National High-Performance Computing and Networking Act. Report To Accompany S. 343, Senate, 102d Congess, 1st Session.

The purpose of the bill (S. 343), as reported by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, is to establish a federal commitment to the advancement of high-performance computing, improve interagency planning and coordination of federal high-performance computing and networking activities, authorize a national high-speed computer network, and authorize high-performance computing activities at the Department of Energy. This report presents an amendment to the bill adopted by the committeee and its recommendation that the bill be passed as amended. The amendment establishes the short title of the bill as the "National High-Performance Computing and Networking Act"; reports the findings of Congress concerning supercomputers and computer networks and their importance to national security, international competitiveness, and technological advancement; presents the purposes of the bill, including interagency planning, coordination, and interaction of federal high-performance computing and networking activities; establishes a National High-Performance Computing and Communications Program (NHPCC); directs the President to establish a high-speed computing network to be known as the National Research and Education Network (NREN); directs the Secretary of Energy to evaluate high-performance computing systems and support computational research and development; allows the heads of federal agencies to exempt programs or activities that involve classified information; and authorizes such funds as may be necessary to carry out the activities authorized by the Act for fiscal years 1992-1996. The report provides background information on high-performance computing, the legislative history of the bill, and discussions of the provisions of the amendment. (DB)