[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3959 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3959

             To support innovation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 5, 2015

Mr. Cartwright (for himself, Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois, and Mr. Ryan 
   of Ohio) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the 
  Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, and 
   Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
             To support innovation, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Innovate America 
Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Findings.
                           TITLE I--EDUCATION

Sec. 101. Definitions.
Sec. 102. Increasing funding for STEM secondary schools.
Sec. 103. Report on STEM secondary schools.
Sec. 104. Study and report on retaining STEM students.
Sec. 105. Expanding undergraduate research opportunities.
Sec. 106. Technology Commercialization Awards Pilot Program.
Sec. 107. Computer science in the Robert Noyce teacher scholarship 
                            program.
              TITLE II--MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT PROMOTION

Sec. 201. Manufacturing assistance program for small- and medium-sized 
                            manufacturers in the United States.
Sec. 202. Removing barriers for exporting industries in the United 
                            States.
                           TITLE III--OFFSETS

Sec. 301. Limitation on Government printing costs.
Sec. 302. Eliminating bonuses for poor performance by Government 
                            contractors.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Innovation has historically been a catalyzing force in 
        the economy of the United States, driving the production of 
        game-changing technologies, the creation of millions of jobs 
        and the opening of countless new avenues for growth. In an 
        increasingly competitive global economy, our Nation's continued 
        leadership and prosperity will hinge on progress in key 
        innovative areas, most notably exporting, entrepreneurship, 
        research and development, and education in science, technology, 
        engineering, and mathematics (referred to in this section as 
        ``STEM''), including computer science.
            (2) Technology-based startups play a critical role in 
        driving innovation. Increasing the flow of capital to these 
        firms would bridge the gap that often exists between their 
        initial startup costs and their long-term capital needs, giving 
        the firms the resources necessary to research, develop, and 
        commercialize new products.
            (3) Simplifying, expanding, and stabilizing the tax credits 
        that businesses and institutions of higher education rely on to 
        offset the cost of research and would promote greater clarity 
        in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and deliver a powerful 
        incentive for private sector innovation.
            (4) Increasing the emphasis on STEM education in high 
        schools and institutions of higher education would ensure that 
        more students have the skills and training to not only compete 
        for jobs in a 21st century economy, but also to create the 
        startup companies and revolutionary technologies that will 
        sustain American prosperity for centuries to come.
            (5) The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in the 
        year 2020, of the 9,200,000 STEM jobs there will be in the 
        United States, half of them will be in computing. With more 
        than 150,000 job openings expected annually in computing, it is 
        one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. 
        Increasing the teaching and learning of computer science in 
        schools would strengthen the workforce of the United States by 
        helping our students gain the skills and training necessary to 
        fulfill new computer programming jobs.
            (6) An effective regulatory climate should protect 
        consumers and promote transparency without overburdening the 
        businesses that create jobs. Federal agencies with rulemaking 
        authority should be vigilant in assessing the impact of new 
        regulations on innovation and job creation, particularly in 
        anchor industries like manufacturing.
            (7) The economic impact of a new product or technology is 
        often dependent on its commercial success. To ensure American 
        products can be bought and sold in markets around the world, 
        the Federal Government should identify and remove over 
        burdensome regulations that create barriers for United States 
        exporting companies.

                           TITLE I--EDUCATION

SEC. 101. DEFINITIONS.

    In this title:
            (1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Science Foundation.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001(a)).
            (3) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means the subjects of science, 
        technology, engineering, and mathematics, including other 
        subjects based on science, technology, engineering, or 
        mathematics, such as computer science.
            (4) STEM secondary school.--The term ``STEM secondary 
        school'' has the meaning given the term by the Secretary of 
        Education, in coordination with the Director, not later than 60 
        days after the date of enactment of this Act.
            (5) State educational agency.--The term ``State educational 
        agency'' has the meaning given the term in section 9101 of the 
        Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).

