[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7935 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7935
To direct the Secretary of Defense to accelerate the implementation of
quantum information science technologies within the Department of
Defense, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 10, 2024
Ms. Stefanik introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Defense to accelerate the implementation of
quantum information science technologies within the Department of
Defense, 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 ``Defense Quantum Acceleration Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. JOINT QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE DEFENSE TRANSITION
ACTIVITIES.
Chapter 301 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by
inserting after section 4001 the following new section:
``Sec. 4002. Joint quantum information science defense transition
activities
``(a) Activities Required.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense shall establish
a set of activities to accelerate the adoption and
implementation quantum information science (hereafter referred
to `QIS') technology within the Department of Defense.
``(2) Elements.--Pursuant to the activities established
under paragraph (1), the Secretary, acting through the
Principal Quantum Advisor designated under subsection (b),
shall--
``(A) explore and identify QIS technologies that--
``(i) have demonstrated value in advancing
the priorities and missions of the Department;
and
``(ii) may be applied to address
operational problems;
``(B) develop plans to transition such QIS
technologies from the research and development phase to
operational use within the Department, including within
each of the Armed Forces; and
``(C) carry out such transition plans.
``(b) Designation of Principal Quantum Advisor.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
designate a senior official of the Department of Defense to
serve as the Principal Quantum Advisor for the Department.
``(2) Responsibilities.--The Principal Quantum Advisor
shall serve as the official within the Department of Defense
with principal responsibility for--
``(A) coordinating activities relating to the
accelerated demonstration and transition of QIS
technologies for applications specific to operational
challenges faced by the Department;
``(B) coordinating, overseeing, and managing the
set of activities established under subsection (a);
``(C) carrying out the activities described in
paragraphs (3) through (6); and
``(D) carrying out such other duties related to the
development and implementation of QIS technologies as
the Secretary may direct.
``(3) Defining and codifying defense qis use cases.--
``(A) In general.--The Principal Quantum Advisor
shall--
``(i) identify operational challenges faced
by the Department of Defense that have the
potential to be addressed through the use of
QIS-technology based solutions, including
solutions based on the QIS technology areas
described subparagraph (C);
``(ii) for each such challenge, determine
if the implementation of a QIS technology-based
solution has the potential to be significantly
more effective at addressing such challenge
compared to a non-QIS technology-based
solution, taking into account the technology
and manufacturing readiness level of the QIS
technology-based solution;
``(iii) for each potential QIS technology-
based solution identified under clause (ii),
evaluate and determine the technology and
manufacturing readiness level of the solution
taking into account the current readiness level
of such solution--
``(I) within the Department;
``(II) among other departments and
agencies of the Federal Government;
``(III) among Five Eyes countries;
and
``(IV) within academia and
industry.
``(iv) for each QIS technology-based
solution determined under clause (iii) to have
a technology and manufacturing readiness level
of 5 or higher, begin prototyping and
evaluation activities of such solution at scale
in operationally relevant environments by not
later than the end of fiscal year 2025; and
``(v) for each QIS technology-based
solution determined under clause (iii) to have
a technology and manufacturing readiness level
of 4 or lower, submit to Congress a plan for
funding such solution over the period of five
fiscal years following the date of the report
using research, development, test, and
evaluation funds designated as budget activity
1 (basic research), budget activity 2 (applied
research), budget activity 3 (advanced
technology development), or budget activity 4
(advanced component development and prototypes)
as those budget activity classifications are
set forth in volume 2B, chapter 5 of the
Department of Defense Financial Management
Regulation (DOD 7000.14-R).
``(B) Coordination.--In carrying out this
paragraph, the Principal Quantum Advisor shall
coordinate with and seek input from the Armed Forces
and unified combatant commands--
``(i) to identify and better understand the
operational requirements of such Armed Forces
and commands; and
``(ii) to ensure that the timeline for
transitioning any QIS technology-based
capability to operational use within the Armed
Forces and combatant commands aligns with--
``(I) the plans of such Forces and
commands across the period covered by
the future-years defense program; and
``(II) the program objective
memorandum processes for such Forces
and commands.
``(C) QIS technology areas described.--The QIS
technology areas described in this subparagraph are the
following:
``(i) Quantum sensing, including--
``(I) alternative precision
navigation and timing;
``(II) undersea or underground
detection;
``(III) advanced intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance
quantum imaging techniques; and
``(IV) biomedical and health care.
``(ii) Quantum computing, including--
``(I) annealing;
``(II) quantum-enabled machine
learning;
``(III) simulation and
optimization; and
``(IV) integrating quantum and
classical computing.
