[Senate Hearing 118-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]




 
  COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 
                            FISCAL YEAR 2023

                              ----------                              

                                       U.S. Senate,
           Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
                                   Washington, DC.

    [Clerk's note.--The subcommittee was unable to hold 
hearings on departmental and nondepartmental witnesses. The 
statements and letters of those submitting written testimony 
are as follows:]

                         DEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

          Prepared Statement of American Physiological Society
    The American Physiological Society (APS) thanks you for your 
sustained support of science at the NSF and NASA. In this statement we 
offer our recommendations for FY 2023 funding levels for these two 
agencies.

  --The APS urges you to fund the FY 2023 NSF budget at a level of at 
        least $11 billion to prevent further erosion of program 
        capacity and allow researchers to take advantage of scientific 
        opportunities.
  --The APS urges you to restore cuts to NASA's life sciences research 
        budgets and to increase funding for the Human Research Program.

    NSF and NASA support scientific research and technology development 
programs essential to the future technological excellence and economic 
stability of the United States. Federal investment in this research is 
critically important because breakthroughs in basic and translational 
research provide the foundation for new technologies to fuel our 
economy and make it possible for the United States to remain a global 
leader in science, technology and engineering. According to the 2022 
Science and Engineering Indicators, other countries including China 
continue to increase basic research funding at a rate that outpaces the 
growth of U.S. investments.\1\
         nsf funds outstanding research and education programs
    NSF provides support for 24% of all federally funded basic 
scientific research, including 65% of the support for non-medical 
research in biology. NSF invests in basic biological research across a 
broad spectrum of sub-disciplines along with the equipment and other 
infrastructure scientists need for their work. Time and time again we 
have seen that knowledge gained through basic biological research 
provides a foundation for more applied studies that sustain the health 
of animals, humans and ecosystems. Moreover, NSF-funded research has 
led to countless new and unexpected discoveries that could not have 
been envisioned when the research began. These unforeseen applications 
have had enormous impacts on science, health and the world's economy.
    94% of the NSF budget directly funds research and education. Most 
of this funding is awarded through highly competitive grants, which 
support over 300,000 researchers across all 50 States.\2\ The NSF is 
the only Federal agency that supports basic research across all 
disciplines of science and engineering, and its continued funding is 
critical for the development of the next generation of scientists. NSF 
has an exemplary record of funding research with far-reaching 
potential. Since its inception in 1950, NSF has supported the work of 
248 Nobel Laureates, including the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 
the development of CRISPR gene editing technology. Although there are 
many promising applications of CRISPR technology, such as rapid 
diagnosis of diseases like COVID-19, its discovery started as 
curiosity-driven basic science.
    Biological research is just one part of the NSF portfolio. The APS 
believes that each of the NSF directorates support research that is 
critical to NSF's mission ``to promote the progress of science; to 
advance the National health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the 
National defense.'' Collaboration among scientific disciplines is 
increasingly recognized as the best and most efficient way to advance 
science. This will only be possible with strong support for all 
disciplines of research.
    In addition to funding innovative research in labs around the 
country, NSF education programs foster the next generation of 
scientists. The APS is proud to have partnered with NSF in programs to 
provide training opportunities and career development activities to 
enhance the participation of underrepresented minorities in science. We 
believe that NSF is uniquely suited to foster science education 
programs of the highest quality, and we recommend that Congress 
continues to provide Federal funds for science education through the 
NSF.
    The APS joins the Federation of American Societies for Experimental 
Biology (FASEB) in recommending that the NSF be funded at a level of at 
least $11 billion in FY 2023. The NSF budget has been flat in real 
terms for approximately the last 15 years. When former NSF Director Dr. 
France Cordova testified before the House Appropriations subcommittee 
on Commerce, Justice and Science on March 26, 2019, she stated that 
each year the NSF receives approximately $4 billion worth of well-rated 
proposals that the agency is unable to fund within its current budget. 
Providing the agency with a significant budget increase would allow the 
NSF to support approximately 2,000 additional research grants. The NSF 
is poised to address major challenges facing our Nation and our world 
in the 21st Century, but it needs adequate resources to continue to 
carry out its mission.
     support for life sciences research should be increased at nasa
    NASA sponsors research across a broad range of the basic and 
applied life sciences, including gravitational biology, biomedical 
research and the Human Research Program (HRP). The gravitational 
biology and biomedical research programs explore fundamental scientific 
questions through research carried out both on Earth and aboard the 
International Space Station, which provides an environment for the 
conduct of experiments in space. NASA's HRP conducts focused research 
and develops countermeasures with the goal of enabling safe and 
productive human space exploration. The program funds more than 300 
research grants that go to academic researchers in more than 30 States 
around the country.
    During prolonged space flight, the physiological changes that occur 
due to weightlessness, increased exposure to radiation, confined living 
quarters, and alterations in eating and sleeping patterns can lead to 
debilitating conditions and reduced ability to perform tasks. 
Scientists are actively engaged in research that explores the 
physiological basis of these problems with the goal of contributing to 
the identification of therapeutic targets and development of novel 
countermeasures. One of the most well-known studies of these 
physiological changes is the NASA Twin Study which compared identical 
twins and fellow astronauts Mark and Scott Kelly to document changes 
that occurred following Scott Kelly's 1 year mission aboard the 
International Space Station.\3\ The knowledge gained from this research 
is not only relevant to humans traveling in space, but is also directly 
applicable to human health on Earth. For example, some of the muscle 
and bone changes observed in astronauts after prolonged space flight 
are similar to those seen in patients confined to bed rest during 
periods of critical illness as well as during the process of aging.
    NASA is the only agency whose mission addresses the biomedical 
challenges of human space exploration. Over the past several years, the 
amount of money available for conducting this kind of research at NASA 
has dwindled. In the past, appropriations legislation specified funding 
levels for biomedical research and gravitational biology, but ongoing 
internal reorganizations at NASA have made it difficult to understand 
how much money is being spent on these programs from year to year. The 
APS recommends that funding streams for these important fundamental 
research programs be clearly identified and tracked within the NASA 
budget. The APS also recommends restoration of cuts to peer-reviewed 
life sciences research to allow NASA-funded scientists to conduct 
research that will be critical not only for supporting the success of 
future long-range manned space exploration but also in leading to 
innovative discoveries that can be applied to Earth-based medicine. As 
highlighted above, investment in the basic sciences is vital to our 
Nation's technological and economic future. This innovative engine of 
research fuels our world leadership and our economy. The APS urges you 
to make every effort to provide these agencies with increased funding 
for FY 2023.
    Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on 
how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and 
disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, 
multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists 
and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, 
understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration 
and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals 
and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.
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    \1\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20221/executive-summary.
    \2\ https://www.nsf.gov/news/factsheets/
Factsheet_By%20the%20Numbers_05_21_V02.pdf.
    \3\ https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-twins-study-confirms-
preliminary-findings.


                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of Department of Justice
    Members of the Senate Committee on Appropriations--Subcommittee on 
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, my name is Abigail 
Echo-Hawk, and I am an enrolled citizen of the Pawnee Nation of 
Oklahoma, currently living in an urban Indian community in Seattle, 
Washington. I am Executive Vice President of the Seattle Indian Health 
Board (SIHB) and the Director of Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) 
where I oversee policy, research, data, and evaluation initiatives. To 
uphold the legislative mandate of the Not Invisible Act and Savanna's 
Act required by the Department of Justice and Department of Interior, I 
would like to request an oversight hearing on this issue. The Not 
Invisible Act and Savanna's Act are critical for addressing the Missing 
and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) crisis. Each day these 
go unfulfilled our Tribes, communities, and individuals affected by 
MMIWP go unserved.
    I am an American Indian health researcher with more than 20 years 
of experience in both academic and non-profit settings. I participate 
in numerous local, State, and Federal efforts to support AI/AN 
communities in research, including serving on the Tribal Collaborations 
Workgroup for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us 
precision medicine initiative. I am also a recent member of the NIH 
Office of AIDs Research Advisory Council as the only Native 
representative. I am a co-author to four groundbreaking research 
studies on sexual violence and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women 
and Girls (MMIWG) where I have called national attention to the 
institutional barriers in data collection, reporting, and analysis of 
demographic data that perpetuate violence against AI/AN people. I am a 
member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
(NASEM) Standing Committee for the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention (CDC) Center for Preparedness and Response (SCPR). 
Additionally, I serve on Washington State Office of the Attorney 
General's task force for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and 
People.
            bringing national attention to the mmiwp crisis
    In 2018, UIHI released a groundbreaking report titled, Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report.\1\ Through the first 
publication and multiple reports released since then, UIHI continues to 
identify gaps in local to Federal data collection methods on AI/AN 
people, gaps in gender-based violence care continuation, and lack of 
Federal funding available to meet the unique and prompting needs of 
Indigenous communities.
    Since the release of our initial report, UIHI continues to document 
the existing resiliency and cultural strengths that combat the MMIWP 
crisis. In 2022, UIHI released Supporting the Sacred: Womxn of 
Resilience\2\ which gathered the voices of AI/AN survivors and 
recommended increased and flexible funding for housing stability, legal 
representation, behavioral health, and investing in community services 
to reduce survivors' unmet needs. The report also found the 
relationship between law enforcement, providers, and survivors could be 
improved through culturally responsive training and authentic 
relationship-building. Finally, the report concludes by stressing 
gender-based violence services and programming be led by Native experts 
and communities to ensure utmost care of our people.
    In 2022, we also released Service as Ceremony: A Journey toward 
Healing,\3\ which identified the intersectional impacts COVID-19 had on 
AI/AN experiencing intimate partner violence from the perspective of 
direct service providers. Recommendations to mitigate intimate partner 
violence includes training medical providers to work with AI/AN 
communities, support increased funding for community-based programming 
and services, and promote cross-system coordination amongst responders, 
Tribes, law enforcement, and community organizations.
    Our reports continuously demand improved data collection on AI/AN 
populations, cross-system coordination, and increased investments to 
our community-based organizations serving AI/AN survivors, victims, 
families, and community members affected by violence.
equity determination by the gao and department of justice (doj) equity 
                                  plan
    In 2021, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released 
Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway but 
Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal Response\4\ documenting the 
Department of Interior (DOI) and the Department of Justice's (DOJ) 
Federal implementation failures to implement the Not Invisible Act and 
Savanna's Act of 2019. The GAO report recommended DOJ and DOI fulfill 
their legislative mandates by: developing a plan accomplish ongoing 
analyses of data in existing Federal databases; developing a strategy 
to educate the public on entering data into NamUs; developing a plan to 
conduct outreach to Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian 
organizations (UIO) to enter data into NamUs, and; and encouraging the 
Secretary of the Interior to appoint members to the Not Invisible 
Commission. The lack of Federal implementation of these legislative 
mandates perpetuates the cycle of violence against Indigenous bodies 
when Indian Country continues to demand action, accountability, and 
justice for our loved ones.
    In alignment with Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity 
and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government 
and the DOJ--Equity Action Plan, we request the DOJ engage with 
underserved communities more effectively to increase reporting of 
crimes; ensure appropriate consideration of the needs of victims, and; 
improve the dissemination of resources, programs, and services. These 
efforts will honor the government-to-government relationship with 
Tribal communities and strengthen agency communication with front line 
responders to the MMIWP crisis.
          improving doj's approaches and response to violence
    Due to unique legal jurisdictional precedent on Tribal lands, 
Indian Country relies on the efforts of DOJ to assist violent crimes on 
and off Tribal lands. We request Congress oversee the implementation of 
Savanna's Act by the DOJ and ensure their equity plans do not go 
dismissed.
    A continuous issue that affects both Tribal regions and urban 
areas, is the lack of multidisciplinary and multijurisdictional 
coordination for MMIWP. Tribal, Federal, State, and local jurisdictions 
often offer disjointed responses that leave crime victims and families 
without appropriate intervention resources and no way to hold officials 
accountable. Similar to DOJ creating an MMIP website available for 
anyone, DOJ must support improved communication amongst Tribes, State 
and local law enforcement, and community members through a nationwide 
data system to document missing and endangered Indigenous people. 
Additionally, DOJ can improve coordination between law enforcement and 
providers to assure victims, survivors, and families have access to 
programs, services, and activities that offer culturally responsive 
wraparound services in the local area.
    In Washington state, a historical missing and endangered Indigenous 
persons advisory alert was created which will notify law enforcement, 
Tribal areas, and the public. Similar to an Amber Alert, Washington 
state patrol will respond to the call, and maintain the clearinghouse 
associated with the call line for individuals impacted by MMIWP. These 
State-based solutions can begin to bridge the jurisdictional gaps 
associated with MMIWP, and create a unified approach for Tribal, 
Federal, State, and local responses.
    In 2021, UIHI released A Step Toward Justice,\5\ a case study 
documenting our efforts within the 13th largest county in the Nation, 
King County, to improve the accuracy of data collected on AI/AN 
populations. To address the misrepresentation and undercount of missing 
and murdered crimes against AI/AN people, UIHI led the creation of data 
fields for law enforcement to utilize and provided data collection 
techniques to improve accurate reporting on race/ethnicity, AI/AN 
identity, and Tribal affiliation. These efforts support law 
enforcement's improved data collection reporting from interactions with 
AI/AN people to better document AI/AN people affected by violence. We 
have created a national model that DOJ can use to support national 
efforts to identify AI/AN crime victims more accurately and correctly 
by engaging with Tribes, community leaders, and Tribal epidemiology 
centers.
 addressing the increase of intimate partner violence through flexible 
                                funding
    We are appreciative of the gender-based violence funding being made 
available to UIOs through the reauthorization of Violence Against 
Women's Act (VAWA). COVID supplements illuminated the various ways in 
which wraparound service providers can mediate authentic responses for 
Native survivors during times of a pandemic. During Tribal 
consultations held with the DOJ, Indian Country continuously asks for 
investments in our grassroot, community-based organizations, and Tribal 
organizations providing low-barrier direct service to both urban and 
rural AI/AN people. Our Native providers continue to offer unmatched 
services that must receive renewable, and flexible funding to respond 
to institutional inequities that perpetuate violence against Indigenous 
bodies.
    COVID-19 exacerbated social determinants of health in AI/AN 
communities including income, housing, health, and safety. During the 
stay-at-home orders, AI/AN women experienced an increase in intimate 
partner violence,\6\ exposing them to additional traumas and placing 
them at greater risk of becoming unhoused. Many survivors of violence 
turned to cultural services to escape unsafe conditions. Through 
flexible spending, our Native providers were able to offer centralized 
services to address social determinants of health that can often lead 
to increased risks of intimate partner violence. During the pandemic, 
cultural healing spaces were created by providers and grew to support 
survivors' access to behavioral health, medical services, continuing 
education, and employment opportunities. However, additional, and long-
term funding is needed to support health access, legal services, 
educational opportunities, and on the ground support to care for 
survivors' and victims' holistic needs.
    A multi-pronged systemic approach to MMIWP will require 
implementation of Savanna's Act and Not Invisible Act, multi-
jurisdictional coordination, improved data collection on AI/AN 
populations, and increased investment to community-based organizations 
responding to the crisis. These efforts will center those most impacted 
by MMIWP and address systemic issues plaguing Indian Country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Urban India Health Institute. (November 2018) Missing and 
Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Report. Retrieved from: https://
www.uihi.org/projects/our-bodies-our-stories/.
    \2\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (May 2021) Supporting the 
Sacred: Womxn of Resilience. Retrieved from: https://www.uihi.org/
resources/supporting-the-sacred-womxn-of-resilience/.
    \3\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (February 2022) Service as 
Ceremony: A Journey toward Healing. Retrieved from: https://
www.uihi.org/resources/service-as-ceremony-a-journey-toward-healing/.
    \4\ U.S. Government Accountability Office. (October 2021) Missing 
or Murdered Indigenous Women: New Efforts Are Underway but 
Opportunities Exist to Improve the Federal Response. Retrieved from: 
https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104045.
    \5\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (October 2021) A Step Toward 
Justice Examining the collaboration between Urban Indian Health 
Institute and the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the 
lessons learned from their partnerships. Retrieved from: https://
www.uihi.org/projects/protecting-the-sacred/.
    \6\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (February 2022) Service as 
Ceremony: A Journey toward Healing. Retrieved from: https://
www.uihi.org/resources/service-as-ceremony-a-journey-toward-healing/.

    [This statement was submitted by Abigail Echo-Hawk]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) and the U.S. 
                      Department of Justice (DOJ)
                      u.s. department of commerce
North Atlantic Right Whales    $26 million
    In 2020, North Atlantic right whales were designated as critically 
endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature 
(IUCN). Elevated mortalities of the species from entanglements in 
fishing gear and vessel strikes have been declared an Unusual Mortality 
Event (UME) by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA) since 2017. The annual documented rate of anthropogenic 
mortality and serious injury, due to both entanglement in gear and 
vessel strikes, has exceeded the population's potential biological 
removal level (PBR) since 1995.
    In October 2021, scientists from the New England Aquarium released 
a new population estimate for North Atlantic right whales, indicating 
that the population numbered only 336 as of January 2020, the lowest 
assessment in decades.\1\ Right whales are extremely vulnerable to 
being caught in the vertical buoy lines used in lobster and crab 
trapping gear. Entanglement can lead to drowning, reduced mobility, 
and, in some cases, a long, painful death from starvation. Collisions 
with vessels of all sizes can also cause serious injuries, such as 
blunt force trauma, propeller cuts, and broken bones. Three North 
Atlantic right whale calves were killed or seriously injured by vessel 
strikes in U.S. waters in the last year. In February 2021, an adult 
whale was confirmed dead due to injuries from entanglement. Two other 
entangled whales were added to the serious injuries list in 2021.
    Studies have shown that mortalities from known entanglements have 
continued to increase from 21 percent (1970-2002) to 51 percent (2003-
2018).\2\ Entanglements caused as many as 85 percent of diagnosable 
deaths from 2010 to 2015. In February 2021, a study co-authored by 
leading North Atlantic right whale scientists found that from 1990-
2017, observed carcasses only accounted for 36 percent of North 
Atlantic right whale mortalities.\3\ These ``cryptic mortalities,'' 
i.e., deaths caused by human activities without an observed carcass, 
represent a larger proportion of the total mortality than previously 
believed.
    The FY22 appropriations omnibus included $21 million for North 
Atlantic right whales within the Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other 
Species line item. Within this funding, $2 million was directed to NOAA 
for the continuation of a pilot program developing and field-testing 
new fishing gear technologies designed to reduce entanglements, and $14 
million was provided to States through the Atlantic States Marine 
Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) to help defray the cost to the fishing 
industry of compliance with the final 2021 rule to modify the Atlantic 
Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP) (FR-210827-0171). We are 
immensely grateful for the subcommittee's concern for this species and 
the substantial increase in funding but remain deeply concerned with 
the effectiveness of the 2021 rule, in that it falls significantly 
short of the risk reduction needed to save this species from 
extinction.
    Within our proposal of $26 million, we believe funding should be 
appropriated to NOAA to develop and implement new rules aimed at 
reducing the mortality rate of North Atlantic right whales by vessel 
strikes, fishing-gear entanglements, and other threats. There must also 
be investment in reducing vessel-strike risk in high-traffic areas as 
well as a transition to whale-safe fishing gear. We believe the pilot 
program to refine and field test innovative fishing gear technologies, 
such as ropeless gear, should be expanded, including the development of 
geolocation technologies, and recommend $8 million be appropriated 
towards this. Lastly, surveys and monitoring, enforcement, 
disentanglement, stranding response, and plankton recorder surveys are 
crucial to the conservation of this species.
    We encourage Congress to direct investment to the development of 
ropeless technologies instead of expensive, short-term investments in 
``weak rope.'' The use of 1,700-lb breaking strength lines (known as 
``weak rope'') may decrease the severity of entanglement injuries 
suffered by right whales but does not reduce the likelihood of 
entanglement in the first place nor the sub-lethal impacts of 
entanglement on whales. This gear also does not reduce the risk of 
serious injury or mortality for right whales who are less than 2 years 
old.\4\
    If we are to save this species, it will require the investment and 
cooperation among Congress, agencies, scientists, and industry to find 
long-term solutions. We appreciate the subcommittee's recognition of 
the urgency of this situation and the funding it continues to provide 
for the protection of North Atlantic right whales.
Unusual Mortality Event Contingency Fund    $4.5 million
    Marine mammals are important indicator species of ocean health. 
Monitoring the health of marine mammals, especially during an Unusual 
Mortality Event (UME), can reveal emerging threats, potential impacts 
of human activities, and the effectiveness of management actions. A UME 
is defined as ``a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant 
die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate 
response.'' There are currently six active UMEs-Alaska ice seals, West 
Coast gray whales, Atlantic minke whales, North Atlantic right whales, 
Atlantic humpback whales, and Atlantic Florida manatees. In the newest 
UME to be declared, the 2021 Atlantic Florida manatee, over 1,000 
manatees have died. Rescue organizations are hampered by the lack of 
facilities and funds for responding to overwhelming numbers of live 
manatees in need of rescue and rehabilitation.
    Since 1991, 71 marine mammal UMEs have been declared. The UME 
Contingency Fund was established through the Marine Mammal Protection 
Act to enable the National Marine Fisheries Service to reimburse marine 
mammal stranding network partners for costs related to: caring for and 
treating live animals that strand as part of UMEs; collecting, 
preparing, and sending biological samples to the National Marine Mammal 
Tissue Bank and other diagnostic laboratories to investigate the causes 
of UMEs; and collecting important marine mammal health data to inform 
and improve future UME responses and marine conservation. Although 
Congress created this fund in 1992, it appropriated funds only in 2005; 
all other contributions to the Fund have been through voluntary 
contributions. Given the growing number of UMEs, $4.5 million should be 
allocated to the Unusual Mortality Event Contingency Fund to enable 
robust marine mammal stranding response efforts.
John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program    $8 
        million
    The John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program 
(Prescott Grant Program), a program under NMFS, provides competitive 
grants to marine mammal stranding network organizations to do the 
following: (1) rescue and rehabilitate sick, injured, or distressed 
live marine mammals, and (2) investigate the events surrounding, and 
determine the cause of, the death or injury of marine mammals. Over the 
past 21 years, the Prescott Grant Program has been vital to protecting 
and recovering marine mammals across the country while also generating 
critical information regarding marine mammals and their environment. As 
the sole source of Federal funding for the National Marine Mammal 
Stranding Network, which is comprised of over 90 member organizations 
in 26 States, the District of Columbia, two territories, and two 
Tribes, robust funding is required for the Prescott Grant Program to 
enable it to continue its vital work.
Enforcement and Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP)    $4 million
    The Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) was established in 
2016 to require U.S. importers of certain fish and fish products to 
provide and report key data, with the aim of uncovering illegal, 
unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing and/or seafood fraud and 
preventing it from entering U.S. commerce. The program oversees imports 
of 13 species groups (which are comprised of more than 1,100 unique 
species) including sharks and sea cucumbers, two marine species that 
are increasingly threatened by IUU fishing. The 2019 addition of shrimp 
has had implications for the critically endangered vaquita, of which 
only about 10 remain. The use of illegal gillnets for catching shrimp 
in the Gulf of California, and the subsequent bycatch of vaquitas, has 
been a major factor in the species' decline.
    A 2021 report ``Seafood Obtained via Illegal, Unreported, and 
Unregulated Fishing: U.S. Imports and Economic Impact on U.S. 
Commercial Fisheries,'' compiled by the U.S. International Trade 
Commission, found that $2.4 billion worth of seafood imports derived 
from IUU fishing was imported in 2019 (11 percent of total seafood 
imports). Over 13 percent of the U.S. imports caught at sea were 
estimated to be caught using IUU fishing practices. Top species 
included swimming crab, wild-caught warmwater shrimp, yellowfin tuna, 
and squid. The report noted that IUU-sourced seafood is a threat to the 
livelihood of U.S. fishermen. These practices also pose risks to marine 
ecosystems, public health, and human rights.
    In January 2020, the U.S. government allocated $8 million to fight 
IUU fishing and bolster SIMP as part of the US-Mexico-Canada trade 
agreement (USMCA) that was approved in January 2021. As part of the 
agreement, funding will go to NOAA to help it cooperate with the 
Mexican government in fighting illegal fishing through 2023. Additional 
funding of $4 million is necessary to ensure full enforcement of SIMP 
in FY23.
Marine Mammal Commission (MMC)    $6 million
    The Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) is an independent Federal agency 
established by Congress in 1972 under the Marine Mammal Protection Act 
(MMPA). It is responsible for overseeing the proper implementation of 
the MMPA and provides comprehensive, independent, science-based 
oversight of all Federal and international policy and management 
actions affecting marine mammals. The MMC's work is crucial to 
maintaining healthy populations of marine mammals, including whales, 
manatees, dolphins, seals, sea otters, walruses, and polar bears, and 
ensuring their survival for generations to come. Additionally, the MMC 
seeks to ensure that Alaska Natives can meet their subsistence needs 
through hunting of marine mammals.
    Each U.S. taxpayer contributes just over 1 cent per year to fund 
the MMC and its work. Until FY21, the MMC had been flat funded at $3.43 
million. In FY21, funding for the MMC was slightly increased to $3.769 
million, and was then further increased to $4.2 million in FY22. Due to 
rising fixed costs, the MMC has absorbed significant essential costs 
(salaries, rent, etc.) and thereby reduced its discretionary funding. 
In order for the MMC to fully fulfill its obligations, we ask that $6 
million be appropriated for FY23.
                       u.s. department of justice
Environment and Natural Resources Division/Environmental Crimes Section
Additional $2 million
    AWI asks the subcommittee to provide an additional $2 million, over 
and above the amount that would otherwise be appropriated, to the 
Environmental Crimes Section of the Department of Justice's Environment 
and Natural Resources Division, to be designated for the Section's work 
on animal cruelty crime.
    Congress has taken significant steps in the last decade to 
strengthen Federal laws to protect animals from cruel treatment. For 
those efforts to be meaningful, it is imperative that the Federal 
Government's enforcement efforts be robustly supported. The attorneys 
in the Environmental Crimes Section are tasked with ensuring that 
justice is served when the Federal statutes and enforcement regimes 
that provide for the humane treatment of captive, farmed, and companion 
animals across the country are violated. These laws include the Animal 
Welfare Act, the Horse Protection Act, the Humane Methods of Slaughter 
Act, the 28-Hour Law, the animal crush video statute, the Animal 
Fighting Venture Prohibition Act, and, since 2019, the Preventing 
Animal Cruelty and Torture Act.
    This is a tremendous amount of responsibility, and it is a 
responsibility that both Congress and the American public expect to be 
executed vigorously. The resources available to bring criminal 
prosecution under these laws has not kept pace with the improvements 
made in the laws. Given the increased workload the Section has taken on 
in just the last couple of years, a $2 million increase in its funding 
its work on animal cruelty crimes is warranted.
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    \1\ Heather Pettis, Richard Pace III, Philip Hamilton, North 
Atlantic Right Whale Consortium 2021 Annual Report Card Report to the 
North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium (2022) available at https://
www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2021report_cardfinal.pdf.
    \2\ Sharp, S, et.al (2019). Gross and histopathologic diagnoses 
from North Atlantic right whale Eubalaena glacialis mortalities between 
2003 and 2018. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 135(1), 1-31. 
doi:10.3354/dao03376).
    \3\ Pace, R. et al. (2021). Cryptic mortality of North Atlantic 
right whales. Conservation Science and Practice. 3. 10.1111/csp2.346.
    \4\ Knowlton et al. (2016).

