[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2174 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2174

  To reauthorize and amend the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
  Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 14, 2001

   Mr. Calvert (for himself, Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Smith of 
     Michigan, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Larson of 
Connecticut, Mr. Peterson of Minnesota, Mrs. Morella, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. 
    Baca, Ms. Rivers, Mr. Hall of Texas, and Mr. Gary G. Miller of 
 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To reauthorize and amend the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
  Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990, 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 ``Robert S. Walker and George E. 
Brown, Jr. Hydrogen Energy Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

    Section 102(b) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:
    ``(b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are--
            ``(1) to direct the Secretary to conduct research, 
        development, and demonstration activities leading to the 
        production, storage, transportation, and use of hydrogen for 
        industrial, commercial, residential, transportation, and 
        utility applications;
            ``(2) to direct the Secretary to develop a program of 
        technology assessment, information dissemination, and education 
        in which Federal, State, and local agencies, members of the 
        energy, transportation, and other industries, and other 
        entities may participate; and
            ``(3) to develop methods of hydrogen production that 
        minimize adverse environmental impacts, including efficient and 
        cost-effective production from renewable and nonrenewable 
        energy resources.''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    Section 102(c) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as 
        paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated 
        by paragraph (1) of this section, the following new paragraph:
            ``(1) `advisory board' means the advisory board established 
        under section 108;''.

SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    Section 103 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 103. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.

    ``(a) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of the Robert S. Walker and George E. Brown, Jr. Hydrogen 
Energy Act of 2001, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall 
transmit to Congress a detailed report on the status and progress of 
the programs and activities authorized under this Act.
    ``(b) Contents.--A report under subsection (a) shall include, in 
addition to any views and recommendations of the Secretary--
            ``(1) an analysis of Federal, State, and local hydrogen-
        related research and development activities to identify 
        productive areas for increased intergovernmental collaboration;
            ``(2) a determination of the effectiveness of the 
        technology assessment, information dissemination, and education 
        program established under section 106; and
            ``(3) recommendations of the advisory board for any 
        improvements needed in the programs and activities authorized 
        by this Act.''.

SEC. 5. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 104 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 104. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

    ``(a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary shall conduct a 
hydrogen research and development program relating to production, 
storage, transportation, and use of hydrogen, with the goal of enabling 
the private sector to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using 
hydrogen for industrial, commercial, residential, transportation, and 
utility applications.
    ``(b) Elements.--In conducting the program authorized by this 
section, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) give particular attention to developing an 
        understanding and resolution of critical technical issues 
        preventing the introduction of hydrogen into the marketplace;
            ``(2) initiate or accelerate existing research and 
        development in critical technical issues that will contribute 
        to the development of more economical hydrogen production, 
        storage, transportation, and use, including critical technical 
        issues with respect to production (giving priority to those 
        production techniques that use renewable energy resources as 
        their primary source of energy for hydrogen production), 
        liquefaction, transmission, distribution, storage, and use 
        (including use of hydrogen in surface transportation); and
            ``(3) survey private sector and public sector hydrogen 
        research and development activities worldwide, and take steps 
        to ensure that research and development activities under this 
        section do not--
                    ``(A) duplicate any available research and 
                development results; or
                    ``(B) displace or compete with the privately funded 
                hydrogen research and development activities of United 
                States industry.
    ``(c) Evaluation of Technologies.--The Secretary shall evaluate, 
for the purpose of determining whether to undertake or fund research 
and development activities under this section, any reasonable new or 
improved technology that could lead or contribute to the development of 
economical hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and use.
    ``(d) Competitive Peer Review.--The Secretary shall carry out or 
fund research and development activities under this section only on a 
competitive basis using peer review.
    ``(e) Cost Sharing.--The Secretary shall require, for research and 
development activities carried out by industry under this section, a 
commitment from non-Federal sources of at least 20 percent of the cost 
of the project.''.

SEC. 6. DEMONSTRATIONS.

    Section 105(c) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended by inserting 
``Non-Federal Funding Requirement.--'' after ``(c)''.

SEC. 7. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

    Section 106 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 106. TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT, INFORMATION DISSEMINATION, AND 
              EDUCATION PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the 
advisory board, conduct a program designed to accelerate wider 
application of hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and use 
technologies, including application in foreign countries to increase 
the global market for the technologies and foster global economic 
development without harmful environmental effects.
    ``(b) Information.--The Secretary, in carrying out the program 
authorized by subsection (a), shall--
            ``(1) undertake an update of the inventory and assessment, 
        required under section 106(b)(1) of this Act as in effect 
        before the date of the enactment of the Robert S. Walker and 
        George E. Brown, Jr. Hydrogen Energy Act of 2001, of hydrogen 
        technologies and their commercial capability to economically 
        produce, store, transport, or use hydrogen in industrial, 
        commercial, residential, transportation, and utility sectors;
            ``(2) develop, with other Federal agencies as appropriate 
        and industry, an information exchange program to improve 
        technology transfer for hydrogen production, storage, 
        transportation, and use, which may consist of workshops, 
        publications, conferences, and a database for the use by the 
        public and private sectors; and
            ``(3) foster the exchange of generic, nonproprietary 
        hydrogen production, storage, transportation, and use 
        information and technology among industry, academia, and 
        Federal, State, and local governments.''.

SEC. 8. COORDINATION AND CONSULTATION.

    Section 107 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by striking ``management 
        responsibility--'' and all that follows through ``(2)'' and 
        inserting ``management responsibility''; and
            (2) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:
    ``(c) Consultation.--The Secretary shall consult with other Federal 
agencies as appropriate, and the advisory board, in carrying out the 
Secretary's authorities pursuant to this Act.''.

SEC. 9. ADVISORY BOARD.

    Section 108 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 108. ADVISORY BOARD.

    ``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall enter into appropriate 
arrangements with the National Academy of Sciences to establish an 
advisory board consisting of experts drawn from domestic industry, 
academia, Governmental laboratories, and financial, environmental, and 
other organizations, as appropriate, to review and advise on the 
progress made through the programs and activities authorized under this 
Act.
    ``(b) Cooperation.--The heads of Federal agencies shall cooperate 
with the advisory board in carrying out this section and shall furnish 
to the advisory board such information as the advisory board reasonably 
deems necessary to carry out this section.
    ``(c) Review.--The advisory board shall review and make any 
necessary recommendations to the Secretary on--
            ``(1) the implementation and conduct of programs and 
        activities authorized under this Act; and
            ``(2) the economic, technological, and environmental 
        consequences of the deployment of hydrogen production, storage, 
        transportation, and use systems.''.

SEC. 10. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    Section 109 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research, 
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990 is amended to read as 
follows:

``SEC. 109. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Research and Development; Advisory Board.--There are 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out sections 
104 and 108--
            ``(1) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            ``(2) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            ``(3) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            ``(4) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            ``(5) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
    ``(b) Demonstration.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
the Secretary to carry out section 105--
            ``(1) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
            ``(2) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
            ``(3) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
            ``(4) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
            ``(5) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.''.

SEC. 11. REPEAL.

    (a) Repeal.--Title II of the Hydrogen Future Act of 1996 is 
repealed.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 2 of the Hydrogen Future Act of 
1996 is amended by striking ``titles II and III'' and inserting ``title 
III''.
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