``(iii) Quantum annealing.
``(iv) Quantum Communications and
networking.
``(v) Quantum-enabled modeling and
simulation.
``(vi) Hybrid quantum computing and the
integration of quantum and classical computing
components.
``(4) Acceleration of development and fielding of qis
technologies.--The Principal Quantum Advisor shall--
``(A) use the flexibility of regulations,
personnel, acquisition, partnerships with industry and
academia, or other relevant policies of the Department
to accelerate the transition and fielding of QIS
technologies;
``(B) ensure engagement with combatant commands,
defense and private industries, research universities,
and unaffiliated, nonprofit research institutions on
matters relating such QIS technologies; and
``(C) provide technical advice and support
organizations and elements of the Department of
Defense, including the Armed Forces, to optimize the
use of QIS technologies to meet mission requirements.
``(5) Industry and academia engagement.--
``(A) Inclusion in consortium.--The Secretary of
Defense, in coordination with the Director of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall
ensure that the Principal Quantum Advisor is included
in the activities of the Quantum Economic Development
Consortium established under section 201(b) of the
National Quantum Initiative Act (Public Law 115-368; 15
U.S.C. 8831(b)).
``(B) Outreach activities.--On a quarterly basis,
the Principal Quantum Advisor shall conduct outreach
and engagement with industry and academic leaders--
``(i) to educate organizations in the QIS
industrial base on national security QIS use
cases and operational challenges faced by the
Department that have the potential to be
addressed through the use of QIS technology-
based solutions as described in paragraph (3);
``(ii) to the extent determined appropriate
by the Principal Quantum Advisor, provide
industry with the opportunity to identify QIS
technology-based solutions to operational
challenges faced by the Department;
``(iii) educate organizations in the
Defense industrial base on near-term and
commercially available QIS technology-based
solutions that provide operationally relevant
warfighting capabilities;
``(iv) advance relevant QIS supply chains
and manufacturing capabilities within the
United States and among allies and partners of
the United States; and
``(v) facilitate the commercialization of
QIS technology-based solutions developed by the
research and engineering organizations of the
Department of Defense for purposes of
prototyping and transitioning such technologies
into operational use.
``(6) Allied quantum enhancement.--
``(A) Alignment with aukus efforts.--Based on the
QIS use cases identified under paragraph (3)(A)(ii),
the Principal Quantum Advisor shall--
``(i) identify areas in which the United
Kingdom and Australia, pursuant to Pillar II
the partnership among Australia, the United
Kingdom, and the United States (commonly known
as `AUKUS' ) are pursuing technology aligned
with such use cases; and
``(ii) align Department research and
development and procurement funding in relation
to QIS technologies on accelerating
opportunities where Australia and the United
Kingdom are pursuing such technologies.
``(B) Multilateral aukus and nato meetings.--The
Principal Quantum Advisor shall organize--
``(i) a recurring multilateral meeting of
quantum technology experts from the United
States, the United Kingdom, and Australia to
facilitate information-sharing and planning
relevant to QIS technology and defense-specific
use cases for such technology; and
``(ii) a recurring multilateral meeting of
quantum technology experts from member nations
of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to
facilitate such information-sharing and
planning.
``(c) Strategic Plan.--
``(1) Plan required.--The Secretary of Defense shall
develop strategic plan to guide the development, assessment,
procurement, and implementation of QIS technologies within the
Department of Defense over the period of five years following
the date of the plan.
``(2) Elements.--The plan required under paragraph (1)
shall include the following:
``(A) Plans for the continuous evaluation,
development, and implementation of QIS technology
solutions within the Department.
``(B) Plans for the development, review,
performance evaluation, and adoption of a fault-
tolerant, utility-scale quantum computer and the
transition of that capability to appropriate
organizations and elements of the Department of
Defense, including the Armed Forces, and such other
departments and agencies of the Federal Government as
the Secretary determines appropriate.
``(C) Plans for allocating the resources of the
Department to ensure such resources are focused on QIS
technologies with the potential to solve operational
challenges.
``(D) Identification of QIS technologies that--
``(i) have critical defense-specific
applications;
``(ii) cannot be adapted from commercially
available QIS technology; and
``(iii) are unlikely to be pursued or
accelerated by industry because of limited
commercial value.
``(E) Plans for supporting the development of
capabilities identified under subparagraph (D).
``(F) An assessment of the QIS supply chain,
including assessment of--
``(i) any associated strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats; and
``(ii) critical components, suppliers, and
single points of failure.
