[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1211 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1211

To establish an Office of Foreign Science and Technology Assessment to 
   enable the United States to effectively analyze trends in foreign 
            science and technology, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 9, 2005

 Mr. Bingaman introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
             referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish an Office of Foreign Science and Technology Assessment to 
   enable the United States to effectively analyze trends in foreign 
            science and technology, 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 ``Foreign Science and Technology 
Assessment Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF FOREIGN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established within the Department of 
State an Office of Foreign Science and Technology Assessment.
    (b) Director.--The head of the Office shall be a Director, who 
shall be the Science Advisor to the Secretary of State.
    (c) Purpose.--The purpose of the Office shall be to assess foreign 
science and technologies that have the capability to cause a loss of 
high technology industrial leadership in the United States.
    (d) Operation.--In preparing an assessment of science and 
technology for a foreign country, the Director shall utilize, to the 
extent feasible, United States entities capable of operating 
effectively within such foreign country.
    (e) Availability of Assessments.--The Director shall make each 
assessment of foreign science and technology prepared by the Office 
available to the public in a timely manner.
    (f) Authorities.--In order to gain access to technical knowledge, 
skills, and expertise necessary to prepare an assessment of foreign 
science and technology, the Secretary of State may utilize individuals 
and enter into contracts or other arrangements to acquire needed 
expertise with any agency or instrumentality of the United States, with 
any State, territory, possession, or any political subdivision thereof, 
or with any person, firm, association, corporation, or educational 
institution, with or without reimbursement, and without regard to 
section 3709 of the Revised Statutes (41 U.S.C. 5) or section 3324 of 
title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 3. FOREIGN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT PANEL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of State shall establish a 
Foreign Science and Technology Assessment Panel.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of the Panel shall be to provide advice 
on assessments performed by the Office of Foreign Science and 
Technology Assessment, including review of foreign science and 
technology assessment reports, methodologies, subjects of study, and 
the means of improving the quality and timeliness of the Office.
    (c) Membership.--The Panel shall consist of 5 members who, by 
reason of professional background and experience, are specially 
qualified to provide advice on the activities of science and technology 
in foreign countries as such activities apply to the United States.
    (d) Appointment.--The Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the 
Executive Office of the President, shall appoint the panel members.
    (e) Term.--A member shall be appointed to the Panel for a term of 3 
years.
    (f) Authority to Accept Services.--Notwithstanding section 1342 of 
title 31, United States Code, the Secretary of State may accept and 
employ voluntary and uncompensated services (except for reimbursement 
of travel expenses) for the purposes of the Panel. An individual 
providing such a voluntary and uncompensated service may not be 
considered a Federal employee, except for purposes of chapter 81 of 
title 5, United States Code, with respect to job-incurred disability 
and title 28, United States Code, with respect to tort claims.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 
necessary to carry out this Act.
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