    [This statement was submitted by Nancy Blaney, Director, Government 
Affairs]
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Wildlife Conservation Society
    The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) would like to thank Chair 
Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and the members of the subcommittee for 
providing this opportunity to submit testimony in support of funding in 
the FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 
National Marine Sanctuaries Program, the National Marine Fisheries 
Service Office of Protected Resources funding for the critically 
endangered North Atlantic right whale and for the National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and 
Assessments funding line specifically to enhance data collection and 
stock assessment of vulnerable shark, skate and ray species.
    WCS was founded with the help of Theodore Roosevelt in 1895 with 
the mission of saving wildlife and wild places worldwide. Today, WCS 
manages the largest network of urban wildlife parks in the United 
States. Visited by 4 million people annually, the network includes our 
flagship, the Bronx Zoo, as well as the New York Aquarium in Brooklyn. 
Globally, our goal is to conserve the world's most important wild 
places, focusing on 14 priority regions that are home to more than 50% 
of the world's biodiversity. We have offices and field programs in more 
than 60 countries and with our partners manage more than 200 million 
acres of protected areas around the world, employing more than 4,000 
staff including about 200 Ph.D. scientists and 100 veterinarians. 
Working in all the world's oceans, WCS combines its expertise in the 
field, aquarium and zoos to achieve its conservation mission both in 
New York and around the world. In our view, the largest threats facing 
marine wildlife and habitats require innovative, science-based 
solutions that balance conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
    The future of our ocean and coastal resources--and our National 
well-being--depends on a strong NOAA. For these reasons, we support 
robust investment in the Federal Government's premier ocean science, 
conservation and management agency. We ask that the subcommittee 
Members use this additional investment in NOAA in the FY23 Commerce, 
Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill to increase 
investments in the National Marine Sanctuaries Program, North Atlantic 
right whale conservation and fisheries data collections, surveys and 
assessments to improve fisheries management and conservation measures 
for vulnerable shark, skate and ray species.
  --NOAA--National Marine Sanctuaries Program--$87 Million: The 
        National Marine Sanctuary System is our essential network of 
        protected waters held in trust for all Americans. Marine 
        sanctuaries and monuments are home to millions of species, 
        preserve our Nation's maritime heritage, and promote access for 
        exploration and world-class outdoor recreation. The 
        conservation and sustainable use of marine ecosystems and 
        biodiversity are vital to maintaining a healthy ocean and Great 
        Lakes, addressing the climate crisis, and underpinning 
        productive coastal economies.
    The United States is an ocean nation containing 3.4 million square 
nautical miles of ocean-larger than the combined land area of all fifty 
States. The National Marine Sanctuary Program serves as trustee for 15 
ecologically and culturally significant ocean and Great Lakes sites. 
The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote 
responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most 
valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving 
recreation, tourism and commercial activities that drive coastal 
economies. The Office of National Marine Sanctuaries also leads the 
National Marine Protected Areas Center, the Nation's hub for building 
innovative partnerships and tools to protect our special ocean.
    WCS strongly supports the Biden-Harris Administration's commitment 
to 30x30 goals--conserving at least 30% of the world's lands and oceans 
by 2030 (30x30). US implementation of 30x30 provides a critical 
foundation for global success on biodiversity conservation, mitigating 
and adapting to climate change through natural climate solutions, and 
preventing zoonotic spillover that causes pandemics, such as COVID-19. 
It provides an opportunity for improved inter-agency coordination, as 
well as alignment, and synergy among existing and new laws, 
regulations, and mechanisms to enhance habitat protection. 30x30 can 
also provide a pathway to reconciliation of the issues of equity and 
justice that underlie conservation in this country by increasing access 
to nature, especially for under-resourced communities, and honoring and 
elevating the role of Indigenous Nations in any 30x30 strategy.
    Although there are places that merit all protections that U.S. law 
can provide, working lands and busy waters also play a critical role in 
meeting the Nation's 30x30 goals. As such, the National Marine 
Sanctuaries Program which balances conservation and sustainable use 
must be an integral part of the U.S. response. The program needs 
additional resources to support existing Sanctuaries as well as to 
initiate the public-facing, stakeholder-driven process to designate new 
Sanctuaries in areas that NOAA has determined are worthy of protection. 
Currently, there is no Sanctuary in the biodiverse and culturally 
important waters of the New York Bight. Therefore, WCS nominated Hudson 
Canyon as a National Marine Sanctuary in 2016. Located just 100 miles 
from the Statue of Liberty, NOAA determined it is a site of ecological 
and economic importance and placed the nomination in its inventory of 
successful nominations. WCS's nomination recommended a Hudson Sanctuary 
designation would supplement and complement existing regulations by 
ensuring that oil, gas and mineral exploration and extraction be 
permanently precluded from a Hudson Sanctuary and that the existing 
authorities (e.g. Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the Atlantic 
States Marine Fisheries Commission and NOAA's Highly Migratory Species 
Division) continue to regulate fisheries within the Sanctuary, should 
it be designated. With increased resources from Congress, WCS looks 
forward to NOAA initiating the public-facing, stakeholder-driven 
designation process for Hudson Canyon.
    For these reasons, WCS supports the Biden-Harris Administration's 
recommended investment of $87m for the FY23 Sanctuaries and Marine 
Protected Areas ORF as detailed in the President's Budget Request and 
Congressional Justification.
  --NOAA--Office of Protected Species, funding for North Atlantic Right 
        Whale conservation within Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and 
        Others Species, $26 Million: NOAA's Office of Protected Species 
        is responsible for the conservation, protection and recovery of 
        more than 150 Endangered and Threatened marine species under 
        the Endangered Species Act, including the North Atlantic right 
        whale. The Office is also responsible for the management and 
        protection of all whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, and sea 
        lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
    Recently updated estimates for North Atlantic right whale indicate 
that between January 2019 and January 2020 its population plummeted an 
additional eight% to 336 individuals, entailing a rate of decline forty 
times the legal limit. This is the lowest assessment in decades. We are 
facing an emergency situation: This species cannot recover without a 
significant reduction to the high level of mortality they are currently 
experiencing, including from ship strikes in high-trafficked areas, 
noise pollution, and other impacts from fisheries and offshore wind 
energy development. including New York and New Jersey waters. 
Scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society, in collaboration 
with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and other partners, are 
monitoring right whales and other marine mammals as they migrate 
through the busy waters of the New York Bight. Twelve million dollars 
out of $26 million is needed to increase investments in research, 
monitoring and management related to vessel strikes, ocean noise and 
fishing gear entanglements by NOAA. With this funding, managers, 
stakeholders and the public will be able to contribute to the 
conservation of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
  --NOAA--National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Fisheries Data 
        Collections, Surveys, and Assessments funding line for 
        vulnerable shark, skate and ray species, $10 Million: 
        Insufficient fisheries data and stock assessment of shark, 
        skate and ray populations prevents scientists from determining 
        whether species are overfished and/or subject to overfishing. 
        Many sharks are important predators in ocean food chains, which 
        makes them critical in maintaining the balance of marine 
        ecosystems. Most shark and ray species are long-lived, mature 
        late, and produce few offspring. These life history 
        characteristics make sharks extremely vulnerable to 
        overfishing, whether from targeted fishing or bycatch. In a 
        recent paper, experts estimated that 37.5% of shark and ray 
        species are threatened with extinction, according to 
        International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List 
        criteria. Overfishing is the main threat for 100% of threatened 
        species and the sole threat affecting 67 % of these species. 
        Based on data from NMFS 2020 Report to Congress on the status 
        of U.S. shark fisheries, there are 34 shark stock or stock 
        complexes listed in U.S. waters of which 68% are either 
        overfished and experiencing overfishing , have a mixed status , 
        or have an ``unknown'' overfished or overfishing stock status . 
        By directing $10 million specifically allocated towards stock 
        assessments for vulnerable shark, skate and ray species, 
        Congress can help ensure the improved management and 
        conservation of this important group of species.
    WCS appreciates the opportunity to share its perspective and to 
make a case for increases in Federal investments in ocean conservation 
in the FY23 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act. As an ocean nation, Americans depend on Federal 
investment in NOAA programs that are rooted in marine science and 
stakeholder engagement. These investments will help us balance marine 
conservation and sustainable use of the ocean.
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide details on these WCS 
requests to the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies 
Appropriations subcommittee in preparation for the FY23 Appropriations 
Act. WCS marine science and policy experts are available to the 
subcommittee should there be any follow up questions.

    [This statement was submitted by Noah Chesnin, Associate Director, 
New York Seascape Program]
                              ----------                              


                       NONDEPARTMENTAL WITNESSES

   Prepared Statement of The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking
Honorable Matt Cartwright, Chair, Honorable Robert Aderholt, Ranking 
Member, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies, Honorable Jeanne Shaheen, Chair, Honorable Jerry 
Moran, Ranking Member, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, 
Justice, Science and Related Agencies:

    The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) appreciates and 
thanks you for your leadership in the fight to end child labor, forced 
labor and human trafficking. We are grateful for the increased support 
these programs have received over the past decade. We seek your 
assistance again in funding essential programs in the FY23 Commerce, 
Justice, Science and Related Agencies bill. The Justice Department 
plays a vital role in bringing traffickers to justice. These cases are 
often complicated and involve lengthy legal proceedings requiring 
additional resources for prosecutors as well as for victims who often 
experience severe trauma requiring intensive therapy and long-term 
services and support to rebuild their lives. Most victims require 
comprehensive case management, legal services and access to housing 
supported by trauma-informed and culturally competent victim services 
and community-based organizations to support their goals and help them 
navigate the often re-traumatizing court process.
    We are grateful for your support to increase investments in these 
areas, and to continue to ensure that the Department of Justice works 
to strengthen collaborative community responses to human trafficking.




                         department of justice
    Office of Justice Programs/State and Local Law Enforcement 
Assistance Victim Services Grants and Human Trafficking Task Forces: 
$150,000,000--According to the 2021 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) 
Report, Department of Justice (DOJ) grantees served 9,854 clients 
during the most recent 1-year period (7/1/19 to 6/30/20), approximately 
17.6 percent more clients than DOJ grantees served the prior year 
(8,375). The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 18,600 sex 
trafficking and forced labor victims in 2020, and reported a 60 percent 
increase in signal volume since 2019. Given that survivors of 
trafficking are coming forward in greater numbers than are being served 
by DOJ grantees, robust resources are needed to ensure that they 
receive appropriate responses and services. Data from the Trafficking 
Hotline and anecdotal evidence from established service providers 
demonstrate that insufficient resources and hindered access to 
resources remain a significant barrier for survivors. For example, 
service providers in New York City, including an ATEST member, reported 
a significant increase in survivors' requests for rental assistance, 
medical cost coverage and food vouchers. While some of these requests 
were met, service providers engaged in ongoing advocacy with landlords 
and medical providers to negotiate rent arrears arrangements or lower 
medical bills when funding was insufficient to cover these costs. In 
2020 and 2021, Trafficking Hotline data shows that more than 50 percent 
of all crisis calls were requests for emergency shelter assistance.
    The COVID-19 crisis has drastically changed the landscape for 
serving human trafficking victims and survivors. Service providers 
nationwide have reported a greater caseload and more difficulties 
providing services due to complicated and evolving COVID-19 mitigation 
measures. Data from one service provider showed a 556 percent increase 
in emergency response cases of escaping survivors since the start of 
the pandemic in 2019. Furthermore, this service provider has 
experienced a 455 percent increase in costs for basic necessities. As 
economic vulnerabilities continue to increase throughout the duration 
of the pandemic and economic recovery remains inconsistent, we expect 
an ongoing increase in required services for victims and survivors. 
Despite the amplified need for comprehensive services, we anticipate a 
possible 35 percent decrease in funding for service providers in the 
anti-trafficking movement as part of the economic fallout from this 
global health crisis. We are seeing significantly heightened client 
financial needs in all areas, including social and legal needs, and 
expect a significant increase in the need for sustained comprehensive 
services.
    To attempt to meet the growing needs of victims and survivors, we 
request $150,000,000 for human trafficking survivors and law 
enforcement. Given the increased vulnerability to trafficking due to 
persistent unemployment and general financial, legal and social 
instability, we request that no less than $126,000,000 of the 
appropriation be for victim services, and that the majority of OVC 
money continues to be spent supporting direct services for all forms of 
trafficking in persons, including intensive case management and legal 
and shelter services. We also request that OVC review monies granted to 
law enforcement task forces to ensure task forces are adopting victim- 
centered approaches. Two of ATEST's direct service provider members, 
who also run federally funded task forces under the Enhanced 
Collaborative Model grants, report that many of their clients have 
experienced negative or harmful interactions with law enforcement. 
Clients report being coerced to testify against their traffickers under 
threat of prosecution themselves. Other clients who have reported 
strong labor trafficking cases have not been granted Continued Presence 
and law enforcement has declined to investigate these allegations. 
Other survivors were required to interview with law enforcement up to 
six separate times at the height of the pandemic, and were still not 
issued Continued Presence until their victim service provider advocates 
intervened on their behalf. One BIPOC client shared she was turned away 
by the police when seeking help. ``I was searching for help and when I 
went to the police department they looked at me like I was crazy. They 
told me no one would want to house me or help me if I kept telling 
people I was running away from a pimp. They gave me a cold shoulder, a 
pamphlet to go across the street, and shooed me away.'' Essentially, 
when survivors of human trafficking seek help from law enforcement, the 
majority of survivors report being turned away, or arrested.
    With respect to implementation of the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act (TVPA) related to protection of victim rights, section 5 
of Public Law 115-392 (one of the four bills in the most recent TVPA 
reauthorization), the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security 
was to issue a directive regarding victim protection training and 
victim screening protocols. These protocols have still not been 
developed. ATEST is deeply invested in the development of victim-
centered protocols by DOJ and DHS, in strong collaboration with DOL and 
HHS, for publication and dissemination to the extensive network of DOJ-
funded task forces around the country.
    Finally, we want to acknowledge, gratefully, that colleagues within 
the Department of Justice have steadfastly responded to our 
appropriations requests over the past decade and we have seen large 
increases in funding disbursed by Department of Justice for victims of 
human trafficking. The COVID-19 global pandemic is unlike anything we 
have seen before in recent times, and victims of human trafficking are 
disproportionately impacted. Therefore, we continue to request 
significantly elevated levels of funding and hope to continue the 
ongoing trend of increased appropriations.
    Proposed Report Language: The bill provides $150,000,000 for the 
Victims of Trafficking Grant program, of which no less than 
$126,000,000 is for victim services. The $10,000,000 request for minor 
victim services grants is included within the $150,000,000 
appropriations request for victim services overall.
    Office of Justice Programs/State and Local Law Enforcement 
Assistance Minor Victim Services Grants: $10,000,000--Specialized, 
comprehensive, trauma-informed and gender- specific assistance to minor 
victims of human trafficking is critical. Minors face significant 
hurdles recovering from the abuse and trauma they have endured. Law 
enforcement has identified the lack of specialized housing programs 
throughout the U.S. as the greatest obstacle in effectively prosecuting 
child traffickers. The Attorney General is authorized to provide grant 
funding to serve sex-trafficked minors. We request additional funds to 
support services, training and outreach for labor-trafficked youth. 
Including labor trafficked children is imperative given that the 
Federal definition of human trafficking includes both sex trafficking 
and forced labor. Furthermore, labor trafficking victims experience the 
same types of trauma, physical, sexual and psychological abuse seen in 
sex trafficking cases. Unaccompanied minors working are at risk of and 
have experienced sex and/or labor trafficking, but often only receive 
support for their sex trafficking recovery. More than 50 percent of the 
Safe Horizon Anti-Trafficking Program clients are identified as labor 
trafficking victims. Another ATEST member noted that 28 percent of 
their survivors served were trafficked as minors. Increased funding to 
serve minor victims of all forms of human trafficking, including labor 
trafficking, would critically shore up prevention and protection 
efforts.
    According to the National Advisory Committee on the Sex Trafficking 
of Youth in the United States, ``a child or youth may more readily 
disclose concerns related to labor trafficking than concerns related to 
sex trafficking given the sexual violence, trauma, and stigma endemic 
in sex trafficking. Additionally, some disclosures that initially seem 
to involve only sex trafficking may also involve labor trafficking, as 
children and youth may be forced to work while also being made to 
engage in commercial sex acts.'' We further request that the bill 
contain statutory language to make this funding available for 2 years 
instead of just 1 year.
    Proposed Report Language: The bill provides $10,000,000 for Minor 
Victims of Trafficking Grant program, of which $5,000,000 is for victim 
services grants for sex trafficked minors, and an additional $5,000,000 
for victim services grants for labor trafficked minors. The Committee 
encourages DOJ to work in close coordination with the Department of 
Health and Human Services to encourage collaboration and reduce 
duplication of effort.
    Legal Activities/Civil Rights Division, Human Trafficking 
Prosecution Unit (HTPU): $8,000,000--HTPU houses the government's top 
legal experts on prosecuting human trafficking cases. These cases are 
resource-intensive because they are procedurally complex and involve 
multiple jurisdictions and defendants. Per the Human Trafficking 
Institute's Federal Human Trafficking Report, HTPU cases had a 89 
percent conviction rate in 2020. Defendants in HTPU cases are 
consistently receiving longer sentences and more frequently ordered to 
pay restitution than non-HTPU cases. With increased funding, HTPU will 
be able to increase prosecutions of all forms of trafficking and forced 
labor. This funding should be prioritized for the prosecution of forced 
labor cases, which only constituted 6 percent of the active 
prosecutions in 2020, compared to 94 percent of active prosecutions for 
sex trafficking. From 2019 to 2020, new forced labor cases declined 11 
percent, from 9 cases to 8 cases. The Human Trafficking Institute noted 
that prosecutors filed more sex trafficking prosecutions in 2020 than 
all forced labor prosecutions filed over more than 20 years after TVPA 
passage.
    Additionally, the Abolish Human Trafficking Act (Public Law 115-
392) designates an assistant U.S. Attorney in every U.S. Attorney's 
Office across the United States to prosecute human trafficking cases. 
HTPU is responsible for supporting the training of these prosecutors.
    Proposed Report Language: The Committee provides $8,000,000 for the 
Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit (HTPU) and encourages HTPU and the 
Anti-Trafficking Coordination Teams to continue working with victim 
service providers and non-governmental organizations to ensure victim 
needs are prioritized as part of the overall strategy to combat human 
trafficking and particularly forced labor in the United States. 
Additional resources provided are to implement section 15 of Public Law 
115-392. Furthermore, the Committee directs the Human Trafficking 
Prosecution Unit (HTPU) to report to the Committees on Appropriations 
no later than 120 days following enactment of this act on (1) the total 
number of human trafficking cases it prosecuted or assisted in 
prosecuting within the last 3 years disaggregated by type of 
trafficking, (2) the number of Assistant U.S. Attorneys who received 
training on human trafficking within the past 3 years, and, (3) the 
number of Assistant U.S. Attorneys who received training on restitution 
for human trafficking victims within the past 3 years.
    National Institute of Justice/Prevalence Methodology & Study: 
$10,000,0000.--DOJ missed the deadline of December 21, 2019 to update 
Congress on its efforts to conduct the evaluation research and develop 
a methodology to assess the prevalence of human trafficking in the 
United States as mandated by Sec. 401(a) of the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act of 2017 (Public Law 115- 393). In the past, no funding 
has been allocated to a prevalence study in the United States. Funding 
provided will allow NIJ to finally develop a methodology and conduct a 
prevalence study on the nature of trafficking in the United States, or 
more accurately, a series of prevalence studies focused on specific 
geographies, economic sectors, and forms of trafficking. This research 
is essential to inform future appropriations decisions for counter-
trafficking in persons programs. The development and implementation of 
the methodology is estimated to cost $10,000,000 total. Such sums 
necessary to complete the evaluation research and development should be 
appropriated for FY23.
    The lack of coordinated efforts across the country to collect 
reliable data about trafficking means funds are appropriated and 
programs established without dependable information regarding the 
prevalence of specific types of trafficking, the locations in which 
trafficking occurs, and the effectiveness of specific anti-trafficking 
measures. A concerted effort to collect reliable, accurate, relevant, 
and impartial data is necessary to establish more effective counter-
trafficking in persons programs and to more appropriately target 
Federal funding. The study will need to include information from 
Federal and State law enforcement alongside direct service providers in 
order to present a comprehensive landscape of human trafficking in the 
United States. Conducting pilot studies that target specific high-
prevalence regions, economic sectors, and population groups is a 
crucial step in developing a comprehensive and accurate prevalence 
methodology study; moreover, limiting the covered populations (as 
opposed to a national prevalence estimate) will allow the work to be 
conducted on a shorter timeline. The United States already invests a 
significant amount of resources in measuring human trafficking 
prevalence aboard, and it is past time to make the same level of 
investment in measuring prevalence domestically, if we are to continue 
as a leader in the global anti-trafficking field.
    Proposed Report Language: The Committee directs the Secretary to 
report on efforts made by the National Institute of Justice to develop 
a methodology to assess the prevalence of human trafficking in the 
United States as mandated by Sec. 401(a) of the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act of 2017 (Public Law 115-393). The Secretary should 
include in this report an estimate of the necessary funds to complete 
the evaluation research and development of the methodology in fiscal 
year 2023 and fiscal year 2024.
    Federal Bureau of Investigation: Report Language.--The FBI is a 
critical Federal law enforcement agency partner fighting human 
trafficking. The presence of the FBI in any trafficking investigation 
significantly increases the chances of success. Furthermore, with 
trafficking investigations often crossing state lines, the presence of 
the FBI becomes critical.
    Proposed Report Language: The Committee recognizes the complex 
nature of human trafficking investigations and encourages the Director 
to allocate additional resources for human trafficking cases and 
designate a lead agent in each field office as a point of contact for 
human trafficking investigations.
Legal Activities/United States Attorneys: Report Language
    1) Consistent with the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victim 
Protection Act's requirement that each U.S. Attorney's Office (USAO) 
designate an Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) as a lead human trafficking 
prosecutor, we request that the subcommittee include report language 
encouraging the prompt implementation and that the Executive Office of 
U.S. Attorneys provide sufficient support and training and technical 
assistance to the designated AUSAs to enable each respective 
jurisdiction to improve coordination and communication.
    Proposed Report Language: The Committee directs the Executive 
Office of U.S. Attorneys, in consultation with the United States 
Attorneys, to provide sufficient support and training and technical 
assistance to each Assistant U.S. Attorney designated as the lead human 
trafficking prosecutor, consistent with the Trafficking Victims 
Protection Act.
    2) We request that the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, in 
consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, develop a 
process to enable survivors with T-visas to obtain an expedited letter 
of support from the Department of Justice when their criminal case is 
closed.
    Proposed Report Language: Designating a point of contact will 
improve communication and coordination within each jurisdiction, 
including victim service organizations, in order to better serve the 
victims of human trafficking and forced labor. The Committee directs 
the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, in consultation with the 
Department of Homeland Security, to develop a process to enable 
survivors with T-visas to obtain an expedited letter of support from 
the Department of Justice when their criminal case is closed, including 
a report on sufficient staffing to ensure that requests for letters can 
be processed in less than 3 months.
    As a champion for the victims of child labor, forced labor and sex 
trafficking, you understand the complexities of these issues and the 
resources needed to respond. We have carefully vetted our requests to 
focus on the most important and effective programs. We thank you for 
your consideration of these requests and your continued leadership. If 
you have any questions, please contact ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick 
([email protected]).
    Sincerely,
    Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST)
    Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW)
    Covenant House Free the Slaves HEAL Trafficking
    Human Trafficking Institute Human Trafficking Legal Center Humanity 
United Action
    McCain Institute for International Leadership
    National Network for Youth (NN4Y) Polaris
    Safe Horizon Solidarity Center
    T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights United Way Worldwide
    Verite
    Vital Voices Global Partnership
    ATEST is a U.S.-based coalition that advocates for solutions to 
prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery 
around the world.
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of American Educational Research Association
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the subcommittee:

    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony on behalf 
of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). I want to 
begin by recognizing your longstanding support for the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) and thank you and your staff for your strong 
commitment to maintaining agency flexibility in funding cutting edge 
science. AERA recommends that the NSF receive at least $11 billion in 
fiscal year 2023. This recommendation is consistent with that of the 
Coalition for National Science Funding (CNSF), in which AERA is a long-
term active member. AERA also recommends $2 billion for the Census 
Bureau, consistent with the recommendation of The Census Project.
    AERA is the major national scientific association of 25,000 
faculty, researchers, graduate students, and other distinguished 
professionals dedicated to advancing knowledge about education, 
encouraging scholarly inquiry related to education, and promoting the 
use of research to serve public good. Many of our members are engaged 
STEM education research. Our members work in a range of settings from 
universities and other academic institutions to research institutes, 
Federal and State agencies, school systems, testing companies, and 
nonprofit organizations engaged in conducting research in all areas of 
education and learning from early childhood through the workforce.
    Given the scientific expertise of the AERA membership and in our 
field, my testimony focuses on the importance of the current Education 
and Human Resources Directorate (referenced hereafter under its 
proposed new name in the fiscal Year 2023 budget request, STEM 
Education [EDU]) and the Social, Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences 
Directorates at NSF. In addition, many of our members depend on an 
accurate Census count and data from the American Community Survey to do 
their work.
                      national science foundation
    The Federal investment in research and scientific knowledge at NSF 
has led to innovation and discoveries that are applied in our daily 
lives. We appreciate the bipartisan interest in maintaining U.S. 
leadership and global partnerships in basic research through the 
Federal investments made in NSF.
    The EDU and SBE Directorates are central to the mission of the NSF 
to advance fundamental knowledge and scientific breakthroughs and to 
ensure significant continuing advances across science, engineering, and 
education. EDU support is vital to research discoveries, capacity 
building, and methodological innovations directly related to STEM 
education and learning from early education through workforce 
development. Research and science supported by the EDU and SBE 
Directorates are also inextricably linked to the science and research 
of the other directorates (for example, Computer and Information 
Science and Engineering). We also see promise in the new Technology, 
Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, and encourage NSF to 
pursue education research as a priority in this directorate.
    Furthermore, the EDU and SBE directorates are vital not just to 
producing essential knowledge but also to harnessing that knowledge to 
enhance productivity, innovation, safety, security, and social and 
economic well-being. I also wish to highlight the National Science 
Board Vision 2030, which calls for expanding the STEM talent pool. 
Ongoing NSF initiatives to broaden participation through programs such 
as NSF INCLUDES in EDU and the Build and Broaden program within SBE are 
examples to increase the diversity of the STEM educator and research 
workforce.
    As indicated in the agency's budget request for fiscal Year 2022, 
96 percent of appropriated funds directly supported research and STEM 
education through grants and cooperative agreements in fiscal Year 
2021, with 78 percent of funding supporting research at colleges and 
universities. In addition, NSF estimates that more than 132,000 K-12 
students and 46,000 K-12 teachers will benefit from programs that 
directly engage them in STEM experiences within and outside the 
classroom in fiscal Year 2023.
STEM Education Directorate
    The EDU Directorate at NSF is responsible for providing the 
research foundation necessary to achieve excellence in U.S. STEM 
education. EDU accomplishes this goal by supporting the development of 
a scientifically-literate citizenry as well as a STEM-skilled 
workforce. Advances in the industries of the future, including 
artificial intelligence and quantum information science, require 
building interest and engagement in STEM throughout the lifespan.
    The EDU Directorate commitment to invest in fundamental research 
related to STEM across all education levels and to promote evidence-
based innovations in teaching practices, instructional tools, and 
programs is essential to advancing STEM education and preparing the 
next generation of STEM professionals. EDU funded researchers are 
asking key questions, for example, about how to spark students' 
interest in math and science and keep them engaged, or about why so 
many students lose interest and confidence and about what can be done 
to keep them engaged. Understanding these and many other questions will 
help the United States build a well-educated and technology-literate 
workforce necessary for a prosperous economic future.
    Key to advancing STEM education research is the Education Core 
Research (ECR) program, an important resource to the field that builds 
fundamental knowledge and capacity to understand STEM teaching and 
learning and develop the STEM educator and workforce pipeline. ECR 
grants have supported critical work in equity, inclusion, and ethics in 
postsecondary academic workplaces and the academic profession, as well 
as research to improve STEM teaching and learning for students with 
disabilities. We also applaud NSF in investing in midscale research 
infrastructure, serving as a potential resource for addressing key 
needs that include building data infrastructure capacity and developing 
innovative diagnostic assessment tools.
    As the Nation continues to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 
pandemic, research supported by EDU will be critical to fostering STEM 
learning in formal and informal settings. Through the RAPID program, 
EDU provided grants to education researchers to inform remote 
instruction, develop STEM curriculum that incorporated the COVID-19 
pandemic to understand scientific principles, and provide insight into 
issues of equity in STEM education. Additional survey work and research 
supported through RAPID funding highlighted how the pandemic affected 
undergraduate and graduate students, including their engagement and 
interest in STEM and their satisfaction with online STEM coursework.
    Increased investment in EDU is critical to support research to 
inform an educational system that will continue to incorporate 
technology inside and outside the STEM classroom and in labs. In 
addition, the EDU Directorate's focus on developing our Nation's 
scientific workforce requires resources to ensure that early career 
scholars and graduate students remain in the STEM talent pipeline. Some 
examples include material support to emerging scholars (both salary and 
``soft support''), mechanisms to connect and build communities among 
scholars, and focus on mentoring.
Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences Directorate
    In addition to the significant investments in education sciences 
provided by EHR, AERA values the important role the SBE Directorate in 
funding important education research and in social, family, and peer 
contexts connected to learning. The SBE Directorate also houses the 
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES).
    The SBE Directorate supports research to better understand people 
and reveals basic aspects of human behavior in the context of education 
and learning. SBE funded research adds fundamental knowledge essential 
to promoting the Nation's economy, security, and global leadership. 
Understanding social organizations and how social, economic, and 
cultural forces influence the lives of students is important to 
improving teaching and learning and advancing STEM education.
    The budget for SBE is 4 percent of the budget for Research and 
Related Activities, yet it provides approximately 65 percent of the 
Federal funding for basic research in the social and psychological 
sciences at academic institutions.
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES)
    In addition, AERA has a strong interest in the National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) located in the SBE 
Directorate. As one of the Federal principal statistical agencies, 
NCSES provides invaluable statistical information about the science and 
engineering infrastructure and workforce in the U.S. and around the 
world. NCSES collects and analyzes data on the progress of STEM 
education and the research and development, providing valuable 
information on the trajectories of STEM graduates both in STEM and non-
STEM careers.
    Additional resources in funding and staffing in FY 2023 for NCSES 
would support critical activities to develop new data techniques 
building on administrative data and to enhance data tools and 
visualizations to facilitate access to statistical resources. These 
methodological advances will be necessary for NCSES to implement the 
Foundations for Evidence-based Policymaking Act and to build the NSF 
data infrastructure to securely link its survey data with 
administrative data in other Federal agencies.
    NCSES will also play a pivotal role in supporting the overall NSF 
priority to bring the ``Missing Millions'' from traditionally 
underrepresented populations into the STEM pipeline. Expanding NCSES 
surveys and incorporating information on inclusion-including data on 
the participations of LGBTQ+ populations, persons with diverse 
(dis)abilities, and other demographic attributes-can help NSF, other 
science agencies and institutions, and fields of science understand 
disparities in STEM and inform broadening participation initiatives.
                             census bureau
    I also wish to emphasize the importance of adequate support for the 
Census Bureau, especially critical in the tabulation of data from the 
2020 Decennial Census, planning for the 2030 Decennial Census, and in 
maintaining important survey collections. AERA recommends funding the 
Census Bureau at $2 billion in FY 2023.
    The requested amount of $2 billion for fiscal Year 2023 will 
provide the agency with needed resources to conduct the Economic 
Census, process and finalize the enumeration and related activities for 
the 2020 Census, which experienced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
In addition, this amount of funding will provide resources for planning 
for the 2030 Decennial Census and continue the administration of the 
Household Pulse Survey, which has provided valuable, real-time data to 
inform the COVID-19 response. The recommended funding support will also 
allow the Census Bureau to incorporate innovations in the American 
Community Survey and the Current Population Survey.
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony in 
support of at least $11 billion for the National Science Foundation and 
$2 billion for the Census Bureau in fiscal year 2023 appropriations. 
AERA would welcome the opportunity to work with you and your 
subcommittee to best further the crucial advances of the National 
Science Foundation and the important data provided by the Census 
Bureau. Please do not hesitate to contact me if AERA can provide 
additional information regarding this recommendation or the significant 
science made possible through the support of these agencies.

