(a) Establishment The Director of the National Science Foundation shall establish the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation that will upgrade, link, and integrate a system of geographically distributed experimental facilities for earthquake engineering testing of full-sized structures and their components and partial-scale physical models. The system shall be integrated through networking software so that integrated models and databases can be used to create model-based simulation, and the components of the system shall be interconnected with a computer network and allow for remote access, information sharing, and collaborative research. (b) Authorization of appropriations In addition to amounts appropriated under section 7706(c) of this title , there are authorized to be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for the George E. Brown, Jr. Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation— (1) $28,200,000 for fiscal year 2001; (2) $24,400,000 for fiscal year 2002; (3) $4,500,000 for fiscal year 2003; (4) $17,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; (5) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2005, all of which shall be available for operations and maintenance; (6) $20,400,000 for fiscal year 2006, all of which shall be available for operations and maintenance; (7) $20,870,000 for fiscal year 2007, all of which shall be available for operations and maintenance; (8) $21,390,000 for fiscal year 2008, all of which shall be available for operations and maintenance; and (9) $21,930,000 for fiscal year 2009, all of which shall be available for operations and maintenance. ( Pub. L. 95–124, § 14 , as added Pub. L. 106–503, title II, § 205 , Nov. 13, 2000 , 114 Stat. 2306 ; amended Pub. L. 108–360, title I, § 104(c) , Oct. 25, 2004 , 118 Stat. 1675 .) Editorial Notes Amendments 2004—Subsec. (b)(5) to (9). Pub. L. 108–360 added pars. (5) to (9). CFR Title Parts 7 1792 44 361 49 41