The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology has approved bill H.R.3834, better known as the Advancing America’s Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act of 2012. The bill overhauls federal policies for funding research and development in the growing network and information technology field. This is an updated version of similar legislation that was passed by the committee back in 2009.
 
The committee passed the bill by a voice vote. The bipartisan bill was introduced by Chairman Ralph Hall (R-TX); Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX); Research and Science Education Subcommittee Chairman Mo Brooks (R-AL); Ranking Member Daniel Lipinski (D-IL); along with Reps. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM). The bill reauthorizes the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Act called NITRD.
 
“I would like to point out that our efforts on this bill have been a true illustration of the bipartisan work for which this Committee and this Congress is capable,” said Chairman Hall. 
 
The act covers policies for funding research and development investments for unclassified networking, computing, software, cyber security, and other related information technology. The technology covered could range anywhere from smartphones to cloud computing and anywhere in between. We can also be sure a lot of investment will also be made in cyber-security with hacking an all-time high.
 
“These investments are necessary not only to help maintain world leadership in science and engineering and strengthen U.S. competitiveness, but also to grow the economy through the creation of networking and information technology jobs and enhance national security,” Chairman Brooks said.  “I applaud the Committee’s approval of this important bipartisan legislation.”
 
Technology developed under the new bill will also look into ways of minimizing and preventing disruptions to the critical infrastructure around the country such as the power grid and communications systems. There is a growing fear that hackers could infiltrate utility such as the electrical grid and cause damage that could lead to widespread outages and other problems inside America.
 
Rep. Biggert added, “The NITRD program provides critical support for some of the most promising research on the high-end computing horizon. American scientists are using these computing technologies to accelerate the pace of research on everything from new energy sources to new medicines.  I applaud Chairman Hall for his bipartisan work on this proposal, which will reauthorize and strengthen the NITRD program for the 21st century.”