``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than one year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense
shall submit to Congress a report that includes the plan
developed under paragraph (1).
``(d) Commercial Security Strategy.--The Secretary of Defense shall
adopt a comprehensive security strategy for commercially developed
capabilities based on the guide utilized in the Underexplored Systems
for Utility-Scale Quantum Computing program of the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency.
``(e) National Security QIS Adoption Acceleration Testbed.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Defense, in
consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall establish a
national defense quantum information science joint center of
excellence (referred to in this section as the `Center').
``(2) Organization.--The Center shall be operated by the
Secretary of Defense and shall include participation from the
following organizations:
``(A) One or more research laboratories of the
Armed Forces.
``(B) A Department of Energy national laboratory.
``(C) A federally funded research and development
center or a university-affiliated research center.
``(3) Location.--The Secretary shall establish the Center
at a location in the United States that is reasonably
accessible to each organization described in paragraph (2).
``(4) Activities.--The Center shall carry out the following
activities:
``(A) Facilitate QIS technology transition and
workforce development activities.
``(B) Conduct outreach to enhance industry and
academia's understanding of national security QIS
technology use cases and current operational challenges
faced by the Department.
``(C) Prototype QIS technologies, with priority
given to the prototyping and transition of QIS-enabled
position, navigation, and timing efforts and quantum
sensors at technology readiness level six or higher.
``(D) Integrate the prototyping activities under
subparagraph (C) with the needs of the unified
combatant commands.
``(E) Accelerate the transition of advanced QIS
technology from the research and development phase into
operational use.
``(F) Expand the QIS workforce of the United States
and the QIS workforces of nations that are allies and
partners of the United States.
``(5) Contract authority.--The Secretary may make grants
and enter into contracts and other agreements, on a competitive
basis, to support the activities of the Center.
``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection
$20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
``(f) Research Opportunities and Workforce Planning.--
``(1) Enhancement of research opportunities.--Not later
than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Defense shall seek to increase opportunities for
the study of QIS within--
``(A) the military service academies.
``(B) the Reserve Officers' Training Corps; and
``(C) other institutions and programs of the
Department of Defense and the Armed Forces that provide
postsecondary and graduate level education.
``(2) Standard operating procedures.--The Secretary of
Defense shall direct the chief of each Armed Force, in
consultation with the heads of the research laboratories under
the jurisdiction of such Armed Force--
``(A) to adopt internal standard operating
procedures for QIS workforce development to monitor and
evaluate progress toward human capital goals and human
capital programmatic results; and
``(B) to involve top management, employees, and
other stakeholders in QIS workforce planning by--
``(i) developing and implementing an
enterprise-wide strategic quantum workforce
plan; and
``(ii) communicating quantum workforce
goals, initiatives, and metrics for evaluating
success throughout each laboratory.
``(g) Budget Review.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Defense, acting through
the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), shall require the
Secretaries of the military departments and the heads of the
Defense Agencies with responsibilities associated with any QIS
activity to transmit the proposed budget for such activities
for a fiscal year and for the period covered by the future-
years defense program submitted to Congress under section 221
of title 10, United States Code, for that fiscal year to the
Principal Quantum Advisor for review before submitting the
proposed budget to the Under Secretary of Defense
(Comptroller).
``(2) Report to secretary.--The Principal Quantum Advisor
shall review each proposed budget transmitted, and, not later
than January 31 of the year preceding the fiscal year for which
the budget is proposed, shall submit to the Secretary of
Defense a report containing the comments of the Principal
Quantum Advisor with respect to all such proposed budgets,
together with the certification of the Principal Quantum
Advisor regarding whether each proposed budget is adequate.
``(3) Report to congress.--Not later than March 31 of each
year, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a
report specifying each proposed budget that the Principal
Quantum Advisor did not certify to be adequate. The report of
the Secretary shall include the following matters:
``(A) A discussion of the actions that the
Secretary proposes to take, together with any
recommended legislation that the Secretary considers
appropriate, to address the inadequacy of the proposed
budgets specified in the report.
``(B) Any additional comments that the Secretary
considers appropriate regarding the inadequacy of the
proposed budgets.
``(h) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `Five Eyes countries' means the following:
``(A) Australia.
``(B) Canada.
``(C) New Zealand.
``(D) The United Kingdom.
``(E) The United States.
``(2) The term `quantum information science' or `QIS' means
the use of the laws of quantum physics for the storage,
transmission, manipulation, computing, or measurement of
information.''.
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