Text of Senate Amendment 6616

On 2026-07-13, Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) delivered a floor speech titled "Text Of Senate Amendment 6616" in the Senate.

Text of Senate Amendment 6616

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S3821-S3822] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6616. Ms. DUCKWORTH submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle B of title II, add the following: SEC. 225. STANDARDIZATION OF QUANTUM RADIO FREQUENCY SENSING REQUIREMENTS FOR JOINT FORCE APPLICATIONS. (a) Joint Requirements for Quantum Radio Frequency Technology.-- (1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments and the Chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, shall establish standardized joint requirements for quantum radio frequency sensing technology for use across the joint force. (2) Requirements content.--The requirements established under paragraph (1) shall include, at a minimum-- (A) performance thresholds for ultra-wide band spectrum sensing; (B) interoperability standards for integration with existing electronic warfare, signals intelligence, and tactical communications systems, including compatibility with Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) and Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) waveforms as well as with Wideband Global Satellite (WGS) X and Ka band communications; (C) size, weight, and power requirements for deployment on ground vehicles, surface vessels, unmanned systems, and manned aircraft platforms; (D) performance specifications for operation in contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments, including resilience against electronic attack and interference; (E) interface standards enabling multi-channel simultaneous reception across radar warning, communications intercept, spectrum monitoring, and tactical communications functions; (F) scalability requirements supporting miniaturization through integrated photonics and photonic-integrated circuits for future chip-scale implementations; and (G) ability to capture and distribute the frequency sensing data to enterprise-wide electromagnetic spectrum information technology, including cross-domain transfer from commercial cloud to classified Department of Defense information networks. (b) Technology Development Roadmap.--Not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering shall update the Quantum Science Critical Technology Area roadmap to include a dedicated section on quantum radio frequency sensing technology that-- (1) incorporates the joint requirements established under subsection (a); (2) identifies near-term (0 to 2 years), mid-term (2 to 5 years), and far-term (5 to 10 years) development milestones for quantum radio frequency sensing technology; (3) specifies minimum investment levels required from each military department to achieve roadmap milestones; (4) identifies workforce requirements, including quantum scientists, photonics engineers, and radio frequency systems integrators; (5) assesses the industrial base for quantum sensing components, including domestic sources for rubidium or cesium vapor cells, precision laser systems, and integrated photonics; and (6) establishes technology readiness-level transition gates and criteria for advancement to acquisition programs of record. (c) Transition to Programs of Record.-- (1) Designation.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall designate a lead military department for the development and acquisition of a joint quantum radio frequency sensing system, in consultation with the Joint Requirements Oversight Council. (2) Program initiation.--The designated lead military department shall initiate a program of record for a quantum radio frequency sensing system not later than fiscal year 2029, subject to successful completion of-- (A) technology readiness assessment demonstrating achievement of Technology Readiness Level 6 or higher for the core Rydberg atomic sensing subsystem; (B) operational assessment demonstrating interoperability with joint force electronic warfare and communications systems at a combatant command exercise or service-level network modernization experiment; and (C) independent cost estimate for production and lifecycle costs across planned joint force platforms. (d) Pilot Program for Quantum Radio Frequency Integration.-- (1) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering shall establish a pilot program to demonstrate integration of quantum radio frequency sensing technology on operationally relevant platforms across at least two military departments. (2) Selection criteria.--Platforms selected for the pilot program shall include at least one representative from each of the following categories: (A) Ground-based tactical vehicles or command posts. (B) Naval surface vessels or submarines. (C) Manned or unmanned aircraft. (D) Fixed or deployable spectrum monitoring installations. (3) Duration.--The pilot program shall have a duration of not more than three years. (e) Reporting Requirements.-- (1) Initial report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering shall submit to the congressional defense committees a report that includes-- (A) the joint requirements established under subsection (a); (B) the updated technology roadmap under subsection (b); (C) the designation of the lead military department under subsection (c)(1); (D) the status of the pilot program under subsection (d), including platforms selected and initial integration timelines; (E) an assessment of investment levels required from each military department to achieve roadmap milestones; and (F) in coordination with the Department of Defense Chief Information Office, a description of actions the Department can take to improve potential gaps in policy and standards required for the Department to achieve roadmap milestones. (2) Annual updates.--Beginning in the year following submission of the initial report under paragraph (1), and annually thereafter through fiscal year 2032, the Under Secretary shall include in the annual report on Critical Technology Areas required under section 217(c) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283; 10 U.S.C. 4001 note) a section specifically addressing quantum radio frequency sensing technology, including progress against roadmap milestones and transition to programs of record. (f) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Integrated photonics.--The term ``integrated photonics'' means photonic devices and circuits manufactured on semiconductor or other wafer-scale substrates, enabling miniaturization of optical components for quantum-sensing applications. (2) Quantum radio frequency sensing technology.--The term ``quantum radio frequency sensing technology'' means radio frequency detection and measurement systems that utilize Rydberg atomic states, including highly excited atoms exhibiting extreme sensitivity to electromagnetic fields, to convert radio frequency (RF) signals to the optical domain for detection without traditional antennas or solid-state analog receivers. [[Page S3822]] (3) Rydberg atomic states.--The term ``Rydberg atomic states'' means electronic states of atoms with very high principal quantum numbers, typically achieved by laser excitation of alkali atoms such as rubidium or cesium, which exhibit sensitivity to radio frequency electric fields. ______