    [This statement was submitted by Felice J. Levine, PhD, Executive 
Director]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the American Geophysical Union
    The American Geophysical Union (AGU), a non-profit, non-partisan 
scientific society, appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony 
regarding the fiscal year 2023 appropriations request for the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation 
(NSF). AGU, on behalf of its community of 130,000 in the Earth and 
space sciences, respectfully requests that the 117th Congress 
appropriate the following:

  --$9 billion for NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD),
  --$154 million for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement,
  --$7.2 billion for NOAA, and
  --$11 billion for NSF.
              national aeronautics & space administration
    AGU requests that Congress appropriate $9 billion in FY23 for 
NASA's Science Mission Directorate (a 18.2% increase over FY22 levels) 
and $154 million for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement (a 12.4% increase 
over FY22 levels). This request will allow NASA to remain on track to 
steadily advance existing and new decadal missions, provide unique 
opportunities for the next generation of STEM professionals, and ensure 
that the U.S. maintains its global leadership in the Earth and space 
sciences.
Earth Science Division
    A strong investment in this division will support a robust climate 
and applications research program, including new and existing Earth 
Systems Observatory missions, the launch of three Earth System 
Explorers missions within a decade, and partnership opportunities to 
ensure sustained climate observations. Additionally, increased funding 
will enable NASA to begin planning for the Earth Information Center and 
roll out the Wildfire Earth Information System and Fire Information for 
Resource Management System, which will provide immediate benefits to 
Western States. A robust investment will also allow the Earth Science 
Data Systems and Applied Earth Sciences programs to provide tools and 
resources for public and private decision-makers, including 
implementing open science capabilities for all of NASA's Science 
Mission Directorate
Planetary Science Division
    Strong investment in this division will allow NASA to pursue the 
Lunar Discovery and Exploration Program, which supports commercial 
collaborations and innovative exploration approaches, without 
sacrificing a balanced portfolio of other missions and exploration 
targets in our solar system. Specifically, increased funding will allow 
the U.S. to advance missions to explore new destinations in the solar 
system, such as the Europa Clipper, Psyche and Dragonfly missions, and 
a robust competitive Discovery Program. An increased investment in 
planetary science will allow NASA to begin planning to implement the 
latest decadal survey.
Heliophysics Division
    A robust investment in Heliophysics will allow us to better 
understand the space environment and therefore realize our space 
exploration ambitions while protecting existing assets and people in 
space. Investing in research and analysis will also maximize the return 
of large missions, while ensuring a thriving heliophysics community 
through the support of early career scientists and diversity, equity, 
and inclusion efforts. Finally, increased funding will ensure a 2027 
launch for the Geospace Dynamics Constellation, which was the highest 
priority decadal large-scale mission, support technology investments in 
future missions such as an Interstellar Probe and/or a Solar Orbiter 
Prober; and provide a strong basis for an ambitious 2024 decadal 
survey.
Office of STEM Engagement
    According to the National Science Board, our country has a STEM 
talent deficit that will reach the millions by FY2030. As such, it is 
critical that we invest in NASA's efforts to re-engage and support 
students interested in STEM. Increased funding for the office will 
allow NASA to increase engagement of K-12 students, broaden 
participation in NASA at all levels, and increase partnerships to 
further expand NASA's STEM impact across the United States.
             national oceanic & atmospheric administration
    AGU requests that Congress appropriate $7.2 billion for NOAA in 
FY23 (a 22.5% increase over FY22). From weather forecasts to fisheries 
data, to groundbreaking research about the world around us, NOAA 
provides critical products and services to citizens, planners, 
emergency managers, and other decision makers, affecting more than one-
third of the Nation's gross domestic product. Yet NOAA has for years 
remained severely underfunded.
    Last year, there were 20 separate billion-dollar weather and 
climate disaster events across the U.S., costing a total of $145 
billion-the third most costly year on record, behind 2017 and 2005.\1\ 
Those same disasters also caused more than 680 fatalities, the most 
disaster-related fatalities for the contiguous U.S. since 2011. With 
extreme weather becoming more frequent, more dangerous, and costlier to 
the Nation, especially in rural areas and marginalized communities. 
NOAA needs strong financial support to be able to bolster climate 
research, mitigate and prepare for worsening conditions, and build our 
National and economic resilience.
    Robust funding for NOAA will also provide critical funding for 
satellites that provide weather forecasting, storm tracking, and long-
term Earth observations to protect lives and infrastructure. Sufficient 
financial support will allow NOAA to maintain current launch and 
development schedules and develop the next generation of geostationary 
satellites, known as GEO-XO, well into the 2030s and beyond.
    NOAA science also plays a vital role in informing the world about 
changes in the climate system, as well as the effectiveness of certain 
mitigation techniques and adaptation strategies. Robust funding will 
allow the agency to continue this innovative work and lead cross-agency 
efforts in extramural programs such as the Cooperative Institutes, and 
the Sea Grant Program. These programs not only conduct research and 
observations, but also promote outreach and education to serve the 
public in every region and state.
                      national science foundation
    AGU requests that Congress appropriate $11 billion for NSF in FY23 
(an approximately 24.5% increase over FY22 levels). Ambitious and 
robust funding for NSF is critical if the U.S. hopes to maintain its 
leadership in science and technology and reap the economic and national 
security benefits of that leadership.
    Robust funding will allow NSF to realize congressional goals 
through the new Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships Directorate 
without sacrificing core NSF research and STEM education programs. NSF 
currently supports almost a quarter of all basic research--and 56% of 
basic geoscience research--done at U.S. colleges and universities. 
Robust funding will allow NSF to continue this support, while expanding 
efforts to aid graduate students, which is essential if we hope to 
attract and retain those in STEM fields.
    Increased funding will also allow NSF to build research capacity at 
emerging and underserved institutions through the new Growing Research 
Access for Nationally Transformative Equity and Diversity (GRANTED) 
Initiative and to launch Global Centers to facilitate the education and 
development of a global workforce to address climate and clean energy 
challenges. By leveraging financial resources and capabilities from 
multiple partners, this initiative has the potential to build capacity 
and scale solutions here and around the world.
                               conclusion
    With our Nation facing critical and interconnected challenges 
affecting our economic strength, national security, and health and 
well-being, strong investments in science and innovation--specifically 
the work done by NASA, NOAA, and NSF--are vital for a stronger, more 
secure, better future for America. AGU appreciates the subcommittee's 
leadership in these areas, as well as the opportunity to submit this 
testimony. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our requests.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. 
Calculating the cost of weather and climate disasters. https://
www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/calculating-cost-weather-and-climate-disasters.

    [This statement was submitted by Brittany Webster, Manager, Science 
Policy & Government Relations]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium
    On behalf of the Nation's Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), 
which are the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), we 
are pleased to present our Fiscal Year 2023 (FY2023) recommendations 
regarding the National Science Foundation's TCU Program (NSF-TCUP), and 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Minority University 
Research and Education Project (NASA-MUREP). We respectfully recommend 
the following funding levels:
                   national science foundation (nsf)
Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR):
  --Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP).--TCUs urge the 
        subcommittee to fund competitively awarded NSF-TCUP grants at a 
        minimum of $25,000,000 for FY2023.
          national aeronautics and space administration (nasa)
  --NASA Headquarters, Office of Education--Minority University 
        Research and Education Project (MUREP).--TCUs urge the 
        subcommittee to expand the NASA MUREP program with robust 
        funding and establish a TCU-specific program within MUREP at 
        $5,000,000 for FY2023.
Tribal Colleges and Universities: Raising and Training the Nation's 
        Native STEM Workforce
    TCUs are an essential component of American Indian and Alaska 
Native STEM education, research, and workforce. Currently, 35 
accredited TCUs operate more than 75 campuses and sites in 15 States. 
TCU geographic boundaries encompass 80 percent of American Indian 
reservations and Federal Indian trust lands. American Indian and Alaska 
Native (AI/AN) TCU students represent more than 230 federally 
recognized Tribes and hail from more than 30 States. Nearly 80 percent 
receive Federal financial aid, and approximately half are first 
generation students. In total, TCUs serve more than 160,000 AI/ANs and 
other rural residents each year through a wide variety of academic and 
community-based programs. TCUs are public institutions accredited by 
independent, regional accreditation agencies and, like all U.S. 
institutions of higher education, must regularly undergo stringent 
performance reviews to retain their accreditation status.
    The Federal Government, despite its direct trust responsibility and 
binding treaty obligations, has never fully funded TCU institutional 
operations as authorized under Federal law. Yet despite funding 
challenges, TCUs are responding to the STEM workforce needs across the 
country. In fall 2020, 1,733 TCU students were enrolled in one of 191 
STEM programs at TCUs. TCUs have established programs in high-demand 
fields: 11 TCUs offer pre-engineering programs, two TCUs offers 
bachelor's degrees in industrial and electrical engineering, five TCUs 
offer STEM teacher education programs, and 14 TCUs offer nursing 
programs. These efforts are preparing AI/AN nurses, engineers, and 
science and math teachers who contribute to a robust pipeline of STEM 
professionals in Indian Country. TCUs also train professionals in other 
high-demand STEM fields, including agriculture, information technology, 
and natural resource management.
    TCUs know that to break the cycle of generational poverty and end 
the culture of dependency that grips much of Indian Country, TCUs must 
bring industry partners and STEM jobs to Indian Country. TCUs and 
Tribes must promote new Native-owned and operated STEM-based 
businesses, create public-private partnerships, and build a culture of 
self-sufficiency and innovation. NSF and NASA funding is essential in 
supporting this effort to promote STEM-enabled economic development in 
Indian Country and throughout rural America.
    Each of the following Federal grant programs has invested in the 
development of STEM-centered instruction, research, and job creation 
across Indian country.
                   national science foundation (nsf)
    Education and Human Resources Directorate (EHR)--Tribal Colleges 
and Universities Program (TCUP).--TCUs urge the subcommittee to fund 
competitively awarded NSF-TCUP grants at a minimum of $25,000,000. The 
NSF-TCUP, administered by the NSF Education and Human Resources 
Directorate, is a competitive grant program that enables TCUs and 
Alaska Native Serving/Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (AN/NHs) to 
develop and expand critically needed STEM education and research 
programs relevant to their Indigenous communities.
    Since the program began in 2001, NSF-TCUP has become the primary 
Federal program for building STEM programmatic and research capacity at 
TCUs. For example, NSF-TCUP funding supported Navajo Technical 
University (Crownpoint, NM) in the development of its electrical and 
industrial engineering programs, which received accreditation from the 
Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 2018. This 
marks a significant milestone, with NTU leading the way as the first 
TCU to receive ABET accreditation.
Community-Based Research
    TCUs use NSF-TCUP funding to provide students with valuable 
research experience in STEM fields. Through these opportunities, 
students conduct place-based research that serves their communities and 
can have national and international impacts. At Northwest Indian 
College (NWIC) (Bellingham, WA), students are conducting complex 
research related to food security focused on salmon, shellfish, and 
indigenous sea cucumbers. Through a partnership with Western Washington 
University, NWIC graduates continue to pursue their academic and career 
goals through WWU's master's degree programs. Aaniiih Nakoda College 
(Harlem, MT) faculty and students monitor streams for contaminants and 
are investigating West Nile virus vectors; and Sitting Bull College 
(SBC) (Fort Yates, ND) has established a water quality monitoring 
laboratory serving the Standing Rock Sioux and surrounding communities. 
SBC studies show that students participating in the college's research 
have retention rates that are double the rate of students who are not 
engaged in research.
Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC)--Tribal Climate Resiliency
    The environmental science program at Aaniiih Nakoda College 
(Harlem, MT) is based on an effective model of place-based instruction 
that combines rigorous coursework, internship placements, and 
undergraduate research experiences focused on student learning. ANC 
students are using their education and research skills to help combat 
the looming climate change crisis and its effects on their Fort Belknap 
Indian Community.
    For over a decade, ANC environmental studies students have been 
studying the 23 miles of river that pass through Tribal lands to 
monitor changes in water temperatures, impact on life in the river, and 
quality of local drinking water. Student researchers collect samples of 
small bottom-dwelling aquatic insects and freshwater algae. The 
specimens are brought back to ANC's laboratory to be sorted, 
identified, and analyzed. Next, the specimens are transported six hours 
away across the State to a private laboratory in Missoula, Montana for 
advanced testing and further analysis. Until additional resources are 
available to build out the required research infrastructure, ANC and 
other TCUs will continue to work with similar limitations in conducting 
vital research necessary to support Tribal communities in preserving 
health, environment, and traditional ways of life.
    These success stories notwithstanding, AI/AN students are 
disadvantaged from pursuing STEM-centered career from an early age. AI/
AN youth have the highest high school drop-out rate of any ethnic or 
racial group in the country. Those who do pursue postsecondary 
education often require developmental classes before taking on a full 
load of college-level courses. Placement tests administered at TCUs to 
first-time entering students in academic year 2019-20 showed that 23 
percent required remedial math. Our data indicates that while 53 
percent will successfully complete the course, many will take more than 
1 year to do so.
    Through NSF-TCUP grants, TCUs and AN/NHs are actively working to 
address this problem by developing strong partnerships with their K-12 
feeder schools to engage students in culturally appropriate STEM 
education and outreach programs. Salish Kootenai College, located on 
the Flathead Indian Reservation, created a 2-year STEM Academy to 
prepare junior and senior high school students for college. 
Participating high school students engage in collaborative work with 
STEM researchers, conduct culturally relevant research, and take 
courses to earn college credit.
    While a number of TCUs have achieved significant advances and 
success, , only a portion of the TCUs have been able to benefit from 
this transformative program due in part to limited funding. We urge the 
subcommittee to expand the competitively awarded NSF-TCUP grants at a 
minimum of $25,000,000.
          national aeronautics and space administration (nasa)
    Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP).--TCUs 
urge the subcommittee to expand the NASA MUREP program with robust 
funding and support a TCU-specific program within MUREP at $5,000,000 
for fiscal year 2023. Under its current design, MUREP provides a range 
of competitive awards to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
Tribal Colleges and Universities, and other Minority Serving 
Institutions to recruit and retain underrepresented students in STEM 
fields.
    Due to the competitive aspect of current MUREP programs and limited 
funding, TCUs only receive funding from two MUREP grants: MUREP 
Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO) and MUREP for American Indian 
and Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE).
MUREP Institutional Research Opportunity (MIRO)
    In October 2019, under the MUREP MIRO program, Sitting Bull College 
received $1 million to further develop curriculum for an environmental 
science master's degree and includes support for air quality research 
on the Standing Rock Reservation. SBC students and faculty work with 
NASA's Langley Research Center, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and 
the University of North Dakota to develop a regional research facility 
to monitor air quality, generating important data for the Tribe while 
providing invaluable research experience for SBC students. In the same 
MUREP MIRO award cycle, Navajo Technical University was selected to 
perform critical research and produce parts through its advanced 
manufacturing program for the Space Launch System at NASA's Marshall 
Space Flight Center. NTU's contributions through advanced manufacturing 
research and innovative parts production are advancing space 
exploration for the entire nation.
MUREP for American Indian and Alaska Native STEM Engagement (MAIANSE)
    The MAIANSE program provides a unique opportunity for direct 
collaboration between TCUs and NASA to engage students in NASA STEM-
related activities. Despite its popularity and value, participation in 
the MAIANSE program has been limited to three TCU projects each grant 
cycles due to limited funding.
    To support the past TCU investment, AIHEC requests that the 
subcommittee expand the NASA MUREP program through robust funding and 
support a Tribal College and University-specific program within MUREP 
at $5,000,000 for FY2023.
                               conclusion
    Tribal Colleges and Universities provide access to high-quality, 
culturally appropriate postsecondary education opportunities, including 
STEM-focused programs, for thousands of AI/AN students. The modest 
Federal investment in TCUs has paid great dividends in terms of 
employment, education, and economic development. We ask you to renew 
your commitment to help move our students and communities toward self-
sufficiency by full considering our fiscal year 2023 appropriations 
requests. Thank you.
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of American Institute of Biological Sciences
    The American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) appreciates 
the opportunity to provide testimony in support of fiscal year 2023 
appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF). We encourage 
Congress to provide NSF with at least $11 billion in fiscal Year 2023.
    AIBS is a scientific association dedicated to promoting informed 
decision-making that advances biological research and education for the 
benefit of science and society. AIBS works to ensure that the public, 
legislators, funders, and the community of biologists have access to 
information that can guide informed decision-making.
                   importance of biological research
    Biological research is in our National interest. It advances our 
understanding of the living world and provides solutions to important 
problems. Increasing our knowledge of how genes, cells, tissues, 
organisms, and ecosystems function is vitally important to efforts to 
improve the human condition. Food security, medicine and public health, 
national security, economic growth, and sound environmental management 
are all informed by the biological sciences. Notably, biological 
research helps to sustain biodiversity and healthy ecosystems that 
underpin the livelihoods of communities. The knowledge gained from NSF-
funded research also contributes to the development of new research 
tools and industries.
    Biological research strengthens our economy. Research funding from 
NSF powers the expansion of the bioeconomy and has given rise to 
successful companies, such as Genentech, Ekso Bionics, and Ginkgo 
BioWorks, as well as new industries that provide more robust food crops 
or disease detection tools and techniques. The translation of 
biological knowledge into formal and informal education programs 
fosters the development of the scientifically and technically skilled 
workforce needed by employers. Data show that employers continue to 
seek workers with scientific and technical skills. Science and 
engineering employment in the United States has grown more rapidly-at 
an annual growth rate of 4 percent-compared to the 2 percent annual 
growth rate for the U.S. workforce overall. In fact, the U.S. STEM 
workforce constitutes 23 percent of the total U.S. workforce and is 
comprised of more than 36 million people in diverse occupations that 
require STEM knowledge and expertise.
              importance of nsf-funded biological research
    The cornerstone of NSF excellence is a competitive, merit-based 
review system that underpins the highest standards of excellence. 
Through its research programs, NSF invests in the development of new 
knowledge and tools that solve the most challenging problems facing 
society.

  --Combating emerging diseases: NSF-funded research is playing crucial 
        role in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fundamental 
        research supported by NSF led to the development of critical 
        diagnostic tools and medical devices to combat the outbreak. 
        NSF supported the discovery of bacteria from thermal pools at 
        Yellowstone National Park that contain thermostable enzymes 
        that allow for the rapid copying of genetic material through a 
        process called Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). This process 
        was integral to manufacturing a widely used clinical test for 
        determining whether a patient has been infected with the virus 
        that causes COVID-19.
  --Mobilizing big data: Access to and analysis of vast amounts of data 
        are driving innovation. NSF enables integration of big data 
        across scientific disciplines, including applications in the 
        biological sciences. Digitization of biodiversity and natural 
        science collections involves multi-disciplinary teams, which 
        have put more than 130 million specimens and their associated 
        data online for use by researchers, educators, and the public.
  --Enabling synthetic biology: DNA editing has become more advanced 
        and targeted with techniques such as CRISPR-CAS9 allowing 
        scientists to rewrite genetic code and redesign biological 
        systems. NSF funds research on how these techniques can be used 
        to bio-manufacture new materials, treat diseases, and 
        accelerate growth of the bioeconomy.

    Other examples of federally-funded research that have benefited the 
public are chronicled in the AIBS report, ``Biological Innovation: 
Benefits of Federal Investments in Biology,'' which is available at 
https://www.aibs.org/assets/pages/policy/AIBS-Biological-Innovation-
Report.pdf.
    The NSF is the primary Federal funding source for biological 
research at our Nation's universities and colleges, providing 65 
percent of extramural Federal support for non-medical, fundamental 
biological and environmental research at academic institutions.
    The NSF is also an important supporter of biological research 
infrastructure, such as field stations, natural history museums, and 
living stock collections. These place-based research centers enable 
studies that take place over long periods of time and variable spatial 
scales to provide insights into our Nation's most pressing issues.
    Scientific collections are an important component of our Nation's 
research infrastructure. Recent reports have highlighted the value of 
mobilizing biodiversity specimens and data in spurring new scientific 
discoveries that grow our economy, improve our public health and well-
being, and increase our National security. In 2019, the Biodiversity 
Collections Network released their report, ``Extending U.S. 
Biodiversity Collections to Promote Research and Education,'' outlining 
a national agenda that leverages digital data in biodiversity 
collections for new uses and calling for building an Extended Specimen 
Network. A 2020 report by the National Academies of Science, 
Engineering and Medicine, ``Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical 
Research and Education for the 21st Century,'' argued that collections 
are a critical part of our Nation's science and innovation 
infrastructure and a fundamental resource for understanding the natural 
world.
    Both reports articulate a common vision of the future of biological 
collections and define the need to broaden and deepen collections and 
associated data to realize the full potential for biodiversity 
collections to inform 21st century science. This endeavor requires 
robust investments in our Nation's scientific collections, whether they 
are owned by a Federal or state agency or are part of an educational 
institution, free-standing natural history museum, or another research 
center.
    While many Federal agencies have a role in supporting the 
development of the Extended Specimen Network, NSF has a central role to 
play. The agency has been a leader in this space through the Advancing 
Digitization of Biodiversity Collections program, and is now supporting 
critical advancements through the Infrastructure Capacity for 
Biological Research: Biological Collections program.
                      building the stem workforce
    The NSF supports recruitment and training of our next generation of 
scientists. Support for undergraduate and graduate students is 
critically important to our research enterprise. Students learn science 
by doing science, and NSF programs engage students in the research 
process.
    NSF awards reached 1,900 colleges, universities, and other public 
and private institutions across the country in FY 2021. Initiatives 
such as the Graduate Research Fellowship and the Faculty Early Career 
Development program are important parts of our National effort to 
attract and retain the next generation of researchers. Since 1952, the 
number of students supported by NSF Graduate Research Fellowships has 
grown to more than 60,000. In FY 2021, nearly 318,000 people, including 
researchers, postdoctoral fellows, trainees, teachers and students, 
were supported directly by NSF.
                            investing in nsf
    Unfortunately, Federal research and development investments are 
shrinking as a share of the U.S. economy. The U.S. is still the largest 
performer of research and development globally, but our share of 
worldwide scientific activity has declined considerably over the past 
two decades, while countries in East and Southeast Asia, especially 
China, have been rapidly increasing their investments in science. 
According to the National Science Board, the annual increase of China's 
R&D, averaging 10.6 percent annually between 2010 and 2019, continues 
to outpace that of the United States, with an annual average of 5.4 
percent from 2010 to 2019.
    To remain at the global forefront of innovation and to fully 
realize the benefits of NSF-supported research, the government must 
make bold and sustained investments in NSF. Unpredictability in funding 
disrupts research programs, create uncertainty in the research 
community, and stall the development of the next great idea.
    Enacting robust funding increases for NSF will allow for critical 
Federal investments in scientific and educational research, as well as 
support for the development of the scientific workforce. These 
investments will allow NSF to increase the number of new graduate 
research fellowships it awards to nurture the human capital needed to 
ensure U.S. leadership in scientific innovation. Such increases will 
also enable NSF to expand support for important new initiatives, such 
as the Integrative Biology program, which promotes ambitious, high-
risk-high-reward collaborative research, and the Biology Integration 
Institutes program, which supports collaborative research on frontier 
questions about life that span multiple disciplines within and beyond 
biology.
                               conclusion
    Providing the NSF with at least $11 billion in FY 2023 is necessary 
to undo the harmful effects of recent stagnant funding that slowed 
American scientific discovery. The requested funding will grow and 
sustain the U.S. bioeconomy and enable NSF to accelerate work on 
important initiatives at the frontiers of science and engineering. This 
investment will enable NSF to support research in a number of important 
priority areas such as biotechnology, climate change, and advanced 
biomanufacturing. Importantly, these increases will advance research on 
infectious disease emergence and transmission, prevent future 
pandemics, and fill gaps in our knowledge about the spread and 
evolution of biological threats.
    In addition to the appropriations process, Congress is currently 
considering legislation relevant to the scientific community, 
specifically reauthorization proposals to significantly expand NSF's 
mission and budget. Increasing investments in translational research 
through the new technology-focused directorate will bolster U.S. global 
leadership and competitiveness in innovation. However, we urge Congress 
to also make robust investments in basic and foundational research.
    Please continue supporting increased investments in our Nation's 
scientific capacity. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of 
this request and for your prior efforts on behalf of science and the 
National Science Foundation.

