the technical support of, and 
        research and development on, high-performance computing 
        systems and software required to address Grand 
        Challenges;
          (H) provide for educating and training additional 
        undergraduate and graduate students in software 
        engineering, computer science, computer and network 
        security, applied mathematics, library and information 
        science, and computational science; and
          (I) provide for improving the security of computing 
        and networking systems, including Federal systems, 
        including research required to establish security 
        standards and practices for these systems.
  [(3)] (2) The Director shall--
          (A) establish the goals and priorities for Federal 
        high-performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities;
          (B) establish Program Component Areas that implement 
        the goals established under subparagraph (A), and 
        identify the Grand Challenges that the Program should 
        address;
          (C) provide for interagency coordination of Federal 
        high-performance computing research, development, 
        networking, and other activities undertaken pursuant to 
        the Program;
          [(A)] (D) submit to the Congress an annual report, 
        along with the President's annual budget request, 
        describing the implementation of the Program;
          (E) develop and maintain a research, development, and 
        deployment roadmap for the provision of high-
        performance computing systems under paragraph (1)(C); 
        and
          [(B) provide for interagency coordination of the 
        Program; and]
          [(C)] (F) consult with academic, State, industry, and 
        other appropriate groups conducting research on and 
        using high-performance computing.
  [(4)] (3) The annual report submitted under [paragraph 
(3)(A)] paragraph (2)(D) shall--
          [(A) include a detailed description of the goals and 
        priorities established by the President for the 
        Program;]
          (A) provide a detailed description of the Program 
        Component Areas, including a description of any changes 
        in the definition of or activities under the Program 
        Component Areas from the preceding report, and the 
        reasons for such changes, and a description of Grand 
        Challenges supported under the Program;

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *

          (C) describe the levels of Federal funding for the 
        fiscal year during which such report is submitted, and 
        the levels proposed for the fiscal year with respect to 
        which the budget submission applies, for [specific 
        activities, including education, research, hardware and 
        software development, and support for the establishment 
        of the Network] each Program Component Area;
          (D) describe the levels of Federal funding for each 
        agency and department participating in the Program and 
        for each Program Component Area for the fiscal year 
        during which such report is submitted, and the levels 
        proposed for the fiscal year with respect to which the 
        budget submission applies; and
          [(E) include the report of the Secretary of Energy 
        required by section 203(d); and]
          [(F)] (E) include an analysis of the progress made 
        toward achieving the goals and priorities established 
        for the Program and the extent to which the Program 
        incorporates the recommendations of the advisory 
        committee established under subsection (b).
  (b) Advisory Committee.--(1) The President shall establish an 
advisory committee on high-performance computing consisting of 
non-Federal members, including representatives of the research, 
education, and library communities, network providers, and 
industry, who are specially qualified to provide the Director 
with advice and information on high-performance computing. The 
recommendations of the advisory committee shall be considered 
in reviewing and revising the Program. The advisory committee 
shall provide the Director with an independent assessment of--
          [(1)] (A) progress made in implementing the Program;
          [(2)] (B) the need to revise the Program;
          [(3)] (C) the balance between the components of the 
        Program, including funding levels for the Program 
        Component Areas;
          [(4)] (D) whether the research and development 
        undertaken pursuant to the Program is helping to 
        maintain United States leadership in [computing] high-
        performance computing and networking technology; and
          [(5)] (E) other issues identified by the Director.
  (2) In addition to the duties outlined in paragraph (1), the 
advisory committee shall conduct periodic evaluations of the 
funding, management, coordination, implementation, and 
activities of the Program, and shall report not less frequently 
than once every two fiscal years to the Committee on Science of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on its findings and 
recommendations. The first report shall be due within one year 
after the date of enactment of this paragraph.
  (c) Office of Management and Budget.--(1) Each Federal agency 
and department participating in the Program shall, as part of 
its annual request for appropriations to the Office of 
Management and Budget, submit a report to the Office of 
Management and Budget which--
          (A) identifies each element of its high-performance 
        computing activities which contributes directly to the 
        [Program or] Program Component Areas or benefits from 
        the Program; and

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


[SEC. 102. NATIONAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION NETWORK.

  [(a) Establishment.--As part of the Program, the National 
Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Department 
of Energy, the Department of Commerce, the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration, and other agencies participating in 
the Program shall support the establishment of the National 
Research and Education Network, portions of which shall, to the 
extent technically feasible, be capable of transmitting data at 
one gigabit per second or greater by 1996. The Network shall 
provide for the linkage of research institutions and 
educational institutions, government, and industry in every 
State.
  [(b) Access.--Federal agencies and departments shall work 
with private network service providers, State and local 
agencies, libraries, educational institutions and 
organizations, and others, as appropriate, in order to ensure 
that the researchers, educators, and students have access, as 
appropriate, to the Network. The Network is to provide users 
with appropriate access to high-performance computing systems, 
electronic information resources, other research facilities, 
and libraries. The Network shall provide access, to the extent 
practicable, to electronic information resources maintained by 
libraries, research facilities, publishers, and affiliated 
organizations.
  [(c) Network Characteristics.--The Network shall--
          [(1) be developed and deployed with the computer, 
        telecommunications, and information industries;
          [(2) be designed, developed, and operated in 
        collaboration with potential users in government, 
        industry, and research institutions and educational 
        institutions;
          [(3) be designed, developed, and operated in a manner 
        which fosters and maintains competition and private 
        sector investment in high-speed data networking within 
        the telecommunications industry;
          [(4) be designed, developed, and operated in a manner 
        which promotes research and development leading to 
        development of commercial data communications and 
        telecommunications standards, whose development will 
        encourage the establishment of privately operated high-
        speed commercial networks;
          [(5) be designed and operated so as to ensure the 
        continued application of laws that provide network and 
        information resources security measures, including 
        those that protect copyright and other intellectual 
        property rights, and those that control access to data 
        bases and protect national security;
          [(6) have accounting mechanisms which allow users or 
        groups of users to be charged for their usage of 
        copyrighted materials available over the Network and, 
        where appropriate and technically feasible, for their 
        usage of the Network;
          [(7) ensure the interoperability of Federal and non-
        Federal computer networks, to the extent appropriate, 
        in a way that allows autonomy for each component 
        network;
          [(8) be developed by purchasing standard commercial 
        transmission and network services from vendors whenever 
        feasible, and by contracting for customized services 
        when not feasible, in order to minimize Federal 
        investment in network hardware;
          [(9) support research and development of networking 
        software and hardware; and
          [(10) serve as a test bed for further research and 
        development of high-capacity and high-speed computing 
        networks and demonstrate how advanced computers, high-
        capacity and high-speed computing networks, and data 
        bases can improve the national information 
        infrastructure.
  [(d) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency 
Responsibility.--As part of the Program, the Department of 
Defense, through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 
shall support research and development of advanced fiber optics 
technology, switches, and protocols needed to develop the 
Network.
  [(e) Information Services.--The Director shall assist the 
President in coordinating the activities of appropriate 
agencies and departments to promote the development of 
information services that could be provided over the Network. 
These services may include the provision of directories of the 
users and services on computer networks, data bases of 
unclassified Federal scientific data, training of users of data 
bases and computer networks, access to commercial information 
services for users of the Network, and technology to support 
computer-based collaboration that allows researchers and 
educators around the Nation to share information and 
instrumentation.
  [(f) Use of Grant Funds.--All Federal agencies and 
departments are authorized to allow recipients of Federal 
research grants to use grant moneys to pay for computer 
networking expenses.
  [(g) Report to Congress.--Within one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director shall report to the 
Congress on--
          [(1) effective mechanisms for providing operating 
        funds for the maintenance and use of the Network, 
        including user fees, industry support, and continued 
        Federal investment;
          [(2) the future operation and evolution of the 
        Network;
          [(3) how commercial information service providers 
        could be charged for access to the Network, and how 
        Network users could be charged for such commercial 
        information services;
          [(4) the technological feasibility of allowing 
        commercial information service providers to use the 
        Network and other federally funded research networks;
          [(5) how to protect the copyrights of material 
        distributed over the Network; and
          [(6) appropriate policies to ensure the security of 
        resources available on the Network and to protect the 
        privacy of users of networks.

[SEC. 103. NEXT GENERATION INTERNET.

