[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2914 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2914

   To improve governmental environmental research and information by 
  organizing a National Institute for the Environment, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 7, 1997

Mr. Saxton (for himself, Mr. Abercrombie, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr. Evans, Mrs. 
Lowey, Mr. Hinchey, Mr. Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Goss, 
 Mr. Faleomavaega, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Shays, Mrs. Morella, 
Mr. Underwood, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Ehlers, Ms. Pryce of Ohio, 
   Mr. Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Davis of Virginia, Ms. 
   Rivers, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Franks of New Jersey, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. 
Yates, Ms. Eshoo, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Fawell, Mrs. 
Meek of Florida, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, Ms. Norton, and Mr. Moran of 
  Virginia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To improve governmental environmental research and information by 
  organizing a National Institute for the Environment, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Sound Science for the Environment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) A healthy environment is essential to an enhanced 
        quality of life, a competitive economy, and national security.
            (2) The United States lacks an effective mechanism for 
        providing and communicating a comprehensive, objective, and 
        credible scientific understanding of environmental issues to 
        policymakers and the public in a timely manner.
            (3) An appropriate understanding of the diverse scientific 
        issues that underlie the environmental problems facing the 
        United States is essential to finding environmentally and 
        economically sound solutions to these problems.
            (4) To be useful, this understanding requires the 
        integration of ongoing assessments of the state of scientific 
        knowledge with credible problem-focused research, the 
        communication of scientific information, and the appropriate 
        education and training of environmental scientists, engineers, 
        and other professionals.
            (5) These scientific activities are best carried out 
        through a neutral institution without regulatory and management 
        responsibilities where the public and private organizations and 
        individuals can establish a shared understanding of the state 
        of scientific knowledge on environmental issues, and support 
        research, education, and information exchange to expand and 
        spread the state of knowledge.
            (6) A National Institute for the Environment will allow the 
        Nation to more effectively use science to improve environmental 
        decisionmaking, thereby reducing costs and saving lives.

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to create an institute to--
            (1) improve the scientific basis for decision-making on 
        environmental issues by integrating the functions of knowledge 
        assessment, research, information services, and education and 
        training;
            (2) provide national leadership in environmental science 
        and research; and
            (3) facilitate the sharing of public and private resources 
        to enhance understanding and communication of scientific 
        knowledge about the environment.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT.

    The National Science Foundation is hereby authorized and directed 
to establish a National Institute for the Environment. The mission of 
the Institute shall be to improve the scientific basis for 
decisionmaking on environmental issues. Management of the Institute 
shall be awarded through a competitive process of merit review.

SEC. 5. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS.

    The duties and functions of the Institute shall be--
            (1) to initiate, facilitate, and where appropriate perform 
        comprehensive assessments of the current state of knowledge of 
        environmental issues and their implications;
            (2) to establish a Center for Environmental Assessment with 
        duties to--
                    (A) identify emerging issues and problems by 
                evaluating conditions and trends of the state of the 
                environment;
                    (B) determine the state of environmental knowledge 
                by identifying what is known about particular issues 
                and the voids in the current knowledge base;
                    (C) evaluate implications of that knowledge and 
                communicate scientific understanding of environmental 
                issues to decisionmakers and the public;
                    (D) identify areas of research that would provide 
                the scientific information needed by decisionmakers and 
                the public on critical environmental issues and 
                evaluate constraints which may affect the conduct of 
this research, including the limitations in technological, human, and 
economic resources;
                    (E) assist the Board and Director of the Institute 
                in setting goals and priorities for the Institute; and
                    (F) cooperate with and utilize the National Academy 
                of Sciences and similar scientific organizations where 
                appropriate;
            (3) to award competitively peer-reviewed grants, and where 
        appropriate contracts, competitively for extramural scientific 
        research;
            (4) to establish an Office of Research with duties to--
                    (A) fund issue-oriented research on--
                            (i) environmental resources (including 
                        inventories, monitoring, and characterization);
                            (ii) environmental systems (including 
                        mechanisms, processes, and effects); and
                            (iii) environmental sustainability 
                        (including strategies, methods, and 
                        techniques); and
                    (B) ensure that such research is disciplinary, 
                multidisciplinary, and interdisciplinary, and organized 
                around priority environmental issues, including the 
                human dimensions associated with environmental 
                problems;
            (5) to establish a National Library for the Environment as 
        a universally accessible, easy to use, electronic, state-of-
        the-art information system for scientists, decisionmakers, and 
        the public, which shall--
                    (A) link existing information networks and 
                collections of environmental information, such as 
                libraries, specialized information centers, data and 
                statistical centers, government and private sector 
                repositories of information, and individual experts;
                    (B) provide quality-assured data and information by 
                maintaining information about data sets, including who 
                generated the information, by what methods they were 
                collected, and whether the methods and information were 
                peer-reviewed;
                    (C) conduct targeted information programs by 
                developing products and packaging information, in 
                various media that are most accessible to specific 
                groups or needs; and
                    (D) provide long-term maintenance and management of 
                the Nation's environmental information resources, 
                through the promotion and development of policies and 
                standards for managing and providing access to 
                environmental data and information; and
            (6) to sponsor education and training of environmental 
        scientists and professionals and to improve the public 
        environmental literacy, including by establishing an Office of 
        Education and Training with duties to--
                    (A) award competitive scholarships, traineeships, 
                fellowships, and other arrangements at universities, 
                colleges, and other institutions for study and research 
                in disciplinary and interdisciplinary environmental 
                sciences, and for improving environmental literacy;
                    (B) support curriculum and program development, 
                along with teacher training programs, at colleges, 
                universities, and public institutions;
                    (C) actively involve women, minorities, members of 
                other underrepresented groups, and affected 
                communities; and
                    (D) sponsor public environmental education 
                programs, including using the National Library for the 
                Environment and other means to disseminate knowledge 
                about the environment.