    [This statement was submitted by Jyotsna Pandey, PhD, Public Policy 
Director]
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of American Psychological Association Services, Inc.
    The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest 
scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the 
United States, with more than 133,000 researchers, educators, 
clinicians, consultants and students as its members. Our mission is to 
promote the advancement, communication, and application of 
psychological science and knowledge to benefit society and improve 
lives.
    APA urges Congress to provide the following funding levels for 
programs within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Department of 
Justice (DOJ) in FY23.
                   national science foundation (nsf)
    APA joins the scientific community urging Congress to provide at 
least an $11 billion appropriation for the National Science Foundation 
(NSF) in FY 2023. As a member of the Coalition for National Science 
Funding, APA thanks Congress for its support for fundamental scientific 
research supported by NSF, including the approximately 4% increase in 
fiscal year 2022. As other nations continue to make dramatic increases 
in their investments in science, robust funding for NSF in FY 2023 can 
help the United States maintain its global leadership and 
competitiveness in science and engineering. Increased support for NSF 
will also provide funding for the more than $3 billion in high-quality 
proposals (as estimated by the National Science Board) submitted to NSF 
each year that cannot be funded.
    APA urges continued investments in core psychological science 
research at NSF. NSF is the only Federal agency whose primary mission 
is to support basic nonbiomedical research and education across all 
fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Although 
psychological science receives funding from various directorates within 
NSF, most core psychological research is supported by the Social, 
Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate. SBE supports 
research that focuses on variables that influence human behavior across 
all ages, interactions among individuals and groups, and the 
development of social and economic systems. While SBE funding accounts 
for more than 60% of the Federal funding for basic social and 
behavioral science research at academic institutions, SBE has received 
historically lower levels of funding--the lowest funding level of the 
seven NSF Directorates. In addition to the core behavioral research in 
cognitive neuroscience, human cognition and perception, learning and 
development, and social psychology, SBE continues to invest substantial 
funds to participate in special initiatives and cross-directorate 
programs that address vital national priorities, including emerging 
technologies in society.
    In addition to the SBE Directorate, APA encourages continued 
support for the Biological Science Directorate (BIO) and Computer 
Science and Information Systems Engineering Directorate (CISE), both of 
which provide important support for psychological research at NSF. BIO 
provides support for psychologists who study the principles and 
mechanisms that govern life from the level of the genome and cell, to 
the whole family, individual, or species. The work of CISE is of 
particular importance given the emphasis from Congress and the 
Administration on emerging technologies and artificial intelligence 
(AI). Knowledge derived from psychological science is essential to the 
work in many of the CISE divisions, as human behavior plays a key role 
in the design and implementation of new technologies. Human factors 
psychology is relevant for the development and advancement of automated 
systems in autonomous vehicles, essential for the creation of 
trustworthy and explainable AI, and necessary for research on the 
future of work.
    APA also urges the Committee to provide robust support for research 
proposed by NSF's Convergence Accelerator and Technology, Innovation, 
and Partnerships (TIP) Directorate. The Convergence Accelerators offer 
new funding opportunities for research, including enhancing 
opportunities for persons with disabilities, developing sustainable 
materials for global challenges, and addressing food and nutrition 
security. TIP is the first new directorate at NSF in over 30 years. Its 
mission is to harness the Nation's vast and diverse talent pool, to 
advance critical and emerging technologies, to address pressing 
societal and economic challenges, and to accelerate the translation of 
research results from lab to market and society. The social, 
behavioral, and economic sciences are integral to these efforts which 
can improve U.S. competitiveness, grow the U.S. economy and train a 
diverse workforce for future, high-wage jobs.
    APA strongly encourages NSF to support research to prevent, prepare 
for, and respond to future pandemics. The COVID-19 worldwide public 
health crisis persists, contributing to nearly 1 million deaths and 
around 82 million confirmed cases in the United States (U.S.) alone. 
Clear evidence illustrates wide health disparities in COVID-19 cases 
and vaccine distribution. COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted 
racial and ethnic minority communities across the U.S., particularly 
the African American community. In addition to the human toll, the 
impacts of COVID-19 have reached every sector of society, including 
health care, transportation, and economics and business. Psychological 
research supported by NSF has provided important insights to help 
recover from COVID-19 as well as prepare for future pandemics and their 
impacts on people, communities, and society. Stress and worry about 
contracting the virus, coupled with job losses, loss of childcare, as 
well as the devastating loss of loved ones due to COVID-19 are just a 
few examples of the specific ways the pandemic has affected mental 
health. To help accelerate healing and recovery, NSF partnered with the 
National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) early 
in the pandemic to leverage knowledge from the social, behavioral and 
economic (SBE) sciences and create the Societal Experts Action Network 
(SEAN). SEAN helps NASEM and NSF's SBE Directorate to provide key 
decision makers rapid expert consultation and develop evidence-based 
recommendations to support local, State, and national responses to 
COVID-19, having published 16 reports to date. The latest guidance from 
the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN) highlights new and updated 
COVID-19 data measures and surveillance strategies that decision makers 
can use to inform policy.
    APA urges the Committee to help curb the potential loss of research 
talent likely to occur if early-career researchers are forced from 
scientific pathways due to economic or social circumstances which 
attenuate career progression and threaten their professional futures. 
While scientists across career stages have been upended by this 
monumental shift, early-career scientists, such as graduate students, 
postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty, are particularly vulnerable. 
The interruptions to science during the COVID-19 pandemic still 
threaten the research careers of an estimated 668,000 graduate students 
and 64,000 postdoctoral fellows according to the National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics, a component of NSF's SBE 
Directorate. Early-career scientists are often just beginning to 
establish research independence and the negative impacts of the 
pandemic may be significant and long-lasting. Destabilizing 
fluctuations in research productivity, faculty positions in academia, 
and funding opportunities will impact early-career scientists in the 
immediate and late phases of their careers.
    APA applauds NSF's investments in climate science and 
sustainability research. NSF has developed crucial funding mechanisms 
for climate and clean energy-related research over the past year that 
must continue. They fund a broad portfolio of research related to 
climate science and clean energy, including research the social, 
behavioral, and economic research on human responses to climate change. 
Nearly all subject areas and approaches within psychology (including 
environmental, cognitive, social, community, developmental, 
educational, school, counseling, clinical, neuroscientific, health, 
psychodynamic, humanistic, industrial and organizational, human 
factors, and other subfields) offer concepts, methods, and tools that 
can be applied or elaborated to address climate change.
    APA supports NSF's continued mission to broaden participation in 
science, research, and education. We encourage greater investments in 
programming to diversify the scientific workforce through targeted 
support of scholars from diverse backgrounds and resources specifically 
for development and training. Additionally, we urge greater engagement 
with minority serving institutions (MSIs) and improved investment with 
their communities to further represent minority and historically 
underrepresented populations in scientific research. APA believes that 
these activities are necessary for the success of the scientific 
enterprise in the U.S. and it is imperative that NSF, through its 
actions, demonstrate compelling leadership to diversify the scientific 
landscape of the future.
                      department of justice (doj)
    APA is committed to reforming policing and the criminal justice 
system, supporting those with mental illness within the system, meeting 
the needs of victims of violence, and ensuring that high-value research 
is funded, and the best scientific evidence is used to improve programs 
and policies.
    APA urges the Committee to adopt a reform-minded approach by 
increasing appropriations for the following Office of Justice (OJP) and 
Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Programs. Within OJP, APA urges the Committee 
to provide $45 million for the Bureau of Justice Statistics; $43 
million for the National Institute of Justice; $125 million for the 
Second Chance Act including $5 million to support Children of 
Incarcerated Parents demonstration grants; $35 million for Justice 
Reinvestment; $117 million for Delinquency Prevention Program. To 
address the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on increases in drug 
misuse, APA recommends: $418 million for the Comprehensive Addiction 
and Recovery Act related activities including $95 million for Drug 
Courts; $25 million for Veterans Treatment Courts; $35 million for 
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment; $190 million for the 
Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Program; and $40 million for the Justice and 
Mental Health Collaboration Program. APA supports $10 million for 
Crisis Stabilization and Community Re-entry Grant Program; $140 million 
for STOP School Violence Act; $50 million for Mentally Ill Offender 
Treatment and Crime Reduction Act; and $21 Million for Improving 
Suicide Prevention Resources for States' Extreme Risk Protection 
Orders; $3 million for the Missing Americans Alert Program (Kevin and 
Avonte's Law). Within BOP, APA recommends $409.5 million for the First 
Step Act. Though rates of domestic abuse have declined significantly 
since the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), exposure 
to violence remains common, with one in three women in the U.S. 
experiencing rape, physical violence, or stalking at some point in 
their lifetime. Flat funding for the Office on Violence Against Women 
(OVW) would imperil progress made over the last three decades, 
especially now that the risks are even more severe. The stay-at home 
orders necessary for public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic 
seriously increased the risk of intimate partner violence, domestic 
violence, and child maltreatment.
    APA urges the Committee to increase FY23 appropriations for OVW and 
prioritize the prevention of violence across the lifespan--including 
domestic and sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking, as well as 
children's exposure to family violence.
    Of the FY 2023 funds made available to the OVW, APA specifically 
requests: $400 million for Services, Training, Officers Prosecutors 
(STOP) Grants; $17.5 million for Education and Training to End Violence 
Against Women with Disabilities; $10 million for the Enhanced Training 
and Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women in Later Life 
Program (Abuse in Later Life Program); $5.5 million for grants to 
assist Tribal governments in exercising special domestic violence 
criminal jurisdiction; $47.5 million for Rural Domestic Violence and 
Child Abuse Enforcement; $18 million for the Consolidated Youth 
Oriented Program; and $40 million for grants to reduce violent crimes 
against women on campus. These programs are crucial in preventing 
further violence, helping victims find safety and support, and starting 
them on the path towards recovery.
    Psychological research has revealed effective strategies to enhance 
law enforcement and community relations, improve public safety, and 
reduce the risks of violence and aggression. These include the 
development of community-informed responses to violence, implementation 
of community-based policing implemented in a way that builds trust 
between police and the communities they serve, training on stereotypes 
and the effects of implicit bias. APA urges the Committee to increase 
FY23 funding for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services 
(COPS) to support federal, State, and local activities. In particular, 
APA requests $23 million for the Just Police Program (JPP); $12 million 
for the Community Policing Development Program to help bolster training 
for responding to people with mental illness/disability, and $16 
million for the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Program to 
address the alarming rates of suicide among police officers.

    [This statement was submitted by Katherine B. McGuire, Chief 
Advocacy Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of American Society for Engineering Education
    Summary: This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the 
American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) to the Senate 
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for 
the official record. ASEE appreciates the Committee's support for the 
National Science Foundation (NSF) and asks you to robustly fund the 
agency in (FY) 2023, including the Research and Related Activities and 
the Education and Human Resources accounts. ASEE joins the academic and 
scientific community in requesting support of at least $11 billion for 
NSF in FY 2023 to help alleviate impacts of historical underinvestment 
at NSF, advance core research and education activities, and address 
critical technologies where the U.S. is facing major competition from 
China. At NASA, ASEE supports the Administration's proposed growth for 
the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) to increase its 
investment in crosscutting NASA technology gaps which support engineers 
and scientists in developing technology to advance science and space 
missions in the National interest. ASEE also supports proposed growth 
to NASA's Office of Education to advance NASA's initiatives to broaden 
participation of underrepresented groups in science and engineering.
    Written Testimony: The American Society for Engineering Education 
(ASEE) is dedicated to advancing engineering and engineering technology 
education and research and is the only society representing the 
country's schools and colleges of engineering and engineering 
technology. Membership includes over 12,000 individuals hailing from 
all disciplines of engineering and engineering technology and includes 
educators, researchers, and students as well as industry and government 
representatives. As the pre-eminent authority on the education of 
engineering professionals, ASEE works to develop the future engineering 
and technology workforce, expand technological literacy, and convene 
academic and corporate stakeholders to advance innovation and sound 
policy.
                      national science foundation
    Engineering shapes our Nation and powers our innovation ecosystem. 
NSF basic research, conducted in engineering schools and colleges 
around the country, catalyzes new industries and revolutionary 
advances. There is high demand for a workforce of well-trained 
engineers in industry and government to leverage these discoveries and 
develop innovative new technologies to improve our future. The 
partnership between the Federal Government and universities is 
essential to growth and innovation across our economy, and is helping 
to solve challenges in health, energy, and national security. NSF is a 
tremendously important piece of this innovation ecosystem, funding 
basic engineering and engineering education research at universities 
and supporting students to enable access to engineering education.
    ASEE is grateful for recent increases, yet concerned that these 
investments have not kept pace with international competitors or 
growing research needs. Due to budget limitations, NSF is currently 
unable to fund $3.9 billion worth of very good and excellently rated 
proposals each year.\1\ With more funding, tremendous amounts of 
additional research and development could be undertaken, leading to 
novel and transformative discoveries. As the National Science Board 
predicted, in 2018 China surpassed U.S. investments in research and 
development. As some countries have been steeply accelerating research 
funding, increasing NSF's appropriation would help secure continued 
U.S. global innovation leadership.
    NSF funding has additionally fallen far behind other research 
agencies, risking distortions in the overall STEM ecosystem. For 
example, over the last decade the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of 
Science has grown faster than NSF and is approaching having the same 
funding level as NSF, despite studying a much narrower range of topics. 
Other agencies depend on NSF-funded discoveries and workforce 
development for their missions. NSF-funded research catalyzes 
fundamental advances that are utilized for national security 
applications while engineers trained with NSF funding become key 
components of the National security workforce and industrial base.
    Additionally, NSF has a critical role to play in promoting economic 
recovery and research on many aspects of the pandemic. Continued 
support of NSF will be critical as the engineering community and the 
country move into the next phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Engineers 
across the country adapted quickly to the realities of the pandemic, 
but challenges and disparities remain. NSF will be crucial to 
rebuilding the STEM pipeline, and building a better, more diverse and 
resilient STEM workforce.
    ASEE joins the research and higher education community in 
requesting that the Committee fund NSF at $11 billion in FY 2023 to 
drive advances in research and education and ensure the U.S. retains 
global competitiveness and scientific leadership.
    Investments in engineering education and research from NSF are 
essential for having a workforce trained and ready to contribute to 
industry, government, and academia. NSF is a major supporter of 
engineering research and workforce initiatives funding 45 percent of 
engineering and 79 percent of computer science academic fundamental 
research. NSF-funded advancements touch every corner of our lives and 
economy, from wireless systems to advanced manufacturing, and from new 
tools to combat brain diseases to technologies to ensure our 
cybersecurity. NSF supports engineering education at all levels, 
ensuring the next generation of the U.S. engineering workforce is 
appropriately prepared to contribute and innovate and that domestic 
students are attracted to careers in engineering and engineering 
technology.
    The NSF Directorate for Engineering (ENG) provides critical support 
for engineering education and research across the breadth of the 
discipline. These investments have dual outcomes of training future 
engineers that will discover tomorrow's innovations, all while 
furthering today's cutting-edge research. Engineering investments at 
NSF provide critical advancements in areas such as resilient 
infrastructure, advanced materials and manufacturing, and 
bioengineering, in addition to equipping students with the skills they 
need to be the next generation of technological leaders. Divisions such 
as Engineering Education and Centers (EEC) support university research, 
Engineering Research Centers, and engineering curriculum 
revitalization, including a new expansion to support 2-to-4-year 
transfer students. ENG grantees have robust partnerships with industry, 
expand the boundaries of our understanding of how students most 
effectively learn engineering, provide experiential opportunities 
fundamental to engineering education.
    The NSF Directorate for Computer and Information Science and 
Engineering also plays a key role supporting engineering education and 
research, particularly within the Division of Information & Intelligent 
Systems, which supports efforts at the frontiers of information 
technology, data science, and artificial intelligence, among other 
areas. These investments are critical as we move into a world even more 
reliant on human-technology interactions. The Division of Computer and 
Network Systems has been building capacity within Minority Service 
Institutions to contribute to both the knowledge base and human 
resource base in computing and engineering.
    ASEE is excited by the establishment of the Directorate for 
Technology, Innovation and Partnerships and believes the new 
directorate will help maintain the United States' leadership role in 
technological innovation and development of critical technologies. 
However, ASEE urges the subcommittee to provide NSF with enough funding 
to meet this expanded mission in emerging technologies, research 
translation, and expanding the geography of innovation while protecting 
core activities that sustains our science and technology ecosystem.
    ASEE strongly supports NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) 
funding to foster inclusive and effective learning and learning 
environments. The STEM workforce, particularly engineers, and computer 
scientists, drives our innovation and economic development. We need to 
fully develop all of our Nation's human talent in order to tackle 
pressing problems, including the STEM technical workforce, professional 
engineers, and advanced degree holders. Access to STEM experiences and 
skills are a critical aspect of developing well-rounded citizens, 
technological literacy, and the future STEM workforce. ASEE supports 
EHR programs including Improving Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE) 
and Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE). The first is critical for 
preparing professional engineers and enhancing engineering educational 
experiences to broaden participation and retention, and the latter 
works to revolutionize graduate studies to best prepare students for 
STEM careers.
    NSF plays a key role ensuring the development of new tools for 
teaching engineering design and analysis skills, which are under-taught 
in today's K-12 classrooms. As noted in the 2009 National Academies 
report Engineering in K-12 Education, engineering education has 
received little attention yet has the potential to improve student 
learning and achievement in other areas of STEM, increase awareness of 
engineering careers, and increase technological literacy. Engineering's 
focus on design and analysis enhances problem solving, teaches students 
new ways to approach challenges, and encourages students to connect 
science and math topics to real-world applications- all skills critical 
to the future technical workforce. ASEE supports programs to fill 
workforce needs including Advanced Technical Education (ATE) that 
prepares advanced technicians for America's high-skills workforce and 
graduate research fellowships and traineeships to create a pipeline of 
students knowledgeable and excited about engineering.
             national aeronautics and space administration
    ASEE is supportive of the Administration's proposed increases to 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in its Space 
Technology Mission Directorate (STMD). Of importance to ASEE, STMD 
activities support the workforce development pipeline of future space 
engineers and technicians by engaging directly with the academic 
community through early career faculty programs, early-stage research 
grants, and university-led multidisciplinary research institutes. The 
disruptions to the STEM pipeline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic makes 
this work even more crucial. STMD's broad portfolio of activities helps 
to meet NASA's science objectives, establishes new commercial and 
academic partnerships, and stimulates the growth of the Nation's 
technology sector. STMD programs fill significant capability gaps for 
NASA and better position the agency to meet its long-term strategic 
goals in areas across all its directorates ranging from propulsion and 
power generation to materials science and high-performance computing. 
ASEE applauds the Administration's support of STMD's vital role and 
urges the subcommittee to support STMD's ability to focus on a broad 
array of NASA technology challenges, continue its engagement with the 
academic and private sectors, and keep long-term focus beyond specific 
near-term mission goals.
    ASEE is also supportive of the Administration's proposed increase 
for NASA's Office of STEM Engagement and asks that the Committee 
support the proposed funding for this office in fiscal Year 2023 and 
beyond. NASA STEM Engagement programs inspire students to pursue 
engineering, science, and technology careers, and this office plays a 
vital role coordinating STEM education programs throughout the agency, 
including those at NASA centers. ASEE supports the continuation of the 
National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program (Space Grant), 
which supports university consortia in all 50 States, funding 
fellowships for engineering and other STEM students, while also 
offering important resources for faculty professional development and 
strengthening curricula. ASEE is also supportive of initiatives at the 
NASA Office of STEM Engagement to broaden participation of 
underrepresented groups in STEM and to bring engineering design and 
analysis experiences to K-12 students.
                               conclusion
    NSF education and research investments have truly transformed our 
world through engineering breakthroughs such as the internet, fiber-
optics, and medical imaging technology. These investments keep our 
communities safe, lower healthcare costs, and spur our economy. Today, 
engineering research is opening possibilities through advances in areas 
such as artificial intelligence, biosensors, and advanced materials. We 
ask that you robustly fund NSF at $11 billion to support critical 
education and research programs that support our National security, 
address critical national challenges, and advance our economic 
competitiveness. In addition, at NASA, we urge you to fund proposed 
increases for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate and Office of 
STEM Engagement. Thank you for the opportunity to submit this 
testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2021/merit_review/FY-2020/
nsb202145.pdf.

    [This statement was submitted by Adrienne R. Minerick PhD, 
President, and Norman Fortenberry, ScD, Executive Director]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the American Society for Microbiology
    The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) appreciates the 
opportunity to submit outside witness testimony for the Fiscal Year 
2023 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations 
bill in support of increased funding for the National Science 
Foundation (NSF) and increased coordination of microbiome research by 
the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). ASM is 
one of the oldest and largest life science societies with 30,000 
members in the U.S. and around the world. Our mission is to promote and 
advance the microbial sciences, including programs and initiatives 
funded by Federal Government departments and agencies, by virtue of the 
integral role microorganisms play in human health and society. 
Microbial science is a cross-cutting endeavor, and our members' 
federally funded research is fundamental to advances in human health, 
agriculture, energy, and the environment. For FY2023, ASM recommends 
the following:
    Provide at least $11 billion for the National Science Foundation in 
        Fiscal Year 2023.

    The NSF is a key supporter of microbiology research, including 
foundational research supporting ecosystems and biodiversity, mapping 
the microbiome, and discovering emerging pathogens. NSF-funded 
researchers across the country are working to improve lives through 
research on human and animal health, agriculture, energy, the 
environment, and biothreats. NSF funding is key to cultivating a 
diverse and inclusive scientific workforce that is prepared for future 
challenges and discoveries. However, due to lack of Federal funding, 
NSF was unable to fund nearly $4 billion in highly rated research 
proposals in FY2020.
    Fundamental research supported by NSF will enable new discoveries 
and solutions using biotechnology to promote the bioeconomy, 
forecasting and mitigating the impacts of global warming on essential 
ecosystem services, and predicting and preventing the emergence and 
spread of infectious diseases. NSF-funded research advances our 
understanding of the 70 percent of emerging human pathogens that have 
non-human origins, which pose serious threats to human health and 
global health security. To continue to achieve its goals, it is 
critical that the FY2023 appropriations bill robustly fund NSF.
    Urge the Office of Science and Technology Policy to implement 
FY2022 CJS Appropriations report language on the microbiome and revisit 
the Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research.
    Interagency coordination is more crucial than ever and responding 
to 21st challenges will require interdisciplinary and interagency 
coordination. Microbiome science aims to advance understanding of 
microbial communities (microbiomes) for applications in areas such as 
health care, food production, and environmental restoration to benefit 
individuals, communities, and the environment. Understanding of the 
microbiome has evolved significantly since the concept of the human 
microbiome emerged roughly two decades ago. Today it is understood that 
microbial communities exist on, in, and around people, animals, and the 
environment, and directly impact health and disease States. It is also 
clear that microbiome research and coordination are essential to 
unlocking the full potential of the bioeconomy. However, the rapid pace 
of discovery and the interdisciplinary nature of microbiome research 
necessitates cross-agency coordination and a robust data sharing 
infrastructure.
    Launched in 2016, the National Microbiome Initiative pledged $121 
million in funding from Federal agencies and $400 million in total cash 
and in-kind contributions from 100 companies, foundations and academic 
institutions. As part of this initiative, the Federal Microbiome 
Interagency Working Group developed the Interagency Strategic Plan for 
Microbiome Research, providing recommendations for improving 
coordination of microbiome research among Federal agencies and between 
agencies and non-Federal domestic and international microbiome research 
efforts. The 5-year Strategic Plan envisioned coordinated microbiome 
research activities across 21 government agencies, set out interagency 
objectives, structure and operating principles, and noted several 
research focus areas.
    ASM is grateful to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees 
for including requested language in FY2022 report language that asks 
OSTP to review the Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, 
to evaluate the progress made, consider whether the Federal investment 
has been adequate to fully realize the promise of this initiative, and 
begin the process to develop a strategic plan for interagency 
collaboration in this essential research for the next 5 years. We 
encourage the Committee to follow up with OSTP on implementation of 
this language.
                               conclusion
    ASM is particularly grateful to Congress for increasing investment 
in the NSF in recent years. In FY2023, we urge Congress to revisit 
OSTP's past commitment to microbiome research and to increase funding 
for NSF to $11 billion. We thank you for your continued support for 
microbe-powered innovation.

    [This statement was submitted by Allen Segal, Director of Public 
Policy and Advocacy]
                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of The American Society for the Prevention of 
                           Cruelty to Animals
    On behalf of our over 2 million supporters, The American Society 
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) appreciates this 
opportunity to submit testimony to the Senate Appropriations 
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. 
Founded in 1866, the ASPCA is the first humane organization established 
in the U.S. and serves as the Nation's leading voice for animal 
welfare. We respectfully request that the subcommittee consider the 
following concerns when making fiscal year 2023 appropriations.
                      police encounters with pets
    Media reports about violent encounters between law enforcement 
officers and pets--most often family dogs--are far too commonplace 
across the country. The ASPCA believes that the vast majority of these 
incidents are avoidable. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) can 
assist in reducing these incidents by collecting national data around 
them and by providing resources for techniques to handle police and dog 
encounters in law enforcement de-escalation trainings. Tragedies like 
this take a serious toll on communities, further eroding trust with law 
enforcement, escalating tense situations, and endangering bystanders. 
There are many troubling examples of these incidents, some of which 
have garnered media attention in the last 18 months.\1\
    Shootings involving pets often account for a significant percentage 
of the total firearms discharges in a particular agency. Data from some 
municipalities suggest that 25-75 percent of all police firearm 
discharges are directed at dogs.\2\ One DOJ official estimated that 
several thousand dogs annually are killed by law enforcement officers 
and described the phenomenon as ``an epidemic''.\3\ Additionally, 
research reveals that these incidents take a disproportionate toll on 
communities of color. An analysis of officer-involved shootings in Los 
Angeles County revealed that between 28-46 percent of all firearms 
discharges were directed at dogs, and these shootings were 
geographically clustered in low-income communities of color.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ On May 3, Sacramento police officers shot and killed a family 
dog while serving a search warrant on the property. On April 17, 
Chicago police officers shot and injured a family dog while responding 
to a domestic dispute. Body cam footage from April 11 shows a 
Jacksonville, Florida police officer shooting and killing a family's 1-
year-old puppy in her yard while responding to a neighbor's 911 call. 
Body cam footage from January 12 shows a Miami Dade officer shooting 
and killing a family dog seven times while responding to a barking 
complaint. On April 11 of last year, New Orleans police officers shot 
and killed an 18-week-old rescue puppy in his yard while responding to 
a 911 call. On March 23 of last year, the Tampa PD shot the dog of the 
woman who had called them for help.
    \2\ Bathurst, Cynthia, Donald Cleary, Karen Delise, Ledy VanKavage, 
and Patricia Rushing. 2015. The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and 
Encounters. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services; https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p206-pub.pdf.
    \3\ Griffin, David; ``Can Police Stop Killing Dogs?.'' Police 
Magazine; Oct. 29, 2014; https://www.policemag.com/341722/can-police-
stop-killing-dogs.
    \4\ Stefano Bloch, Daniel E. Martinez. 2020. Canicide by Cop: A 
geographical analysis of canine killings by police in Los Angeles. 
Geoforum: 111. 142-154; https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/
abs/pii/S0016718520300440.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The House Fiscal Year 2022 Commerce, Justice, and Science 
Appropriations report included language directing the DOJ to include 
use of force incidents in any Federal database created to track law 
enforcement's use of force more broadly, or to submit a report on how 
this can be accomplished within 180 days. This language was included by 
reference in the final report. We greatly appreciate the subcommittee's 
support to include this new language. The DOJ recently announced a new 
police reform initiative, providing resources for de-escalation 
trainings, among other community-oriented policing priorities.\5\ This 
request is in line with this administrative priority.
Encourage documentation and tracking for incidents of police use of 
        force against pets:
    Use of force reporting requirements among State and local law 
enforcement agencies are inconsistent, and many agencies do not require 
documentation for use of force incidents involving pets. Federally, no 
nationwide data exists regarding the prevalence of these tragedies, or 
for officer-involved shootings more broadly. DOJ's Federal Bureau of 
Investigations operates a National Use of Force Data Collection, which 
allows law enforcement to voluntarily provide data on use-of-force 
incidents. The voluntary data, which currently reflects only 40 percent 
of the total law enforcement officer population, does not, apparently, 
include incidents involving pets.\6\ A publication by the DOJ's Office 
of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) recognized the lack of 
data on this issue and urged law enforcement agencies to examine 
questions like how often police officers discharge firearms in dog-
related incidents and how many dogs have been killed to better 
understand and address this problem.\7\ Understanding the scope and 
frequency of these incidents is fundamental to avoiding them.
Provide resources and training to de-escalate police encounters with 
        pets and reduce violent incidents:
    De-escalation trainings have proven to be quite beneficial in 
resolving situations with dogs without resorting to lethal force.\8\ 
Several States including Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, California, Texas, 
Nevada, and Georgia mandate training and have created programs on 
proper responses to encounters with dogs. These policies appear to be 
having a positive impact--between 2015 when the law was enacted and 
2019, the number of dogs shot by police in Texas dropped from 281 to 
31.\9\ Other States including Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey, and 
Oregon address law enforcement encounters with dogs either in basic 
training or through electives. The COPS office, which provides training 
for police departments on a variety of topics, published The Problem of 
Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters in 2011, which served as the 
foundation for a jointly created video series and toolkit in 2020 that 
provides training on methods for responding to dog encounters, 
including assessing dog behavior and risk levels, strategies for 
diffusing threatening encounters, as well as defense and escape 
tactics.\10\ The evidence is compelling that funding for the use of 
such trainings or creating incentives to do so could minimize risk to 
officers, families, and animals.
    The ASPCA requests that the subcommittee recognize the impact of 
law enforcement's use of force in communities and the need to avoid 
such incidents by including the following report language in its FY23 
Appropriations bill:

    Police Use of Force Against Pets.--Police shootings directed at 
pets can account for a significant percentage of overall firearms 
discharges in communities--data from some localities suggests that 
anywhere from 25-75 percent of all law enforcement firearms discharges 
are directed at dogs, and that these incidents are geographically 
clustered in low-income communities of color where police shootings 
involving people are also concentrated. These occurrences escalate 
encounters with communities and erode trust in law enforcement.
    The committee continues to be concerned about the lack of data and 
reporting requirements for police use of force incidents against pets 
and directs the Department to incorporate data on these incidents into 
broader efforts to collect, track, and report on police use-of-force 
and to provide guidance to law enforcement agencies regarding best 
practices in tracking and reporting data on these incidences.
    The Department shall develop a grant program to support Law 
Enforcement Dog Encounters Training (LEDET) or other evidenced-based 
training programs for law enforcement to handle encounters with pets. 
The grants shall be made available to law enforcement agencies and 
other qualified entities, including nonprofit organizations and 
institutions of higher education.
    Thank you for your consideration of this request, we look forward 
to working with you on this important issue.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-40-
million-funding-advance-community-policing-and-5-million.
    \6\ See ``What is Collected?'' https://crime-data-
explorer.app.cloud.gov/officers/national/united-States/uof.
    \7\ Bathurst, Cynthia, Donald Cleary, Karen Delise, Ledy VanKavage, 
and Patricia Rushing. 2015. The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and 
Encounters. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing 
Services; https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-p206-pub.pdf.
    \8\ Amendola, Karen, Valdovinos, Maria, Perea, Cesar. 2019. An 
Evidence-Based Approach to Dog Shootings in Routine Police Encounters: 
Regulations, Policies, Practices, and Training Implications. https://
www.policefoundation.org/publication/reducing-dog-shootings-in-routine-
police-encounters-regulations-policies-practices-and-training-
implications/.
    \9\ Texas Humane Legislative Network.
    \10\ https://www.sheriffs.org/ledet.

