IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 487 

Recognizing the contribution of modeling and simulation technology to the 

security and prosperity of the United States, and recognizing modeling 

and simulation as a National Critical Technology. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 14, 2007 

Mr. FORBES (for himself, Mrs. DRAKE, Mr. FEENEY, Mrs. JO ANN DAVIS

of Virginia, Mr. KELLER of Florida, Mr. CONAWAY, Mr. TOM DAVIS of 

Virginia, Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico, and Mr. ORTIZ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Science and 

Technology 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the contribution of modeling and simulation 

technology to the security and prosperity of the United 

States, and recognizing modeling and simulation as a 

National Critical Technology. 

Whereas the United States of America is a great and prosperous Nation, and modeling and simulation contribute 

significantly to that greatness and prosperity; 

Whereas modeling and simulation in the United States is a 

unique application of computer science and mathematics 

that depends on the validity, verification, and reproducibility of the model or simulation, and depends also on 


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the capability of the thousands of Americans in modeling 

and simulation careers to develop these models; 

Whereas members of the modeling and simulation community 

in government, industry, and academia have made significant contributions to the general welfare of the United 

States, and while these contributions are too numerous to 

enumerate, modeling and simulation efforts have contributed to the United States by— 

(1) expanding the understanding of nuclear chain reactions during the Manhattan Project through some of 

the earliest simulations replicating the reaction process, 

which ultimately contributed to the end of World War II; 

(2) serving as a foundational element of the Stockpile Stewardship Program, which enabled the President 

of the United States to certify the safety, security, and 

reliability of the nuclear stockpile for more than ten years 

without the use of live nuclear testing, which demonstrates the Nation’s commitment to nuclear nonproliferation; 

(3) accelerating the effectiveness of joint, coalition, 

and interagency training exercises, while dramatically reducing the costs of such exercises, as demonstrated by 

United States Joint Forces Command’s 2007 homeland 

security exercise, Noble Resolve, which was conducted 

virtually and required 5 months, 140 personnel, and 

$2,000,000 for development, compared to a 2002 Millennium Challenge exercise that was conducted live and required 5 years, 14,000 personnel, and $250,000,000 for 

development; 

(4) preserving countless human lives, as well as military and civilian aircraft, ships, and other vehicles 

through the rehearsal of repeatable, simulated emergencies that otherwise could not have been practiced; 


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(5) increasing the quality of health care through the 

development of medical simulation training, which led the 

Food and Drug Administration to require such training 

for physicians before certain high-risk procedures to treat 

heart disease and strokes; 

(6) reducing the cost of health care, as demonstrated 

by medical malpractice insurance rate discounts being 

provided to anesthesiologists and obstetricians who include simulated procedures in their biennial training requirements; 

(7) simulating large scale natural or man-made disasters to improve the effectiveness of local, State, and 

Federal first responders, law enforcement, and other 

agencies involved in a coordinated emergency response; 

(8) forecasting weather and predicting climate 

change to enable scientists, industry, and policymakers to 

study the effects of climate change and also to prepare 

for extreme weather, such as hurricanes; 

(9) protecting rivers, waterways, and endangered 

species reliant on these waters through the Environmental Protection Agency’s hydrology Dynamic Stream 

Simulation and Assessment Model, which predicts impacts on water quality for the Truckee River, including 

its effect on Lake Tahoe and other portions of its basin; 

(10) producing analysis that resulted in enhanced 

designs and construction of critical infrastructure, such 

as roads, interchanges, airports, harbors, railways, and 

bridges that increases transportation capacity and safety, 

and reduces travel time and environmental impact; and 

(11) providing National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts training to ensure a safe 

and productive mission in space, including the utilization 

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craft shuttle characteristics and enables NASA pilots to 

have 1,000 simulated shuttle landings before they land 

the Space Shuttle for the first time as a glider; 

Whereas these contributions, in addition to numerous contributions that are not listed but that equally have 

brought prosperity to our Nation, demonstrate that modeling and simulation efforts have, and will continue to— 

(1) provide vital strategic support functions to our 

Military; 

(2) defend our freedom and advance United States 

interests around the world; 

(3) promote better health care through improved 

medical training, improved quality of care, reduced medical errors, and reduced cost; 

(4) encourage comprehensive planning for national 

disaster and emergency preparedness response; 

(5) improve and secure our critical infrastructure 

and transportation systems; 

(6) protect the environment; and 

(7) allow the Nation to explore the Earth and space 

to further our understanding of our world and universe; 

Whereas modeling and simulation frequently complements or 

replaces experimentation where experimentation is hazardous, expensive, or impossible, thus providing far greater capability than experimentation alone; 

Whereas the modeling and simulation industry provides wellpaying jobs to many Americans and represents an opportunity for Americans with strong foundations in science, 

technology, engineering, and mathematics to contribute 

to the prosperity and security of the United States; 

Whereas other countries have recognized the value of modeling and simulation as an opportunity to gain a competiVerDate Aug 31 2005 06:55 Jun 15, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR487.IH HR487

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tive advantage over the United States economically and 

militarily, and some of these same countries produce 

more engineers each year than the United States; 

Whereas modeling and simulation efforts are critically dependent on a fundamental education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; 

Whereas modeling and simulation require unique knowledge, 

skills, and abilities that are not adequately incorporated 

into governmental occupational classification codes; and 

Whereas advances in modeling and simulation can be 

achieved through innovation in the private sector, and 

proper export controls and intellectual property rights are 

critical to the continued growth and innovation in this 

sector: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) commends those who have contributed to 

3 the modeling and simulation efforts which have de4 veloped essential characteristics of our Nation; 

5 (2) urges that, consistent with previous legisla6 tion passed by this and previous Congresses, science, 

7 technology, engineering, and mathematics remain 

8 key disciplines for primary and secondary education; 

9 (3) encourages the expansion of modeling and 

10 simulation as a tool and subject within higher edu11 cation; 

12 (4) recognizes modeling and simulation as a 

13 National Critical Technology; 


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1 (5) affirms the need to study the national eco2 nomic impact of modeling and simulation; 

3 (6) supports the development and implementa4 tion of governmental classification codes that include 

5 separate classification for modeling and simulation 

6 occupations; and 

7 (7) encourages the development and implemen8 tation of ways to protect intellectual property of 

9 modeling and simulation enterprises. 

Æ 


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