SEC. 6. BOARD OF GOVERNORS.

    (a) Establishment.--There shall be a Board of Governors for the 
Institute which shall establish goals, priorities, and policies of the 
Institute and serve in the national interest.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointment.--The Board shall be composed of 18 members 
        who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice 
        and consent of the Senate.
            (2) Representation.--The members of the Board shall be 
        comprised of approximately equal numbers of scientists and 
        users of scientific information on the environment. Scientists 
        shall represent the diversity of fields that study the 
        environment. The users of scientific information shall have 
        experience in dealing with environmental science and policy 
        issues and represent broad perspectives and viewpoints. The 
        membership of the Board shall reflect the geographic diversity 
        of the Nation and shall include individuals from diverse 
        groups, including State, tribal, and local governments, labor, 
        business, environmental and citizens groups, academia, other 
        organizations, and the public. All members of the Board shall 
        be individuals with an established record of distinguished 
        service and expertise in their fields.
    (c) Special Considerations.--(1) In making appointments under this 
section, the President shall seek to provide for representation on the 
Board of women, minority groups, and individuals recommended by the 
National Science Board, the National Academy of Sciences, the National 
Academy of Engineering, and associations of scientists, State, local, 
and tribal governmental officials, environmental advocates, other 
citizens, and representatives of business interests and labor.
    (2) One member of the National Science Board shall be designated to 
serve as a member of the Governing Board and to be a liaison between 
the National Science Board and the Board.
    (d) Terms.--Members of the Board shall serve the following terms:
            (1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a 
        member of the Board shall serve for a 6-year term.
            (2) Initial terms.--Of the initial members of the Board, as 
        specified by the President at the time of appointment--
                    (A) 6 members shall serve an initial term of 2 
                years;
                    (B) 6 members shall serve an initial term of 4 
                years; and
                    (C) 6 members shall serve an initial term of 6 
                years.
            (3) Subsequent terms.--An individual may not serve as a 
        member of the Board for more than 2 consecutive 6-year terms.
    (e) Meetings.--Meetings of the Board may be called by the Chair or 
a majority of its members at any time, and should occur no less than 4 
times a year.
    (f) Chair.--The Chair of the Board shall be elected by the Board 
from among its members.
    (g) Reports.--On January 31 following completion of appointment of 
the members of the Board, and every 2 years thereafter, the Board shall 
report on the work, findings, and accomplishments of the Institute, 
including an indication of likely priorities of the Institute for the 
2-year period following. Reports of findings on specific environmental 
matters may be issued by the Board at any time, including periodic 
evaluation of the conditions and trends of the environment. Reports of 
the Board shall be submitted to the National Science Board for 
transmittal to the President, the Congress, the National Science 
Foundation, and other Federal agencies in a timely fashion and shall be 
available to the general public.
    (h) Advisory Committees.--The Board may establish such advisory 
committees as the Board considers necessary. The Board shall consult 
with the Interagency Advisory Committee established by section 9 and 
advisory committees established under this subsection, to ensure 
coordination and to avoid duplication.
    (i) Travel Expenses.--Each member of the Board who is not an 
officer or employee of the United States may receive travel expenses, 
including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as travel 
expenses are allowed under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code, 
for persons serving intermittently in the Government service.
    (j) Prohibition of Compensation of Federal Employees.--Members of 
the Board who are full-time officers or employees of the United States 
or Members of Congress may not receive additional pay, allowances, or 
benefits by reason of service on the Board.

SEC. 7. MANAGEMENT AND STAFF.

