[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7171 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7171

    To provide for a coordinated Federal research program to ensure 
       continued United States leadership in engineering biology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 27, 2018

Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas (for herself and Mr. Sensenbrenner) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                     Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To provide for a coordinated Federal research program to ensure 
       continued United States leadership in engineering biology.

    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 ``Engineering Biology Research and 
Development Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Cellular and molecular processes may be used, mimicked, 
        or redesigned to develop new products, processes, and systems 
        that improve societal well-being, strengthen national security, 
        and contribute to the economy.
            (2) Engineering biology relies on scientists and engineers 
        with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering.
            (3) Long-term research and development is necessary to 
        create breakthroughs in engineering biology. Such research and 
        development requires government investment as the benefits are 
        too distant or uncertain for industry to support alone.
            (4) The Federal Government can play an important role by 
        facilitating the development of tools and technologies to 
        further advance engineering biology, including multiple user 
        facilities that the Federal Government is uniquely able to 
        support.
            (5) Since other countries are investing significant 
        resources in engineering biology, the United States is at risk 
        of losing its competitive lead in this emerging area if it does 
        not invest the necessary resources and have a national 
        strategy.
            (6) A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to 
        establish new research directions and technology goals, improve 
        interagency coordination and planning processes, drive 
        technology transfer, and help ensure optimal returns on the 
        Federal investment.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``biomanufacturing'' means the manufacturing 
        of products using biological manufacturing technologies;
            (2) the term ``engineering biology'' means the science and 
        engineering of cellular and molecular processes to advance 
        fundamental understanding of complex natural systems, including 
        the microbiome, and to develop new and advance existing 
        products, processes, and systems that will contribute 
        significantly to societal well-being, national security, and 
        the economy;
            (3) the term ``Program'' means the National Engineering 
        Biology Research and Development Program established under 
        section 4.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The President, acting through the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, shall implement a National Engineering 
Biology Research and Development Program to advance societal well-
being, national security, and economic productivity and competitiveness 
through--
            (1) advancing areas of research at the intersection of the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering, 
        including research on the microbiome;
            (2) supporting social science research that advances the 
        field of engineering biology and contributes to the adoption of 
        new products, processes, and technologies;
            (3) expanding the number of researchers, educators, and 
        students with engineering biology training;
            (4) accelerating the translation and commercialization of 
        engineering biology research and development by the private 
        sector; and
            (5) improving the interagency planning and coordination of 
        Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.
    (b) Program Activities.--The activities of the Program shall 
include--
            (1) sustained support for engineering biology research and 
        development through--
                    (A) grants to individual investigators and 
                interdisciplinary teams of investigators;
                    (B) projects funded under joint solicitations by a 
                collaboration of no fewer than two agencies 
                participating in the Program; and
                    (C) interdisciplinary research centers that are 
                organized to investigate basic research questions and 
                carry out technology development and demonstration 
                activities;
            (2) education and training of undergraduate and graduate 
        students in research at the intersection of biological, 
        physical, and information sciences and engineering;
            (3) activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking 
        and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of 
        engineering biology; and
            (4) activities to accelerate the translation and 
        commercialization of new products, processes, and technologies 
        by--
                    (A) identifying precompetitive research 
                opportunities;
                    (B) facilitating public-private partnerships in 
                engineering biology research and development;
                    (C) connecting researchers, graduate students, and 
                postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education 
                and training opportunities; and
                    (D) supporting proof of concept activities and the 
                formation of startup companies including through 
                programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research 
                Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer 
                Program.
    (c) Expanding Participation.--The Program shall include, to the 
maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily undergraduate and 
minority-serving institutions about Program opportunities, and shall 
encourage the development of research collaborations between research-
intensive universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving 
institutions.
    (d) Ethical, Legal, Environmental, and Societal Issues.--Program 
activities shall take into account ethical, legal, environmental, and 
other appropriate societal issues, including the need for safeguards 
and monitoring systems to protect society against the unintended 
release of engineered materials produced, by--
            (1) supporting research, including in the social sciences, 
        and other activities addressing ethical, legal, environmental, 
        and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering 
        biology, including integrating research on such topics with the 
        research and development in engineering biology, and ensuring 
        that the results of such research are widely disseminated, 
        including through interdisciplinary engineering biology 
        research centers described in subsection (b)(1); and
            (2) ensuring, through the agencies and departments that 
        participate in the Program, that public input and outreach are 
        integrated into the Program by the convening of regular and 
        ongoing public discussions through mechanisms such as citizen 
        panels, consensus conferences, and educational events, as 
        appropriate.
    (e) Interagency Committee.--The President, acting through the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate an interagency 
committee on engineering biology, which shall include representatives 
from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science 
Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any other agency 
that the President considers appropriate (in this section referred to 
as the ``interagency committee''). The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall select a chairperson from among the 
members of the Interagency Committee. The Interagency Committee shall 
oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. The 
Interagency Committee shall--
            (1) provide for interagency coordination of Federal 
        engineering biology research, development, and other activities 
        undertaken pursuant to the Program;
            (2) establish and periodically update goals and priorities 
        for the Program;
            (3) develop, not later than 12 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and update every 5 years, a strategic 
        plan that--
                    (A) guides the activities of the Program for 
                purposes of meeting the goals and priorities 
                established under (and updated pursuant to) paragraph 
                (2); and
                    (B) describes--
                            (i) the Program's support for long-term 
                        funding for interdisciplinary engineering 
                        biology research and development;
                            (ii) the Program's support for education 
                        and public outreach activities;
                            (iii) the Program's support for research 
                        and other activities on ethical, legal, 
                        environmental, and other appropriate societal 
                        issues related to engineering biology; and
                            (iv) how the Program will move results out 
                        of the laboratory and into application for the 
                        benefit of society and United States 
                        competitiveness;
            (4) propose an annually coordinated interagency budget for 
        the Program that is intended to ensure--
                    (A) the maintenance of a robust engineering biology 
                research and development portfolio; and
                    (B) that the balance of funding across the Program 
                is sufficient to meet the goals and priorities 
                established for the Program;
            (5) develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the 
        Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small 
        Business Technology Transfer Program, in support of the 
        activities described in subsection (b)(4); and
            (6) in carrying out this section, take into consideration 
        the recommendations of the advisory committee established under 
        section 5, the results of the workshop convened under section 
        6, existing reports on related topics, and the views of 
        academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.
    (f) Annual Report.--The interagency committee established under 
subsection (e) shall prepare an annual report, to be submitted to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate not later than 90 days after submission of 
the President's annual budget request, that includes--
            (1) the Program budget for the fiscal year to which such 
        budget request applies, and for the then current fiscal year, 
        including a breakout of spending for each agency participating 
        in the Program, and for the development and acquisition of any 
        research facilities and instrumentation; and
            (2) an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing 
        the plan described in subsection (e)(5), and a description of 
        the amount and number of Small Business Innovation Research and 
        Small Business Technology Transfer awards made in support of 
        the Program.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--The President, acting through the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, shall designate or establish an advisory 
committee on engineering biology research and development (in this 
section referred to as the ``advisory committee'') to be composed of 
not fewer than 12 members, including representatives of research and 
academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are 
qualified to provide advice on the Program.
    (b) Assessment.--The advisory committee shall assess--
            (1) progress made in implementing the Program;
            (2) the need to revise the Program;
            (3) the balance of activities and funding across the 
        Program;
            (4) whether the Program priorities and goals developed by 
        the Interagency Committee are helping to maintain United States 
        leadership in engineering biology;
            (5) the management, coordination, implementation, and 
        activities of the Program; and
            (6) whether ethical, legal, environmental, and other 
        appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the 
        Program.
    (c) Reports.--Beginning not later than 3 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 5 years 
thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the President, the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, a report on--
            (1) the findings of the advisory committee's assessment 
        under subsection (b); and
            (2) the advisory committee's recommendations for ways to 
        improve the Program.
    (d) Application of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--Section 14 of 
the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to 
the Advisory Committee.