  [(a) Establishment.--The National Science Foundation, the 
Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the 
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology may support the Next 
Generation Internet program. The objectives of the Next 
Generation Internet program shall be to--
          [(1) support research, development, and demonstration 
        of advanced networking technologies to increase the 
        capabilities and improve the performance of the 
        Internet;
          [(2) develop an advanced testbed network connecting a 
        significant number of research sites, including 
        universities, Federal research institutions, and other 
        appropriate research partner institutions, to support 
        networking research and to demonstrate new networking 
        technologies; and
          [(3) develop and demonstrate advanced Internet 
        applications that meet important national goals or 
        agency mission needs, and that are supported by the 
        activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2).
  [(b) Duties of Advisory Committee.--The President's 
Information Technology Advisory Committee (established pursuant 
to section 101(b) by Executive Order No. 13035 of February 11, 
1997 (62 F.R. 7131), as amended by Executive Order No. 13092 of 
July 24, 1998), in addition to its functions under section 
101(b), shall--
          [(1) assess the extent to which the Next Generation 
        Internet program--
                  [(A) carries out the purposes of this Act; 
                and
                  [(B) addresses concerns relating to, among 
                other matters--
                          [(i) geographic penalties (as defined 
                        in section 7(1) of the Next Generation 
                        Internet Research Act of 1998);
                          [(ii) the adequacy of access to the 
                        Internet by Historically Black Colleges 
                        and Universities, Hispanic Serving 
                        Institutions, and small colleges and 
                        universities (whose enrollment is less 
                        than 5,000) and the degree of 
                        participation of those institutions in 
                        activities described in subsection (a); 
                        and
                          [(iii) technology transfer to and 
                        from the private sector;
          [(2) review the extent to which the role of each 
        Federal agency and department involved in implementing 
        the Next Generation Internet program is clear and 
        complementary to, and non-duplicative of, the roles of 
        other participating agencies and departments;
          [(3) assess the extent to which Federal support of 
        fundamental research in computing is sufficient to 
        maintain the Nation's critical leadership in this 
        field; and
          [(4) make recommendations relating to its findings 
        under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
  [(c) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall review 
implementation of the Next Generation Internet program and 
shall report, not less frequently than annually, to the 
President, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, the Committee on Appropriations, and the 
Committee on Armed Services of the Senate, and the Committee on 
Science, the Committee on Appropriations, and the Committee on 
Armed Services of the House of Representatives on its findings 
and recommendations for the preceding fiscal year. The first 
such report shall be submitted 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of the Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998 
and the last report shall be submitted by September 30, 2000.
  [(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
to be appropriated for the purposes of this section--
          [(1) for the Department of Energy, $22,000,000 for 
        fiscal year 1999 and $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2000;
          [(2) for the National Science Foundation, $25,000,000 
        for fiscal year 1999 and $25,000,000 for fiscal year 
        2000, as authorized in the National Science Foundation 
        Authorization Act of 1998;
          [(3) for the National Institutes of Health, 
        $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and $7,500,000 for 
        fiscal year 2000;
          [(4) for the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and 
        $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2000; and
          [(5) for the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 1999 and 
        $7,500,000 for fiscal year 2000.
Such funds may not be used for routine upgrades to existing 
federally funded communication networks.]

                      TITLE II--AGENCY ACTIVITIES

SEC. 201. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION ACTIVITIES.

  [(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I--
          [(1) the National Science Foundation shall provide 
        computing and networking infrastructure support for all 
        science and engineering disciplines, and support basic 
        research and human resource development in all aspects 
        of high-performance computing and advanced high-speed 
        computer networking;
          [(2) to the extent that colleges, universities, and 
        libraries cannot connect to the Network with the 
        assistance of the private sector, the National Science 
        Foundation shall have primary responsibility for 
        assisting colleges, universities, and libraries to 
        connect to the Network;
          [(3) the National Science Foundation shall serve as 
        the primary source of information on access to and use 
        of the Network; and
          [(4) the National Science Foundation shall upgrade 
        the National Science Foundation funded network, assist 
        regional networks to upgrade their capabilities, and 
        provide other Federal departments and agencies the 
        opportunity to connect to the National Science 
        Foundation funded network.]
  (a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the National Science Foundation shall--
          (1) support research and development to generate 
        fundamental scientific and technical knowledge with the 
        potential of advancing high-performance computing and 
        networking systems and their applications;
          (2) provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support to the research community in the United States, 
        including the provision of high-performance computing 
        systems that are among the most advanced in the world 
        in terms of performance in solving scientific and 
        engineering problems, and including support for 
        advanced software and applications development, for all 
        science and engineering disciplines; and
          (3) support basic research and education in all 
        aspects of high-performance computing and networking.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 202. NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION ACTIVITIES.

  [(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall conduct basic and applied research in 
high-performance computing, particularly in the field of 
computational science, with emphasis on aerospace sciences, 
earth and space sciences, and remote exploration and 
experimentation.]
  (a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration shall conduct basic and applied research in 
high-performance computing and networking, with emphasis on--
          (1) computational fluid dynamics, computational 
        thermal dynamics, and computational aerodynamics;
          (2) scientific data dissemination and tools to enable 
        data to be fully analyzed and combined from multiple 
        sources and sensors;
          (3) remote exploration and experimentation; and
          (4) tools for collaboration in system design, 
        analysis, and testing.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 203. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ACTIVITIES.

  [(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the Secretary of Energy shall--
          [(1) perform research and development on, and systems 
        evaluations of, high-performance computing and 
        communications systems;
          [(2) conduct computational research with emphasis on 
        energy applications;
          [(3) support basic research, education, and human 
        resources in computational science; and
          [(4) provide for networking infrastructure support 
        for energy-related mission activities.
  [(b) Collaborative Consortia.--In accordance with the 
Program, the Secretary of Energy shall establish High-
Performance Computing Research and Development Collaborative 
Consortia by soliciting and selecting proposals. Each 
Collaborative Consortium shall--
          [(1) conduct research directed at scientific and 
        technical problems whose solutions require the 
        application of high-performance computing and 
        communications resources;
          [(2) promote the testing and uses of new types of 
        high-performance computing and related software and 
        equipment;
          [(3) serve as a vehicle for participating vendors of 
        high-performance computing systems to test new ideas 
        and technology in a sophisticated computing 
        environment; and
          [(4) be led by a Department of Energy national 
        laboratory, and include participants from Federal 
        agencies and departments, researchers, private 
        industry, educational institutions, and others as the 
        Secretary of Energy may deem appropriate.
  [(c) Technology Transfer.--The results of research and 
development carried out under this section shall be transferred 
to the private sector and others in accordance with applicable 
law.
  [(d) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this subsection, and thereafter as part of the 
report required under section 101(a)(3)(A), the Secretary of 
Energy shall report on activities taken to carry out this Act.]
  (a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the Secretary of Energy shall--
          (1) conduct and support basic and applied research in 
        high-performance computing and networking to support 
        fundamental research in science and engineering 
        disciplines related to energy applications; and
          (2) provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support, including the provision of high-performance 
        computing systems that are among the most advanced in 
        the world in terms of performance in solving scientific 
        and engineering problems, and including support for 
        advanced software and applications development, for 
        science and engineering disciplines related to energy 
        applications.
  [(e)] (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--(1) * * *

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 204. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ACTIVITIES.

  [(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I--
          [(1) the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology shall--
                  [(A) conduct basic and applied measurement 
                research needed to support various high-
                performance computing systems and networks;
                  [(B) develop and propose standards and 
                guidelines, and develop measurement techniques 
                and test methods, for the interoperability of 
                high-performance computing systems in networks 
                and for common user interfaces to systems; and
                  [(C) be responsible for developing benchmark 
                tests and standards for high-performance 
                computing systems and software; and
          [(2) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration shall conduct basic and applied research 
        in weather prediction and ocean sciences, particularly 
        in development of new forecast models, in computational 
        fluid dynamics, and in the incorporation of evolving 
        computer architectures and networks into the systems 
        that carry out agency missions.]
  (a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I--
          (1) the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology shall--
                  (A) conduct basic and applied metrology 
                research needed to support high-performance 
                computing and networking systems;
                  (B) develop benchmark tests and standards for 
                high-performance computing and networking 
                systems and software;
                  (C) develop and propose voluntary standards 
                and guidelines, and develop measurement 
                techniques and test methods, for the 
                interoperability of high-performance computing 
                systems in networks and for common user 
                interfaces to high-performance computing and 
                networking systems; and
                  (D) work with industry and others to develop, 
                and facilitate the implementation of, high-
                performance computing applications to solve 
                science and engineering problems that are 
                relevant to industry; and
          (2) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration shall conduct basic and applied research 
        on high-performance computing applications, with 
        emphasis on--
                  (A) improving weather forecasting and climate 
                prediction;
                  (B) collection, analysis, and dissemination 
                of environmental information; and
                  (C) development of more accurate models of 
                the ocean-atmosphere system.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


SEC. 205. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY ACTIVITIES.

  [(a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
conduct basic and applied research directed toward the 
advancement and dissemination of computational techniques and 
software tools which form the core of ecosystem, atmospheric 
chemistry, and atmospheric dynamics models.]
  (a) General Responsibilities.--As part of the Program 
described in title I, the Environmental Protection Agency shall 
conduct basic and applied research directed toward advancement 
and dissemination of computational techniques and software 
tools for high-performance computing systems with an emphasis 
on modeling to--
          (1) develop robust decision support tools;
          (2) predict pollutant transport and the effects of 
        pollutants on humans and on ecosystems; and
          (3) better understand atmospheric dynamics and 
        chemistry.

           *       *       *       *       *       *       *


                     XIX. Committee Recommendations

    On March 17, 2005, a quorum being present, the Committee on 
Science favorably reported H.R. 28, The High-Performance 
Computing Revitalization Act of 2005, as amended, by a voice 
vote and recommended its enactment.

