CRA Government Affairs Advocacy | Policy Issues | Budget | Congress | Executive Branch | Archives | Home

Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act (HR 2086)

Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), Chair of the House Science Committee, introduced the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act in June, 1999, to respond to the recommendations of the President's Information and Technology Advisory Committee (PITAC). The bill, H.R. 2086, would amend the High Performance Computing and Communications Act to reauthorize HPCC programs at the major research agencies and establish a new NITR&D program for long-term fundamental research and terascale computing facilities. Please see the CRA report on Summary and Analysis of the NITR&D Act for more information on the provisions of this legislation. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 2086 on February 15, 2000.

• Text of the NITR&D Act (HR 2086)
• House Science Committee Report on HR 2086 (H Rept 106-472)

On February 9, 2000, Senator Bill Frist (R-Tennessee), Chair of the Science, Technology, and Space subcommittee, introduced the Next Generation Internet 2000 Act, S. 2046, which like the Sensenbrenner bill would reauthorize HPCC and NGI programs. It does not, however, include provisions for a long-term IT research program along the lines of NITR&D or for terascale computing. Moreover, the bill incorporates the Federal Research Investment Act, S 296, which would double the overall civilian R&D budget over 10 years, a proposal not widely supported among the sponsors of the NITR&D Act.

• Text of the Next Generation Internet 2000 Act (S 2046)
• Senate Commerce Committee Report on S 2046 (S Rept 106-310)

CRA Statements on the NITR&D Act

• CRA Letter to Members of the Senate Commerce Committee on the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act (H.R. 2086), February 22, 2000

• CRA Hails House Passage of NITR&D Act, CRA news release, February 15, 2000

• CRA Testimony on the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act given by Edward Lazowska before the Subcommittee on Basic Research, Committee on Science, U.S. House of Representatives, July 14, 1999

• CRA Statement on the NITR&D Act

Additional House Science Committee Documents

• Landmark I.T. Legislation Passes House, House Science Committee press release, February 15, 2000

• House-Passed VA/HUD Bill Provides $126 Million Next Year for Sensenbrenner I.T. Legislation, House Science Committee news release, October 14, 1999

• Sensenbrenner I.T. Legislation Unanimously Passes Committee, House Science Committee news release, September 10, 1999

• Sensenbrenner Introduces Bipartisan I.T. Legislation, House Science Committee news release, June 9, 1999

• Background and Need for Legislation, House Science Committee document