To require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program of research and development to advance high-end computing.

Summary: Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) implement a research and development program (involving software and hardware development) to advance high-end computing systems; and (2) develop and deploy them for advanced scientific and engineering applications.

Details program functions, including research in: (1) multiple architectures, which may include vector, reconfigurable logic, streaming, processor-in-memory, and multithreading architectures; and (2) software development on optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end computing systems, in collaboration with architecture development efforts.

Directs the Secretary to establish and operate facilities to: (1) conduct advanced scientific and engineering research and development using Leadership Systems; (2) develop potential advancements in high-end computing system hardware and software; and (3) provide access to such Systems on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to researchers in U.S. industry, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and other Federal agencies.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish at least one High-End Software Development Center which shall concentrate efforts to develop, test, maintain, and support optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end computing systems; and (2) use the expertise of a Center to assess research and development in high-end computing system architecture.

(Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2007.

(Sec. 5) Amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to make the Department of Energy, along with the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (as under existing law), one of three specified Federal agencies jointly establishing the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee.

Revises Advisory Committee membership to include three members selected by the Secretary of Energy.

(Sec. 6) Amends the the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and the Savings in Construction Act of 1996 to repeal the expiration date of (thereby making permanent) Federal agency authority to require metric system specifications (subject to certain conditions for specifications that can only be satisfied by hard-metric versions) for concrete masonry units and recessed lighting fixtures in a solicitation for design or construction of a Federal facility within the United States or its territories.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Department of Energy High-End 
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

     In this Act:
        (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means a High-End Software 
    Development Center established under section 3(d).
        (2) High-end computing system.--The term ``high-end computing 
    system'' means a computing system with performance that 
    substantially exceeds that of systems that are commonly available 
    for advanced scientific and engineering applications.
        (3) Leadership system.--The term ``Leadership System'' means a 
    high-end computing system that is among the most advanced in the 
    world in terms of performance in solving scientific and engineering 
    problems.
        (4) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of 
    higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) 
    of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
        (5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
    Energy, acting through the Director of the Office of Science of the 
    Department of Energy.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY HIGH-END COMPUTING RESEARCH AND 
              DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary shall--
        (1) carry out a program of research and development (including 
    development of software and hardware) to advance high-end computing 
    systems; and
        (2) develop and deploy high-end computing systems for advanced 
    scientific and engineering applications.
    (b) Program.--The program shall--
        (1) support both individual investigators and multidisciplinary 
    teams of investigators;
        (2) conduct research in multiple architectures, which may 
    include vector, reconfigurable logic, streaming, processor-in-
    memory, and multithreading architectures;
        (3) conduct research on software for high-end computing 
    systems, including research on algorithms, programming 
    environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end 
    computing systems, in collaboration with architecture development 
    efforts;
        (4) provide for sustained access by the research community in 
    the United States to high-end computing systems and to Leadership 
    Systems, including provision of technical support for users of such 
    systems;
        (5) support technology transfer to the private sector and 
    others in accordance with applicable law; and
        (6) ensure that the high-end computing activities of the 
    Department of Energy are coordinated with relevant activities in 
    industry and with other Federal agencies, including the National 
    Science Foundation, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, 
    the National Nuclear Security Administration, the National Security 
    Agency, the National Institutes of Health, the National Aeronautics 
    and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
    Administration, the National Institutes of Standards and 
    Technology, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
    (c) Leadership Systems Facilities.--
        (1) In general.--As part of the program carried out under this 
    Act, the Secretary shall establish and operate 1 or more Leadership 
    Systems facilities to--
            (A) conduct advanced scientific and engineering research 
        and development using Leadership Systems; and
            (B) develop potential advancements in high-end computing 
        system hardware and software.
        (2) Administration.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
    Secretary shall provide to Leadership Systems, on a competitive, 
    merit-reviewed basis, access to researchers in United States 
    industry, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, 
    and other Federal agencies.
    (d) High-End Software Development Center.--
        (1) In general.--As part of the program carried out under this 
    Act, the Secretary shall establish at least 1 High-End Software 
    Development Center.
        (2) Duties.--A Center shall concentrate efforts to develop, 
    test, maintain, and support optimal algorithms, programming 
    environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end 
    computing systems.
        (3) Proposals.--In soliciting proposals for the Center, the 
    Secretary shall encourage staffing arrangements that include both 
    permanent staff and a rotating staff of researchers from other 
    institutions and industry to assist in coordination of research 
    efforts and promote technology transfer to the private sector.
        (4) Use of expertise.--The Secretary shall use the expertise of 
    a Center to assess research and development in high-end computing 
    system architecture.
        (5) Selection.--The selection of a Center shall be determined 
    by a competitive proposal process administered by the Secretary.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

     In addition to amounts otherwise made available for high-end 
computing, there are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to 
carry out this Act--
        (1) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
        (2) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2006; and
        (3) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2007.

SEC. 5. ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Amendments.--Section 23 of the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-9) is amended--
        (1) in subsection (a) and paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection 
    (b), by striking ``and the National Aeronautics and Space 
    Administration'' and inserting ``, the National Aeronautics and 
    Space Administration, and the Department of Energy'';
        (2) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ``Administration, and'' 
    and inserting ``Administration, the Secretary of Energy, '';
        (3) in subsection (c)--
            (A) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by striking ``5'' and 
        inserting ``4'';
            (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (C) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (4), and in 
        that paragraph by striking ``3'' and inserting ``2''; and
            (D) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
        ``(3) 3 members selected by the Secretary of Energy; and
        (4) in subsection (f), by striking ``the advisory bodies of 
    other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy, which may 
    engage in related research activities'' and inserting ``other 
    Federal advisory committees that advise Federal agencies that 
    engage in related research activities''.
    (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) take 
effect on March 15, 2005.

SEC. 6. REMOVAL OF SUNSET PROVISION FROM SAVINGS IN CONSTRUCTION ACT OF 
              1996.

     Section 14 of the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 (15 U.S.C. 205l) 
is amended by striking subsection (e).

                               Speaker of the House of Representatives.

                            Vice President of the United States and    
                                               President of the Senate.