          XX. ADDITIONAL VIEWS OF REPRESENTATIVE BRAD SHERMAN

Should We at Least Study the Implications of Computers Exceeding Human 
                              Intelligence

    Last year, when the Committee on Science considered H.R. 
4218, a bill to amend the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991, Chairman Boehlert and I reached agreement on an amendment 
dealing with the societal implications of future advances in 
information technology. It was included in the final House-
passed version of the bill. Specifically, the amendment 
directed the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support 
research into the implications of computers (including both 
hardware and software) that would be capable of mimicking human 
abilities to learn, reason, and make decisions. At the time 
that the Science Committee marked up this bill in the 108th 
Congress, the Chairman pledged to work with me on this issue:

          ``I think everything we should do should consider 
        societal impact, ethical impact. So I will be glad to 
        work with you directly, have staff talk this thing 
        through, and see if we can't accomplish some of your 
        original intent to focus on the issue, without being 
        proscriptive and preventing any research going forward 
        absent such a study.''--Chairman Boehlert, Science 
        committee markup of H.R. 4218, 6/16/2004

    My amendment to H.R. 28, the 109th congress version of the 
High Performance Computing Revitalization Act, was identical to 
the compromise that the Chairman and I worked out in the 108th 
Congress. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 17-19, on 
what was unfortunately, and inexplicably, a party-line vote.
    At the markup of H.R. 28, the Chairman also raised some 
questions about NSF's support for the amendment at the markup 
of H.R. 28. The NSF did express support for my amendment when 
it was developed as a compromise with the Chairman in the 108th 
Congress. NSF's Office of Legislative and Public Affairs 
Section Head, David Stonner, corresponded with minority 
professional staff on the Science Committee and confirmed that 
my amendment would have no negative impact on NSF. In fact, the 
research outlined in the amendment is not inconsistent with 
projects that NSF has already funded.
    I am disappointed that the chairman did not support my 
amendment again this year. The importance of understanding how 
artificial intelligence achieved through information technology 
will impact our society has not decreased since last year. We 
should not rush headlong into the creation of a second 
cognitive intelligence on this planet without at least studying 
the implications.
    H.R. 28 sets the goals and priorities for federal high-
performance computing research, development, networking, and 
other activities for those agencies under the jurisdiction of 
the Science Committee (National Science Foundation, National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, 
National Institute of Standards and Technology, National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environmental 
Protection Agency). These agencies are a part of the broader 
multi-agency Federal networking and Information Technology 
Research and Development (NITRD) Program. The law that H.R. 28 
amended, the High Performance Computing Act of 1991, set forth 
the structure for what would become NITRD. The 1991 law 
established a coordination and planning process for this multi-
agency research and development project.
    One of the agencies that participates in NITRD is the 
Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA). DARPA's 
mission statement states that it is the agency's goal to 
develop a computer which will learn from its experience, be 
aware of itself, and be able to reflect on its own behavior 
(see attached excerpt from DARPA strategic plan released 
February 2005). In this vein, DARPA contributes the research 
conducted by the Human-Computer Interaction and Information 
Management (HCI&IM) coordinating group, a part of NITRD.
    While DARPA is not under the jurisdiction of the Science 
committee, it conducts research on artificial intelligence 
within NITRD, a multi-agency program that was put in place by 
the Science Committee. It is difficult to imagine that DARPA is 
the only agency in NITRD that will contribute in some way to 
the inevitable creation of artificial intelligence that equals 
or surpasses human intelligence.
    We heard testimony in a Science Committee hearing on April 
9, 2003 on the Societal Implications of Nanotechnology that 
within roughly 25 years artificial intelligence will match or 
exceed human cognitive abilities. No expert testified that 25 
years was an unrealistically short estimate. We cannot ignore 
that fact and plunge forward with computers as if they are 
simply tools, without reflecting that we are within a 
generation of creating another cognitive life form. If we do 
not study the effects of technological advances now as they are 
being created and discovered, we run the risk of not realizing 
the true impact of this technology until it has permeated our 
society.
    Directing the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support 
research into the implications of computers that would be 
capable of mimicking human abilities to learn, reason, and make 
decisions is a common-sense step that will allow us to 
understand the ramifications of our technological advances as 
we move towards a new age of artificial intelligence.

                                                      Brad Sherman.

   DARPA Strategic Plan: Section 3.7: Cognitive Computing (Released 
                             February 2005)

    ``Many elements of the information technology revolution 
that have vastly improved the effectiveness of the U.S. Forces 
and transformed American society (e.g., time-sharing, personal 
computers, and the Internet) were given their impetus by J.C.R. 
Licklider, a visionary scientist at DARPA some 40 years ago. 
Licklider's vision was of people and computers working 
symbiotically. He envisioned computers seamlessly adapting to 
people as partners that would handle routine information 
processing tasks, thus freeing the people to focus on what they 
do best--think analytically and creatively--and greatly extend 
their cognitive powers. As we move to an increasingly network-
centric military, the vision of intelligent, cooperative 
computing systems responsible for their own maintenance is more 
relevant than ever.
    Despite the enormous progress in information technology 
over the years, information technology still falls well short 
of Licklider's vision. While computing systems are critical to 
U.S. national defense, they remain exceedingly complex, 
expensive to create, insecure, frequently incompatible, and 
prone to failure. And, they still require the user to adapt to 
them, rather than the other way around. Computers have grown 
ever faster, but they remain fundamentally unintelligent and 
difficult to use. Something dramatically different is needed.
    In response, DARPA is revisiting Licklider's vision as its 
inspiration for the strategic thrust, ``Cognitive Computing.'' 
Cognitive computers can be thought of as systems that know what 
they're doing. Cognitive computing systems ``reason'' about 
their environments (including other systems), their goals, and 
their own capabilities. They will ``learn'' both from 
experience and by being taught. They will be capable of natural 
interactions with users, and will be able to ``explain'' their 
reasoning in natural terms. They will be robust in the face of 
surprises and avoid the brittleness and fragility of expert 
systems.
    The benefits from this cognitive computing thrust will be 
profound. The increasing complexity of military systems means 
that the level of expertise needed to maintain them is also 
increasing--as are the staffing requirements for virtually 
every military function that uses computing and communications 
technology. By creating systems that know what they are doing, 
and they can configure, maintain, and adapt themselves, we will 
be able to drastically reduce the staff needed for operations 
centers, forward command posts, and even in support of small 
dismounted units and special operations teams. Cognitive 
computing technology will also help us to deal with the 
increasing tempo of operations and the complexity of plans, 
such as Air Tasking Orders and joint hostage rescue operation 
plans, by allowing computers to tap into the accumulated 
knowledge of past experience on behalf of their human partners.
    Along these lines, DARPA's Personalized Assistant that 
Learns (PAL) program will create intelligent personalized 
assistants for many tasks, such as commander's assistant, an 
intelligence analyst's assistant, or a decision-maker's 
executive assistant. These assistants will interact with their 
human partners by accepting direct, naturally expressed 
guidance to learn their partners' preferences and procedures. 
Then, they will be able to anticipate the human's needs and 
prepare materials to be ready just in time for them. These new 
and unprecedented artificial helpers should reduce military 
staffing needs in many key places and will help ensure 
decisions are made in a timely fashion and with the best 
possible preparation.
    To meet these challenges and seize these opportunities, 
DARPA has structured its work in cognitive computing to 
catalyze innovative work in single cognitive systems, 
collaborative teams of cognitive systems, and collective 
cognition from large numbers of small non-cognitive elements. 
Each area will demonstrate the power of merging reasoning, 
learning, perception, and communication technologies. These 
areas will be supported and complemented by broad-based 
technology efforts in the hardware, software, and integration 
techniques needed.
    The strategic thrust of cognitive computing is a template 
shaping DARPA's core technology foundation work in information 
technology.


    XXI. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP ON H.R. 28, HIGH-
            PERFORMANCE COMPUTING REVITALIZATION ACT OF 2005

                              ----------                              


                        THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2005

                  House of Representatives,
                                      Committee on Science,
                                                    Washington, DC.