    [This statement was submitted by Nancy Perry, Senior Vice 
President, Government Relations]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of The American Society of Agronomy (ASA)
Dear Chairwoman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:

    The American Society of Agronomy (ASA), Crop Science Society of 
America (CSSA), and Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) represent 
more than 8,000 scientists and students, 13,500 Certified Crop Advisers 
(CCA), and more than 700 Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS). 
We are the largest coalition of scientists and professionals dedicated 
to the agronomic, crop, and soil science disciplines in the United 
States.
    In the coming decades, our agricultural system must sustainably 
produce food and fuel for a rapidly growing global population. The 
Nation's economic prosperity and security depend on our dedication to 
developing innovative, science-based solutions to address the 
challenges facing our food system. We appreciate the appropriations the 
National Science Foundation (NSF) received in (FY) 2022. Yet, as our 
Nation's producers face increasing extreme weather, limited resources, 
and market uncertainty, NSF's programs become even more important 
providers of the science they need to stay in business. NSF's Big Ideas 
initiatives, its core programs, and its unparalleled support for STEM 
students and the future STEM workforce require increased investment.
    We support $11 billion for the National Science Foundation for the 
fiscal year 2023. This funding level will put the premier government-
funding agency for scientific research on track to address farmers' 
challenges by increasing the broad knowledge base supported by a wide 
range of scientific disciplines, such as biology, plant science, 
chemistry and soil science.
    Within NSF we are very supportive of Signals in the Soil program. 
As Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in 1935, ``A nation that destroys its 
soils destroys itself,'' and yet our soils are eroding at an alarming 
rate. This interdisciplinary program is a collaboration among four NSF 
Directorates, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute 
of Food and Agriculture, and five international science organizations 
to encourage convergent research and high-impact projects that advance 
a more comprehensive understanding of soil and the systems soils 
support.
    In 2017, NSF launched its 10 ``Big Ideas,'' a set of cutting-edge 
research agendas and processes poised to drive NSF's long-term research 
agenda. We are particularly supportive of NSF's Convergence Accelerator 
and Understanding the Rules of Life Initiatives. The Convergence 
Accelerator puts systems thinking into research practice. Agriculture 
researchers are uniquely aware of the multiple disciplines, 
technologies, and expertise necessary to produce realistic and useful 
information for producers working in large, multi-faceted outdoor 
systems. From water management to precision agriculture, this program 
provides support for exactly the kind of systems-level research 
successful agriculture requires. The Understanding the Rules of Life 
Initiative aims to address one of the biggest gaps in biological 
knowledge: our inability to predict an organism's observable 
characteristics--its phenotype--from what we know about its genetics 
and environment. This cross-disciplinary research could help create 
food crops with higher yields or nutritional content and new models for 
environmental remediation.
    ASA, CSSA, SSSA have made the commitment to enhancing the 
experiences, opportunities, and safety of all Society members by 
creating a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment in our 
scientific fields of study. NSF can play an invaluable role in 
addressing the equity challenges facing minority and underrepresented 
groups within the research workforce. We know that students and 
researchers from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to choose a 
field with unreliable funding. Robust Federal funding for NSF can 
advance a more representative and equitable research enterprise by 
bolstering the student pipeline, expanding educational programs and 
grants--especially for MSIs, expanding resources for early career 
researchers, and facilitating collaborations with diverse stakeholders 
to address existential threats, such as climate change.
    Science is essential. A strong commitment to federally funded 
scientific research will boost the Nation's capacity for innovation, 
productivity, and economic prosperity.
    Thank you for your consideration. For additional information or to 
learn more about ASA, CSSA, and SSSA, please contact Rachel Owen at 
[email protected] or 608-268-4965.
    Sincerely,
    Luther Smith, Interim CEO
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of American Society of Plant Biologists
    On behalf of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB), I 
submit this testimony for the official record to support $11 billion 
for the National Science Foundation (NSF) for (FY) 2023. ASPB 
recognizes the difficult fiscal environment our Nation faces, but we 
believe that sustained investments in scientific research are a 
critical step toward economic recovery and continued global competitive 
innovation for our Nation. ASPB would also like to thank the 
subcommittee for its consideration of this testimony and for its strong 
support for the research missions of NSF.
    ASPB, founded in 1924 as the American Society of Plant 
Physiologists, was established to promote the growth and development of 
plant biology, to encourage and publish research in plant biology, and 
to promote the interests and professional advancement of plant 
scientists in general. ASPB members educate, mentor, advise, and 
nurture future generations of plant biologists; they work to increase 
understanding of plant biology, as well as science in general, in K-16 
schools and among the general public; they advocate in support of plant 
biology research; they work to convey the relevance and importance of 
plant biology; and they provide expertise in policy decisions world-
wide. Overall, ASPB members, as representatives of the society, work to 
disseminate information and excitement about plant sciences, especially 
through ASPB's advocacy, outreach activities, conferences, and 
publications.
           food, fuel, environment, and health: plant biology
                     research and america's future
    Plants are vital to our very existence. They harvest sunlight, 
converting it to chemical energy for food and feed; they absorb carbon 
dioxide and produce oxygen; and they are the primary producers on which 
most life depends. Indeed, plant biology research is making many 
fundamental contributions in the areas of energy security and 
environmental stewardship; the continued and sustainable development of 
better foods, fabrics, and building materials; and in the understanding 
of biological principles that underpin the health and nutrition of all 
Americans. In short, plant biology research is at the foundation of a 
robust American bioeconomy.
    Plant science has become the backbone of agricultural innovation, 
and a thriving agricultural sector is a cornerstone for America's 
economic success. Agriculture and related industries comprise 6 percent 
of the U.S. GDP, contributing nearly $1.055 trillion and 19.7 million 
jobs to the economy.\1\ In fact, despite persistent U.S. trade 
deficits, there has been a surplus in agricultural trade since 1960. 
Steady increases in yield have made these surpluses possible, even in 
the face of sustained population growth. Such increases are due to 
improvements in crop seeds and agricultural innovations that, in turn, 
rely on sustained fundamental and applied research in crop science and 
plant biology. American farmers have experienced and come to expect 
continuously increasing yields, which are necessary for economic and 
national security. But for this to continue, growing investments in 
basic biological sciences are needed.
    Plant biology is at the interface of numerous scientific 
breakthroughs. For example, NSF has supported high throughput 
experimental approaches that facilitate extraordinary syntheses of 
information, and plant biologists are using computer science and 
bioinformatics to make tremendous strides in our understanding of 
complex biological systems, ranging from single cells to entire 
ecosystems. Ultimately, understanding how plants function will enable 
biotechnological approaches toward more nutritious and productive 
crops, new sources of fuel, and the development of novel medicines to 
treat diseases like cancer.
    Despite the significant positive impact plants have on our Nation's 
economy and in addressing some of our most urgent challenges, including 
food and energy security, Federal investments in fundamental plant 
biology research are modest. Still, scientists have maximized and 
leveraged this funding to understand the basic functions and mechanisms 
of plants, providing a foundation for vital advances in practical 
applications in agriculture, health, energy, and the environment.
           robust funding for the national science foundation
    ASPB supports the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and 
Partnerships (TIP) and its goal to advance science and engineering 
research and innovation. This new directorate will accelerate basic 
research to solve national and societal problems. TIP will support use-
inspired research in biotechnology, among other areas, and propel NSF-
funded discoveries to new levels of innovation. TIP will also fund 
activities in priority areas such as climate resilience and energy 
sufficiency, advanced wireless research, biotechnology, 
microelectronics and semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, AI, and 
quantum sciences. Programs that broaden participation would also see 
major growth, and NSF would launch a new initiative aimed at building 
research capacity at emerging research institutions.
    ASPB encourages strong support for the Directorate of Biological 
Sciences (BIO) and proportional funding increases across all of the 
scientific disciplines NSF supports. As scientific research becomes 
increasingly interdisciplinary, a diverse research portfolio at NSF is 
needed to maintain transformational research and innovation. NSF 
funding for plant biology specifically enables the scientific community 
to address cross-cutting research questions that could ultimately solve 
grand challenges related to a sustainable food supply, energy security, 
and improved health and nutrition.
    NSF BIO is a critical source of funding for scientific research, 
providing the majority of the Federal support for non-medical, basic 
life sciences research at U.S. academic institutions and beyond. BIO 
supports research ranging from the molecular to the biosphere levels. 
These investments have significant payoffs, both in terms of the 
knowledge directly generated and in deepening collaborations and 
fostering innovation among communities of scientists.
    BIO's Plant Genome Research Program (PGRP) is an excellent example 
of a high impact program that has laid a strong scientific research 
foundation for understanding plant genomics as it relates to energy 
(biofuels), health (nutrition and functional foods), agriculture 
(impact of changing climates on agronomic ecosystems), and the 
environment (plants' roles as primary producers in ecosystems). ASPB 
asks that the PGRP be funded at the highest possible level and have 
sustained funding growth to address 21st century challenges.
    Additionally, ASPB is encouraged by the ongoing efforts of the 
Reintegrating Biology initiative. The Society hopes that these efforts 
will result in innovative, cross-disciplinary efforts that advance both 
plant science and biological research.
    Without significant and increased support for BIO and NSF, 
promising fundamental research discoveries will be delayed and vital 
collaborations at the leading edges of scientific disciplines will be 
postponed, thus limiting the ability to respond to the pressing 
scientific problems that exist today and the new challenges on the 
horizon. Addressing these scientific priorities also helps improve the 
competitive position of the U.S. in a global marketplace.
 continued support for nsf education and workforce development programs
    As discussed above, among the challenges brought by a changing 
world, many will be addressed specifically by plant scientists. 
Sustained increases in crop productivity will be needed to match the 
demand for food expected from population growth. At the same time, 
climate change will present new challenges for crops and other plant 
ecosystems. These challenges will require efforts to increase 
productivity beyond current practices, including, for example, 
improvement in crop water use efficiency and enhanced crop 
photosynthesis efficiency and performance. More knowledge and 
innovation will be needed to replace chemicals from non-renewable 
sources (from fuels to biomedical applications) with plant-derived 
metabolites. These innovations will require contributions from basic 
and applied plant science fields, as well as collaboration with other 
sciences and engineering.
    To tackle these challenges, a strong and diverse community of plant 
scientists, with increased involvement from women and minority 
scientists who often bring underrepresented perspectives, will be 
needed. However, the current training pipeline does not appear prepared 
to ensure the availability of this workforce. The number of PhD degrees 
awarded in the U.S. in biomedical sciences in the last two decades has 
increased at an unsustainable rate, even triggering warnings from 
members of the National Academy of Sciences;\2\ however, this trend has 
not been paralleled by increases in plant-related PhD degrees. In fact, 
plant science doctoral degrees, both basic and agronomy-related, have 
remained stagnant during this period.\3\ Students gravitate towards 
fields with reliable and robust career and earning opportunities. What 
is necessary to change these trends is a strong investment in plant 
science research, basic and applied, renewed efforts to transform 
public perception of plant biology and plant biologists, and a push to 
increase the number of students in the plant science pipeline. 
Developing the workforce that will solve current and future challenges 
is urgent.
    The NSF is a major source of funding for the education and training 
of the American scientific workforce and for understanding how 
educational innovations can be most effectively implemented. NSF's 
education portfolio impacts students at all levels, including K-12, 
undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate, as well as the public.
    ASPB urges the subcommittee to support expanding NSF's fellowship 
and career development programs-such as the Postdoctoral Research 
Fellowships in Biology, the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF), the 
Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates in Biological Sciences 
(RaMP), and the Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) programs--
thereby providing continuity in funding opportunities for the country's 
most promising early career scientists.
    ASPB urges support for NSF to further develop programs aimed at 
increasing the diversity of the scientific workforce by leveraging 
professional scientific societies' commitment to provide a professional 
home for scientists throughout their education and careers and to help 
promote and sustain broad participation in the sciences. Focused 
training and infrastructure support programs for Hispanic Serving 
Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and Tribal 
Colleges and Universities remain vitally important, because they foster 
a scientific workforce that reflects the U.S. population.
    ASPB also urges support for research that enhances our 
understanding of how educational innovations can be sustainably and 
effectively implemented. NSF Education and Human Resources (EHR) 
programs provide opportunities to expand NSF's research and evaluation 
efforts to address scale-up and sustainability. ASPB encourages 
continued support for education research programs within NSF's EHR 
portfolio with a focus on understanding how previous investments in 
educational strategies can be made most effective.
    Grand research challenges will not be solved in a year, an 
administration, or a generation. It takes attention and investment at 
Federal research agencies, such as the NSF, over decades.
    Thank you for your consideration of ASPB's testimony. For more 
information about ASPB, please visit at www.aspb.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/ag-and-food-statistics-
charting-the-essentials/ag-and-food-sectors-and-the-economy/.
    \2\ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 
2018. The Next Generation of Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences 
Researchers: Breaking Through. Washington, DC: The National Academies 
Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25008.
    \3\ National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, Survey 
of Earned Doctorates. https://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/builder/
sed?type=chart&convert=1.

    [This statement was submitted by Crispin Taylor, PhD, Chief 
Executive Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of Association for Psychological Science
        aps recommendations for fiscal year 2023 appropriations
  --The Association for Psychological Science (APS) supports (FY) 2023 
        funding of at least $11 billion for the National Science 
        Foundation (NSF). The NSF is critical to ensuring the success 
        of the Nation's science, technology, engineering, and 
        mathematics (STEM) enterprise and to promoting national 
        security and prosperity.
  --APS recommends increased funding for NSF's Social, Behavioral, and 
        Economic (SBE) Sciences Directorate. This NSF directorate is 
        the primary funder of behavioral research conducted at U.S. 
        colleges and universities. SBE-funded research provides the 
        foundation upon which our knowledge of people, including our 
        understanding of the human mind, brain, and behavior, is built.
  --APS requests Congress encourage NSF to increase the number of 
        Graduate Research Fellowships to 3,000 in FY 2023. This program 
        provides essential support that empowers students to pursue 
        graduate education and training in STEM fields.
                statement of aps chief executive officer
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony about 
psychological science priorities and interests at NSF in FY 2023. I am 
Robert Gropp, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of APS, which is a nonprofit 
scientific organization of approximately 25,000 scientists and students 
dedicated to advancing research psychology for the benefit of science 
and society. Many of these members are scientists and educators at the 
Nation's universities and colleges who conduct research and train 
undergraduate and graduate students with support from NSF.
     funding for the national science foundation and policy issues
    APS joins with the Coalition for National Science Funding to 
request that Congress provide at least $11 billion in FY 2023 funding 
for NSF. NSF-funded research and training programs are engines that 
power the discovery and innovation that grow our economy, promote 
national security, and enhance human well-being.
    NSF-funded research and education benefit every State and local 
community across the United States. In 2021, for example, New Hampshire 
research institutions secured more than $33 million in research and 
education support from NSF, and institutions across Kansas received $40 
million. NSF is helping institutions in both States address the COVID-
19 pandemic and other issues through funding, for example, the 
development of behavioral theories about resilience and sustainability 
for use by engineers (University of New Hampshire) and the study of how 
debt and economic insecurity developed during the pandemic and how 
these factors affect low-income communities (Dartmouth College). Other 
NSF-supported research examined challenges faced by individuals using 
public libraries for computing and Internet access amid the COVID-19 
pandemic (University of Kansas) and how scientific goals and values can 
support responsible research conduct (Kansas State University).
    Specifically, APS urges increased funding for NSF behavioral and 
social sciences and economics programs. The SBE directorate funds 
research on critical areas such as understanding human interactions 
with artificial intelligence and developing a secure and trustworthy 
cyberspace. The SBE directorate also works with other NSF directorates 
on major NSF projects such as the Future of Work and Human-Technology 
Frontier, Growing Convergence Research, and Harnessing the Data 
Revolution, ensuring that social and behavioral science research is 
contributing to our understanding and advancing these research areas 
critical to the future of science and engineering.
    APS encourages Congress to provide sufficient funding to NSF to 
empower the agency to allocate increased funding for SBE. For this 
purpose, APS requests that Congress adopt the following report 
language:
    Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences (SBE).--
        The Committee supports the SBE directorate and recognizes the 
        fundamental importance of the research it supports in advancing 
        scientific understanding of critical challenges facing our 
        Nation. These sciences also afford insights into advancing 
        public health, defense and security, education and learning, 
        and the interface between humans and technology. The SBE 
        directorate funds more than half of our Nation's university-
        based behavioral science research, yet it is the smallest NSF 
        directorate. The Committee believes that behavioral science 
        provides evidence-based understanding of human behavior and 
        recognizes the SBE directorate's unique role in funding this 
        research. The Committee therefore recommends an increase over 
        the Fiscal Year 2022 levels for SBE activities comparable to 
        the increases provided for the other directorates.

    NSF facilitates a wide variety of research conducted at colleges 
and universities across the United States. The agency also empowers the 
next generation of scientists to begin and continue their training and 
education in science. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program, or 
GRFP, is one such example of this work. Historically, NSF has awarded 
around 2,100 of these fellowships per year, but it receives 
applications from many more qualified students than it can support. For 
this reason, APS encourages Congress to provide NSF with funding to 
support at least 3,000 GRFP awards annually.
    APS requests that the following language be included in the fiscal 
Year 2023 CJS Report:
    Graduate Research Fellowship Program.--The Committee notes that the 
        Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) has a long history 
        of supporting outstanding graduate students studying NSF-
        supported sciences, engineering, and mathematics fields, 
        including behavioral science, and selects recipients who go on 
        to achieve high levels of success in their future academic and 
        professional careers. In recognition of this program's 
        contributions to launching the careers of talented future 
        scientists, the Committee has provided the resources necessary 
        to fund more than 3,000 grants in Fiscal Year 2023 and urges 
        the program to continue to grow in future years.
                         summary and conclusion
    Knowledge gained from NSF-funded psychological science research is 
essential to advancing innovation and discovery, improving the Nation's 
health and prosperity, and strengthening economic and national 
security. The importance of this research has been on display during 
the COVID pandemic. As an illustration of what investment in SBE 
sciences can do, I direct you to the APS Global Collaboration on COVID-
19. This initiative has brought together psychological scientists and 
other experts to make recommendations on how we can draw on our field 
for the good of the country. This collaboration has identified that 
psychological and other behavioral sciences could have been better 
applied throughout the COVID-19 crisis, that these fields can 
contribute to COVID-19 and future threats, and that new research and 
research funding are urgently needed to best prepare society for future 
crises. I would be pleased to share further information on this effort 
with any interested Members of the subcommittee at your convenience.
    APS shares your commitment to fostering innovation through 
investment in research. We appreciate the opportunity to provide this 
testimony, and we thank you for your leadership.

    [This statement was submitted by Robert Gropp, PhD, Chief Executive 
Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of Association of Science and Technology Centers, 
 American Alliance of Museums, Association of Children's Museums, and 
                Association of Science Museum Directors
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the 
subcommittee:

    Thank you for accepting this statement submitted by the Association 
of Science and Technology Centers (ASTC), the American Alliance of 
Museums (AAM), the Association of Children's Museums (ACM), and the 
Association of Science Museum Directors (ASMD).
    We appreciate the opportunity to present the views of our 
associations to the subcommittee for its consideration as it prepares 
to write the Fiscal Year 2023 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related 
Agencies Appropriations bill, particularly regarding the National 
Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA).
    Our associations represent more than 5,000 member organizations in 
every State and district in America, including science centers, museums 
of all types, nature centers, aquariums, zoos, planetariums, botanical 
gardens, and natural history and children's museums, as well as 
companies, consultants, and other organizations that share an interest 
in science education and public engagement in science.
    Taken together, our National reach is a vital resource for 
fostering rich public engagement in the importance of science and many 
other subjects and disciplines towards building a bright future and 
opportunity for all. Our place-based organizations are leading 
institutions in the efforts to promote education in science, 
technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), developing 
rich, innovative, and effective science-learning experiences. We are 
helping to create the future STEAM workforce and inspiring people of 
all ages about the wonders and the meaning of science in their lives. 
Our members are trusted and valued by their communities-a recent 
national public opinion poll, showed that 95% of voters would approve 
of lawmakers who acted to support museums and 96% of voters want 
Federal funding for museums to be maintained or increased (Museums and 
Public Opinion, S. Wilkening and AAM, 2018).
    These past 2 years have been especially challenging for our 
community as nearly all of our members, many of whom receive the 
majority of their operating income from revenue from people coming 
through their doors, experienced prolonged closure of their facilities. 
Even as they have reopened to the public, attendance and revenue may 
take several years to recover. While Federal relief programs have 
provided an essential lifeline, the impact on our members will long 
outlast COVID relief (National Snapshot of COVID-19 Impact on United 
States Museums, AAM and Wilkening Consulting, 2021). At the same time, 
our member institutions continued to serve their communities and their 
missions, engaging their regions with STEM and youth engagement, 
supporting science learning and serving their communities in myriad 
other ways. Indeed, one of the most inspiring aspects of the past 2 
years is how our member organizations have shown up for their 
communities and worked closely with local residents and organizations 
to advance conversation and action on the most urgent local priorities.
    For example, a year ago ASTC, AAM, and ACM joined with a coalition 
of other national organizations to launch Communities for Immunity 
(www.
communitiesforimmunity.org), an initiative supported by the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention and the Institute of Museum and Library 
Services to activate museums, libraries, and Tribal organizations to 
boost vaccine confidence in their communities. Building upon the high 
degree of trust that the public has in these cultural institutions, 
Communities for Immunity has been able to effectively engage vaccine 
hesitant members of their local communities.
    As the Nation hopefully emerges from the immediacy of the pandemic, 
this example of action by the museum and library community demonstrates 
how these trusted institutions embedded in their communities offer an 
opportunity to advance community conversation and action on national 
and international challenges in locally relevant ways.
              requests for fiscal year 2023 appropriations
    We appreciate the support that the subcommittee has provided for 
the Nation's science and education agencies, including support for 
programs of particular interest to ASTC, AAM, ACM, and ASMD.
    In general, we stress the need for inclusive programs that include 
support for informal education as much STEAM learning-including but not 
limited to school-aged youth-happens outside of formal schooling. 
Research has consistently shown that learning experiences outside of 
the formal classroom are vitally important to youth's future interest 
and capacity in STEAM (National Academies, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2015, 
2016).
National Science Foundation (NSF)
    The National Science Foundation (NSF) is one of our Nation's most 
important sources of support for STEM education, including many of the 
programs centered in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources 
(EHR). EHR supports STEAM education at all levels and for all audiences 
to help develop a diverse and well-prepared workforce and a 
scientifically well-informed citizenry.
    Of particular interest to the museum community is the Advancing 
Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program in the Division of Research on 
Learning in Formal and Informal Settings, which advances new approaches 
to and evidence-based understanding of learning in informal 
environments. However, current funding levels have limited the ability 
of the program to support the range of informal STEM education programs 
that have been ranked highly competitive. We ask you to provide at 
least $74.5 million for the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) 
program.
    NSF also supports STEAM education and informal learning through its 
research directorates, and we urge the subcommittee to provide 
increased funding for the NSF Directorates for Biological Sciences; 
Education and Human Resources; Geosciences; and Social, Behavioral and 
Economic Sciences to continue to support museum research, collections, 
and programs that are key to lifelong STEAM education. We also support 
the focus on the intersection of science and society in NSF's new 
Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships.
    Finally, we support continued analysis and refinement of the 
broader impacts criterion on which all NSF proposals are evaluated, 
including efforts to enhance training for merit review panelists and 
NSF program officers-and the development of tools for evaluating and 
documenting the societal impacts of research.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) supports 
informal STEM education in a variety of ways. The Teams Engaging 
Affiliate Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program, within 
the Office of STEM Engagement, provides support for museums and 
planetariums to enhance programs related to space exploration, 
aeronautics, space and earth science, or microgravity.
    We request at least $130 million for NASA's Office of STEM 
Engagement, including at least $15 million for the Teams Engaging 
Affiliate Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program.
    In addition, NASA's Science Mission Directorate supports museums 
and museum networks through its Science Activation program, which 
connects competitively-selected teams across the country with NASA 
infrastructure teams. Last year, more than 50 teams supported by the 
program engaged more than 21 million learner interactions in all 50 
States. To continue the program's evolution and strong reach 
nationwide, we request at least $47 million for the SciAct Program.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
    NOAA's Office of Education offers two grant programs to advance 
education in areas relevant to NOAA's mission, including support for 
museums, zoos, aquariums, and science centers. These programs help 
enhance the understanding and use of environmental information to 
promote informed decision-making by educators, students, and the 
public.
  --The Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) program promotes 
        place-based experiential learning for K-12 students and related 
        professional development for educators.
  --Environmental Literacy grants support activities that inspire 
        people to use Earth system science to improve ecosystem 
        stewardship and increase resilience to environmental hazards. 
        For more than 15 years, these grants have supported museum 
        exhibitions, K-12 curricula, online education resources, 
        citizen science activities, out-of-school programs, and 
        professional development for educators.

    As the need for enhanced education about our changing climate and 
community resilience increases, there is a need for a concurrent 
increase in the budget for the Office of Education. We request at least 
$35 million for NOAAs Office of Education.
    We continue to thank the subcommittee for all its support of a 
robust science and education budget. You have demonstrated your support 
for crucial programs that promote STEAM education for our Nation's 
students. Like our organizations, you recognize these are vital 
investments in our future, and we thank you in advance for taking 
action accordingly.
    Our organizations stand ready to be of service to your work. We are 
always happy to provide examples of the ways that museums are 
contributing to their communities and helping to advance local, 
regional, and national priorities. With our networks of hundreds of 
community-based institutions, these examples can be in or near each 
Congressional district.
    Founded in 1973, the Association of Science and Technology Centers 
(ASTC) is a network of nearly 700 science and technology centers and 
museums, and allied organizations, engaging more than 110 million 
people annually across North America and in almost 50 countries. With 
its members and partners, ASTC works towards a vision of increased 
understanding of-and engagement with-science and technology among all 
people. www.astc.org.
    The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) has been bringing museums 
together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, 
gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of 
concern to the entire museum community. Representing more than 35,000 
individual museum professionals and volunteers, institutions, and 
corporate partners serving the museum field, the Alliance stands for 
the broad scope of the museum community. www.aam-us.org.
    The Association of Children's Museums (ACM) champions children's 
museums worldwide. With more than 460 members in 50 States and 19 
countries, ACM leverages the collective knowledge of children's museums 
through convening, sharing, and dissemination. 
www.childrensmuseums.org.
    The Association of Science Museum Directors (ASMD) is a non-profit, 
professional association of natural history and other science museum 
directors. Our community of museum leaders gathers to share experiences 
and discuss issues related to the advancement of our respective 
organizations to benefit society and the planet. www.asmd-us.org.

    [This statement was submitted by Christofer Nelson, President and 
CEOAssociation of Science and Technology Centers; Laura Lott, President 
and CEO, American Alliance of Museums; Arthur G. Affleck, III, 
Executive Director, Association of Children's Museums; and Bonnie 
Styles, Executive Director, Association of Science Museum Directors]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of Board Member of Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.
    Chairman Cartwright, Ranking Member Aderholt, and members of the 
subcommittee, my name is Judge Thomas Foster, and I am a retired Kansas 
District judge, a current member of the National Council of Juvenile 
and Family Court Judges, and a board member of Youth Advocates Program. 
I am pleased to submit testimony on behalf of a coalition of 
organizations, co-led by the Youth First Initiative and Columbia 
Justice Lab's Youth Corrections Leaders for Justice. These 
organizations work to assist States in building on the past two decades 
of successful youth justice system accountability, reform, and 
improvement through expanding access to more effective and cost-
efficient community-based alternatives for youth. Federal investments 
play a key role in juvenile justice efforts to protect youth, prevent 
delinquency, and promote safe communities. To accomplish these goals, 
we seek $100 million for a new initiative in the Department of 
Justice's (DOJ) Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention 
(OJJDP) that would support grants to States to implement a robust 
planning process to (1) close failed and ineffective youth prisons, (2) 
expand access to more effective and cost-efficient community-based 
alternatives, and (3) address economic concerns, such as the re-
employment of facility workers and the economic impact of facility 
closures on communities. I want to thank the subcommittee for its past 
funding of Federal juvenile justice programs and urge it to support 
this new initiative at OJJDP to support States in moving from costly 
and ineffective incarceration to more effective community-based 
alternatives that produce dramatically better outcomes for youth, their 
families, and communities.
    For more than four decades, YAP has supported youth and families 
involved in the youth justice and child welfare systems as well as 
adults in the criminal legal system. YAP has provided individuals and 
their communities with proven, effective, and economical community-
based alternatives to institutional placement. YAP promotes expanding 
access to these resources for families and communities as an effective 
way to improve youth and family outcomes and community safety. YAP now 
serves youth and families in Kansas and 32 other States and Washington 
DC.
    In 2014, the Kansas legislature funded a bipartisan comprehensive 
review of the Kansas juvenile justice system. I was honored to have 
been appointed by our Supreme Court Chief Justice to serve on this 
committee. The committee collected information and invited national 
experts to present data and information related to juvenile justice and 
best practices. Dr. Edward Mulvey, University of Pittsburgh, and Dr. 
Mark Lipsey, Vanderbilt University, travelled to Kansas to meet with us 
and make presentations which are available for review at the KDOC 
website.\1\
    As a result of this process many modifications were implemented. 
The most significant modification was the limitation on the use of 
juvenile prison and elimination of the group home system in Kansas. The 
Committee was convinced that these out of home placements just did not 
work as Kansas was spending over $45,000 per year per child on an 
ineffective placement. The committee came to the conclusion that the 
out of home placement system could not be improved or salvaged and that 
it would be better to close them down and redirect the money to 
community-based programs that have been shown to work, such as 
intensive mentoring, family therapy, mental health services, parenting 
education, and substance use treatment. While Kansas closed its 
facilities, we still needed to identify and redirect funding to more 
effective community-based programs. YAP was one of the first programs 
brought to Kansas to address the need for community-based and in home 
services. Federal resources are needed now to galvanize and support 
Kansas' statewide effort to plan and implement its juvenile justice 
system transformation that will result in a better outcome for young 
people, increased system accountability, and safer communities.
    Research shows that community-based alternatives perform far better 
than the youth prison model; racial and ethnic disparities and abuse of 
children, including at facilities nationwide, continue to plague the 
youth carceral system; and youth prisons are extremely expensive. Given 
these limitations, experts and youth justice leaders--including youth 
correctional administrators, judges, prosecutors, and youth advocates--
recommend the closure of failed youth prisons in favor of more 
effective community-based alternatives. However, there are many youth 
prisons still operating and taking up significant and precious state 
resources that could be used to expand access to more effective 
alternatives.
    There are a range of proven and effective alternatives to youth 
incarceration to support. Community mentoring programs that link young 
people to trusted adults show strong results. In Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania, Youth Advocates Program found that 97% of program 
participants were not convicted or adjudicated of a new offense while 
in the program, 85% were living safely in the community at discharge, 
and 76% were regularly attending school, had graduated, or attained 
their GED at discharge. The NYC Mayor's Office and Urban Institute 
found that Credible Messengers' mentoring programs for youth on 
probation significantly reduced recidivism for young adults on 
probation by 69% after 12 months. At the 24-month mark, it was still 
57% lower. These results show that evidence-based alternatives 
delivered in the community significantly reduce recidivism. YAP just 
completed a 2-year project in 15 jurisdictions across the Nation where 
it invested private foundation funds in the local juvenile justice 
systems to support expanded access to effective alternatives to youth 
incarceration. 80% of the highest risk youth served were diverted from 
youth prisons, and at the end of the project jurisdictions decided to 
sustain these programs with their own funds because they found the 
alternatives to incarceration to be more effective.
    Incarceration contributes to racial disparities and poor long-term 
outcomes for youth. Racial inequities in incarceration are pervasive--
Black youth are 5 times more likely and Latinx youth 3 times more 
likely than their white peers to be incarcerated for similar offenses. 
Excluding Indian Country, American Indians make up 3% of girls and 1.5% 
of boys in juvenile facilities but less than 1% of youth nationally. 
Long term outcomes for incarcerated youth include lower educational 
attainment and employment; high rates of homelessness; behavioral and 
emotional problems; poor physical health; and problems in forming 
stable family relationships. Physical and sexual assault and extended 
solitary confinement also are common. Incarceration also increases 
recidivism by disconnecting youth from their families, religious and 
spiritual connections, schools, and other pro-social experiences. As a 
result, incarcerated youth are more likely to have entered adult prison 
by age 25.
    Closing youth prisons both saves money and increases public safety. 
The cost of youth incarceration is astronomically high, especially 
considering these poor outcomes. According to one recent study, the 
average cost of the most expensive confinement option for a young 
person in 48 States was $588 per day, or $214,620 per year--almost 15 
times more than the U.S. spends per pupil for 1 year of K-12 public 
education. A Washington State Study showed that youth detention 
produced fewer benefits in reduced crime and other outcomes than many 
less costly programs. Spending $1 for diversion and mentoring programs 
resulted in $3.36 in benefits of reduced crime, while multisystemic 
therapy, a more service intensive alternative, produced $13.36 in 
benefits.
    Such community-based alternatives, including mentoring programs, 
evidence-based therapies, and small, rehabilitative and home-like 
facilities for the very few young people who commit serious crimes cost 
much less than prison and are safer for youth and staff. New York 
City's investment in small, homelike facilities resulted in a 53% drop 
in youth arrests and a 68% reduction in youth placement. Texas 
decreased youth incarceration by 38% and further decreased youth 
arrests by 49%. After California's closure of youth prisons in 2016, 
youth arrests for violent crimes in the state fell to less than half 
what they were in 1990. These States have demonstrated that closing 
failed youth prisons and diverting kids to community-based alternatives 
both save money and increase public safety.
    Americans nationwide support Federal funding to incentivize States 
to close failed youth prisons to capture resources to reinvest in more 
effective and cost-efficient community-based alternatives. In a 2021 
Youth First Initiative poll, 78 percent of adults endorsed the proposal 
to provide Federal funds to support State planning and consultation 
with stakeholders to close youth prisons and invest savings to expand 
access to community-based alternatives and provide workforce 
development services to workers from closed facilities. Additionally, 
residents polled in Pennsylvania and Virginia showed that 81 percent of 
Pennsylvanians and 85 percent of Virginians support a youth justice 
system that focuses on prevention and rehabilitation. In both States, 
more than 80 percent of respondents support providing financial 
incentives for States to invest in alternatives to youth incarceration.
    At a time when our Nation is debating how to reduce the negative 
impacts of the justice system while increasing public safety, I urge 
you to fully fund in FY23 the new $100 million initiative at OJJDP 
because it would accomplish the key goals of improving outcomes, 
addressing racial disparities, reducing long-term costs, and ensuring 
public safety.
    Thank you so much for your time and consideration of these 
important issues. Please do not hesitate to contact me at 
[email protected] or Jenny Collier at 
[email protected] if you have any questions or need 
additional information.
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    \1\ https://www.doc.ks.gov/juvenile-services/Workgroup/
Presentations/Lipsey.
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                                 ______
                                 
