SIMULATE Act
Bill: H.R.2342 | Sponsor: Rep. Reschenthaler, Guy (R-PA)
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Simulation and Innovation Machine for Up-Leveling the American Technology Economy Act or the SIMULATE Act
This bill directs the Department of Defense to award a competitive grant to a commercial entity, an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organization, or a consortium composed of any of those to enable such entity to establish and carry out a nationwide training and certification program in simulation technology. In carrying out the program, the entity shall take specified actions, including the development of a comprehensive curriculum in simulation technology.

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 Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

     This Act may be cited as the ``Simulation and Innovation Machine 
for Up-Leveling the American Technology Economy Act'' or the ``SIMULATE 
Act''.

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 expansion 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 companies by 
        increasing the efficiency of their small- and medium-sized 
        suppliers;
            (5) expand the number of engineers and scientists 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
            (8) promote economic upward mobility by providing eligible 
        students with greater access to higher paying jobs.

SEC. 3. GRANT FOR TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM 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 
technology as described in subsection (d).
    (b) Consultation.--In carrying out the grant program 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 determines 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 submitted under 
        paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall demonstrate to the 
        satisfaction of the Secretary of 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 simulation technology 
        that--
                    (A) provides training to eligible students the 
                field of simulation technology, including training in--
                            (i) simulation software, simulation 
                        applications, 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 commercial-
                        off-the-shelf simulation software;
                    (B) is accessible to eligible students in each 
                State;
                    (C) is accredited by a nationally recognized 
                accrediting agency or association;
                    (D) can be completed by an eligible student in as 
                little as three months;
                    (E) enables a student who successfully completes 
                the program to receive a nationally-recognized 
                certification in simulation technology; and
                    (F) may be replicated and implemented by other 
                entities after the expiration of the grant period.
            (2) In carrying out the program described in paragraph (1), 
        the entity shall--
                    (A) develop a comprehensive curriculum in 
                simulation technology;
                    (B) prioritize the enrollment of eligible students 
                who can demonstrate that participation in the training 
                program will enhance their employment prospects or 
                career development;
                    (C) use commercial-off-the-shelf simulation 
                software to establish a set of standard simulation 
                tools that support a broad range of simulation 
                activities at each stage of the design process 
                including the stages of ideation, detailed design, 
                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 received 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 during the grant period if the 
        Secretary determines that the recipient of the grant is not 
        performing adequately.
    (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 development and testing that may be 
        used in conjunction with simulation technology, including 
        software for design and manufacturing, data management, 
        production optimization, and product life-cycle management.
            (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 individual who 
        is--
                    (A) enrolled in an institution of higher education; 
                or
                    (B) has a job in a field for which simulation 
                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 determines 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 closely approximate 
        physical phenomena using mathematical formulas for the purpose 
        of product development and testing, including the simulation of 
        structures, fluids, electrical, materials, optics and power.
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