I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2342 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to support 
the establishment of a nationwide training program in simulation tech-
nology, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2021 
Mr. RESCHENTHALER (for himself and Ms. KUSTER) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant 
program to support the establishment of a nationwide 
training program in simulation technology, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Simulation and Inno-
vation Machine for Up-Leveling the American Technology 
Economy Act’’ or the ‘‘SIMULATE Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to ensure the continued 
leadership of the United States in simulation technology 
and its applications by promoting the development and ex-
pansion of an American workforce skilled in the use of 
simulation technology in order to— 
(1) facilitate technology innovation and private 
sector commercialization; 
(2) meet economic and national security goals; 
(3) increase the competitiveness of small- and 
medium-sized United States businesses in the global 
market; 
(4) increase the competitiveness of large compa-
nies by increasing the efficiency of their small- and 
medium-sized suppliers; 
(5) expand the number of engineers and sci-
entists in the market and entering the market with 
expertise in simulation technology; 
(6) increase the number of United States small- 
and medium-sized businesses that use simulation 
technology as part of their standard operations; 
(7) promote the increased use of simulation 
technology, including the use of such technology by 
individuals identified in sections 33 and 34 of the 
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885a, 1885b); and 
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(8) promote economic upward mobility by pro-
viding eligible students with greater access to higher 
paying jobs. 
SEC. 3. GRANT FOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PRO-
GRAM IN SIMULATION TECHNOLOGY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made available 
under subsection (f), the Secretary of Defense shall award 
a grant, on a competitive basis, to an eligible entity to 
enable such entity to establish and carry out a nationwide 
training and certification program in simulation tech-
nology as described in subsection (d). 
(b) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the grant pro-
gram under this section, the Secretary of Defense shall 
consult with the heads of such other departments and 
agencies of the Federal government as the Secretary de-
termines appropriate. 
(c) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—To be considered for a grant 
under this section, an eligible entity shall submit an 
application to the Secretary of Defense at such time, 
in such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require. 
(2) CONTENTS.—As part of the application sub-
mitted under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall 
demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary of 
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Defense that the training program funded with the 
grant will have the capacity to graduate an average 
of at least 10,000 students per year during the 
grant period. 
(d) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant to carry 
out the following activities: 
(1) The entity shall establish and implement a 
national training and certification program in sim-
ulation technology that— 
(A) provides training to eligible students 
the field of simulation technology, including 
training in— 
(i) simulation software, simulation ap-
plications, and adjacent or related software 
technologies; 
(ii) the use of simulation technology 
to simulate structures, fluids, electrical, 
materials, optics, power, and other relative 
subjects determined by the Secretary; and 
(iii) the use state-of-the-art commer-
cial-off-the-shelf simulation software; 
(B) is accessible to eligible students in 
each State; 
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sign, 
manufacturing, 
and 
operations 
and 
sustainment; 
(D) provide participating students with 
tools of the trade, including skills and access to 
software tools, that students can take with 
them to future jobs; and 
(E) incorporate industry perspectives on 
science and engineering simulation workforce 
development, including by leveraging relevant 
industry knowledge and resources. 
(e) DURATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A grant under this section 
shall be made for a period of five years. 
(2) REAPPLICATION.—An eligible entity that re-
ceived a grant under this section may reapply for 
such a grant for one or more additional periods of 
five years. The Secretary of Defense shall consider 
such reapplications on a competitive, merit-reviewed 
basis together with applications received from other 
eligible entities for the applicable grant period. 
(3) TERMINATION.—The Secretary of Defense 
may terminate a grant made under this section dur-
ing the grant period if the Secretary determines that 
the recipient of the grant is not performing ade-
quately. 
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(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$75,000,000 for fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘adjacent or related software 
technologies’’ means software for product develop-
ment and testing that may be used in conjunction 
with simulation technology, including software for 
design and manufacturing, data management, pro-
duction optimization, and product life-cycle manage-
ment. 
(2) The term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a commercial entity; 
(B) an institution of higher education; 
(C) a nonprofit organization; or 
(D) a consortium composed of one or more 
of the entities described in subparagraphs (A) 
through (C). 
(3) The term ‘‘eligible student’’ means an indi-
vidual who is— 
(A) enrolled in an institution of higher 
education; or 
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(B) has a job in a field for which simula-
tion technology may be relevant, as determined 
by the Secretary of Defense. 
(4) The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 101(a) 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001(a)). 
(5) The term ‘‘nationally recognized accrediting 
agency or association’’ means an accrediting agency 
or association that the Secretary of Defense deter-
mines to be reliable authority as to the quality of the 
training offered by an eligible entity. 
(6) The term ‘‘simulation technology’’ means 
computer technology and software designed to close-
ly approximate physical phenomena using mathe-
matical formulas for the purpose of product develop-
ment and testing, including the simulation of struc-
tures, fluids, electrical, materials, optics and power. 
Æ 
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