    The Committee met, pursuant to call, at 10:05 a.m., in Room 
2318 of the Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Sherwood L. 
Boehlert [Chairman of the Committee] presiding.
    Chairman Boehlert. The Science Committee will come to 
order.
    Pursuant to notice, the Committee on Science meets to 
consider the following measures: H.R. 1023, Charles ``Pete'' 
Conrad Astronomy Awards Act; H.R. 1158, To reauthorize the 
Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology 
Competitiveness Act of 1988; H.R. 28, High-Performance 
Computing Revitalization Act of 2005; H.R. 1215, the Green 
Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2005, and how 
appropriate that we entertain this on St. Patrick's Day; H. 
Con. Res. 96, Recognizing the significance of African American 
women in the United States scientific community; and H.R. 798, 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005.
    Before we proceed with the markup, however, the Committee 
must first dispense with some administrative business.
    I recognize Mr. Gordon to offer a request regarding 
Democratic Subcommittee membership.
    Mr. Gordon.
    Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    By direction of the Democratic caucus of the Science 
Committee, I ask unanimous consent to ratify the election of 
Representative Brad Miller of North Carolina to the 
Subcommittee on Research, thereby filling one of the existing 
Democratic vacancies.
    Chairman Boehlert. Without objection, so ordered.
    I ask unanimous consent for the authority to recess the 
Committee at any point during consideration of these matters, 
and without objection, it is so ordered.
    That concludes the Committee's organizational business, and 
we will now proceed with the markup beginning with opening 
statements. And I shall begin with mine.
    I want to welcome everyone here for our St. Patrick's Day 
markup. I hope that the markup will leave everyone seeing 
green, not because we are spending lots of money, but because 
we are environmentally-friendly and because others should be 
green with envy over the ability of this committee to move 
sensible, bipartisan legislation.
    The bills before us today deal with a wide variety of 
critical problems, including the need to improve our energy 
efficiency, the need to improve our technological 
competitiveness, the need to improve our environment, the need 
to protect our citizens from the impacts of drug abuse, the 
need to have a more diverse scientific workforce, and the need 
to increase interest in science among the general public.
    All of these bills have broad support. Four of them passed 
the House last year: the Charles ``Pete'' Conrad Astronomy 
Awards, the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and 
Technology Competitiveness Act, the High-Performance Computing 
Revitalization Act, and the Green Chemistry Research and 
Development Act. The Senate ran out of time to take up these 
bills. They were still pending without prejudice when the clock 
ran out, and we are optimistic about moving them through the 
entire process in this Congress.
    The other two items before us should also move swiftly: the 
resolution recognizing African American women in science, and 
the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, which we held a 
very productive hearing on earlier this month.
    I want to move this markup along, so let me just close by 
thanking all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, who 
introduced and contributed to these important bills.
    Mr. Gordon.
    [The prepared statement of Chairman Boehlert follows:]
            Prepared Statement of Chairman Sherwood Boehlert
    I want to welcome everyone here for our St. Patrick's Day markup. I 
hope that the markup will leave everyone seeing green--not because 
we're spending lots of money, but because we're environmentally 
friendly and because others should be green with envy over the ability 
of this committee to move sensible, bipartisan legislation.
    The bills before us today deal with a wide variety of critical 
problems, including the need to improve our energy efficiency, the need 
to improve our technological competitiveness, the need to improve our 
environment, the need to protect our citizens from the impacts of drug 
abuse, the need to have a more diverse scientific workforce, and the 
need to increase interest in science among the general public.
    All these bills have broad support. Four of them passed the House 
last year--the Pete Conrad Astronomy Awards, the Steel and Aluminum 
energy Conservation Act, the High-Performance Computing Revitalization 
Act, and the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act. The Senate 
ran out of time to take these bills up--they were still pending without 
prejudice when the clock ran out--and we're optimistic about moving 
them through the entire process this Congress.
    The other two items before us should also move swiftly, the 
resolution recognizing African American women in science, and the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act, which we held a hearing on 
earlier this month.
    I want to move this markup along, so let me just close by thanking 
all my colleagues on both sides of the aisle who introduced and 
contributed to these important bills. Mr. Gordon.

    Mr. Gordon. Mr. Chairman, in keeping with the date, you 
seem to have brought your blarney with you, and I wish to 
compliment you for this--for the efforts to revisit our 
unfinished legislative agenda from the past Congress and for 
your willingness to explore some new legislative areas.
    I am especially pleased that Mr. Calvert and my 
Methamphetamine Remediation Act is getting the rapid 
consideration it deserves. We thank you and over 1/3 of our 
committee's membership for signing on as co-sponsors. The 
methamphetamine epidemic is a scourge on rural America, 
affecting many of our Congressional Districts that must be 
addressed. And I will explain more about the importance of this 
bill later in the markup.
    Our committee's legislative environment in high-performance 
computing goes back at least 20 years. The bipartisan High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991 that today's bill amends was 
instrumental in getting the various departments of the 
Executive Branch working together to apply the power of 
supercomputers to our society's major challenges. And we have 
been working together on today's amendments to the High-
Performance Computing Act for really two Congresses now. We on 
the Democratic side are very supportive of this important 
legislation.
    We will consider another important resolution by 
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, recognizing the 
significant contributions that African American women have made 
to science. Given our need to encourage young men and women of 
all races to enter into the science and technology fields, I 
compliment Congresswoman Johnson for her advocacy of this 
resolution.
    And our former Committee colleague, Doug Walgren, 
introduced the Steel and Aluminum Energy Conservation and 
Technology Competitiveness Act of 1988 at that time when the 
steel industry in the United States was experiencing hard time 
and high energy costs and consumption. The program established 
under this act has led a steel industry technology roadmap and 
10 cost-sharing projects that have permitted the industry to 
modernize and to better meet the new higher-weight products 
needed--or lighter-weight products needed by the auto industry 
and other industry customers. We on the Democratic side are 
supportive of the effort of Congresswoman Hart and our new 
Member, Congressman Lipinski, to reauthorize this important 
program.
    The Green Chemist Research and Development Act is also an 
important act today, and it is an improved over last 
introduction. We are pleased it incorporates several Democratic 
amendments offered during the last consideration. However, the 
bill still does not do all we should be doing moving into--
moving in the right direction for green chemistry practices, 
and I think we will see some amendments this morning that would 
improve that bill.
    Therefore, I will yield the balance of my time and look 
forward to moving forward today.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Gordon follows:]

            Prepared Statement of Representative Bart Gordon

    I wish to compliment Mr. Boehlert for his efforts to revisit our 
unfinished legislative agenda from the past Congress and for his 
willingness to explore new legislative areas.
    I am especially pleased that Mr. Calvert's and my Methamphetamine 
Remediation Research Act of 2005 is getting the rapid consideration it 
deserves. We thank you and over a third of our committee's membership 
for signing on as co-sponsors.
    The methamphetamine epidemic is a scourge on rural America, 
affecting many of our Congressional districts, that must be addressed. 
I will explain more about the importance of this bill later in the 
markup.
    Our committee's legislative involvement in high-performance 
computing goes back at least 20 years. The bipartisan High-Performance 
Computing Act of 1991 that today's bill amends was instrumental in 
getting the various Departments of the Executive Branch working 
together to apply the power of supercomputers to our society's major 
challenges.
    We have been working together on today's amendments to the High-
Performance Computing Act for two Congresses now. We on the Democratic 
side are very supportive of this important legislation.
    We will consider an important resolution by Congresswoman Eddie 
Bernice Johnson recognizing the significant contributions that African 
American Women have made to science. Given our need to encourage 
American young men and women of all races to enter into scientific and 
technical fields, I compliment Congresswoman Johnson on her advocacy of 
this resolution.
    Our former committee colleague Doug Walgren introduced the Steel 
and Aluminum Energy Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 
1988 at a time when the steel industry in the United States was 
experiencing hard times and high energy costs and consumption.
    The program established under this Act has led a steel industry 
technology roadmap and ten cost-shared projects that have permitted the 
industry to modernize and to better meet the new lighter weight 
products needed by the auto industry and other industry customers. We 
on the Democratic side are supportive of the efforts of Congresswoman 
Hart and our new Member, Congressman Lipinski to reauthorize this 
important program.
    The Green Chemistry Research and Development Act, H.R. 1215, is 
improved over its last introduction.
    We are pleased that it incorporates several Democratic amendments 
offered during its last consideration, including my amendment to 
establish a grant program to enable colleges and universities to update 
their curricula to include training in green chemistry. However, the 
bill still does not do all we should be doing to move green chemistry 
practices from the laboratory bench into everyday practice. Therefore, 
we will be offering several amendments today to further improve this 
legislation.

    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much, Mr. Gordon.
    Without objection, Members may place statements in the 
record at this point.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Costello follows:]

         Prepared Statement of Representative Jerry F. Costello

    Good morning. Today, the House Science Committee is considering six 
bills for markup. Most are non-controversial and receive wide 
bipartisan support.
    First, I would like to thank Chairman Boehlert, Ranking Member 
Gordon, and Representative Calvert for introducing H.R. 798, the 
Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2005. As a proud co-sponsor 
of H.R. 798, I am pleased the legislation has moved quickly through the 
Science Committee and am hopeful it will come to the House Floor soon.
    This legislation is urgently needed because methamphetamine abuse 
and addiction continues to grow throughout the United States. In my 
home State of Illinois, methamphetamine use has significantly increased 
in the last few years. Alarmingly, almost 10 percent of the meth labs 
seized by law enforcement officials in 2004 were in Illinois. Clearly, 
methamphetamine abuse is a very serious problem in my congressional 
district and I strongly support Ranking Member Gordon's bill because it 
establishes a federal research program that would develop voluntary 
standards to help states deal with the challenges associated with 
methamphetamine abuse. I worked closely with the State and local law 
enforcement officials in my district to secure funding in 2003 and 2004 
for a grant program in Southern Illinois to train approximately 100 law 
enforcement officials across the region in dismantling and cleaning up 
meth labs. In addition, Drug Task Forces were formed in Southern 
Illinois to fight against the methamphetamine problem that has reached 
epidemic proportions. We cannot allow the methamphetamine problem to 
overwhelm law enforcement officials and it is critical we implement a 
strategy to help our communities respond.
    Secondly, I would like to thank the Chairman for agreeing to markup 
H.R. 1158, a bill To reauthorize the Steel and Aluminum Energy 
Conservation and Technology Competitiveness Act of 1998. As a Member of 
the Congressional Steel Caucus, I am pleased this committee is taking 
an active role to keep the steel industry competitive in today's global 
marketplace. Many are aware that the steel industry suffered a major 
crisis a few years back, which caused four steel companies in Illinois 
to file for bankruptcy, including Laclede Steel and the parent company 
for Granite City Steel, which are in my district. More than 5,000 steel 
workers have lost their jobs in Illinois alone. Therefore, I urge my 
colleagues to support H.R. 1158 to reauthorize important funding 
measures to improve the health of the domestic steel industry.
    Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Committee for all their hard work 
on these important issues and look forward to today's proceedings.

