[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2342 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
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 technology, 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 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.
<all>