SEC. 102. INCREASING FUNDING FOR STEM SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to increase the number 
of STEM secondary schools in the United States from approximately 100 
to approximately 200.
    (b) Program Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--From amounts appropriated under subsection 
        (e), the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the 
        Director, shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to State 
        educational agencies to enable the State educational agencies 
        to carry out the purposes of this section by establishing or 
        expanding STEM secondary schools.
            (2) Geographic distribution.--The Secretary shall award 
        grants under this section in a manner that ensures geographic 
        diversity, including awarding grants to State educational 
        agencies serving rural areas.
    (c) Application.--A State educational agency desiring to receive a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
of Education at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require.
    (d) Use of Funds.--A State educational agency receiving funds under 
this section shall use such funds to award subgrants, on a competitive 
basis, to local educational agencies in the State to enable the local 
educational agencies to establish and maintain new STEM secondary 
schools, which may include repurposing an existing secondary school to 
become a STEM secondary school.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section, $50,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2017 through 2026.

SEC. 103. REPORT ON STEM SECONDARY SCHOOLS.

    (a) Database.--The Secretary of Education, in coordination with the 
Director, shall develop a database to identify existing STEM secondary 
schools.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the 
Director, shall submit a report to Congress with recommendations on how 
to replicate existing successful STEM secondary schools.

SEC. 104. STUDY AND REPORT ON RETAINING STEM STUDENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Director shall conduct a study, in 
coordination with the Secretary of Education, to make recommendations 
to Congress on how to improve retention rates of students in STEM 
programs at institutions of higher education. The study should include 
an analysis of existing successful retention programs at institutions 
of higher education.
    (b) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress a report on the study 
conducted under subsection (a).

SEC. 105. EXPANDING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than June 1, 2017, the President shall 
ensure that not less than 15 percent of all Federal funds available for 
a fiscal year for undergraduate research opportunities at 2-year and 4-
year degree-granting institutions of higher education shall be used to 
fund research opportunities for postsecondary students, with an 
emphasis on undergraduate research opportunities occurring during the 
first 2 academic years of postsecondary education.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that each 
Federal agency should restructure the agency's undergraduate student 
research opportunities for students attending 2-year or 4-year degree-
granting institutions of higher education, in order to provide more 
research opportunities for postsecondary students during the students' 
first 2 academic years of postsecondary education.
    (c) Identification of Research Programs.--Not later than December 
31, 2016, the head of each Federal agency shall submit to the 
President--
            (1) a list of all programs and funds available for 
        undergraduate student research under the jurisdiction of the 
        agency; and
            (2) recommendations regarding how the agency can best 
        fulfill the requirements of subsection (a).

SEC. 106. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION AWARDS PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Director, through the Partnerships for 
Innovation Program of the National Science Foundation, shall administer 
a Technology Commercialization Awards Pilot Program through which 
promising technology advances derived from National Science Foundation 
research grants shall be eligible for follow-on funding--
            (1) to move the technology through prototype and 
        demonstration phases;
            (2) for training for researcher participants in business 
        plan development, technology transfer, and commercialization; 
        and
            (3) for establishing start-up firms based on the 
        technologies developed.
    (b) Competitive Selection.--The Director shall--
            (1) seek from National Science Foundation offices and 
        divisions recommendations on outstanding research funded by the 
        National Science Foundation with clear promise that such 
        research can be advanced close to commercialized in a 3- to 5-
        year period;
            (2) solicit applications from National Science Foundation 
        award grantees who believe that they have qualifying 
        technologies eligible for commercialization; and
            (3) award grants to such National Science Foundation award 
        grantees based on a merit-based, competitive selection process.
    (c) Advisory Committee.--The Director shall form an Advisory 
Committee of experts on technology and the technology commercialization 
process to advise the National Science Foundation on the Technology 
Commercialization Awards Pilot Program.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the first grant is 
awarded under this section, the Director shall--
            (1) report to the relevant committees of Congress on the 
        results of the Technology Commercialization Awards Pilot 
        Program; and
            (2) make recommendations on whether and how such a 
        technology commercialization fund could be adopted by other 
        Federal research and development agencies.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of the 
fiscal years 2017 through 2021.

