I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3747 

To provide for a pilot project for a nationwide network of secure computing 

enclaves for federally funded research in universities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 8, 2021 

Mr. BABIN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Science, Space, and Technology 

A BILL 

To provide for a pilot project for a nationwide network 

of secure computing enclaves for federally funded research in universities, and for other purposes. 

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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing American Re5 search from Cyber Theft Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 

7 The purposes of this Act are to help institutions of 

8 higher education protect federally funded research from 

9 cyber theft and interference by— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 3747 IH

1 (1) directing the Networking and Information 

2 Technology Research and Development Program to 

3 provide for support and guidance on improving the 

4 security of academic computing and networking sys5 tems that process, store, and transmit federally 

6 funded research; and 

7 (2) establishing a pilot program to support re8 gional secure computing enclaves for academia to 

9 provide researchers with secure data storage and 

10 adequately protect Federal Government data. 

11 SEC. 3. NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 

12 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT UPDATE. 

13 Section 101(a)(1) of the High-Performance Com14 puting Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended— 

15 (1) by inserting after subparagraph (I) the fol16 lowing: 

17 ‘‘(J) provide for improving the security, re18 liability, and resiliency of computing and net19 working systems used by institutions of higher 

20 education and other nonprofit research institu21 tions for the processing, storage and trans22 mission of sensitive federally funded research 

23 and associated data;’’; and 

24 (2) by redesignating subparagraphs (J) through 

25 (O) as subparagraphs (K) through (P), respectively. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 3747 IH

1 SEC. 4. COMPUTING ENCLAVE PILOT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 

3 Science Foundation, in consultation with the Director of 

4 the National Institute of Standards and Technology and 

5 the Secretary of Energy, shall award grants to establish 

6 a pilot program to ensure the security of federally-sup7 ported research data and to assist regional institutions of 

8 higher education and their researchers in compliance with 

9 regulations regarding the safeguarding of sensitive infor10 mation and other relevant regulations and Federal guide11 lines. 

12 (b) STRUCTURE.—In carrying out the pilot program 

13 established pursuant to subsection (a), the Director shall 

14 select three institutions of higher education from among 

15 institutions classified under the Indiana University Center 

16 for Postsecondary Research Carnegie Classification as a 

17 doctorate-granting university with a very high level of re18 search activity, and with a history of working with secure 

19 information for the development, installation, mainte20 nance, or sustainment of secure computing enclaves. 

21 (c) REGIONALIZATION.— 

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—In selecting universities pur23 suant to subsection (b), the Director shall give pref24 erence to institutions of higher education with the 

25 capability of serving other regional universities. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 3747 IH

1 (2) GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSAL.—The enclaves 

2 should be geographically dispersed to better meet the 

3 needs of regional interests. 

4 (d) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The Director shall work 

5 with institutions of higher education selected pursuant to 

6 subsection (b) to— 

7 (1) develop an approved design blueprint for 

8 compliance with Federal data protection protocols; 

9 (2) develop a comprehensive and confidential 

10 list, or a bill of materials, of each binary component 

11 of the software, firmware, or product that is re12 quired to deploy additional secure computing en13 claves; 

14 (3) develop templates for all policies and proce15 dures required to operate the secure computing en16 clave in a research setting; 

17 (4) develop a system security plan template; 

18 and 

19 (5) develop a process for managing a plan of 

20 action and milestones for the secure computing en21 clave. 

22 (e) DURATION.—Subject to other availability of ap23 propriations, the pilot program established pursuant to 

24 subsection (a) shall operate for not less than 3 years. 

25 (f) REPORT.— 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 3747 IH

1 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director of the National 

2 Science Foundation shall report to Congress not 

3 later than 6 months after the completion of the pilot 

4 program under subsection (a). 

5 (2) CONTENTS.—The report required under 

6 paragraph (1) shall include— 

7 (A) an assessment of the pilot program 

8 under subsection (a), including an assessment 

9 of the security benefits provided by such secure 

10 computing enclaves; 

11 (B) recommendations related to the value 

12 of expanding the network of secure computing 

13 enclaves; and 

14 (C) recommendations on the efficacy of the 

15 use of secure computing enclaves by other Fed16 eral agencies in a broader effort to expand se17 curity of Federal research. 

18 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

19 authorized to be appropriated to the Director, 

20 $38,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 through 2024, to carry 

21 out the activities outlined in this section. 

22 SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 

24 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

25 the Director of the National Science Foundation. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 3747 IH

1 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

2 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

3 meaning given such term in section 101 of the High4 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS