American Super Computing Leadership Act

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``American Super Computing Leadership 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 2 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5541) is amended by striking 
paragraphs (1) through (5) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) Co-design.--The term `co-design' means the joint 
        development of application algorithms, models, and codes with 
        computer technology architectures and operating systems to 
        maximize effective use of high-end computing systems.
            ``(2) Department.--The term `Department' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            ``(3) Exascale.--The term `exascale' means computing system 
        performance at or near 10 to the 18th power floating point 
        operations per second.
            ``(4) 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.
            ``(5) 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)).
            ``(6) 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.
            ``(7) National laboratory.--The term `National Laboratory' 
        means any one of the seventeen laboratories owned by the 
        Department.
            ``(8) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
            ``(9) Software technology.--The term `software technology' 
        includes optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools, 
        languages, and operating systems for high-end computing 
        systems.''.

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

    Section 3 of the Department of Energy High-End Computing 
Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5542) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``program'' and 
                inserting ``coordinated program across the 
                Department'';
                    (B) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph 
                (1);
                    (C) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (2) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(3) partner with universities, National Laboratories, and 
        industry to ensure the broadest possible application of the 
        technology developed in this program to other challenges in 
        science, engineering, medicine, and industry.'';
            (2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking ``vector'' and all 
        that follows through ``architectures'' and inserting ``computer 
        technologies that show promise of substantial reductions in 
        power requirements and substantial gains in parallelism of 
        multicore processors, concurrency, memory and storage, 
        bandwidth, and reliability''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (d) and inserting the following:
    ``(d) Exascale Computing Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
        coordinated research program to develop exascale computing 
        systems to advance the missions of the Department.
            ``(2) Execution.--The Secretary shall, through competitive 
        merit review, establish two or more National Laboratory-
        industry-university partnerships to conduct integrated 
        research, development, and engineering of multiple exascale 
        architectures, and--
                    ``(A) conduct mission-related co-design activities 
                in developing such exascale platforms;
                    ``(B) develop those advancements in hardware and 
                software technology required to fully realize the 
                potential of an exascale production system in 
                addressing Department target applications and solving 
                scientific problems involving predictive modeling and 
                simulation and large-scale data analytics and 
                management; and
                    ``(C) explore the use of exascale computing 
                technologies to advance a broad range of science and 
                engineering.
            ``(3) Administration.--In carrying out this program, the 
        Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) provide, on a competitive, merit-reviewed 
                basis, access for researchers in United States 
                industry, institutions of higher education, National 
                Laboratories, and other Federal agencies to these 
                exascale systems, as appropriate; and
                    ``(B) conduct outreach programs to increase the 
                readiness for the use of such platforms by domestic 
                industries, including manufacturers.
            ``(4) Reports.--
                    ``(A) Integrated strategy and program management 
                plan.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress, not 
                later than 90 days after the date of enactment of the 
                American Super Computing Leadership Act, a report 
                outlining an integrated strategy and program management 
                plan, including target dates for prototypical and 
                production exascale platforms, interim milestones to 
                reaching these targets, functional requirements, roles 
                and responsibilities of National Laboratories and 
                industry, acquisition strategy, and estimated resources 
                required, to achieve this exascale system capability. 
                The report shall include the Secretary's plan for 
                Departmental organization to manage and execute the 
                Exascale Computing Program, including definition of the 
                roles and responsibilities within the Department to 
                ensure an integrated program across the Department. The 
                report shall also include a plan for ensuring balance 
                and prioritizing across ASCR subprograms in a flat or 
                slow-growth budget environment.
                    ``(B) Status reports.--At the time of the budget 
                submission of the Department for each fiscal year, the 
                Secretary shall submit a report to Congress that 
                describes the status of milestones and costs in 
                achieving the objectives of the exascale computing 
                program.
                    ``(C) Exascale merit report.--At least 18 months 
                prior to the initiation of construction or installation 
                of any exascale-class computing facility, the Secretary 
                shall transmit a plan to the Congress detailing--
                            ``(i) the proposed facility's cost 
                        projections and capabilities to significantly 
                        accelerate the development of new energy 
                        technologies;
                            ``(ii) technical risks and challenges that 
                        must be overcome to achieve successful 
                        completion and operation of the facility; and
                            ``(iii) an independent assessment of the 
                        scientific and technological advances expected 
                        from such a facility relative to those expected 
                        from a comparable investment in expanded 
                        research and applications at terascale-class 
                        and petascale-class computing facilities, 
                        including an evaluation of where investments 
                        should be made in the system software and 
                        algorithms to enable these advances.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 8, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.

Summary: American Super Computing Leadership Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 with respect to: (1) exascale computing (computing system performance at or near 10 to the 18th power floating point operations per second), and (2) a high-end computing system with performance substantially exceeding that of systems commonly available for advanced scientific and engineering applications. Directs the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to: (1) coordinate the development of high-end computing systems across DOE; (2) partner with universities, National Laboratories, and industry to ensure the broadest possible application of the technology developed in the program to other challenges in science, engineering, medicine, and industry; and (3) include among the multiple architectures researched, at DOE discretion, any computer technologies that show promise of substantial reductions in power requirements and substantial gains in parallelism of multicore processors, concurrency, memory and storage, bandwidth, and reliability. Repeals authority for establishment of at least one High-End Software Development Center. Directs the Secretary to conduct a coordinated research program to develop exascale computing systems to advance DOE missions. Requires establishment through competitive merit review of two or more DOE National Laboratory-industry-university partnerships to conduct integrated research, development, and engineering of multiple exascale architectures. Requires the Secretary to conduct mission-related co-design activities in developing such exascale platforms. Defines &quot;co-design&quot; as the joint development of application algorithms, models, and codes with computer technology architectures and operating systems to maximize effective use of high-end computing systems. Directs the Secretary to develop any advancements in hardware and software technology required to realize fully the potential of an exascale production system in addressing DOE target applications and solving scientific problems involving predictive modeling and simulation and large-scale data analytics and management. Requires DOE also to explore the use of exascale computing technologies to advance a broad range of science and engineering. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress an integrated strategy and program management plan. Requires the Secretary, before initiating construction or installation of an exascale-class computing facility, to transmit to Congress a separate plan detailing: (1) the proposed facility's cost projections and capabilities to significantly accelerate the development of new energy technologies; (2) technical risks and challenges that must be overcome to achieve successful completion and operation of the facility; and (3) an independent assessment of the scientific and technological advances expected from such a facility relative to those expected from a comparable investment in expanded research and applications at terascale-class and petascale-class computing facilities, including an evaluation of where investments should be made in the system software and algorithms to enable these advances.