§ 5501. — Findings.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 15USC5501]
TITLE 15--COMMERCE AND TRADE
CHAPTER 81--HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING
Sec. 5501. Findings
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Advances in computer science and technology are vital to the
Nation's prosperity, national and economic security, industrial
production, engineering, and scientific advancement.
(2) The United States currently leads the world in the
development and use of high-performance computing for national
security, industrial productivity, science, and engineering, but
that lead is being challenged by foreign competitors.
(3) Further research and development, expanded educational
programs, improved computer research networks, and more effective
technology transfer from government to industry are necessary for
the United States to reap fully the benefits of high-performance
computing.
(4) A high-capacity, flexible, high-speed national research and
education computer network is needed to provide researchers and
educators with access to computational and information resources,
act as a test bed for further research and development for high-
capacity and high-speed computer networks, and provide researchers
the necessary vehicle for continued network technology improvement
through research.
(5) Several Federal agencies have ongoing high-performance
computing programs, but improved long-term interagency coordination,
cooperation, and planning would enhance the effectiveness of these
programs.
(6) A 1991 report entitled ``Grand Challenges: High-Performance
Computing and Communications'' by the Office of Science and
Technology Policy, outlining a research and development strategy for
high-performance computing, provides a framework for a multiagency
high-performance computing program. Such a program would provide
American researchers and educators with the computer and information
resources they need, and demonstrate how advanced computers, high-
capacity and high-speed networks, and electronic data bases can
improve the national information infrastructure for use by all
Americans.
(7) Additional research must be undertaken to lay the foundation
for the development of new applications that can result in economic
growth, improved health care, and improved educational
opportunities.
(8) Research in new networking technologies holds the promise of
easing the economic burdens of information access disproportionately
borne by rural users of the Internet.
(9) Information security is an important part of computing,
information, and communications systems and applications, and
research into security architectures is a critical aspect of
computing, information, and communications research programs.
(Pub. L. 102-194, Sec. 2, Dec. 9, 1991, 105 Stat. 1594; Pub. L. 105-305,
Sec. 2(b), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2919.)
Amendments
1998--Par. (4). Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 2(b)(1), added par. (4) and
struck out former par. (4) which read as follows: ``A high-capacity and
high-speed national research and education computer network would
provide researchers and educators with access to computer and
information resources and act as a test bed for further research and
development of high-capacity and high-speed computer networks.''
Pars. (7) to (9). Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 2(b)(2), added pars. (7) to
(9).
Short Title of 1998 Amendment
Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 1, Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2919, provided
that: ``This Act [enacting section 5513 of this title, amending this
section and sections 5502, 5503, and 5511 of this title, and enacting
provisions set out as notes under this section] may be cited as the
`Next Generation Internet Research Act of 1998'.''
Short Title
Section 1 of Pub. L. 102-194 provided that: ``This Act [enacting
this chapter] may be cited as the `High-Performance Computing Act of
1991'.''
Congressional Findings
Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 2(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2919, provided
that: ``The Congress finds that--
``(1) United States leadership in science and technology has
been vital to the Nation's prosperity, national and economic
security, and international competitiveness, and there is every
reason to believe that maintaining this tradition will lead to long-
term continuation of United States strategic advantages in
information technology;
``(2) the United States investment in science and technology has
yielded a scientific and engineering enterprise without peer, and
that Federal investment in research is critical to the maintenance
of United States leadership;
``(3) previous Federal investment in computer networking
technology and related fields has resulted in the creation of new
industries and new jobs in the United States;
``(4) the Internet is playing an increasingly important role in
keeping citizens informed of the actions of their government; and
``(5) continued inter-agency cooperation is necessary to avoid
wasteful duplication in Federal networking research and development
programs.''
Purposes
Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 3(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2920, provided
that: ``The purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 1998 Amendment note
above] are--
``(1) to authorize, through the High-Performance Computing Act
of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.), research programs related to--
``(A) high-end computing and computation;
``(B) human-centered systems;
``(C) high confidence systems; and
``(D) education, training, and human resources; and
``(2) to provide, through the High-Performance Computing Act of
1991 (15 U.S.C. 5501 et seq.), for the development and coordination
of a comprehensive and integrated United States research program
which will--
``(A) focus on the research and development of a coordinated
set of technologies that seeks to create a network
infrastructure that can support greater speed, robustness, and
flexibility than is currently available and promote connectivity
and interoperability among advanced computer networks of Federal
agencies and departments;
``(B) focus on research in technology that may result in
high-speed data access for users that is both economically
viable and does not impose a geographic penalty; and
``(C) encourage researchers to pursue approaches to
networking technology that lead to maximally flexible and
extensible solutions wherever feasible.''
Definitions
Pub. L. 105-305, Sec. 7(a), Oct. 28, 1998, 112 Stat. 2924, provided
that: ``For purposes of this Act [see Short Title of 1998 Amendment note
above]--
``(1) Geographic penalty.--The term `geographic penalty' means
the imposition of costs on users of the Internet in rural or other
locations, attributable to the distance of the user from network
facilities, the low population density of the area in which the user
is located, or other factors, that are disproportionately greater
than the costs imposed on users in locations closer to such
facilities or on users in locations with significantly greater
population density.
``(2) Internet.--The term `Internet' means the international
computer network of both Federal and non-Federal interoperable
packet switched data networks.''