   Prepared Statement of Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) is pleased 
to share our views on the Department of Commerce's FY 2023 budget and 
has identified the following funding needs:
    1.  $70.5 million for Salmon Management Activities of which:
  --$26.5 million supports Mitchell Act Programs to implement reforms 
        called for in the ``Conservation of Columbia Basin Fish'' and 
        the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Biological 
        Opinion, of which $6.7 million (or 25 percent of the enacted 
        amount) is directed to the Tribes to enhance natural stock 
        recovery programs.
  --$43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty, of which $43.5 million 
        is annual operations for the implementation of the 2019-2028 
        Agreement.
    2.  $100 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund to 
support on-the-ground salmon restoration activities.
    3.  $4 million for Columbia River Pinniped Management to support 
implementation of the MMPA Section 120(f) permit issued by NOAA-F in 
2019.
    4.  $80.8 million for the Integrated Ocean Observing Systems (IOOS) 
program to continue the study of estuary and near-shore environment for 
multiple purposes including the restoration of treaty trust aquatic 
resources.
                               background
    The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) was 
founded in 1977 by the four Columbia River treaty Tribes: Confederated 
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the 
Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, Confederated Tribes and Bands of 
the Yakama Nation, and the Nez Perce Tribe. CRITFC provides 
coordination and technical assistance to the Tribes in regional, 
national, and international efforts to protect and restore the 
fisheries and fish habitat.
    In 1855, the United States entered treaties with the four 
Tribes\1\. The Tribes' ceded millions of acres of our homelands to the 
U.S. and the U.S. pledged to honor our ancestral rights, including the 
right to fish at all usual and accustomed places. Unfortunately, a long 
history of hydroelectric development, habitat destruction, and over-
fishing by non-Indians brought the salmon resource to the edge of 
extinction with many stocks extirpated and 12 salmon and steelhead 
trout populations in the Columbia River basin listed under the 
Endangered Species Act (ESA).
    Today, the treaties form the bedrock of the region's fisheries 
management. The CRITFC Tribes are among the most successful fishery 
managers in the country leading restoration efforts and working with 
State, Federal, and private entities. CRITFC's comprehensive plan, Wy-
Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit, outlines principles and objectives designed to 
halt the decline of salmon, lamprey, and sturgeon populations and 
rebuild the fisheries to levels that support Tribal ceremonial, 
subsistence, and economic purposes. To achieve these objectives, the 
plan emphasizes strategies that rely on natural production, healthy 
rivers, and collaborative efforts.
    Several key regional agreements were completed in 2008. The 
Columbia Basin Fish Accords set out parameters for management of the 
Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) for fish passage. New 
agreements in U.S. v. Oregon and the Pacific Salmon Commission 
established fishery management criteria for fisheries ranging from the 
Columbia River to Southeast Alaska. The U.S. v. Oregon agreement also 
contains provisions for hatchery management in the Columbia River 
Basin. We have successfully secured other funds to support our efforts 
to implement these agreements, including funds from the Bonneville 
Power Administration (BPA), the Department of Interior, and the 
Southern Fund of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. Continued Federal support 
is needed to accomplish the management objectives embodied in the 
agreements.
             1. salmon management activities: $70.5 million
    Columbia River (Mitchell Act) Hatchery Program.--The Mitchell Act 
program was created in 1938 to mitigate for the impacts caused by the 
construction and operation of the Bonneville Dam. These production fish 
fuel West Coast salmon fisheries from the Oregon to Southeast Alaska, 
and to the interior Columbia River basin worth millions of dollars.
    Mitchell Act facilities operation and maintenance (O&M) funding has 
been static for years and eroded buying power of this account results 
in reduced numbers of fish produced and reduced fish health which 
results in fewer fish for harvest. A modest increase of O&M budgets to 
$26.7 million would help these facilities produce targeted numbers of 
fish to benefit Columbia River and West Coast fisheries and assist 
these Mitchell Act programs to begin integrating modern fisheries 
management and incorporate the dual needs of fish production and ESA 
salmon recovery opportunities.
    Pacific Salmon Treaty Program.--CRITFC supports the U.S. Section 
recommendation of $43.5 million for implementation of the revised 
Pacific Salmon Treaty (Treaty). The Department of Commerce principally 
funds programs conducted by the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and 
Alaska and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS.) Unfortunately, 
the cost of programs conducted by the States to fulfill national 
commitments created by the Treaty continue to be substantially greater 
than the funding provided in the NMFS budget. Consequently, the States 
have supplemented the Federal Treaty appropriations from other sources, 
including State general funds. Many of those funding sources are 
limited or no longer available and this has been exacerbated by the 
ongoing global pandemic.
         2. pacific coastal salmon recovery fund: $100 million
    The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) was developed in 
2000 by Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and the treaty Tribes to 
fulfill the unmet needs for the conservation and restoration of salmon 
stocks shared in the Tribal, State, and international fisheries. Since 
that time, the number of entities eligible for receiving funding has 
grown.
    PCSRF has funded 417 Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs, Nez Perce, and 
CRITFC Tribal salmon recovery projects. These projects have contributed 
greatly to the Pacific Northwest effort to avoid extinction of Columbia 
Basin salmon species and their habitat. Accomplishments from CRITFC and 
our member Tribes include 4,838 stream miles monitored; 417 miles of 
stream made accessible to salmon; 5,060 acres of riparian area treated; 
11,341 acres conserved by acquisition or lease; and 2 million salmon 
fry/smolts released annually. PCSRF is vital to fulfill the region's 
goal of full salmon recovery, to provide sustainability of the fishery, 
and meaningful exercise of the treaty-reserved rights by the Columbia 
River treaty Tribes.
    The co-managers have developed an extensive matrix of performance 
standards to address accountability and performance standards, which 
includes the use of monitoring protocols to systematically track 
current and future projects basin-wide. The PCSRF projects are based on 
the best science, provide adequate monitoring, and address limiting 
factors affecting salmon restoration. Projects undertaken by the Tribes 
are consistent with CRITFC's salmon restoration plan and the 
programmatic areas identified by Congress.
    We recommend a funding level of $100 million for the PCSRF FY 2023 
allocation. Long-term economic benefits can be achieved by making PCSRF 
investments on-the-ground to rebuild sustainable, harvestable salmon 
populations into the future.
           3. columbia river pinniped management: $4 million
    Columbia River Section 120 Pinniped Removal Program.--Since 2002, 
sea lions in the Columbia River have significantly impacted endangered 
and threatened stocks of salmon and steelhead. Sea lions also prey on 
Pacific lamprey and mature sturgeon below Bonneville Dam, and on listed 
salmon and steelhead runs in the Willamette River and other tributaries 
to the Columbia River. Thirty-two wild salmon populations bound for the 
upper Columbia and Snake rivers are vulnerable to predation by sea 
lions immediately below Bonneville Dam. Other impacted ESA-listed 
salmon and steelhead populations include lower Columbia River chinook, 
lower Columbia River steelhead, middle Columbia River steelhead, Snake 
River Basin steelhead, upper Willamette River chinook, and Upper 
Willamette River steelhead. All six of these are listed as 
``threatened'' under the ESA.
    Despite non-lethal and limited lethal-take measures, the number of 
salmon and steelhead consumed by sea lions below Bonneville Dam more 
than doubled between 2006 and 2015, as larger Steller sea lions 
increased in numbers and began to take a higher toll; management and 
Federal authorization was initially focused exclusively on California 
sea lions. To respond to this change, Congress amended the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in December 2018 to provide State and 
Tribal resource managers greater flexibility to manage sea lions. In 
August 2020, the CRITFC member Tribes, along with Oregon, Idaho, and 
Washington received a MMPA Section 120(f) permit from the National 
Marine Fisheries Service to actively manage pinniped populations on the 
lower Columbia River and its tributaries. The authority under this 
permit increases the scope and scale of current management and expands 
lethal removal to include Steller sea lions. It also expands the area 
of potential removals and it will increase removal activity to 10 per 
year. Previously, removing sea lions required a multistep process, 
including branding animals and identifying repeat offenders. This new 
authority has streamlined this process and, as a result, will increase 
the number of trappings and lethal removals in the future. To fully 
implement the program under the new permit, the States and Tribes are 
requesting $4 million in Federal funds. This will supplement funds that 
the States and Tribes are currently contributing.
  4. integrated ocean observing systems (ioos) program: $80.8 million
    Increase IOOS Funding Levels.--Study of the estuary and near-shore 
environment is critical to understanding not only the impacts to treaty 
trust resources, but also actions needed to restore these resources. 
CRITFC has expanded its work to include the Coastal Margin Observation 
and Prediction Program (CMOP) whose main funding is through the NOAA-
administered Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Program. Since 
2020, we have partnered with the Northwest Association of Networked 
Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS) through our acquisition of the CMOP 
program which has been a NANOOS-supported effort since 2004. The CMOP 
infrastructure, now operated by CRITFC, has been integral to NANOOS for 
decades and will remain so. The multi-institutional collaborative 
structure of the IOOS regional associations ensures that the Tribes are 
integrated into the governance and decision-making processes.
    We strongly encourage a funding level of $69.5 million be invested 
in the regional IOOS network and its partners using the funding for 
Coastal, Ocean, and Great Lakes Observing Systems to refurbish aging 
infrastructure, modernize equipment, and address critical issues facing 
our collective communities. Expansion of IOOS capabilities in 
biological monitoring is important to CRITFC's interest in improving 
ocean conditions for salmon and allow regional partnerships to continue 
to address Biden Administration priorities for climate change, racial 
equity, and the economy.
    Improve Collaboration between NOAA Programs.--OAA should aim to 
create a comprehensive understanding of the Columbia River estuary and 
the near shore environment and work to improve the collaboration 
between these programs. CRITFC has collaborated with NOAA's Office of 
Coast Survey (OSC) in numeric and hydrodynamic modelling and plan to 
expand this effort to include hydrographic surveys in the confluence 
areas of Zone 6 of the Columbia River mainstem, where our Tribes 
primarily exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights. This 
collaboration should be expanded with funding at $11.3 million in the 
Navigation, Observations and Positioning line to address issues of 
floodplain restoration and flooding to improve salmon survival.
    In summary, CRITFC and our four member Tribes have developed the 
capacity and infrastructure to become the regional leaders in restoring 
and rebuilding Columbia Basin salmon populations. Our collective 
efforts protect our treaty-reserved fishing rights and provides 
healthy, harvestable salmon populations for all citizens to enjoy. We 
will be pleased to provide any additional information that this 
subcommittee may require.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Treaty with the Yakama Tribe, June 6, 1855, 12 Stat. 951; 
Treaty with the Tribes of Middle Oregon, June 25, 1855, 12 Stat. 963; 
Treaty with the Umatilla Tribe, June 9, 1855, 12 Stat. 945; Treaty with 
the Nez Perce Tribe, June 11, 1855, 12 Stat. 9.

    [This statement was submitted by Casey Mitchell, Chair]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of Consortium of Social Science Associations
    On behalf of the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), 
I offer this written testimony for inclusion in the official committee 
record. For fiscal year (FY) 2023, COSSA urges the Committee to 
appropriate:
  --$11 billion for the National Science Foundation
  --$2 billion for the Census Bureau
  --$50 million for the National Institute of Justice
  --$60 million for the Bureau of Justice Statistics

    First, allow me to thank the Committee for its long-standing, 
bipartisan support for scientific research. Strong, sustained funding 
for all U.S. science agencies is essential if we are to make progress 
toward improving the health and economic competitiveness of the Nation. 
The need for increased investment in science has become even more 
pronounced in light of the disruptions caused over the past 2 years by 
the COVID-19 pandemic.
    COSSA serves as a united voice for a broad, diverse network of 
organizations, institutions, communities, and stakeholders who care 
about a successful and vibrant social and behavioral science research 
enterprise. We represent the collective interests of all STEM 
disciplines engaged in the rigorous study of why and how humans behave 
as they do as individuals, groups and within institutions, 
organizations, and society.
    Social and behavioral science research is supported across the 
Federal Government, including at the National Science Foundation and 
the Department of Justice. Further, Federal statistics produced by the 
Census Bureau and other Federal statistical agencies provide data 
needed to conduct social science research to inform policy decisions. 
Taken together, Federal social and behavioral science and statistical 
data help provide answers to complex, human-centered questions.
    In short, knowledge derived from social and behavioral science 
research has made our population healthier, our democracy fairer, our 
Nation safer, and our economy stronger, and not just in times of 
crisis. Without these sciences, policymaking on major national and 
global issues would not be based on evidence, and billions of dollars 
would be wasted.
                      national science foundation
    COSSA joins the broader scientific community in support of $11 
billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in FY 2023. The U.S. 
scientific enterprise, including NSF, requires stability, 
predictability, and sustainable funding growth, as well as Federal 
policies that are patient and can tolerate a reasonable amount of risk 
in order to achieve the greatest payoff.
Supporting All of STEM
    NSF is the only U.S. Federal agency tasked with supporting basic 
research across all fields of science. NSF supports about a quarter of 
all federally funded basic scientific research conducted at colleges 
and universities nationwide and serves as the largest single funder of 
university-based basic social and behavioral science research. Though 
NSF's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences Directorate (SBE)-one 
of eight research directorates at NSF-represents less than five percent 
of the entire NSF research budget, it supports around two-thirds of 
total Federal funding for academic basic research in the social and 
behavioral sciences (excluding psychology). As the primary funding 
source for the majority of our disciplines, stagnant or reduced funding 
for SBE has an outsized impact on the social and behavioral science 
community. As increased investment is made in NSF, we are hopeful the 
social, behavioral and economic sciences will see commensurate 
investments.
    Further, while by far the smallest of the research directorates, 
SBE's impact is huge. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering 
and Medicine stated in its 2017 consensus report, The Value of Social, 
Behavioral, and Economic Sciences to National Priorities \1\, that 
``nearly every major challenge the United States faces-from alleviating 
unemployment to protecting itself from terrorism-requires understanding 
the causes and consequences of people's behavior. Even societal 
challenges that at first glance appear to be issues only of medicine or 
engineering or computer science have social and behavioral 
components.'' We all observed first-hand the importance of 
understanding behavioral and social systems over the last 2 years as 
the world collectively worked to gain control of the COVID-19 pandemic. 
From mask mandates to vaccine hesitancy, the social and behavioral 
sciences have been shining light on this uniquely human challenge and 
informing policy solutions at all levels.
Keeping NSF Competitive
    As we speak, a conference committee is considering sweeping 
innovation legislation (the America COMPETES Act) that contains 
reauthorization provisions for NSF and seeks to push the agency into 
new frontiers in technology transfer and convergence research. As the 
committee knows, NSF has already started moving in this direction with 
the establishment of the Technology, Innovation and Partnerships 
Directorate (TIP) in FY 2022. COSSA hopes that future support for and 
investment in TIP and related activities is also met with a commitment 
to maintaining the NSF's defining characteristic, which is to be the 
incubator for basic scientific discovery across all areas of science. 
NSF's investigator-initiated, discovery-driven identity is what makes 
it special and has kept the American science enterprise at the leading 
edge of innovation. We look forward to seeing how social and behavioral 
science will be incorporated into the work of the new TIP directorate 
in addition to ongoing support for social science across the 
foundation.
               census bureau, u.s. department of commerce
    COSSA requests that the Committee appropriate $2 billion for the 
Census Bureau in FY 2023. Social scientists across the country rely on 
the Census Bureau for accurate, timely, objective, and relevant data to 
better understand the U.S. population and to produce findings that help 
us shape policies that better serve the American people.
    After a decade in which the Census Bureau received inconsistent and 
delayed funding, had to curtail essential research and testing of 
operations, and experienced significant pandemic-related disruptions, 
investments are needed to not only help the agency recover, but to also 
help it improve the collection and delivery of official statistics for 
the Nation. A modest increase in funding in FY 2023 could help the 
Census Bureau recover from years of postponed enhancements, sustain and 
strengthen its mission, and pursue numerous necessary operational 
innovations.
    In addition, COSSA calls on Congress to fully fund the American 
Community Survey (ACS) and maintain its status as a mandatory Federal 
survey. The ACS is the only source of comparable, consistent, timely, 
and high-quality demographic and socio-economic data for all 
communities in the U.S. As a component of the Decennial Census, the ACS 
is a ``mandatory'' national survey. The Census Bureau needs additional 
funds to expand the ACS sample size (which has not been expanded since 
2011) to produce more timely, granular data for a significant number of 
geographies and sub-populations than currently achievable. This would 
provide communities more timely data to fill in any gaps in the 2020 
Decennial Census results caused by the pandemic.
       national institute of justice, u.s. department of justice
    COSSA requests that the Committee appropriate at least $50 million 
for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) within the U.S. Department 
of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP). NIJ provides 
funding for research, development, and evaluation projects at 
institutions across the country to shed light on the most pressing 
issues facing our Nation's criminal justice system today, including the 
drivers of domestic radicalization, responses to the opioid epidemic, 
improving school safety, advancing forensic science, and fostering 
positive relationships between law enforcement and the communities they 
serve-not to mention our urgent need to better understand and respond 
to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incarcerated population 
and on our court systems.
    We recognize that tough funding tradeoffs must be made each year; 
however, we were disappointed to see the 19 percent cut to NIJ in the 
final FY 2022 appropriations bill. Despite our growing need for 
objective, science-backed solutions, over the past decade, NIJ's 
purchasing power has dropped by 40 percent due to the combined effect 
of declining appropriations and inflation. Compounding this pressure 
are Congressionally mandated directives for specific activities, nearly 
always without the inclusion of additional funding to the agency's 
bottom line. As a result, 60 percent of NIJ's FY 2022 appropriation 
will be directed to Congressionally requested research, not including a 
number of additional projects requested without a specifically 
allocated funding level. An increase to the NIJ base budget would give 
the agency the flexibility to direct funding to the most pressing and 
promising areas of science across all domains of justice research, 
while still being responsive to topics of Congressional concern.
        bureau of justice statistics, u.s. department of justice
    Similarly, we were disappointed by the 11 percent cut to the Burau 
of Justice Statistics in the FY 2022 appropriations bill. As the 
Department's principal statistical agency, the Bureau of Justice 
Statistics produces high-quality data on all aspects of the United 
States criminal justice system, including corrections, courts, crime 
type, law enforcement personnel and expenditures, Federal processing of 
criminal cases, Indian country justice statistics, and victims of 
crime. COSSA urges the Committee to appropriate at least $60 million 
for the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).
    Steady declines in funding have resulted in antiquated systems and, 
especially, staffing shortfalls, which can only be resolved by 
sustained investment. Despite a growing demand from policymakers, 
researchers, and other stakeholders for high-quality criminal justice 
data across an expanding array of variables, BJS' purchasing power has 
dropped by nearly one-third (32.7 percent) since FY 2012 due to the 
combined effect of declining appropriations and inflation. Additional 
funding would allow the agency to modernize its data collection and 
dissemination systems, hire the necessary experts, and to begin to 
develop the next generation of statistical products to keep pace with 
the ever-changing criminal justice environment.
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer this statement. Please do 
not hesitate to contact me should you require additional information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24790/the-value-of-social-
behavioral-and-economic-sciences-to-national-priorities.

    [This statement was submitted by Wendy A. Naus, Executive Director]
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of Daughters of Penelope
    Chair Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member Jerry Moran, and distinguished 
members of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations 
subcommittee, the Daughters of Penelope (DOP), an international service 
organization for women of Greek heritage and Philhellenes, which is 
dedicated, in part, to supporting victims of domestic violence, is 
requesting meaningful support for Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) (Office 
of Justice Programs--OVC) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) (Office 
of Violence Against Women--OVW) programs at the Department of Justice.
    We thank Congress for passing the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime 
Victims Fund Act of 2021, which will stabilize the Crime Victims Fund. 
To continue funding the essential and lifesaving services to crime 
victims, Congress must provide a Crime Victims Fund cap for FY2023 that 
is set at $2.65 billion; and as the President's FY2023 budget 
rightfully proposes, without any transfers to programs not authorized 
under the VOCA statute. Moreover, we also are grateful to Congress for 
passing a strong bipartisan-backed reauthorization of VAWA through 
2027. Now, it must be properly funded. Therefore, we support-at a 
minimum-the President's strong proposed investment FY23 request of $1 
billion for VAWA programs.
                   voca programs & crime victims fund
    The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) created the Crime Victims Fund 
(CVF), which serves as a mechanism to fund compensation and services 
for the Nation's victims of Federal crime. The Fund is comprised of 
money from criminals, and by law, the Fund is dedicated solely to 
victim services. For example, the Fund is used to help pay for state 
victim compensation and assistance programs and grants to victim 
service providers. A considerable amount supports victims' out-of-
pocket expenses such as medical and counseling fees, lost wages, and 
funeral and burial costs. In FY2019, 6.5 million victims of violent 
crime, including domestic violence, received services through Victim 
Assistance programs, according to the Department of Justice.\1\ The 
Fund provides formula grants to over 11,000 local victim assistance 
programs.\2\ These agencies provided services to nearly millions of 
victims of crime, including victims of murder, assault and sexual 
assault, domestic violence, child abuse, stalking and elder abuse, and 
others.
    The Crime Victims Fund is financed by fines, forfeitures, or other 
penalties paid by Federal crime offenders. Therefore, the Crime Victims 
Fund is not funded by taxpayer dollars. However, it is unfortunate 
Congress often carves out funds from the CVF to use as offsets for 
other government programs. Because CVF is comprised of non-taxpayer 
dollars, it should not be considered available for use for non-VOCA 
programs in the Federal budget. Moreover, as the former Congressional 
Victims' Rights Caucus would advocate, ``not only does raiding the 
Crime Victims Fund violate the intent of the law, but it violates the 
[VOCA] statute itself . . . '' Therefore, we recommend to the 
subcommittee that the Fund be used only for programs authorized under 
the VOCA statute. However, recent appropriations bills passed by 
Congress, and previous administrations' budget requests, have carved 
out funds from the Crime Victims Fund for non-VOCA authorized programs. 
As example, in FY2022, Congress transferred $575 million from the CVF 
to VAWA programs, the highest level. We applaud the President's budget 
for rightfully eliminating transfer, and we request the elimination of 
transfers that harm the Fund's long-term viability and ability to 
commit fully to crime victims.
    Finally, we recommend setting the Crime Victims' Fund cap to at 
least $2.65 billion. Congress established an appropriation cap on funds 
available for distribution intended to maintain the CVF as a stable 
source of support for future victim services. At the cap level, 
Congress will not only ensure the continuation of enhanced services to 
victims to meet their needs, but it also does not contribute or add to 
the National debt or deficit because these are non-taxpayer funds.
                             vawa programs
    Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime affecting 
millions of individuals across our Nation regardless of age, gender, 
socio-economic status, race or religion. The statistics are alarming. 
According to the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV)\3\:
  --More than 1 in 3 women have experienced rape, physical violence, 
        and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime.
  --Approximately 8 million women are raped, physically assaulted, and/
        or stalked by a current or former intimate partner each year.
  --1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have experienced rape in her or his 
        lifetime.
  --Nationwide, an average of 3 women are killed by a current or former 
        intimate partner every day.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
and The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) 
2015 Data Brief:
  --In the United States, intimate partner contact sexual violence, 
        physical violence, and/or stalking was experienced by 36.4% (or 
        43.6 million) of U.S. women during their lifetime.\4\
  --One in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced physical violence by 
        an intimate partner during their lifetime.\5\

    Also, of concern, are the following stats:
  --On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an 
        intimate partner in the United States. During 1 year, this 
        equates to more than 10 million women and men.\6\
  --Nationwide, an average of 3 women are killed by a current or former 
        intimate partner every day.\7\
  --Approximately 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic 
        violence annually.\8\

    Our nation's response to intimate partner and domestic violence is 
driven by VAWA programs. Each of these programs is critical to ensuring 
that victims are safe, that offenders are held accountable, and that 
our communities are more secure. Thanks to VAWA, steady progress has 
been made there are many victims who still suffer in silence. A 2021 
24-hour survey of domestic violence programs across the U.S. found that 
although 20,701 Hotline calls were received (averaging more than 14 
calls every minute). However, 9,444 requests for services (such as 
emergency shelter, transportation, or legal representation) went unmet 
because programs lacked the resources to provide them.\9\ Sixty-four 
percent of the unmet services were for Housing and Emergency Shelter. 
In total, 70,032 victims were served in one day. The unconscionable gap 
between need and resources only widens.
   daughters of penelope's work to support domestic violence shelters
    Why are VAWA and VOCA programs important to the Daughters of 
Penelope? In addition to our chapters supporting domestic violence 
shelters in their respective local communities, the Daughters of 
Penelope is a national sponsor and stakeholder of two domestic violence 
shelters-Penelope House in Mobile, Alabama, and Penelope's Place in 
Brockton, Massachusetts. In the past, the Daughters of Penelope has 
supported WIN Hellas, which is an NGO based in Athens, Greece, that is 
active in the prevention of violence against women.
    Penelope House was the first shelter established in Alabama when it 
opened its doors in 1979. Since then, Penelope House is recognized as a 
model shelter for others to emulate. VAWA and VOCA grant funding has 
been critical in helping Penelope House to meet its mission of 
providing safety, protection, and support to victims of domestic 
violence and their children through shelter, advocacy, and individual 
and community education. Penelope House has been awarded VAWA and VOCA 
grants from the following programs: Shelter Services, Court Advocate 
Program, and Transitional Living Program. Portions of these grants help 
to fund the case managers, case and court advocates, and children's 
counselors and program coordinators, among other employees who help to 
provide the life-saving support to domestic violence victims and their 
children.
 statistics--effectiveness and importance of vawa & voca grant funding
  --Historically, VOCA/VAWA grant funding more than 25% of Penelope 
        House's budget.