    Chairman Boehlert. We will now consider H.R. 28, High-
Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005.
    I recognize Chairwoman Biggert to present her remarks on 
the bill.
    Mrs. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the 
opportunity to say a few words about the bill, the High-
Performance Computing, or HPC, Revitalization Act of 2005, 
which will ensure that America remains a leader in the 
development and use of supercomputers.
    I want to start by recognizing the bill's chief co-sponsor, 
Congressman Lincoln Davis, and by thanking the other co-
sponsors of this important legislation, including you, Mr. 
Chairman, and Ranking Member Gordon.
    I will keep my remarks brief, as I know that many of you 
are familiar with this bill. But for those of you who may not 
be, it was the subject of a Full Committee hearing in May of 
2004. At that hearing, Dr. John Marburger, Director of the 
White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
communicated the Administration's support for this bill. It 
subsequently passed both this committee and the Full House by 
voice vote. This bill has enjoyed such broad bipartisan 
support, because both Congress and the President recognize that 
high-performance computers are essential to maintaining U.S. 
leadership in many scientific fields.
    Supercomputers also have many applications, from 
pharmaceuticals and climate, to national and homeland security. 
And that is why we must commit to providing sustained support 
for high-performance computers at our federal-civilian science 
agencies.
    To achieve this aim, my bill does four things.
    First, it requires that federal agencies provide the U.S. 
research community access to the most advanced high-performance 
computing systems and technical support for their users.
    Second, the bill requires federal agencies to support all 
aspects of high-performance computing for scientific and 
engineering applications.
    Third, the bill requires the White House Office of Science 
and Technology Policy to direct an interagency planning process 
to develop and maintain a research development and deployment 
roadmap for the provision of high-performance computing 
resources for the U.S. research community.
    It is not enough simply to buy big machines. We need to 
have a balanced, comprehensive approach to maximize the 
benefits these machines can bring to science and to our nation. 
The original legislation that my bill amends, the High-
Performance Computing Act of 1991, gave rise to an interagency 
planning process that has lost the vitality it once had. This 
provision will help ensure a robust planning process so that 
our national high-performance computing effort is not allowed 
to lag in the future.
    Finally, the bill clarifies the missions of each of the 
federal agencies that have a role in developing or using high-
performance computing. I believe that this bill will guide 
federal agencies in providing needed support to high-
performance computing in its user communities. Our nation's 
scientific enterprise and our economy will be the stronger for 
it.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
    [The prepared statement of Mrs. Biggert follows:]

           Prepared Statement of Representative Judy Biggert

    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to say a few 
words about my bill, the High-Performance Computing--or HPC--
Revitalization Act of 2005, which will ensure that America remains a 
leader in the development and use of supercomputers. I want to start by 
recognizing the bill's chief co-sponsor, Congressman Lincoln Davis, and 
by thanking the other co-sponsors of this important legislation, 
including you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member Gordon.
    I will keep my remarks brief, as I know many of you are familiar 
with this bill. For those of you who may not be, it was the subject of 
a Full Committee hearing in May of 2004. At that hearing, Dr. John 
Marburger, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology 
Policy, communicated the Administration's support for this bill. It 
subsequently passed both this Committee and the Full House by voice 
vote.
    This bill enjoyed such broad, bipartisan support because both 
Congress and the President recognize that high-performance computers 
are central to maintaining U.S. leadership in many scientific fields. 
Supercomputers also have many applications, from pharmaceuticals and 
climate to national and homeland security. That's why we must commit to 
providing sustained support for high-performance computers at our 
federal civilian science agencies.
    To achieve this aim, my bill does four things.
    First, it requires that federal agencies provide the U.S. research 
community access to the most advanced high-performance computing 
systems, and technical support for their users.
    Second, the bill requires federal agencies to support all aspects 
of high-performance computing for scientific and engineering 
applications.
    Third, the bill requires the White House Office of Science and 
Technology Policy to direct an interagency planning process to develop 
and maintain a research, development, and deployment roadmap for the 
provision of high-performance computing resources for the U.S. research 
community.
    It's not enough to simply buy big machines. We need to have a 
balanced, comprehensive approach to maximize the benefits these 
machines can bring to science and to our nation. The original 
legislation that my bill amends, the High-Performance Computing Act of 
1991, gave rise to an interagency planning process that has lost the 
vitality it once had. This provision will help ensure a robust planning 
process so that our national high-performance computing effort is not 
allowed to lag in the future.
    Finally, the bill clarifies the missions of each of the federal 
agencies that have a role in developing or using high-performance 
computing.
    I believe that this bill will guide federal agencies in providing 
needed support to high-performance computing and its user communities. 
Our nation's scientific enterprise, and our economy, will be the 
stronger for it.
    Thank you. I yield back the balance of my time.

    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much.
    Mr. Gordon.
    Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I am pleased you brought H.R. 28 before the Committee for 
its consideration today. The bill continues the long-term 
efforts of the Committee to advance high-performance computing 
and communications technologies. And I want to commend 
Congresswoman Biggert and Congressman Lincoln Davis for their 
leadership on high-performance computing policy and for their 
work during the last Congress that led to the bill before us 
today.
    And I would like to yield the balance of my time to Lincoln 
Davis for explaining the bill.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Gordon follows:]

            Prepared Statement of Representative Bart Gordon

    Mr. Chairman, I am pleased you have brought H.R. 28 before the 
Committee for its consideration today. The bill continues the long-term 
efforts of the Committee to advance high-performance computing and 
communications technologies.
    I want to commend Congresswoman Biggert and Congressman Lincoln 
Davis for their leadership on high-performance computing policy and for 
their work during the last Congress that led to the bill before the 
Committee today.
    The High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 authorized a jointly 
planned and coordinated, multi-agency research program to accelerate 
progress in advanced computing and networking technologies and to 
support computational research in a range of science and engineering 
fields.
    H.R. 28 amends the 1991 Act to re-energize the planning and 
coordination processes now in place and to focus more attention on very 
high-performance computing in support of computational science and 
engineering.
    Computation has become one of the principal tools, along with 
theory and experiment, for conducting science and engineering research 
and development. The legislation will help ensure that the U.S. 
research community has access at any time to high-end computers that 
are well suited to tackle the most important and computationally 
challenging problems.
    I recommend support for the bill by my colleagues.
    I now yield to Congressman Davis, who has taken the lead on this 
side of the aisle on this measure.

    Mr. Davis. Chairman Boehlert and Ranking Member Gordon, I 
thank you again for the process of expediting House Resolution 
28 very quickly through this Committee. The High-Performance 
Computing Revitalization Act, which Congresswoman Biggert and I 
have reintroduced, aims to put the United States back at the 
top of world leadership in this area.
    I want to thank Ms. Biggert for her continued support of 
high-end computing legislation and for her constant effort and 
work on this Science Committee on legislation that impacts our 
country as a whole and puts us on the cutting edge in many 
situations and circumstances of--in the area of technology 
advancement.
    H.R. 28 amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, 
which established the major federal research and development 
program involving seven agencies and funded at about $2 billion 
a year. The bill seeks to strengthen the planning mechanisms 
for high-end computing and better coordinate agency efforts. We 
will require the Office of Science and Technology Policy to 
develop and maintain a roadmap for developing and employing 
high-end computing systems. In addition, the National Science 
Foundation is explicitly required to provide access for 
researchers. This requirement will ensure that the research 
community has access to the most powerful computing systems.
    Mr. Chairman, the interagency research program launched in 
the 1991 Act has largely been a great success. It has helped 
provide the infrastructure needed to support cutting-edge 
research and to drive information technology forward for the 
benefit of society. I am proud that the Oak Ridge National Lab 
in Tennessee will stand to become the home of the world's most 
powerful supercomputer.
    H.R. 28 will serve to strengthen and streamline our 
national effort in the area of high-performance computing. I 
ask my colleagues for their support in reporting the bill 
favorably to the House.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the rest of my time.
    [The prepared statement of Mr. Davis follows:]

           Prepared Statement of Representative Lincoln Davis

    Mr. Chairman, Mr. Ranking Member, thank you again for expediting 
H.R. 28 through this committee.
    The High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act, which 
Congresswoman Biggert and I have re-introduced, aims to put the United 
States back at the top in world leadership in this area. I want to 
thank Ms. Biggert for her continued support of high end computing 
legislation.
    H.R. 28 amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991, which 
established a major federal research and development program involving 
seven agencies and funded at about $2 billion per year. The bill seeks 
to strengthen the planning mechanisms for high-end computing and better 
coordinate agency efforts.
    H.R. 28 will require the Office of Science and Technology Policy to 
develop and maintain a roadmap for developing and deploying high-end 
computing systems. In addition, the National Science Foundation is 
explicitly required to provide for access by researchers to these 
computing systems. These requirements will ensure that the research 
community has access to the most powerful computing systems.
    Mr. Chairman, the interagency research program launched by the 1991 
Act has been largely a success. It has helped provide the 
infrastructure needed to support cutting edge research and to drive 
information technology forward for the benefit of society. I am proud 
that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, near my District, stands to 
become the home of the world's most powerful supercomputer.
    H.R. 28 will serve to strengthen and streamline our national 
efforts in the area of high-performance computing. I ask my colleagues 
for their support in reporting the bill favorably to the House.
    Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I yield back the balance of my time.

