Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004
Public Law 108-423 · H.R. 4516 · 108th Congress · began in the House
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Nov 30, 2004 · Science, Technology, Communications
Sponsor: Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13)
Cosponsors (2): Rep. Lincoln Davis, Rep. Bart Gordon
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Energy to: (1) implement a research and development program (involving software and hardware development) to advance high-end computing systems; and (2) develop and deploy them for advanced scientific and engineering applications.
Details program functions, including research in: (1) multiple architectures, which may include vector, reconfigurable logic, streaming, processor-in-memory, and multithreading architectures; and (2) software development on optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end computing systems, in collaboration with architecture development efforts.
Directs the Secretary to establish and operate facilities to: (1) conduct advanced scientific and engineering research and development using Leadership Systems; (2) develop potential advancements in high-end computing system hardware and software; and (3) provide access to such Systems on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to researchers in U.S. industry, institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and other Federal agencies.
Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish at least one High-End Software Development Center which shall concentrate efforts to develop, test, maintain, and support optimal algorithms, programming environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for high-end computing systems; and (2) use the expertise of a Center to assess research and development in high-end computing system architecture.
(Sec. 4) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 through 2007.
(Sec. 5) Amends the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 to make the Department of Energy, along with the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (as under existing law), one of three specified Federal agencies jointly establishing the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Committee.
Revises Advisory Committee membership to include three members selected by the Secretary of Energy.
(Sec. 6) Amends the the Metric Conversion Act of 1975 and the Savings in Construction Act of 1996 to repeal the expiration date of (thereby making permanent) Federal agency authority to require metric system specifications (subject to certain conditions for specifications that can only be satisfied by hard-metric versions) for concrete masonry units and recessed lighting fixtures in a solicitation for design or construction of a Federal facility within the United States or its territories.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Energy Subcommittee
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
S. 2176Related bill
High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.
- Nov 30, 2004Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 108-423.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Nov 20, 2004FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Nov 17, 2004Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mrs. Biggert moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4516.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Nov 16, 2004FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Oct 10, 2004FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- Sep 28, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 738.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 108-379.
- Sep 15, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Jul 8, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Jul 7, 2004FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4516.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mrs. Biggert moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- Jul 1, 2004CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 342.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Science. H. Rept. 108-578.
- Jun 25, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Mr. Boehlert asked unanimous consent that the Committee on Science, Space and Technology have until 4:00 p.m. on July 2 to file a report on H.R. 4516. Agreed to without objection.
- Jun 16, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 15, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- Jun 7, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy.
- Jun 4, 2004CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Science.
- CommitteeCommittee · Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1052-1053)
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4053SenateSen. Lamar AlexanderR-TN· offered Oct 10, 2004Agreed to
To provide a complete substitute.
Oct 10, 2004: Amendment SA 4053 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.