    Penelope House's Court Advocacy Program is funded by VOCA & VAWA. 
Its 2021 stats, which were all increases, yet still impacted by the 
coronavirus pandemic, for clients served were:
  --Adult Clients: 8,251
  --Children: 7,080
  --Court Appointments with Clients: 6.761
  --Clients Assisted to obtain protection from abuse or no contact 
        orders: 1,358

    VOCA supports the salaries and benefits for seven Court/Victim 
Advocates who provide services to victims of domestic violence 
throughout Mobile, Washington, Clarke, and Choctaw Counties of Alabama 
as they navigate within the court system. (VOCA grant funding has 
become increasingly important to Penelope House because its services 
were expanded to include more counties in Alabama.)
    VAWA supports a full-time Court Advocate Administrative Assistant 
and a portion of the salary for a Court/Victim Advocate for the Court 
Advocacy Program. The Court Advocate Administrative Assistant provides 
administrative support to Court/Victim Advocates and assistance to the 
Court Advocacy Supervisor. The assistant also collects and complies 
program data needed for the evaluation of the Court Advocacy Program. 
The Court Advocate Administrative Assistant is dually trained to serve 
as a Court/Victim Advocate when necessary, in case of illness or any 
other absence of court advocates. Thus, a victim will not have to be 
alone as he/she attempts to navigate within the court system.
    Penelope House's Emergency Shelter Program is funded by VOCA. It's 
2021 service stats-again impacted due to the pandemic-were:
  --Adults sheltered: 233
  --Children sheltered: 252
  --Total Client Service Hours: 4,226.24
  --Total Nights of shelter provided: 5,989
  --Crisis calls: 1,573
  --Meals Served: 15,824
                             recommendation
    The Daughters of Penelope (DOP) is requesting support for Victims 
of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, 
which are vital to DOP programs that serve its mission. Specifically, 
we request a Crime Victims Fund cap for fiscal year 2023 to be set at 
least at $2.65 billion and without any transfers to programs not 
authorized under the VOCA statute, as rightfully proposed by the 
President's FY23 budget. The Fund is not funded by taxpayer dollars. 
Therefore, the cap can be sustained or raised without adding to the 
National debt or deficit. We also support the Biden administration's 
strong investment request of $1 billion for VAWA programs, at a 
minimum.
    Clearly, as the missions of domestic violence centers across the 
country, such as Penelope House, have expanded into jurisdictions due 
to the unfortunate increased need to provide victims' services, the 
viability of VOCA and VAWA grants have become increasingly important to 
meet the victims' needs.
    Thank you for the opportunity to present and submit our written 
testimony before the subcommittee.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.justice.gov/doj/page/file/1249306/download, Page 
17.
    \2\ https://www.justice.gov/jmd/page/file/1489521/download, Page 
144.
    \3\ NNEDV Domestic Violence Fact Sheet, accessed https://nnedv.org/
wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Library_General_DV_SA_Factsheet.pdf.
    \4\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/2015data-
brief508.pdf.
    \5\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/intimatepartnerviolence/
fastfact.html f.
    \6\ https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/nisvs_report2010-
a.pdf.
    \7\ NNEDV Domestic Violence Fact Sheet, https://nnedv.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/07/DVSA-Fact-Sheet-July-2020.pdf.
    \8\ Ibid.
    \9\ 16th Annual Domestic Violence Counts Report, accessed https://
nnedv.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/16th-Annual-Domestic-Violence-
Counts-National-Summary-FINAL.pdf.

    [This statement was submitted by Kathy Bizoukas, National 
President]
                                 ______
                                 
                 Prepared Statement of Demand Progress
Dear Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the committee:

    Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony on improving 
transparency and accountability at the Department of Justice (DOJ). My 
name is Daniel Schuman and I serve as Policy Director at Demand 
Progress. We urge you to ensure congressional and public access to 
legal opinions rendered by the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) at the 
Justice Department that are afforded the force of law.
    Before I begin, please allow me to thank you for including language 
in the FY 2022 and FY 2021 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations 
Committee Joint Explanatory Statement concerning OLC opinions. We urge 
you to further strengthen that language.
                               background
    OLC's core function, according to an OLC memoranda, is to provide 
``controlling advice to Executive Branch officials on questions of law 
that are centrally important to the functioning of the Federal 
Government.'' \1\ This legal advice ``may effectively be the final word 
on the controlling law,'' yet it is routinely withheld from both 
Congress and the public.\2\ This withholding in effect creates secret 
law that controls agency actions but is shielded from both public 
debate and Congressional oversight.
    Secrecy undermines accountability. Congress must understand how the 
Executive branch interprets the Constitution and implements laws 
enacted by Congress. Allowing legal opinions that are accorded 
precedential value and the force of law to remain the sole province of 
the Executive branch thwarts Congress's lawmaking and oversight 
prerogatives. It removes consequences for agency decisions and short-
circuits the public feedback process integral to a functioning 
democracy.
    Secrecy also poisons the operations of the Office of Legal Counsel. 
Public scrutiny would create persistent pressure for the promulgation 
of responsible, high quality, objective legal opinions. By contrast, 
OLC legal opinion secrecy ensures the most salient incentive for OLC 
attorneys is to lean towards a legal opinion that a given 
administration desires--not the legal opinion that best reflects the 
law. There are high profile examples of this happening.\3\ In some 
instances, the OLC ultimately withdrew its own legal opinions when they 
came to light; in at least one instance, the OLC secretly concluded 
explicit statutory language was unconstitutional and, therefore, 
inapplicable to the Executive branch.\4\ Building transparency into the 
process helps ensure that OLC legal analyses face scrutiny by Congress, 
scholars, and members of the public.
    In December 2004, 19 former senior DOJ officials--including the 
now-Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Legal Counsel, 
Christopher Schroeder--endorsed a document calling for increased 
transparency, entitled Principles to Guide the Office of Legal 
Counsel.\5\ One principle was that ``OLC should publicly disclose its 
written legal opinions in a timely manner, absent strong reasons for 
delay or nondisclosure.'' \6\ According to the Principles document, 
public disclosure of written legal opinions is important because:

    Such disclosure helps to ensure executive branch adherence to the 
        rule of law and guard against excessive claims of executive 
        authority. Transparency also promotes confidence in the 
        lawfulness of governmental action. Making executive branch law 
        available to the public also adds an important voice to the 
        development of constitutional meaning--in the courts as well as 
        among academics, other commentators, and the public more 
        generally--and a particularly valuable perspective on legal 
        issues regarding which the executive branch possesses relevant 
        expertise.\7\

    A similar statement on the Office of Legal Counsel and the rule of 
law was released in October 2020, with significant contributions from a 
comparable array of legal experts.\8\ It endorsed publication of and 
transparency for OLC opinions. Specifically, the statement endorsed: a 
strong presumption in favor of publishing final OLC opinions; 
disclosing OLC advice deemed classified, privileged, or sensitive to 
congressional committees when an agency relies upon that advice to 
justify a major policy decision or executive action; and releasing a 
public index of its memoranda. ``OLC exercises a form of public trust, 
and because its views of the law's meaning shape executive action and 
policy, Congress and the public both have compelling interests in 
understanding the legal basis of executive action.''
    Transparency strengthens our constitutional order. It helps ensure 
that the checks and balances between the Legislative and Executive 
branches function as the framers intended. Congress must have 
visibility into how the Executive branch interprets the Constitution 
and implements laws enacted by Congress.\9\ The OLC must be 
incentivized to render legal opinions that apply the law without fear 
or favor.
    We note that OLC legal opinions are rendered both as ``formal 
opinions'' and ``informal advice.'' Both constitute legal advice that 
is binding within the Executive branch, follow a formal approval 
process, have precedential value within OLC, and are tracked in an OLC 
database. The major distinction is only the format in which the advice 
is rendered: a ``formal opinion'' is turned into a carefully formatted, 
written document and some are published online, whereas ``informal 
advice'' may be rendered as an email or in verbal form, which is then 
reduced to a memo for the record. Accordingly, we would apply the 
principle of transparency articulated in the Principles document to 
disclosure of OLC legal opinions regardless of format.
    We are aware of some limited disclosure provisions within the 2010 
Office of Legal Counsel Memorandum for Attorneys of the Office: Best 
Practices for OLC Legal Advice and Written Opinions.\10\ However, the 
last dozen years have demonstrated that this memorandum does not go far 
enough to protect the integrity of OLC legal opinions or confidence in 
the work of OLC attorneys. Indeed, the 2020 statement by legal experts 
declares ``OLC itself has been in crisis for some time.'' The process 
outlined in section III of the 2010 Memorandum, under a heading 
entitled Opinion Publication and Other Public Disclosure, is exactly 
the wrong approach. It describes a system that creates a presumption 
that OLC opinions will be withheld unless an arduous process is 
followed, with multiple consultations and veto points, and no end date. 
It requires that the publication committee affirmatively decide to 
publish an opinion.
                            recommendations
    Our request is twofold. First, we ask you to direct the Office of 
Legal Counsel to make its opinions publicly available upon issuance, 
except in narrow circumstances. The default for the government should 
be openness.\11\ Second, we request you direct the Office of Legal 
Counsel to release an index of all current OLC opinions and to update 
that index on a regular basis.
    The default rule must be that OLC legal opinions will be made 
publicly available contemporarily with their issuance. While there 
necessarily will be exceptions to disclosure, those exceptions should 
be narrow, constrained, and used only when necessary. Only Congress can 
guarantee this will happen. The FOIA is a powerful remedy, but it is 
slow, limited, and evaded by the Executive branch. The language 
included in the Joint Explanatory Statements accompanying the FY 2021 
and FY 2022 Appropriations bills has thus far been unavailing on OLC 
opinion transparency.\12\
    To address disclosure exceptions, Congress should direct the OLC to 
publicly release and maintain an index of all its opinions. OLC should 
publish the name of the opinion; the date it was finalized or revised; 
the author's name (i.e., the person who signed it); each recipient's 
name; identify whether the opinion has been withdrawn; and other 
salient information. Congress and the public should know how many OLC 
legal opinions exist. It is astonishing that there has yet to be a full 
accounting of the opinions.\13\
    There is precedent for an index. The FOIA Improvement Act, enacted 
in 2016, established a 25-year limit for the Executive branch to assert 
deliberative process privilege as an exemption to a FOIA request.\14\ A 
recent lawsuit brought by the Knight First Amendment Center, Francis v. 
DOJ, resulted in an agreement whereby the DOJ is producing indexes of 
OLC opinions more than 25 years old.\15\ Similarly, the 2020 statement 
by legal experts endorsed indices.
    We urge that you adopt more vigorous language concerning the Office 
of Legal Counsel contained in the report (H. Rept. 117-97) that 
accompanied the House Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies 
Appropriations Act for FY 2022. It would fully address the issues 
raised above and limit the Justice Department's ability to evade 
Congress's directive to make OLC opinions publicly available.
    Thank you again for the opportunity to submit this testimony.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Department of Justice, Memorandum for Attorneys of the Office 
re: Best Practices for OLC Advice and Written Opinions, July 16, 2010, 
available at: https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/legacy/
2010/08/26/olc-legal-advice-opinions.pdf.
    \2\ Id.
    \3\ See, for example, a Statement by Sen. Patrick Leahy at a 
February 26, 2010 hearing before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary 
entitled The Office of Professional Responsibility Investigation into 
the Office of Legal Counsel Memoranda, in which he said, ``The 
fundamental question here is not whether these were shoddy legal memos. 
They were shoddy legal memos. Everybody knows that.... It failed to 
cite significant case law; it twisted the plain meaning of statutes. 
The legal memoranda were designed to achieve an end.'' (emphasis 
added). See also a letter from select members of the Senate Committee 
on the Judiciary to Attorney General Garland urging the Department of 
Justice to not appeal D.C. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson's May 3, 
2021 decision ordering the release of an OLC memorandum (May 14, 2021), 
available at https://www.durbin.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2021-05-
14%20Letter%20to%20AG%20Garland.pdf. ``Given the gravity of the 
misconduct underlying OLC's March 2019 memo and DOJ's apparent 
misrepresentations when attempting to conceal the memo from the public 
. . . .''
    \4\ ``Report on the President's Surveillance Program,'' by the 
Offices of the Inspectors General of the Department of Defense, the 
Department of Justice, the Central Intelligence Agency, the National 
Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National 
Intelligence (July 10, 2009), at 14, available at https://
oig.justice.gov/reports/2015/PSP-09-18-15-full.pdf.
    \5\ ``Principles to Guide the Office of Legal Counsel'' (Dec. 21, 
2004), available at: https://scholarship.law.duke.edu/cgi/
viewcontent.cgi?article=2927&context=faculty_scholarship.
    \6\ Id.
    \7\ Id. (emphasis added).
    \8\ ``The Office of Legal Counsel and the Rule of Law,'' American 
Constitution Society (October 2020), available at: https://
www.acslaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/OLC-ROL-Doc-103020.
pdf.
    \9\ For example: the Department of Justice issued a secret Office 
of Legal Counsel opinion at the request of the Executive branch that 
authorized Executive branch employees to engage in torture. The opinion 
was unfounded and withdrawn when it came to light. Nevertheless, the 
DOJ would not prosecute the officials who obtained the advice because 
they were acting in conformity with an OLC opinion and the DOJ as a 
policy declines to prosecute those who follow its advice. This kind of 
circular reasoning undermines the rule of law. See ``Statement of the 
Attorney General Regarding Investigation into the Interrogation of 
Certain Detainees,'' Office of Public Affairs (June 30, 2011) ``I made 
clear at that time that the Department would not prosecute anyone who 
acted in good faith and within the scope of the legal guidance given by 
the Office of Legal Counsel regarding the interrogation of detainees.'' 
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/statement-attorney-general-regarding-
investigation-interrogation-certain-detainees.
    \10\ See ``Best Practices for OLC Legal Advice and Written 
Opinions,'' Office of Legal Counsel (July 2010), available at https://
www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/olc/legacy/2010/08/26/olc-legal-
advice-opinions.pdf
    \11\ See ``Freedom of Information Act, Memorandum for the Heads of 
Executive Departments and Agencies,'' The White House (January 21, 
2009), available at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-
office/freedom-information-act; ``Freedom of Information Act 
Guidelines,'' Office of the Attorney General (March 15, 2022), 
available at https://www.justice.gov/ag/page/file/1483516/download.
    \12\ While the report language included by the CJS Appropriations 
subcommittee in the House of Representatives addressed these issues 
squarely, the superseding Joint Explanatory Statement language on OLC 
opinions provides wiggle room and defers to the DOJ. See Report, 
Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 
2021, H. Rpt. 116-455, p. 59, https://www.congress.gov/116/crpt/
hrpt455/CRPT-116hrpt455.pdf, superseded by Joint Explanatory Statement, 
p. 61, https://docs.house.gov/billsthisweek/20201221/BILLS-116RCP68-
JES-DIVISION-B.pdf; see Report, Commerce, Justice, Science and Related 
Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2020, H. Rpt. 116-101, pp. 45-46, https:/
/www.congress.gov/116/crpt/hrpt101/CRPT-116hrpt101.pdf, superseded by 
Joint Explanatory Statement, p. 30, https://appropriations.house.gov/
sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/HR%201158%20-
%20Division%20B%20-%20CJS%20SOM%20FY20.pdf.
    \13\ Congress has previously considered legislation on OLC 
opinions. For example, the Senate Judiciary Committee favorably 
reported the OLC Reporting Act of 2008 (S. 3501, 110th Congress). We 
note the introduction in the 117th Congress of the DOJ OLC Transparency 
Act (S. 3858) and the SUNLIGHT Act of 2022 (H.R. 7619).
    \14\ Public Law 114-185 (114th Congress). https://www.congress.gov/
bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/337.
    \15\ The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University is 
publishing the index on its website. https://knightcolumbia.org/
reading-room/olc-opinions.
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                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of Entomological Society of America
    The Entomological Society of America (ESA) respectfully submits 
this statement for the official record in support of funding for the 
National Science Foundation (NSF). ESA joins the research community by 
requesting a robust fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriation of $11 billion 
for NSF, including strong support for the Directorate for Biological 
Sciences (BIO). Through activities within BIO, NSF advances the 
frontiers of knowledge about complex biological systems at multiple 
scales, from molecules and cells to organisms and ecosystems. In 
addition, the Directorate contributes to the support of essential 
research resources, including biological collections and field 
stations. NSF BIO is also the Nation's primary funder of fundamental 
research on biodiversity, ecology, and environmental biology.
    NSF is the only Federal agency that supports basic research across 
all scientific and engineering disciplines, outside of the medical 
sciences. Each year, the Foundation supports an estimated 300,000 
researchers, scientific trainees, teachers, and students, primarily 
through competitive grants to approximately 2,000 colleges, 
universities, and other institutions in all 50 States. NSF also plays a 
critical role in training the next generation of scientists and 
engineers through programs like the Graduate Research Fellowship 
Program (GRFP), ensuring that the United States will remain globally 
competitive in the future.
    NSF-sponsored research in entomology and other basic biological 
sciences, primarily supported through NSF BIO, provides the fundamental 
discoveries that advance knowledge and facilitate the development of 
new technologies and strategies for addressing societal challenges 
related to economic growth, national security, and human health. 
Because insects constitute two out of every three species, fundamental 
research on their biology has provided foundational insights across all 
areas of biology, including cell and molecular biology, genomics, 
physiology, ecology, behavior, and evolution. In turn, these insights 
have been applied toward challenges in a wide range of fields, 
including conservation biology, habitat management, livestock 
production, and pest management.
    Insects have long played an essential role as model organisms for 
understanding basic biological processes across all organisms and as 
sentinel species to give indications of potential environmental risks 
to human populations. For example, insect behavior patterns can be an 
indicator of climatic and environmental conditions, as many species and 
populations are forced to migrate or adapt due to the impacts of 
climate change. One area of NSF-supported research worthy of continued 
support is advancing our knowledge of the impact of environmental 
changes on important pollinators, including bumblebees. Better 
understanding how various factors, including those induced by climate 
change, impact bumblebee feeding behavior can help advance innovative 
methods to protect these insects and the agricultural economies that 
rely heavily on them for pollination.\1\ One recent study funded by the 
Systematics and Biodiversity Science cluster within BIO observed 
changes in the feeding behavior of bumblebees in response to changes in 
both the microbial and sugar content of nectar due to increases in 
temperature. This study, in conjunction with other ongoing research in 
this complex area, could have significant implications for the 
agricultural industry as it seeks to adapt to the impacts of climate 
change.\2\
    NSF also supports the development of technologies and methods that 
directly impact economic sectors that are highly dependent on 
entomology. For example, recent GRFP recipients have explored 
innovative approaches to managing pest-induced agricultural damage to 
commodity crops and insects' behavioral responses to external stimuli, 
with significant economic and human health implications. A recent study 
led by an NSF GRFP recipient investigated the effectiveness of post-
harvest cold storage in spotted-wing drosophila control. Spotted-wing 
drosophila is a uniquely devastating pest of small fruits like 
blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries owing to its ability to lay 
eggs in ripening fruit. The estimated revenue losses of wild 
blueberries due to spotted wing drosophila to amount to nearly $7 
million in the State of Maine alone.\3\ The study found that storing 
fruit at or near freezing temperatures for 3-5 days resulted in 
decreased pest survival. After accounting for slight daily cost 
depreciation from holding the crop and the initial investment of 
purchasing a cold storage system, farmers could realize individual net 
profits of $88,000 to $483,000 over 20 years by utilizing these post-
harvest cold storage protocols.\4\ This practice also has the potential 
to reduce the need for pesticides and could prevent unintentional 
spread of the pest through shipment and trade.
    Another study led by a GRFP recipient sought to determine whether 
certain compounds on the outer surface of German cockroaches play a 
role in shelter choice and aggregation. These insects are an abundant 
household and commercial pest globally, accounting for 15 percent of 
pest control industry sales across the U.S. and 40 percent of insect-
related household and structural damage in some States.\5\ Beyond these 
economic impacts, German cockroaches also pose health risks as both an 
asthma-causing allergen and a potential route of transmission for 
bacteria and other pathogens. Determining how cockroaches choose where 
to shelter could inform innovative control strategies. The study 
demonstrated that one candidate category of compounds, cuticular 
hydrocarbons, were not effective in causing the cockroaches to 
aggregate.\6\ The chemical cues important for inducing aggregation in 
German cockroaches remain unresolved, presenting an important challenge 
in urban pest biology and control that requires continued support from 
Federal research programs to promote health, well-being, and scientific 
understanding.
    In addition to funding research, NSF BIO plays a critical role in 
the curation, maintenance, and enhancement of physical-biological 
collections. These collections and their associated data sets serve a 
variety of purposes, and while they are particularly important to the 
field of entomology, their value to the broader scientific enterprise 
cannot be overstated. Physical collections enable the rapid 
identification and mitigation of costly invasive pests that affect 
agriculture, forestry, and human and animal health. This is only 
achievable because such collections are continuously being updated to 
reflect environmental changes, evolutionary developments, and shifting 
migratory patterns of invasive species around the world. Furthermore, 
new and emerging technologies enable scientists to gain novel insights 
from physical historic samples in an ongoing manner.
    While collections-focused awards are encouraging, ESA is concerned 
by the inconsistent Federal support for biological collections. Recent 
advancements in imaging, digitization, and data collection and storage 
technologies have caused some to question the necessity of continued 
support for existing biological collections. ESA recognizes that 
technological development is spurring substantive discussion about the 
future of biological collections. However, while these new developments 
and advancements will hopefully yield new benefits for biological 
research, they are not a replacement for physical biological 
collections. Furthermore, new and emerging technologies enable 
scientists to gain novel insights from physical historic samples in 
previously unanticipated way. Given their continuing relevance and 
broad application to domestic homeland security, public health, 
agriculture, food security, and environmental sustainability, ESA 
firmly supports continued Federal investment in programs supporting 
collections such as NSF's Infrastructure Capacity for Biological 
Research.
    Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and 
education across science and engineering disciplines, ESA supports an 
overall FY 2023 NSF budget of $11 billion. ESA requests robust support 
for the NSF BIO Directorate, which funds important research studies and 
biological collections, enabling discoveries in the entomological 
sciences to contribute to understanding environmental and evolutionary 
biology, physiological and developmental systems, and molecular and 
cellular mechanisms.
    ESA, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland, is the largest 
organization in the world serving the professional and scientific needs 
of entomologists and individuals in related disciplines. As the largest 
and one of the oldest insect science organizations in the world, ESA 
has over 7,000 members affiliated with educational institutions, health 
agencies, private industry, and government. Members are researchers, 
teachers, extension service personnel, administrators, marketing 
representatives, research technicians, consultants, students, pest 
management professionals, and hobbyists.
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer the Entomological Society of 
America's support for NSF research programs. For more information about 
the Entomological Society of America, please see http://
www.entsoc.org/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Main, Douglas. Bumblebees Are Going Extinct in a Time of 
`Climate Chaos'. Animals, National Geographic, 4 May 2021, https://
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/bumblebees-going-extinct-
climate-change-pesticides.
    \2\ Russell, Kaleigh A., and Quinn S. McFrederick. Elevated 
Temperature May Affect Nectar Microbes, Nectar Sugars, and Bumble Bee 
Foraging Preference--Microbial Ecology. SpringerLink, Springer US, 1 
Oct. 2021, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00248-021-01881-
x.
    \3\ Yeh, D. Adeline, Drummond, Francis A., Gomez, Miguel I., and 
Fan, Xiaoli. The Economic Impacts and Management of Spotted Wing 
Drosophila (Drosophila Suzukii): The Case of Wild Blueberries in Maine. 
Journal of Economic Entomology, 6 Jun. 2020, https://
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31943106/.
    \4\ Kraft, L.J. et al. Determining the effect of postharvest cold 
storage treatment on the survival of immature Drosophila suzukii 
(Diptera: Drosophilidae) in small fruits. Journal of Economic 
Entomology, 11 Sept. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa185.
    \5\ Lee, C.Y. and Wang, C. German cockroach infestations in the 
world and their social and economic impacts. In: Biology and Management 
of the German Cockroach, 2021, eds: Wang C, Lee CY, and Rust MK.
    \6\ Hamilton, J.A., Wada-Katsumata, A., and Schal, C. Role of 
cuticular hydrocarbons in German cockroach (Blattodea: Ectobiidae) 
aggregation behavior. Environmental Entomology, 28 Apr. 2019, https://
doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvz044.

    [This statement was submitted by Jessica Ware, PhD, President]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of Environmental and Energy Study Institute
    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony for the 
record in support of programs under the subcommittee's jurisdiction at 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support 
climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Environmental and Energy 
Study Institute (EESI) is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 on 
a bipartisan basis by members of Congress to help educate and inform 
policymakers, their staff, stakeholders, and the American public about 
the benefits of a low-emissions economy that prioritizes energy 
efficiency, renewable energy, and new clean energy technologies. In 
1988, EESI declared that addressing climate change is a moral 
imperative, and that has since guided our work.
    Climate adaptation and resilience work should complement and, when 
possible, contribute to a decarbonized, clean energy economy. From 
droughts to wildfires and hurricanes to extreme heat, different 
regions, States, and communities will experience different climate 
change-related threats. Communities need locally-tailored, accessible, 
and actionable data and support to make informed decisions to reduce 
their climate risks and safeguard the ecosystems on which they depend.
    This testimony is informed by EESI's report, A Resilient Future for 
Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from Solutions to 
Practice.\1\ This report is based on EESI's 16-part Congressional 
briefing series that featured 42 coastal resilience experts discussing 
federal, State, and local programs and policies conducting effective 
climate adaptation to coastal hazards. The testimony is also informed 
by EESI's 2021 article series on Federal resilience programs.\2\ This 
nine-part series reviews program background information, the program 
connection to adaptation and resilience, an example of the program in 
action, and results of the program for six NOAA programs.\3\
         national oceanic and atmospheric administration (noaa)
                        climate-related programs
    EESI supports the Biden-Harris Administration's budget, which would 
provide $6.9 billion for NOAA in fiscal year 2023. This would represent 
a $800 million increase from the 2022 enacted level of $6.1 billion. 
The budget also calls for $376 million specifically for climate 
resilience. NOAA plays a critical role in climate resilience work, in 
conjunction with other Federal agencies, and this amount of funding 
should be seen as a floor, not a ceiling, for what is needed to support 
U.S. communities as they adapt to the impacts of climate change.
    EESI's Congressional briefing on March 18, 2022, Climate Adaptation 
Programs Across Agencies,\4\ outlined NOAA's role in advancing 
adaptation and resilience work. Key NOAA tools highlighted in the 
briefing include Climate.gov, Drought.gov, Atlas 14, and the Digital 
Coast Sea Level Rise Viewer. These critical tools require funding to 
ensure they are up-to-date and accessible to people who want to apply 
the information to their work.
    The 2020s must be the decade where significant strides are made on 
climate adaptation and resilience planning, data, project 
implementation, and evaluation. All these efforts must be scaled up to 
meet the magnitude of the challenge we face. This is only possible with 
adequate, sustainable funding from Congress in support of this work.
    Thank you for your consideration.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy 
Recommendations from Solutions to Practice: https://www.eesi.org/
papers/view/a-resilient-future-for-coastal-communities.
    \2\ EESI Federal Resilience Programs article series: https://
www.eesi.org/federal
resilienceprograms.
    \3\ NOAA National Sea Grant College Program: https://www.eesi.org/
articles/view/federal-
resilience-series-noaa-national-sea-grant-college-program. NOAA Coral 
Reef Conservation Program: https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-
resilience-programs-noaa-coral-reef-conservation-program.
NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program: https://www.eesi.org/articles/
view/federal-resilience-programs-noaa-coral-reef-conservation-program. 
NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science: https://www.eesi.org/
articles/view/federal-resilience-programs-noaa-national-centers-for-
coastal-ocean-science.
NOAA Cooperative Institutes: https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/
federal-resilience-programs-noaa-cooperative-institutes. National 
Centers for Environmental Information: https://www.eesi.org/articles/
view/federal-resilience-programs-national-centers-for-environmental-
inform
ation. Mission ``Iconic Reefs:'' https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/
federal-resilience-programs-mis
sion-iconic-reefs.
    \4\ Climate Adaptation Programs across Agencies: https://
www.eesi.org/briefings/view/031822fed.