    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much, Mr. Davis, Mr. 
Gordon, and Ms. Biggert.
    I will ask unanimous consent that the bill is considered as 
read and open to amendment at any point and that Members 
proceed with the amendments in the order of the roster. Without 
objection, so ordered.
    The first----
    Mrs. Biggert. Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Boehlert. Yeah.
    Mrs. Biggert. I have an amendment at the desk.
    Chairman Boehlert. All right. The first amendment is by 
Mrs. Biggert. The Clerk will report the amendment.
    Ms. Tessieri. Amendment to H.R. 28 offered by Mrs. Biggert 
of Illinois.
    Chairman Boehlert. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with 
the reading. Without objection, so ordered.
    The gentlelady is recognized for five minutes to explain 
the amendment.
    Mrs. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    I am--I have always been a ``B,'' but I think today I have 
an ``O'' in front of my name as ``O'Biggert,'' so I will--thank 
you.
    This amendment simply adds a finding to the bill, a finding 
that was included in the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 2002, which is now law. This finding 
articulates the importance of ensuring that the results of our 
federal investments in supercomputing and energy technology 
research are transferred to the private sector and applied 
commercially. A recent report from the Council on 
Competitiveness outlined the existing use of high-performance 
computers in various industries and concluded that ``there is a 
great potential for increased productivity, innovation, and 
competitive advancement across the private sector'' as more 
industries learn how to take advantage of supercomputing 
technologies.
    This is not at all surprising. At an Energy Subcommittee 
hearing last year, we learned that supercomputers allow 
companies to anticipate how new products will behave in 
different environments using simulations that are called 
``virtual prototyping.'' For instance, the automotive industry 
uses high-performance computers to reduce costs and improve 
quality and safety in--during the vehicle design process. 
Pharmaceutical companies simulate chemical interactions to 
design new drugs. These approaches help companies increase the 
speed to market for new products.
    The Council on Competitiveness report went on to recommend 
that stronger partnerships are needed between government, 
industry, and academia to address key technical and educational 
barriers to supercomputer use by the private sector. Such 
partnerships would focus on developing and updating advanced 
software for industrial applications and growing the pool of 
computational scientists. While this bill will ensure that 
government does its part to revitalize the development and use 
of supercomputers in the United States, this amendment will 
ensure that our investment in research translates into real 
benefits for U.S. companies in our economy.
    I ask my colleagues to support this amendment and yield 
back the balance of my time.
    Chairman Boehlert. All right. Thank you, Mrs. Biggert, for 
all your work on the bill, and the Chair intends to support the 
amendment. Is there any further discussion on the amendment? If 
no, the vote occurs on the amendment. All in favor, say aye. 
Opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the amendment is agreed to.
    The second amendment on the roster is one offered by Mr. 
Sherman. Are you ready to proceed, Mr. Sherman?
    Mr. Sherman. Yes, I am. I have an amendment at the desk.
    Chairman Boehlert. The Clerk will report the amendment.
    Ms. Tessieri. Amendment to H.R. 28 offered by Mr. Sherman 
of California.
    Chairman Boehlert. I ask unanimous consent to dispense with 
the reading. Without objection, so ordered.
    The gentleman is recognized for five minutes to explain the 
amendment.
    Mr. Sherman. Mr. Chairman, we can be proud of the consensus 
building that this committee has achieved under your 
leadership. And we have been able often to create non-
controversial bills of the various types--of the very type that 
should be considered by the House under suspension of the 
rules, thus saving the time of the House.
    And it is not always just Democrat versus Republican 
consensus that needs to be built, but also consensus between 
those focused on building new tools for mankind with science 
and those who are concerned with how those tools might be used. 
Perhaps the best example, or one of the best examples of this 
consensus building was this very bill when it came before this 
committee last year. I had an amendment to require a review of 
certain societal and ethical implications of this research. It 
was thought that that might slow down the research. We worked 
with you, Mr. Chairman. We developed what I might call a 
watered down but compromised language that not only had your 
support, Mr. Chairman, but the support of the NSF.
    And now the bill comes before us without that compromised 
language. And that language, I think, is important not only to 
improve the bill but to assure people around the country who 
are concerned about science that we are looking not only on how 
to build tools but what it will mean to possess them.
    In this particular case, we are dealing with the issue of 
creating computers that will match or exceed human cognitive 
abilities. Now that may sound like science fiction, but we had 
hearings and a panel selected by the Chairman, not selected by 
wild guys like me, selected by the Chairman. And the--everyone 
on that panel was asked the question: ``How far are we away 
from computers that match or exceed human cognitive 
abilities?'' The consensus answer was 25 years. Now I don't 
know whether it is 25 years or not, but I do know that it is 
close enough so that DARPA has on its web page the statement 
that its mission is to develop a computer which will learn from 
its experience, be aware of itself, be able to reflect on its 
own behavior. It is DARPA, not Sherman, that uses these human 
pronouns. We don't know whether we are in the midst of creating 
data from the next generation or Hal from 2001 A Space Odyssey. 
I don't think it is all that bad an idea to put some language 
in this bill that perhaps we ought to think about it.
    Now I know that those who are interested in doing--building 
the tools aren't interested in--or some of them are not 
interested in looking at the implications of building those 
tools. But I think that we should not rush headlong to the 
creation of a cognitive intelligence on this planet without at 
least putting some vague language in this bill that we should 
take a look at the societal implications.
    That is what the amendment I have at the desk would do. It 
was good enough for the NSF last year. I would hope that we 
could adopt it, that we could create a non-controversial bill, 
and that we could have the House consider that bill, perhaps, 
as a non-controversial, perhaps as a suspension bill.
    I would like to reserve the balance of my time, if I am 
allowed to do so.
    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you. You certainly are, Mr. 
Sherman. And I acknowledge the hard work you have put in on 
this amendment, and you have fairly characterized what has 
transpired previously.
    The gentleman is indeed offering language that we 
negotiated with him last year, and I don't like to re-open past 
agreements, even in a new Congress, and we are not bound in the 
new Congress by what we did in the previous Congress.
    But we have learned some things about this amendment since 
last year. We have learned that it is adamantly opposed by the 
bill's sponsor, who happens to be one my very distinguished and 
respected Subcommittee Chairs. We have learned that it is 
adamantly opposed by both industry and the Administration. We 
have learned that it is an obstacle to dealing with, as we like 
to call them, the other body. And we learned all of that the 
hard way while keeping to our agreement by trying to get the 
language through on another bill, Mrs. Biggert's Energy 
Department computing bill that we got signed into law last 
year.
    Now I might be willing to continue to support this 
amendment despite all of that, if I thought it dealt with a 
crucial and pressing problem, but I don't think it really does. 
All of the experts tell us we are nowhere near creating what 
Mr. Sherman fears. And I might add, it is not completely 
accurate to say the National Science Foundation supports it. 
The National Science Foundation essentially has indicated to us 
that they could probably live with it, and that is a little bit 
different.
    And so I would rather see the money that would go to the 
studies you are proposing, Mr. Sherman, go to any of the 
unfunded--underfunded science projects that we have all been 
complaining about in recent years.
    So I respect what the gentleman is trying to do. I 
acknowledge the accuracy of his summation of the history of 
this, but we are in a new Congress, and quite frankly, I am 
changing my position for all of the reasons enumerated at the 
outset. And guess what, those who are intractable, shame on 
them. You have got to adjust to different circumstances, and 
that is what I am doing. And therefore, I oppose the amendment.
    [The prepared statement of Chairman Boehlert follows:]

            Prepared Statement of Chairman Sherwood Boehlert

    The language the gentleman is offering is indeed language that we 
negotiated with him last year. And I don't like to reopen past 
agreements, even in a new Congress. But we've learned some things about 
this amendment since last year.
    We've learned that it is adamantly opposed by the bill's sponsor 
who happens to be one of our subcommittee Chairs. We've learned that it 
is adamantly opposed by both industry and the Administration. We've 
learned that it is an obstacle to dealing with the Senate. And we 
learned all that the hard way while keeping to our agreement by trying 
to get this language through on another bill--Mrs. Biggert's Energy 
Department computing bill that we got signed into law last year.
    Now I might be willing to continue to support this amendment 
despite all that if I thought that it dealt with a crucial and pressing 
problem. But it doesn't. All the experts tell us we are nowhere near 
creating the dystopia that Mr. Sherman fears.
    And so I'd rather see the money that would go to the studies he's 
proposing go to any of the underfunded science projects that we've all 
been complaining about in recent weeks.
    So I respect what the gentleman is trying to do; I acknowledge that 
in a new Congress I am changing my position, and I urge the defeat of 
this amendment.

