I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8763 

To direct the Director of National Intelligence to award contracts or grants, 

or enter into transactions other than contracts, to encourage microelectronics research in support of artificial intelligence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2020 

Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI (for himself and Mr. STEWART) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 

A BILL 

To direct the Director of National Intelligence to award 

contracts or grants, or enter into transactions other than 

contracts, to encourage microelectronics research in support of artificial intelligence. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SEEDLING INVESTMENT IN NEXT-GENERATION 

4 MICROELECTRONICS IN SUPPORT OF ARTIFI5 CIAL INTELLIGENCE. 

6 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that— 

7 (1) developing faster, more energy efficient, and 

8 more resilient computing is important to the future 


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1 of the national security of the United States and the 

2 leadership by the United States in artificial intel3 ligence; and 

4 (2) multidisciplinary teams co-designing micro5 electronics for artificial intelligence will lead to un6 precedented capabilities that will help ensure that 

7 the United States maintains its superiority in this 

8 worldwide competition for economic and national se9 curity. 

10 (b) AWARDS FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.— 

11 The Director of National Intelligence, acting through the 

12 Director of the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects 

13 Activity, shall award contracts or grants, or enter into 

14 transactions other than contracts, to encourage microelec15 tronics research. 

16 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—The Director shall award con17 tracts or grants to, or enter into transactions other than 

18 contracts with, entities under subsection (b) to carry out 

19 any of the following: 

20 (1) Advanced engineering and applied research 

21 into novel computing models, materials, devices, ar22 chitectures, or algorithms to enable the advancement 

23 of artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

24 (2) Research efforts to— 


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1 (A) overcome challenges with engineering 

2 and applied research of microelectronics, includ3 ing with respect to the physical limits on tran4 sistors, electrical interconnects, and memory 

5 elements; or 

6 (B) promote long-term advancements in 

7 computing technologies, including by fostering a 

8 unified and multidisciplinary approach encom9 passing research and development into algo10 rithm design, computing architectures, micro11 electronic devices and circuits, and the chem12 istry and physics of new materials. 

13 (3) Any other activity the Director determines 

14 would promote the development of microelectronics 

15 research. 

16 (d) AWARD AMOUNTS.—In awarding contracts or 

17 grants, or entering into transactions other than contracts, 

18 under subsection (b), the Director may award not more 

19 than a total of $15,000,000. 

Æ 


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