SEC. 107. COMPUTER SCIENCE IN THE ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 10 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 
2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and mathematics'' and inserting 
        ``mathematics, informatics, and computer science'' each place 
        the term appears;
            (2) in subsection (b)(1)(D)(i), by striking ``or 
        mathematics'' and inserting ``mathematics, informatics, or 
        computer science'';
            (3) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking ``or 
                mathematics'' and inserting ``mathematics, informatics, 
                or computer science''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``mathematics 
                or'' and inserting ``mathematics, informatics, computer 
                science, or'';
            (4) in subsection (d)(4), by striking ``mathematics or'' 
        and inserting ``mathematics, informatics, computer science, 
        or''; and
            (5) in subsection (i)--
                    (A) in paragraph (5), by striking ``or 
                mathematics'' and inserting ``mathematics, or computer 
                science''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (7), by striking ``or 
                mathematics,'' and inserting ``mathematics, 
                informatics, or computer science,''.

              TITLE II--MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT PROMOTION

SEC. 201. MANUFACTURING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM FOR SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED 
              MANUFACTURERS IN THE UNITED STATES.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Commerce.
            (2) Small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers.--The 
        term ``small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers'' means 
        businesses--
                    (A) with not more than 500 employees; and
                    (B) with facilities located in the United States 
                that mechanically, physically, or chemically transform 
                materials, substances, or components into new goods, 
                including component parts.
    (b) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a manufacturing 
assistance program for small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers 
for the purposes of promoting the manufacturing of goods in the United 
States and enabling those manufacturers to be competitive in the global 
economy by--
            (1) identifying and reducing regulatory burdens on those 
        manufacturers under subsection (c); and
            (2) providing those manufacturers with information and 
        other assistance under subsection (d).
    (c) Reduction of Regulatory Burdens.--The Secretary shall--
            (1) identify any regulatory requirements applicable to 
        small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers that--
                    (A) impose an unnecessary burden on those 
                manufacturers; and
                    (B) may be eliminated or reduced in order to 
                promote the manufacture of goods in the United States;
            (2) take appropriate action to eliminate or reduce the 
        regulatory requirements identified under paragraph (1); and
            (3) not later than 1 year after the date on which the 
        Secretary establishes the program required by subsection (b), 
        submit to Congress a report that makes recommendations with 
        respect to action by Congress that may be necessary to 
        eliminate or reduce the regulatory requirements identified 
        under paragraph (1).
    (d) Assistance.--The Secretary shall assist small- and medium-sized 
domestic manufacturers by providing those manufacturers with 
information with respect to--
            (1) how small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers can 
        comply efficiently with regulations applicable to those 
        manufacturers;
            (2) recently proposed and recently prescribed regulations 
        likely to have an effect on small- and medium-sized domestic 
        manufacturers; and
            (3) how small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers can 
        express their views and provide input with respect to any 
        policy developments relating to the manufacture of goods in the 
        United States.
    (e) Report on Effectiveness of Program.--Not later than 2 years 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Hollings Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall submit to Congress a report on the program established 
under subsection (b) that includes--
            (1) an assessment of the extent to which the program has 
        been effective--
                    (A) in identifying and reducing regulatory burdens 
                on small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers under 
                subsection (c);
                    (B) in providing information and other assistance 
                to small- and medium-sized domestic manufacturers under 
                subsection (d); and
                    (C) in promoting the manufacturing of goods in the 
                United States and enabling small- and medium-sized 
                domestic manufacturers to be competitive in the global 
                economy;
            (2) detailed information with respect to the nature, 
        location, and duration of any jobs created as a result of the 
        program established under subsection (b) and a description of 
        the methodology used to compile that information; and
            (3) any recommendations with respect to continuing or 
        improving the program established under subsection (b).
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary $15,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 
2017 through 2021 to carry out the program established under subsection 
(b).