    (a) Director.--
            (1) In general.--The Institute shall be administered by a 
        Director, who shall be selected by the Board, approved by the 
        National Science Board, and hired by the contracting 
        organization that manages the Institute. In appointing the 
        Director, the Board shall--
                    (A) solicit nominations from the National Science 
                Board and established scientific organizations; and
                    (B) appoint an individual who has an established 
                record of distinguished service and expertise in the 
                environmental sciences.
            (2) Authority.--The Director shall exercise all authority 
        granted to the Institute in this Act, including powers 
        delegated by the Board, and all actions of the Director shall 
        be final and binding on the Institute.
            (3) Duties.--The Director shall be responsible for the 
        integration of the duties and functions of the Institute as 
        described in section 5, and for ensuring the full involvement 
        of all relevant environmental sciences and the full range of 
        users in these duties.
            (4) Ex-officio member of board.--The Director shall be a 
        nonvoting, ex-officio member of the Board.
    (b) Assistant Directors.--The Director shall appoint, in 
consultation with the Board, Assistant Directors for the Center for 
Environmental Assessment, the Office of Research, the National Library 
for the Environment, and the Office of Education and Training to carry 
out the duties and functions of the Institute and to ensure that all 
functions of the Institute are properly integrated.
    (c) Other Staff.--The Director shall have responsibility for hiring 
and dismissal of additional staff in accord with the personnel policies 
of the contracting organization.
    (d) Contracting Institution.--The Institute shall be operated by a 
nonprofit organization under contract with the National Science 
Foundation. The contract shall be awarded competitively, based on 
merit, for 5-year periods.

SEC. 8. RELATION WITH NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD.

    The National Science Board shall--
            (1) recommend to the President names for the Board 
        including one member of the National Science Board who will 
        serve as a member of the Board; and
            (2) approve the selection of the Director by the Board.

SEC. 9. COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL AGENCIES.

    (a) Acquisition of Information From Agencies.--The Institute may 
acquire from the head of any Federal agency unclassified data and 
nonproprietary knowledge and information obtained and possessed by 
other Federal agencies which the Institute considers useful in the 
discharge of its duties. The head of each Federal agency shall 
cooperate with the Institute to furnish all information required by the 
Director that is requested by the Institute.
    (b) Access to Information and Products of Institute.--The Institute 
shall cooperate with all Federal agencies to ensure that the 
information and products of the Institute are useful and accessible to 
all agencies.

SEC. 10. INTERAGENCY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Committee on Environment and Natural 
Resources (CENR) of the National Science and Technology Council or an 
equivalent body is directed to serve as an interagency advisory 
committee to ensure that the scientific efforts of the Institute and 
Federal agencies are complementary.
    (b) Duties.--The Interagency Advisory Committee shall provide 
recommendations and advice to the Board to help ensure that--
            (1) the Institute's priorities incorporate the needs and 
        activities of agencies;
            (2) the activities of the Institute support and complement 
        and do not duplicate the existing programs of the agencies; and
            (3) Federal agencies are informed of the scientific 
        findings of the Institute.
    (c) Composition.--The Interagency Advisory Committee shall consist 
of the members of the CENR and in addition, if not represented on CENR, 
designees from Federal organizations including the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the 
Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Department of the 
Interior, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
Transportation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
National Science and Technology Council, the Council on Environmental 
Quality, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
    (d) Chair.--The co-chairs of the CENR shall serve as co-chairs of 
the committee.

SEC. 11. GRANTS, CONTRACTS, AND OTHER AUTHORITIES.

    (a) Authority To Provide Financial Assistance.--To carry out the 
duties of the Institute under this Act, the Institute, subject to the 
availability of appropriations, shall have the same authorities as the 
National Science Foundation to enter into financial arrangements, 
including competitively awarded grants, loans, cooperative agreements, 
and contracts to institutions, teams, and centers, after rigorous peer 
review.
    (b) Persons Eligible To Receive Funding.--Scientists, engineers, 
and other researchers are eligible to receive funding from the 
Institute under subsection (a), except that--
            (1) scientists from Federal agencies shall not be given a 
        preference for funding based on their employment with the 
        Federal Government; and
            (2) the receipt of funding from the Institute shall be 
        subject to any criteria and other requirements prescribed by 
        the Institute and the National Science Foundation.
    (c) Receipt of Funding From Other Persons.--To carry out projects 
and activities under this Act, the Institute may, subject to guidelines 
established by governing board--
            (1) receive funds from Federal agencies, State, local, and 
        tribal governments, international organizations, and private 
        organizations and persons; and
            (2) accept, use, and dispose of gifts, bequests, or devises 
        of services or property, both real and personal.
Funds provided under this subsection shall not be used to reduce 
amounts available to the Institute from appropriations.

SEC. 12. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to the National Science Foundation to be transferred to the 
National Institute for the Environment to be used for purposes of this 
Act. No other funds of the National Science Foundation may be 
transferred to the Institute.

SEC. 13. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Board of Governors 
        of the Institute, established by section 6.
            (2) Decisionmakers.--The term ``decision- makers'' means 
        elected or appointed officials of Federal, State, tribal, and 
        local governments, and similar individuals in the private 
        sector.
            (3) Environmental sciences.--The term ``environmental 
        sciences'' means the full range of fields of study, including 
        biological, physical, chemical, geological, and social 
        sciences, engineering, and humanities, relevant to the 
        understanding of environmental problems.
            (4) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the National 
        Institute for the Environment established by this Act.
            (5) Scientist.--The term ``scientist'' means a practitioner 
        of science relevant to the environment.
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