    Chairman Boehlert. Is there anyone else who seeks to be 
heard on this?
    Mrs. Biggert.
    Mrs. Biggert. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    And I do regretfully, you know, oppose this amendment, 
because this committee seems to work so well together that we 
don't very often have this. But I have been opposed to this 
last year in the other bill, and I oppose it in this bill.
    We did hold a hearing in the Science Committee on high-
performance computing in May of last year. And at that time, my 
colleague from California asked the experts who testified at 
that hearing, and I have a little different take on what 
happened there, and his question was whether there was any 
danger of computers approaching the cognitive abilities of 
humans. And to my understanding, and from the record, is that 
the witnesses gave a resounding no in answer to that question. 
And more specifically, Mr. Sherman wanted to know how close we 
were to a machine that reached a level of intelligence where it 
could be entitled to the minimum wage. Dr. Jack Marburger, the 
President's Science Advisor, and I quote, ``Not very, we are 
quite far from that. In terms of the number of components 
measured in neurons, for example, the interconnectivity of the 
human brain far exceeds anything that we could currently build 
or foresee in the foreseeable future with computer hardware.'' 
Dr. Rick Stevens, a renowned computer scientist from Argonne 
National Laboratory, responded to the same question saying, and 
I quote, ``My personal view is that I would be much more 
concerned with near-term issues associated with large-scale 
computing or the use of large-scale data systems to collect 
information. Right now, if you had to estimate what is the most 
intelligent device we can build, it is roughly between a worm 
and an insect in terms of what it can do.''
    Simply put, I think that the concern that Mr. Sherman is 
trying to address with this amendment is totally unfounded. It 
really is a solution in search of a problem. So that is why, 
Mr. Chairman, it would be, I think, exceedingly inappropriate 
for this committee to impose a requirement on our federal 
agencies to focus on societal implications of hypothetical 
human-mimicking computers. We as a Committee fundamentally 
misunderstand the nature and focus of high-performance 
computing research. In addition, as Dr. Stevens pointed out at 
our hearing last year, information technology has societal 
implications for privacy, for workplace collaboration, and for 
many other areas. Our federal agencies should focus any 
resources for societal studies on these real and immediate 
needs. I would also mention that DARPA is not covered by this 
bill or this committee.
    So for these reasons, I would urge my colleagues to join me 
in opposing this amendment.
    Thank you.
    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you.
    Mr. Gordon.
    Mr. Gordon. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
    There seems to be some--I won't say confusion, but maybe 
just a difference in opinion as to the temperature of the 
National Science Foundation toward this provision. It is my 
understanding that they have reviewed it and found it to be 
consistent with the kinds of research activities that they 
support under an existing program on social, economic, and 
workforce implications of information technology.
    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you for that intervention.
    Anyone else?
    Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Chairman.
    Chairman Boehlert. Mr. Rohrabacher.
    Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Chairman, as a dear friend, and we 
share several Committees together, and I respect many of his--
the things that he is concerned about, but let me note that, as 
a fellow Californian, that I believe that Mr. Sherman would not 
be so concerned about the social implications of the creation 
of these machines with the human--with traits of human 
intelligence if Arnold Schwarzenegger was a Democrat. The fact 
is that----
    Mr. Sherman. If the gentleman will yield.
    Mr. Rohrabacher. I would be happy to terminate this part of 
my----
    Mr. Sherman. I assure you that Hall is a Republican and 
data is a Democrat.
    Mr. Rohrabacher. But just one note, I do think the money 
could be spent--better spent, as the Chairman says, in these 
other areas of research where we are actually coming up with 
new capabilities and that we are so far away from having to be 
concerned about the Terminator coming in and taking over the 
world that perhaps it would be better to put the money into 
machines that will help us be more competitive with our 
international competitors, for example. So--but I do appreciate 
my friend, Brad, who is a very expansive thinker.
    Thank you very much.
    Chairman Boehlert. And a thoughtful Member of the 
Committee.
    Is there anyone else who seeks recognition?
    Mr. Sherman, I hope we can make it brief, because we want 
to get through with our business before a series of votes that 
are projected.
    Mr. Sherman. Well, I guess the question is when is an issue 
significant enough, close enough, that we ought to put some 
non-binding language in a bill that we should at least start 
thinking about it. The consensus from the experts who were 
sitting at that table was that we are about 25 years away. We 
can ignore the issue and not think about it, but if we remember 
the Transportation Committee, would you fund a bridge that was 
going to collapse in 26 years? When you are a Member of that 
Committee, you think more than 25 years into the future.
    Now as to while the panel of experts that we had here dealt 
with the issue, they all reached the consensus of 25 years. One 
is the author of a book entitled ``The Age of Spiritual 
Machines'' in which he lays out the milestones that he thinks 
we will reach during that 25-year period. So we can use 
language like ``far off'' or we can focus on one generation, 25 
years. I think that with this Congress funding DARPA, which 
has, as its mission statement, or the mission statement of one 
of its programs, the creation of this very kind of artificial 
intelligence, it would be short-sighted of this committee to 
decide the problems that won't affect us this decade are 
problems that don't deserve study and fund.
    I would hope that some would think beyond this decade or 
even the next decade and vote in favor of the amendment.
    I yield back.
    Chairman Boehlert. Thank you very much.
    If there is no further discussion on the amendment, the 
vote is on the amendment. All in favor, say aye. Opposed, no. 
The nos appear to have it, and the amendment is not----
    Mr. Sherman. Mr. Chairman, I ask for a recorded vote.
    Chairman Boehlert. The Clerk will call the roll.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Boehlert.
    Chairman Boehlert. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Boehlert votes no.
    Mr. Hall.
    Mr. Hall. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Hall votes no.
    Mr. Smith.
    Mr. Smith. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Smith votes no.
    Mr. Weldon.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Rohrabacher.
    Mr. Rohrabacher. Mr. Rohrabacher votes no.
    Mr. Calvert.
    Mr. Calvert. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Calvert votes no.
    Mr. Bartlett.
    Mr. Bartlett. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Bartlett votes no.
    Mr. Ehlers.
    Mr. Ehlers. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Ehlers votes no.
    Mr. Gutknecht.
    Mr. Gutknecht. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Gutknecht votes no.
    Mr. Lucas.
    Mr. Lucas. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Lucas votes no.
    Mrs. Biggert.
    Mrs. Biggert. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mrs. Biggert votes no.
    Mr. Gilchrest.
    Mr. Gilchrest. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Gilchrest votes no.
    Mr. Akin.
    Mr. Akin. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Akin votes no.
    Mr. Johnson.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Forbes.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Bonner.
    Mr. Bonner. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Bonner votes no.
    Mr. Feeney.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Inglis.
    Mr. Inglis. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Inglis votes no.
    Mr. Reichert.
    Mr. Reichert. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Reichert votes no.
    Mr. Sodrel.
    Mr. Sodrel. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Sodrel votes no.
    Mr. Schwarz.
    Mr. Schwarz. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Schwarz votes no.
    Mr. McCaul.
    Mr. McCaul. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. McCaul votes no.
    Mr. Gordon.
    Mr. Gordon. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Gordon votes yes.
    Mr. Costello.
    Mr. Costello. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Costello votes yes.
    Ms. Johnson.
    Ms. Johnson. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Ms. Johnson votes yes.
    Ms. Woolsey.
    Ms. Woolsey. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Ms. Woolsey votes yes.
    Ms. Hooley.
    Ms. Hooley. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Ms. Hooley votes yes.
    Mr. Udall.
    Mr. Udall. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Udall votes yes.
    Mr. Wu.
    Mr. Wu. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Wu votes yes.
    Mr. Honda.
    Mr. Honda. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Honda votes yes.
    Mr. Miller.
    Mr. Miller. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Miller votes yes.
    Mr. Davis.
    Mr. Davis. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Davis votes yes.
    Mr. Carnahan.
    Mr. Carnahan. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Carnahan votes yes.
    Mr. Lipinski.
    Mr. Lipinski. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Lipinski votes yes.
    Ms. Jackson Lee.
    Ms. Jackson Lee. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Ms. Jackson Lee votes yes.
    Mr. Sherman.
    Mr. Sherman. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Sherman votes yes.
    Mr. Baird.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Matheson.
    [No response.]
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Costa.
    Mr. Costa. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Costa votes yes.
    Mr. Green.
    Mr. Green. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Green votes yes.
    Mr. Melancon.
    Mr. Melancon. Aye.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Melancon votes yes.
    Chairman Boehlert. Is Mr. Feeney recorded?
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Feeney is not recorded, sir.
    Mr. Feeney. No.
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Feeney votes no.
    Chairman Boehlert. Just let me tell you how the Chair 
intends to proceed, because we are advised we are going to have 
a series of votes coming up rather shortly. I think this is the 
last amendment on this bill. We will dispatch with this bill. 
We will then skip over the Green Chemistry bill, near and dear 
to my heart, very appropriate on this day, but there are a 
number of amendments, and there will be adequate discussion of 
those amendments, so we will go to the African American 
legislation, women's legislation, and then we will conclude the 
business and we will take up Green Chemistry when we get back. 
Oh, and the Methamphetamine. Well, that is non-controversial.
    The Clerk will----
    Ms. Tessieri. Mr. Chairman, yes, 17; no, 19.
    
