Sec. 220. Measures to advance quantum information science within the Department of Defense
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The Secretary of Defense shall develop a strategic plan to guide the research, development, test, and evaluation, procurement, and implementation of quantum information science (referred to in this section as QIS ) technologies within the Department of Defense, including the covered Armed Forces, over the period of five years following the date of the enactment of this Act. The plan required under paragraph
(1)shall include the following: Identification of— QIS technologies that have the potential to solve operational challenges faced by the Department of Defense; and the technology readiness levels of those QIS technologies. Plans to transition technologies identified under subparagraph
(A)from the research, development, and prototyping phases into operational use within the Department. Plans for allocating the resources of the Department to ensure such resources are focused on QIS technologies with the potential to solve operational challenges as identified under subparagraph (A). Plans for the continuous evaluation, development, and implementation of QIS technology solutions within the Department. 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 and such other departments and agencies of the Federal Government as the Secretary determines appropriate. Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes— the strategic plan developed under paragraph (1); and an assessment of whether the budgets proposed for QIS-related activities of the Department of Defense and each of the covered Armed Forces appropriately balance the use of research, development, test, and evaluation funds designated as budget activity 1 (basic research), budget activity 2 (applied research), and budget activity 3 (advanced technology development) (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)) to achieve the objectives of the strategic plan over near-, mid-, and long-term timeframes. The Secretary of Defense shall establish a Quantum Computing Center of Excellence (referred to in this subsection as the Center ) at a research laboratory of a covered Armed Force with requisite experience in quantum computing, integrated photonics and photon qubits, superconducting and hybrid systems, and trapped ions. The Center shall carry out the following activities: Accelerate the transition of advanced quantum and quantum hybrid computing technology from the research and development phase into operational use. Facilitate quantum computing workforce development. Conduct outreach to enhance government, industry, and academia’s understanding of— national security-related use cases for quantum computing and quantum hybrid technology; and operational challenges faced by the Department of Defense that may be addressed using such technology. Conduct prototyping of quantum computing and quantum hybrid applications. Undertake efforts to advance the technology readiness levels of quantum computing technologies. Carry out such other activities relating to quantum computing as the Secretary determines appropriate. For purposes of carrying out the activities of the Center under this subsection, the research laboratory selected under paragraph
(1)may partner with one or more of the following: Other research laboratories of the covered Armed Forces. The Defense Innovation Unit. Federally funded research and development centers. University affiliated research centers. Private sector entities with expertise in quantum computing. Such other organizations as the Secretary of Defense determines appropriate. Subject to availability of appropriations, Secretary of Defense may make grants and enter into contracts or other agreements, on a competitive basis, to support the activities of the Center. The Center shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. In this section: The term covered Armed Force means the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Space Force. The term quantum computing means computing algorithms and applications that use quantum mechanics through quantum processing units, including— quantum-classical hybrid applications which are applications that use both quantum computing and classical computing hardware systems; annealing and gate systems; and all qubit modalities (including superconducting, trapped-ion, neutral atom, and photonics). The term quantum information science means the use of the laws of quantum physics for the storage, transmission, manipulation, computing, or measurement of information.