SEC. 6. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIETAL 
              ISSUES.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies to convene a 
workshop to review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other 
appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and 
development. The goals of the workshop shall be to--
            (1) assess the current research on such issues;
            (2) evaluate the research gaps relating to such issues; and
            (3) provide recommendations on how the Program can address 
        the research needs identified.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall transmit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a summary report containing the 
findings of the workshop convened under this section.

SEC. 7. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.

    (a) National Science Foundation.--As part of the Program, the 
National Science Foundation shall--
            (1) support basic research at the intersection of the 
        biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering, 
        including research on the microbiome, through individual grants 
        and through interdisciplinary research centers;
            (2) support research on the environmental and social 
        effects of engineering biology;
            (3) provide research instrumentation support for 
        engineering biology disciplines; and
            (4) award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable 
        institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral 
        fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research 
        in an industry setting.
    (b) Department of Commerce.--As part of the Program, the Director 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall--
            (1) establish a bioscience research program to advance the 
        development of standard reference materials and measurements 
        and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes 
        necessary to advance engineering biology and biomanufacturing;
            (2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or 
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to 
        industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit 
        organizations, and government agencies to perform research and 
        testing; and
            (3) provide technical expertise to inform the development 
        of guidelines and safeguards for new products, processes, and 
        systems of engineering biology.
    (c) Department of Energy.--As part of the Program, the Secretary of 
Energy shall--
            (1) conduct and support basic research, development, 
        demonstration, and commercial application activities in 
        engineering biology disciplines, including in the areas of 
        synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased 
        materials, and environmental remediation; and
            (2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or 
        unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, as 
        appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, 
        nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform 
        research and testing.
    (d) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.--As part of the 
Program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall--
            (1) conduct and support basic and applied research in 
        engineering biology fields, including in the field of synthetic 
        biology, the microbiome, and related to Earth and space 
        sciences, aeronautics, space technology, and space exploration 
        and experimentation, consistent with the priorities established 
        in the National Academies' decadal surveys; and
            (2) award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable 
        institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral 
        fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research 
        in an industry setting.
    (e) Environmental Protection Agency.--As part of the Program, the 
Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products, 
processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect the 
environment.
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