    
    Chairman Boehlert. All right. The amendment is not agreed 
to, and the amendment is rejected.
    Are there any other amendments? Hearing none, the vote is 
on the bill, as amended, H.R. 28, High-Performance Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2005, as amended. All of those in favor, 
say aye. Opposed, no. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes 
have it.
    I recognize Mr. Gordon to offer a motion.
    Mr. Gordon. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee 
favorably report H.R. 28, as amended, to the House with the 
recommendation that the bill, as amended, do pass. Furthermore, 
I move the staff be instructed to prepare the legislative 
report, make necessary technical and conforming changes, and 
that the Chairman take all necessary steps to bring the bill 
before the House for consideration.
    Chairman Boehlert. The motion--the question is on the 
motion to report the bill favorably. Those in favor of passage 
will signify by saying aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it, and 
the bill is favorably reported.
    Without objection, the motion to reconsider is laid upon 
the table. I move that Members have two subsequent calendar 
days in which to submit supplemental, Minority, or additional 
views on the measure. I move pursuant to Clause 1 of Rule 22 of 
the Rules of the House of Representatives that the Committee 
authorize the Chairman to offer such motions as may be 
necessary to adopt in the House and pass H.R. 28, High-
Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005. Without 
objection, so ordered.
    Let the record reflect that Mr. Johnson would have voted no 
on the Sherman amendment on H.R. 28.
    We don't have to come back after votes. This is it. We are 
going to take up the Green Chemistry bill, which is going to 
require a little more time right after the recess.
    Mr. Gordon. Mr. Chairman, if I could just real quickly say, 
I know that there a lot of Members that have personal interests 
in this methamphetamine concern. This is just a first start. We 
will have some additional legislation. I know we rushed through 
this today, but we will have more for all of us to be involved 
with later.
    Chairman Boehlert. And we are going to have it on the Floor 
with some considerable discussion on it.
    Thank you all very much for arriving. I want to thank you 
for participating.
    This concludes our Committee markup.
    [Whereupon, at 11:10 a.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
                               Appendix:

                              ----------                              


         H.R. 28, Section-by-Section Analysis, Amendment Roster


                Section-by-Section Analysis of H.R. 28,
         High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005

Sec. 1. Short Title

    ``High-Performance Computing Revitalization Act of 2005.''

Sec. 2. Definitions

    Amends section 4 of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (HPC 
Act) to further elaborate on, or amend, the definition of terms used in 
the Act:
           ``Grand Challenge'' means a fundamental problem in 
        science or engineering, with broad economic and scientific 
        impact, whose solution will require the application of high-
        performance computing resources and multidisciplinary teams of 
        researchers;
          ``High-performance computing'' means advanced 
        computing, communications, and information technologies, 
        including supercomputer systems, high-capacity and high-speed 
        networks, special purpose and experimental systems, 
        applications and systems software, and the management of large 
        data sets;
          ``Program'' means the High-Performance Computing 
        Research and Development Program described in section 101;
          ``Program Component Areas'' means the major subject 
        areas under which are grouped related individual projects and 
        activities carried out under the Program.
    Strikes the definition of ``Network'' because it refers to the 
National Research and Education Network, which no longer exists as 
such.

Sec. 3. High-Performance Computing Research and Development Program

    Amends section 101 of the HPC Act, which describes the organization 
and responsibilities of the interagency research and development 
program originally referred to as the National High-Performance 
Computing Program--and renamed the High-Performance Computing Research 
and Development Program in this Act. Requires the program to:
          Provide for long-term basic and applied research on 
        high-performance computing;
          Provide for research and development on, and 
        demonstration of, technologies to advance the capacity and 
        capabilities of high-performance computing and networking 
        systems;
          Provide for sustained access by the research 
        community in the United States to high-performance computing 
        systems that are among the most advanced in the world in terms 
        of performance in solving scientific and engineering problems, 
        including provision for technical support for users of such 
        systems;
          Provide for efforts to increase software 
        availability, productivity, capability, security, portability, 
        and reliability;
          Provide for high-performance networks, including 
        experimental testbed networks, to enable research and 
        development on, and demonstration of, advanced applications 
        enabled by such networks;
          Provide for computational science and engineering 
        research on mathematical modeling and algorithms for 
        applications in all fields of science and engineering;
          Provide for the technical support of, and research 
        and development on, high-performance computing systems and 
        software required to address Grand Challenges;
          Provide for educating and training additional 
        undergraduate and graduate students in software engineering, 
        computer science, computer and network security, applied 
        mathematics, library and information science, and computational 
        science;
          Provide for improving the security of computing and 
        networking systems, including research required to establish 
        security standards and practices for these systems.
    Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy (OSTP) to:
          Establish the goals and priorities for federal high-
        performance computing research, development, networking, and 
        other activities;
          Establish Program Component Areas that implement the 
        goals established for the Program and identify the Grand 
        Challenges that the Program should address;
          Provide for interagency coordination of federal high-
        performance computing research, development, networking, and 
        other activities undertaken pursuant to the Program;
          Develop and maintain a research, development, and 
        deployment roadmap for the provision of high-performance 
        computing systems for use by the research community in the 
        United States.
    Leaves substantially unchanged the provisions of the HPC Act 
requiring the Director of OSTP to:
          Provide an annual report to Congress, along with the 
        annual budget request, describing the implementation of the 
        Program, including current and proposed funding levels and 
        programmatic changes, if any, from the previous year;
          Consult with academic, State, and other appropriate 
        groups conducting research on and using high-performance 
        computing.
    Requires the Director of OSTP to include in his annual report to 
Congress:
          A detailed description of the Program Component 
        Areas, including a description of any changes in the definition 
        of activities under the Program Component Areas from the 
        previous year, and the reasons for such changes, and a 
        description of Grand Challenges supported under the Program;
          An analysis of the extent to which the Program 
        incorporates the recommendations of the Advisory Committee 
        established by the HPC Act--currently referred to as the 
        President's Information Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC).
    Requires PITAC to conduct periodic evaluations of the funding, 
management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the 
Program, and to report to Congress once every two fiscal years, with 
the first report due within one year of enactment.
    Repeals section 102 of HPC Act, the ``National Research and 
Education Network,'' which required the development of a network to 
link research and educational institutions, government, and industry. 
This network was developed but has since been supplanted by the 
Internet.
    Repeals section 103 of the HPC Act, ``Next Generation Internet,'' 
as this program is no longer in existence.

Sec. 4. Agency Activities

    Amends section 201 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the 
Program. Requires NSF to:
          Support research and development to generate 
        fundamental scientific and technical knowledge with the 
        potential of advancing high-performance computing and 
        networking systems and their applications;
          Provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support to the research community in the United States, 
        including the provision of high-performance computing systems 
        that are among the most advanced in the world in terms of 
        performance in solving scientific and engineering problems, 
        including support for advanced software and applications 
        development, for all science and engineering disciplines;
          Support basic research and education in all aspects 
        of high-performance computing and networking.
    Amends section 202 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
(NASA) under the Program. Requires NASA to conduct basic and applied 
research in high-performance networking, with emphasis on:
          Computational fluid dynamics, computational thermal 
        dynamics, and computational aerodynamics;
          Scientific data dissemination and tools to enable 
        data to be fully analyzed and combined from multiple sources 
        and sensors;
          Remote exploration and experimentation;
          Tools for collaboration in system design, analysis, 
        and testing.
    Amends section 203 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Department of Energy (DOE) under the Program. 
Requires DOE to:
          Conduct and support basic and applied research in 
        high-performance computing and networking to support 
        fundamental research in science and engineering disciplines 
        related to energy applications;
          Provide computing and networking infrastructure 
        support, including the provision of high-performance computing 
        systems that are among the most advanced in the world in terms 
        of performance in solving scientific and engineering problems, 
        and including support for advanced software and applications 
        development, for science and engineering disciplines related to 
        energy applications.
    Amends section 204 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Department of Commerce, including the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), under the Program.
    Requires NIST to:
          Conduct basic and applied metrology research needed 
        to support high-performance computing and networking systems;
          Develop benchmark tests and standards for high-
        performance computing and networking systems and software;
          Develop and propose voluntary standards and 
        guidelines, and develop measurement techniques and test 
        methods, for the inter-operability of high-performance 
        computing systems in networks and for common user interfaces to 
        high-performance computing and networking systems;
          Work with industry and others to develop, and 
        facilitate the implementation of, high-performance computing 
        applications to solve science and engineering problems that are 
        relevant to industry.
    Requires NOAA to conduct basic and applied research in high-
performance computing applications, with emphasis on:
          Improving weather forecasting and climate prediction;
          Collection, analysis, and dissemination of 
        environmental information;
          Development of more accurate models of the ocean-
        atmosphere system.
    Amends section 205 of the HPC Act, which describes the 
responsibilities of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the 
Program. Requires EPA to conduct basic and applied research directed 
toward the advancement and dissemination of computational techniques 
and software tools with an emphasis on modeling to:
          Develop robust decision-support tools;
          Predict pollutant transport and their effects on 
        humans and on ecosystems;
          Better understand atmospheric dynamics and chemistry.
        
        
                                  
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