SEC. 202. REMOVING BARRIERS FOR EXPORTING INDUSTRIES IN THE UNITED 
              STATES.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Under Secretary for International Trade of the Department of 
Commerce shall submit to Congress a report--
            (1) identifying the 20 industries in the United States that 
        export the most goods or services;
            (2) evaluating the competitiveness of those industries in 
        global markets compared to competitors manufacturing outside 
        the United States;
            (3) identifying domestic regulatory and policy barriers to 
        increasing exports by those industries;
            (4) identifying measures imposed by foreign governments 
        that impede the access of those industries to foreign markets; 
        and
            (5) making recommendations with respect to legislative 
        action that could be taken by Congress to reduce barriers 
        identified under paragraph (3) and improve the global 
        competitiveness of those industries in foreign markets.

                           TITLE III--OFFSETS

SEC. 301. LIMITATION ON GOVERNMENT PRINTING COSTS.

    Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall coordinate 
with the heads of Federal departments and independent agencies to--
            (1) determine which Government publications could be 
        available on Government websites and no longer printed and to 
        devise a strategy to reduce overall Government printing costs 
        over the 10-year period beginning with fiscal year 2017, except 
        that the Director shall ensure that essential printed documents 
        prepared for social security recipients, medicare 
        beneficiaries, and other populations in areas with limited 
        Internet access or use continue to remain available;
            (2) establish Governmentwide Federal guidelines on employee 
        printing;
            (3) issue on the Office of Management and Budget's public 
        website the results of a cost-benefit analysis on implementing 
        a digital signature system and on establishing employee 
        printing identification systems, such as the use of individual 
        employee cards or codes, to monitor the amount of printing done 
        by Federal employees; and
            (4) ensure that Federal employee printing costs unrelated 
        to national defense, homeland security, border security, 
        national disasters, and other emergencies do not exceed 
        $860,000,000 annually.

SEC. 302. ELIMINATING BONUSES FOR POOR PERFORMANCE BY GOVERNMENT 
              CONTRACTORS.

    (a) Guidance on Linking of Award and Incentive Fees to Outcomes.--
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each 
Federal department or agency shall issue guidance, with detailed 
implementation instructions (including definitions), on the appropriate 
use of award and incentive fees in department or agency programs.
    (b) Elements.--The guidance under subsection (a) shall--
            (1) ensure that all new contracts using award fees link 
        such fees to outcomes (which shall be defined in terms of 
        program cost, schedule, and performance);
            (2) establish standards for identifying the appropriate 
        level of officials authorized to approve the use of award and 
        incentive fees in new contracts;
            (3) provide guidance on the circumstances in which 
        contractor performance may be judged to be excellent or 
        superior and the percentage of the available award fee which 
        contractors should be paid for such performance;
            (4) establish standards for determining the percentage of 
        the available award fee, if any, which contractors should be 
        paid for performance that is judged to be acceptable, average, 
        expected, good, or satisfactory;
            (5) ensure that no award fee may be paid for contractor 
        performance that is judged to be below satisfactory performance 
        or performance that does not meet the basic requirements of the 
        contract;
            (6) provide specific direction on the circumstances, if 
        any, in which it may be appropriate to roll over award fees 
        that are not earned in one award fee period to a subsequent 
        award fee period or periods;
            (7) ensure that the Department or agency--
                    (A) collects relevant data on award and incentive 
                fees paid to contractors; and
                    (B) has mechanisms in place to evaluate such data 
                on a regular basis; and
            (8) include performance measures to evaluate the 
        effectiveness of award and incentive fees as a tool for 
        improving contractor performance and achieving desired program 
        outcomes.
    (c) Return of Unearned Bonuses.--Any funds intended to be awarded 
as incentive fees that are not paid due to contractors' inability to 
meet the criteria established by this section shall be returned to the 
Treasury.
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