    [This statement was submitted by Daniel Bresette, Executive 
Director]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of Family Based Alternative Sentencing (FBAS)
    Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the 
subcommittee, I offer my written testimony in support of the request 
for $10 million for Family Based Alternative Sentencing (FBAS) 
currently funded through the Byrne Grant Program and administered by 
the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in 
the Department of Justice, to be used to fund State, local, and 
community agencies to replicate successful parenting sentencing 
alternative programs. FBAS corrects the systemic failure of American 
criminal justice to take the needs, emotions and well-being of families 
into account after arrest, pretrial and at sentencing following 
conviction, a failure which contributes to family disruption, 
alienation among children and community harm.
    I submit my testimony as a lawyer who has been active in, and a 
close observer of, criminal and juvenile justice in the United States 
for more than 45 years. I began my career as a criminal defense 
attorney with community based and law school legal clinics in Chicago, 
Illinois, and as staff attorney with the National Legal Aid and 
Defender Association in Washington, DC where I specialized in 
sentencing in criminal case. For 19 years I was the founding Executive 
Director of The Sentencing Project, also in Washington, DC. I also 
served as Executive Director of the John Howard Association of 
Illinois, an adult and juvenile corrections oversight organization. 
More recently I was Project Director for the New York based Center on 
Community Alternative's Project New Opportunity in Washington, DC, a 
reentry program staffed principally by previously-incarcerated 
individuals which achieved highly successful outcomes for persons 
released from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2017-2018.
    Over my career I have been the attorney for parents facing 
separation from their children at sentencing, spoken with scores of 
incarcerated parents and with their children, and represented and 
interviewed youth struggling with the emotional consequences of the 
incarceration of at least one parent. At Project New Opportunity, I saw 
up close how difficult family reunification could be after years of a 
parent's incarceration.
    My experience confirms the pain and adverse impacts that a parent's 
incarceration brings down upon their children which is described in 
research provided by others to the subcommittee.\1\ As a third-party 
witness, however, I cannot match the power of the voices of the 
formerly incarcerated parents and the children of incarcerated parents 
when they testify to their experience and to the damage to a child's 
social and emotional development, health, education, finances and 
housing stability that flows from incarceration of a parent.
    But as a former practitioner who has had much opportunity to 
observe criminal court processes and corrections operations, I would 
like to offer that Family Based Alternative Sentencing programs will 
help correct for a systemic failure, a deficiency in justice if you 
will, long present in criminal justice as it operates in this country.
    Historically and to my observation, criminal courts have not taken 
factors such as parental status and family relationships into account 
during the pendency of a case, in deciding pretrial release, or at 
sentencing after conviction.
    Surprisingly, being a parent with custody of a child is not one of 
the codified mitigating factors a court need consider in order to 
mitigate or help define an appropriate sentence.
    Similarly, criminal courts and the probation agencies under their 
supervision typically have not attempted to fashion sentences or 
administer supervision in ways that ameliorate the adverse impact of 
incarcerating a parent upon their children. As the research details, 
criminal courts have been quite content to leave the fate of children 
of parents they incarcerate to family courts, guardians at litem, child 
welfare case workers and foster parents, sometimes but not nearly often 
enough, with good effect.
    It may well be that these deficiencies came about because, in large 
part, current sentencing practices and sentences were shaped in the 
years before the dramatic increase in the number of women in State and 
Federal prisons--800% from 1978 to 2016.\2\ The fact is that as late as 
the early 1970's criminal courts and sentencing were dominated by 
males. Fewer women were being sentenced to prison, and men were less 
likely to be, or at least to be considered to be, the primary 
caregivers of their children.
    The responsibility for a failure of the system to take into account 
the needs of the children of parents facing incarceration is shared. 
Defense attorneys such as myself focused on our clients' legal 
defenses. With a few remarkable exceptions, most of us did not attend 
to family dynamics or to the trauma, disruption, or the psychological 
impact our client's case had on her or his child. Moreover, most 
defense attorneys--particularly over-extended and understaffed public 
defenders--were not equipped by training or with resources to take on 
the challenge of minimizing damage to a child when a parent is 
incarcerated, pretrial or after conviction.
    As for corrections, few state prison systems provide accommodations 
or material support for parents, even for incarcerated mothers, to help 
sustain family relationships.\3\
    My experience with reentry, in which family reunification is 
important, drove home the deficiencies of our courts and correctional 
agencies to address the issue while a parent is incarcerated. 
Personally, I observed parents released from Federal prison struggling 
to reconnect with children who had rejected them, were angry, had 
themselves become substance abusers, or who had bonded with another 
family. For all the years of their incarceration, often hundreds of 
miles from their children, these parents had not been counseled or 
assisted by programs designed to mitigate the pain and harm of 
separation. The closest to any kind of program of assistance were 
volunteer and non-profit-sponsored family bus trips to prison; multiple 
hours both ways that were themselves sometimes so trauma-inducing that 
incarcerated parents urged their children not to visit.
    The appropriations legislation you are considering is encouraging, 
a bright promise of improvement in justice. As the subcommittee will 
hear, there are now programs which provide alternatives to 
incarcerating parents. Programs in California, Illinois, Massachusetts, 
Tennessee, Oregon, and Washington are giving children greater stability 
and sense of belonging, contributing to family success, and, I have no 
doubt by doing so, helping to reduce crime, support families and 
improve communities. These programs have been shown to have high 
success rates compared to outcomes where there is no assistance or 
alternative to incarceration.
    The legislation before this subcommittee will provide support for 
programs that build upon these recent successes. That is why I 
respectfully urge the subcommittee to support $10 million in funding 
for programs that will help keep families together, will assist the 
children of incarcerated parents, and will encourage alternatives to 
incarceration for parents of children whenever possible.

Respectfully submitted,
Malcolm C. Young, Attorney at Law
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ For an earlier research-based study which sounded the alarm 
about the negative impact of incarcerating a parent, see: Allard, 
Patricia and Greene, Judith Children on the Outside: Voicing the Pain 
and Human Costs of Parental Incarceration, Justice Strategies (January 
2011).
    \2\ Carson, E., Prisoners under the jurisdiction of State or 
Federal correctional authorities, December 31, 1978-2016, Washington, 
DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics (2017).
    \3\ The exceptions demonstrate the rule. For example, the ``Moms 
and Babies'' program which the Illinois Department of Corrections 
launched in 2007, which I visited it while in Illinois, claimed a 
``Zero Percent Recidivism Rate'' after 4 years. It is regarded in many 
respects a model for programs that keep infants united with their 
mothers, of which there are only about seven others nationally. Yet, 
housed in Illinois' Logan Correctional Center which holds more than 
1,000 women, of whom about 70% have been mothers, after 11 years Moms 
and Babies reported having served just 90 mothers, on average less than 
9 per year. Illinois did not invest heavily in the program, claiming 
that it was ``budget-neutral'' and sustained by community donations and 
volunteers. Meanwhile, support for the hundreds of mothers not in the 
program and their families lagged. In 2015, a Gender Informed Practices 
Assessment (GIPA) conducted at Logan with technical assistance from 
National Institute of Corrections and the National Resource Center on 
Justice-Involved Women (NRCJIW) found major deficiencies in support for 
families, including termination of state-funded transportation for 
families seeking to visit incarcerated mothers. Prompted in part by the 
GIPA, Illinois enacted the Women's Correctional Services Act in 2017 
which directed the Illinois Department of Corrections to implement 
``gender responsive policies, practices, programs, and services [that 
are] considered relational, culturally competent, family-centered, 
holistic, strength-based, and trauma-informed.'' Yet as basic as its 
efforts were, Illinois is one of just a handful of States with any 
correctional programs or legislated mandates addressing the challenges 
confronting incarcerated parents and their children. A description of 
the advantages and limitations of the Logan program and the National 
context is provided in: Dworsky, A., Fedock, G., Schlecht, C., Malcome, 
M., Murray, C., & Hazel, C., Addressing the needs of incarcerated 
mothers and their children in Illinois, (Chapin Hall at the University 
of Chicago and the University of Chicago's School of Social Service 
Administration) 2020.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of Federation of American Societies
                        for Experimental Biology
Dear Chair Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:

    As the largest coalition of biomedical researchers in the United 
States, representing 28 member societies and 115,000 individual 
scientists, the Federation of American Societies for Experimental 
Biology (FASEB) recommends at least $11 billion for the National 
Science Foundation for FY 2023.
    Federal investments in fundamental research have led to remarkable 
progress in the biological and biomedical sciences. Basic research was 
the groundwork for the speed--months instead of years--that led to the 
development of COVID-19 vaccines and also supports pre-clinical 
research involving the use of animal studies to achieve medical 
progress.
    Despite Congress' bipartisan support for investing in science, 
Federal funding for research has not kept pace, posing a threat to our 
Nation's competitiveness. We face a real threat of losing our edge in 
industries such as biotechnology if we do not prioritize increasing 
investments in science, research infrastructure such as core 
facilities, and building a diverse workforce\1\ The U.S. spends less on 
research and development (R&D) than many countries. If the U.S. is to 
be prepared to respond to future threats, our scientific leadership 
must progress. According to Science Is Us, there is the added benefit 
of jobs. STEM supports 69 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, 
touches two out of three workers, and generates $2.3 trillion in tax 
revenue.\2\
    With a mandate to support fundamental research across all fields of 
science, engineering, and mathematics, the NSF is the cornerstone of 
our Nation's scientific and innovation enterprise while also advancing 
our security and economic interests. Through a new technology, 
innovation and partnerships directorate it will be better able to 
collaborate with other stakeholders to translate fundamental research 
into commercially viable products and services enhancing our 
competitiveness on the global stage. At current funding levels, NSF is 
not meeting the needs of researchers with innovative ideas bridging 
multiple disciplines that could bring forth new technologies and 
industries. Doubling NSF's grant award amounts and increasing their 
duration to 4 years from 3 years is needed.\3\ Many potentially 
fundable proposals are declined each year.
    Among Federal science agencies, NSF has the unique capacity to:

    Support Multi-Disciplinary Research.--By leveraging its portfolio 
across the sciences, NSF funds cutting-edge research at the interface 
of the physical, biological, and social sciences to tackle challenges 
in creative ways, including climate change, biodiversity loss, and one 
health.\4\
    Organize and Lead Research Partnerships at Speed and Scale.--The 
NSF coordinates and leads interagency research endeavors, including 
partnerships with NIH and DOE SC. These collaborations advance public 
health and clean energy, the development of artificial intelligence, 
and other national priorities.\5\
    Train the Next Generation of Scientists From Diverse Backgrounds.--
NSF plays a key role in creating educational pathways and supporting 
the accessibility of scientific education, training scientists from 
diverse backgrounds to increase inclusivity in science. These 
scientists--some of whom will become entrepreneurs--will work across 
different scientific disciplines, broaden participation in science and 
engineering among underrepresented and diverse groups.\6\
    Despite its critical role in accelerating science and innovation, 
NSF's budget has been flat in constant dollars since the 2010 COMPETES 
Act.\7\ There is also a pressing need to expand our scientific 
enterprise across all disciplines as well as diversify the STEM 
workforce. Recent data demonstrates that NSF was able to fund only 28 
percent of the high-quality research proposals that were submitted, 
rather than the National Science Board recommendation of 30 percent.\8\ 
According to the FY 2020 Merit Review Digest from NSF, approximately 
$3.9 billion was requested for declined proposals that were rated Very 
Good or higher in the merit review process (about 4,233 declined 
proposals received ratings of 4.0 or greater). These declined proposals 
represent a rich portfolio of unfunded opportunities--proposals that, 
if funded, may have produced substantial research and education 
benefits.\9\
    Meanwhile, according to the National Science Board's Science & 
Engineering (S&E) Indicators 2022 report, the US is falling behind at 
10 percent compared to China's 49 percent of international patents 
received from 2010 to 2020.\25\ The publication of research in peer-
reviewed literature--the primary mechanism for disseminating new S&E 
knowledge--grew at an annual average rate of three percent for high-
income countries such as the US compared 11 percent for upper middle-
income countries such as China, Russia and Brazil over a 10 year 
period.\10\
    Our recommendation of at least $11 billion, will allow NSF to 
establish a new grant program for early-career fellowships as 
envisioned in congressional legislation, fund more high-quality 
research proposals, and increase NSF's average award size.\11,12\ In 
addition, this funding level will support NSF's new technology, 
innovation and partnerships directorate (TIP) which will work with all 
of NSF's directorates and offices to advance the impacts of NSF-funded 
research by accelerating the translation of fundamental science and 
engineering discoveries into innovative new technologies and solutions. 
TIP will provide an optimized lab-to-market platform, fund the 
successful Partnerships for Innovation, Small Business Innovation 
Research, and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. NSF could 
also accelerate key priorities, including Big Ideas that include 
understanding the rules of life, future of work at the human-technology 
frontier, mid-scale research infrastructure, inclusion across the 
Nation, Innovation Corps, biotechnology and harnessing the data 
revolution for 21st Century Science and Engineering and major 
investments in graduate education.\13\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20201/executive-summary.
    \2\ STEM and the American Workforce. You've heard it before: STEM 
jobs - . . .  | by Science is US | Medium.
    \3\ Senate Appropriations Committee's Commerce ,Justice, Science 
and Related Agencies explanatory language for FY 2022, page 2 released 
Oct. 15, 2021.
    \4\ NSF's 10 Big Ideas, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, 
VA.
    \5\ NSF Collaborations with Federal Agencies and Others, National 
Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA.
    \6\ Education and Human Resources Directorate, National Science 
Foundation, Alexandria, VA.
    \7\ Subcommittee Report H.R. 2225--National Science Foundation for 
the Future Act July 2021.
    \8\ https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2021/nsf21002/tables.jsp Figure 1.5 
NSF Competitive Proposals, New Awards, and Funding Rate.
    \9\ National Science Foundation, National Science Board, ``Merit 
Review Process Fiscal Year 2020 Digest'', page. 42.
    \25\ SCIENCE & ENGINEERING INDICATORS 2022. Figure 25--Shares of 
international patents granted to inventors, by selected country or 
economy: 2010 and 2020.
    \10\ SCIENCE & ENGINEERING INDICATORS 2022.
    \11\ American Innovation Act, S. 1249.
    \12\ Supporting Early Career Researchers Act, H.R. 144, Section 3--
Supporting early-career research fellowship program.
    \13\ NSF Budget FY 2022.

    [This statement was submitted by Ellen Kuo, Associate Director, 
Legislative Affairs]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of Federation of Associations in
                     Behavioral and Brain Sciences
    The Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences 
(FABBS) is grateful for the opportunity to submit testimony for the 
record in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget for 
fiscal year 2023. FABBS represents twenty-seven scientific societies 
and over fifty university departments whose members and faculty share a 
commitment to advancing knowledge of the mind, brain, and behavior. As 
a leading member of the Coalition for National Science Funding, FABBS 
joins the broader scientific community in urging Congress to fund NSF 
with at least $11 billion in FY 2023.
    NSF-funded research pays long-term dividends in innovation and 
technologies driving our economy, national security, well-being, and 
other areas of significant importance to our Nation. In addition, NSF 
research and programs provide the tools to develop a workforce equipped 
for the challenges and technologies of the future and foster the next 
generation of scientists--with a commitment to broad participation--
whose work will keep this country at the forefront of discovery.
    We are grateful for the four percent increase provided to NSF in 
the FY 2022 omnibus spending legislation. Nonetheless, NSF needs more 
consistent and ambitious funding increases to meet our country's needs 
and to re-invigorate Federal research and development at a time when 
our global competitors are looking to surpass American investments. 
Funding for the NSF has remained stagnant over the past decade despite 
established bipartisan and bicameral support for the NSF, including 
essential contributions to prevent and address COVID-19, spark economic 
growth, and strengthen national security; and despite evidence that the 
U.S. has lost standing in international competitiveness.
    As the House and Senate move to conference on the America COMPETES 
Act and the United States Innovation and Competition Act, it is clear 
that now is the time to increase Federal support for the NSF to ensure 
the future health, security, and economic well-being of our Nation. 
While Congress provides an expanded vision for NSF, the agency requires 
additional resources to realize the potential of its existing programs. 
One out of every four basic research projects at higher learning 
institutions across the United States is supported by the NSF and the 
Foundation's merit review process is the international gold-standard. 
However, in FY 2020, almost $4 billion worth of proposals were rated 
very good but were declined due to inadequate resources.
    NSF Director Panchanathan has stated that proposals that do receive 
funding could produce better research outcomes and provide better value 
by increasing the size and duration of grants. In fact, he has said 
that NSF could double their budget on the current research and 
researchers that go unfunded, and ``a quadrupling of the funding is 
just barely enough to be able to take us to all the ideas being 
unleashed so that we might be far ahead of the competition.''
               social, behavioral, and economic sciences
    FABBS scientists have a particular interest in the Social, 
Behavioral and Economic (SBE) Sciences directorate, which provides an 
estimated 64 percent of the Federal funding for fundamental research in 
SBE sciences at academic institutions across the country.\1\ Thus, our 
fields are heavily dependent on the NSF to inform discoveries from 
expanding our understanding of the mechanisms of memory underlying 
brain activity, to contributing to the design and assessing the social 
and ethical consequences of new technologies.
    Findings from the brain and behavioral sciences have extensive 
reach and applicability. For example, SBE funded researchers studying 
violent extremism delivered new insights that the National security 
community is now using to develop more effective strategies to disrupt 
recruitment and counter extremism.
    During the COVID-19 pandemic, SBE scientists contributed in many 
ways, including through the Societal Experts Action Network (SEAN). 
This partnership between NSF's SBE directorate and the National 
Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine provided actionable 
responses to urgent policy questions. Consulting leading researchers in 
the social, behavioral, and economic sciences, SEAN has published 
guidance to inform more effective public policy.\2\ The National 
Science Foundation's ability to conduct rapid-response programs such as 
SEAN is just one example of the many ways in which NSF is uniquely 
suited to capitalize on scientific discovery for the betterment of 
society.
    SBE is also home to the National Center for Science and Engineering 
Statistics (NCSES), a Federal statistical agency that provides 
statistical information about the United States' science and 
engineering (S&E) enterprise. NCSES collects, analyzes, and 
disseminates data on research and development (R&D), the S&E workforce, 
the condition and progress of science, STEM education, and U.S. 
competitiveness in science, engineering, and technology R&D.
                technology, innovation, and partnerships
    On March 16, NSF officially launched a new Directorate for 
Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP). This exciting new 
venture will take a cross-cutting approach to speed the translation of 
basic research to make a difference in American's lives. By building on 
existing multidisciplinary programs, such as the Convergence 
Accelerator, TIP will integrate the expertise of all NSF directorates 
to spearhead new use-inspired research.
    To maximize the benefits of the TIP directorate, NSF must make sure 
to take full advantage of the behavioral and brain sciences. All of the 
directorate's target focuses, such as clean energy, quantum science, 
artificial intelligence, supercomputing, etc., have human components. 
Whether it is optimizing the user interface for a new technology or 
finding the most effective way to communicate with lay audiences, brain 
and behavioral scientists should be included to help maximize the 
return on investment for these new programs.
    Substantial, sustained funding increases will allow NSF to realize 
the full potential of the TIP directorate by investing in critical new 
programs while bolstering the existing investments in basic research--
including in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences--which 
underly future societal, economic, and technological advances.
    In addition to receiving support from SBE, FABBS members appreciate 
critical funding from the Computer and Information Science and 
Engineering Directorate (CISE), which funds research on topics such as 
human-technology interaction and cyber-assisted learning, the 
Biological Sciences (BIO) Directorate, which funds research on topics 
such as sleep and circadian rhythms and sex differences in responses to 
stress, and the Education and Human Resources (EHR) Directorate, which 
funds research on increasing America's human capital through effective 
education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. EHR is 
especially vital to expanding participation in science through programs 
such as S-STEM, which provides scholarships to enable low-income 
students with academic ability, talent, or potential to pursue 
successful careers in promising STEM fields.
    Increasing Federal investment in fundamental scientific research 
across all sciences is critical to ensuring the future prosperity, 
security, and health of our Nation and its people. We urge you to 
provide NSF with at least $11 billion for FY 2023. Along with the 
broader scientific community, we believe that increased funding for 
fundamental scientific research would set the NSF on a path to yield 
transformative benefits to the country. We thank you in advance for 
your commitment to robust funding in fiscal Year 2023 and efforts to 
complete the budget in a timely manner.
    Thank you for considering this testimony.
FABBS Member Societies:
    Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research, American Educational 
        Research Association, American Psychological Association, 
        American Psychosomatic Society, Association for Applied 
        Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, Association for Behavior 
        Analysis International, Behavior Genetics Association, 
        Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Cognitive Science Society, 
        Flux: The Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 
        International Congress of Infant Studies, International Society 
        for Developmental Psychobiology, National Academy of 
        Neuropsychology, The Psychonomic Society, Society for 
        Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Society for Computation in 
        Psychology, Society for Judgement and Decision Making, Society 
        for Mathematical Psychology, Society for Psychophysiological 
        Research, Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, 
        Society for Research in Child Development, Society for Research 
        in Psychopathology, Society for the Scientific Study of 
        Reading, Society for Text & Discourse, Society of Experimental 
        Social Psychology, Society of Multivariate Experimental 
        Psychology, Vision Sciences Society
FABBS Affiliates:
    APA Division 1: The Society for General Psychology; APA Division 3: 
        Experimental Psychology; APA Division 7: Developmental 
        Psychology; APA Division 28: Psychopharmacology and Substance 
        Abuse; Arizona State University; Binghamton University; Boston 
        College; Boston University; California State University, 
        Fullerton; Carnegie Mellon University; Duke University; East 
        Tennessee State University; Florida International University; 
        George Mason University; George Washington University; 
        Georgetown University; Harvard University; Indiana University 
        Bloomington; Johns Hopkins University; Lehigh University; 
        Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Michigan State 
        University; New York University; North Carolina State 
        University; The Ohio State University, Center for Cognitive and 
        Brain Sciences; Pennsylvania State University; Princeton 
        University; Purdue University; Rice University; Southern 
        Methodist University; Syracuse University; Temple University; 
        Texas A&M University; Tulane University; University of Arizona; 
        University of California, Berkeley; University of California, 
        Irvine; University of California, Los Angeles; University of 
        California, Riverside; University of California, San Diego; 
        University of Chicago; University of Delaware; University of 
        Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; University of Iowa; University of 
        Maryland, College Park; University of Michigan; University of 
        Minnesota; University of Minnesota, Institute of Child 
        Development; University of North Carolina at Greensboro; 
        University of Oregon; University of Pennsylvania; University of 
        Texas at Austin; University of Texas at Dallas; University of 
        Virginia; University of Washington; Virginia Tech; Wake Forest 
        University; Washington University in St. Louis; Western 
        Kentucky University; Yale University
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.nsf.gov/about/budget/fy2023/pdf/74_fy2023.pdf.
    \2\ https://www.nationalacademies.org/our-work/societal-experts-
action-network.

    [This statement was submitted by Juliane Baron, Executive Director]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University
    Chairman Leahy, Chairman Shaheen, Vice Chairman Shelby, Ranking 
Member Moran, and Members of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and 
Related Agencies subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit 
public testimony on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. Florida A&M 
University (FAMU) is grateful for the historic support of Congress 
during the pandemic. Increased funding for the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Education Partnership Program with 
Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) and the National Sea Grant 
College Program, as well as the National Science Foundation's (NSF) 
Education and Human Resources will have a direct impact on our 
University, our students, our region, and our Nation.
    Florida A&M University, based in the State capital of Tallahassee, 
Florida, was founded in 1887 with only 15 students and two instructors. 
Today, FAMU offers 95 degree programs to nearly 10,000 students. We are 
proud to be the highest ranked among public Historically Black Colleges 
and Universities (HBCU) for three consecutive years, according to the 
2022 U.S. News and World Report National Public Universities. The 
University is a leading land-grant research institution with an 
increased focus on science, technology, research, engineering, 
agriculture, and mathematics. As noted by Diverse Issues, FAMU is a top 
producer of African American undergraduate degrees and doctoral degrees 
in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
    The Federal Government is a key partner and resource for FAMU. The 
Federal science agencies, in particular, support a wide range of the 
University's education, research, and training programs. In turn, we 
produce highly-skilled graduates in critical disciplines and conduct 
cutting edge research benefitting the Federal Government as well as the 
Nation. FAMU strongly supports funding for two important education 
programs under the Department of Commerce National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as well as education programs under 
the National Science Foundation Directorate for Education & Human 
Resources (EHR).
 noaa education partnership program with minority serving institutions
    FAMU is one of the four lead universities for the NOAA Education 
Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) 
Cooperative Science Centers (CSCs), and as such we support the FY 2022 
Senate recommended allocation of $22 million for the program. The goal 
of the EPP/MSI is to increase the number of students, particularly from 
underrepresented communities, who attend MSIs and graduate with degrees 
in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) relevant to 
NOAA's mission.
    In August 2016 under the EPP/MSI program, NOAA awarded Cooperative 
Science Centers (CSCs) to four universities under 5-year cooperative 
agreements. This was the latest round of CSC awards since the program 
was first established in 2001. FAMU is the lead university for the 
Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems, one of the four CSCs. Our 
partners include Bethune Cookman University, California State 
University Monterey Bay, Jackson State University, Texas A&M University 
(Corpus Christi), and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. The 
annual appropriation supports FAMU, along with other lead MSIs, which 
partner with 24 additional U.S. colleges and universities as part of 
the CSC program with faculty and students conducting research that 
further supports NOAA's mission.
    In April 2022, FAMU hosted Phase II of the Tenth Biennial NOAA EPP/
MSI Education and Science Forum with over 460 registrants after holding 
the first phase virtually in 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns. The focus 
of the Forum is expanding academic training in NOAA-mission STEM 
disciplines, through partnership activities as well as promoting career 
opportunities for STEM graduates in the public, private, and academic 
sectors.
    Since 2001, NOAA EPP/MSI Cooperative Science Centers institutions 
have awarded post-secondary degrees to over 2,500 students in fields 
that support NOAA's mission. Over the same time period, these 
institutions awarded over half of the doctoral degrees that were earned 
by African Americans in both atmospheric science and marine science in 
the United States. We support an increase in funding for this critical 
program, which supports NOAA-related research, increases diversity of 
the STEM workforce and fosters American competitiveness in STEM fields. 
We urge the subcommittee to again recommend an allocation of $22 
million for the NOAA EPP/MSI program.
                noaa national sea grant college program
    FAMU also strongly supports the subcommittee providing the FY 2022 
Senate recommended allocation of $90 million for NOAA's National Sea 
Grant College Program, which works to create and maintain a healthy 
coastal environment and economy. The Sea Grant network consists of a 
federal/university partnership between NOAA and 34 university-based 
programs in every coastal and Great Lakes state, Puerto Rico, and Guam. 
The network draws on the expertise of more than 3,000 scientists, 
engineers, public outreach experts, educators, and students to help 
citizens better understand, conserve, and utilize America's coastal and 
Great Lakes resources.
    The Florida Sea Grant program is a Statewide program headquartered 
at the University of Florida. The program supports research, education 
and extension to conserve coastal resources and enhance economic 
opportunities for the citizens of Florida. Since 1997, faculty and 
students at 13 participating institutions, including FAMU, have 
received Federal funding from the Florida Sea Grant. In 2020, the 
economic impact of the Florida Sea Grant program was $16.6 million and 
resulted in 465 jobs created or sustained. The program also supported a 
variety of research and training relevant to Florida's coastal 
communities and related industries, including developing a model to 
project future flood risks to support Florida's coastal resiliency 
plans. The program augments the State's artificial reef efforts and 
helps to protect, enhance and restore coastal habitat. Nationally, the 
Sea Grant program had an economic impact of $519.5 million in 2021, far 
exceeding the Federal investment in the program. The national program 
helped to create or sustain 11,044 jobs and 1,332 businesses. It also 
supported over 2,000 graduate and undergraduate students and fellows.
    Last year, the Senate proposed to substantially increase funding 
for the National Sea Grant College Program under NOAA's Office of 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR). Continued funding for this 
program, which has been in existence for more than 50 years, is 
critical to supporting Great Lakes and coastal communities, including 
those in Florida, through research, extension and education. FAMU, as a 
member of the Florida Sea Grant program, urges the subcommittee to 
again recommend an allocation of $90 million for the Sea Grant program.
             national science foundation education programs
    The NSF Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) 
supports a wide variety of programs across all levels of education in 
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In particular, 
FAMU supports funding for the broadening participation programs aimed 
at increasing the participation of underrepresented populations in STEM 
education and, ultimately, the STEM workforce. These programs include 
the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program 
(HBCU-UP). FAMU urges the subcommittee to support the President's 
budget request of $48.5 million for HBCU-UP.
    FAMU has received significant research funding through NSF, which 
has supported various research projects as well as programs to promote 
underrepresented minorities in STEM careers. FAMU continues to pursue 
NSF resources for innovative projects and encourages the subcommittee 
to provide robust funding for NSF's education programs.
    The President's FY 2023 budget requests $1.38 billion for NSF's EHR 
programs. The budget also proposes an increase in the HBCU-UP program. 
Funding at the President's budget request for EHR and the HBCU-UP would 
allow NSF to expand its important work of supporting STEM education 
programs, particularly its broadening participation programs directed 
at underrepresented populations.
    We urge the subcommittee to support funding increases for these 
critical NOAA and NSF education programs. We thank you for your 
continued support of Federal postsecondary initiatives that not only 
directly benefit our University but our region and our Nation as well. 
Thank you for your consideration.

    [This statement was submitted by Larry Robinson, PhD, President]
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of the Geological Society of America
    The Geological Society of America (GSA) supports increased 
investments in geoscience research and education at the National 
Science Foundation (NSF) and National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA). GSA encourages Congress to appropriate at least 
$11 billion for NSF in Fiscal Year 2023 and provide increases to NASA's 
Science Mission Directorate and its Earth Science and Planetary Science 
Divisions. Investment in NSF and NASA is necessary to secure America's 
future economic leadership, both through the discoveries made and the 
talent developed through their programs. For the United States to 
remain a global leader, the Nation must provide greater investment in 
its people, particularly women and individuals from other groups 
traditionally underrepresented in STEM fields. Earth and space science 
at these two agencies play a vital role in American prosperity and 
security through understanding and documenting mineral and energy 
resources that underpin economic growth; researching and monitoring 
potential natural hazards that threaten U.S. and international 
security; informing communities about the impacts of a changing 
climate; and determining and assessing water quality and availability.
    GSA is a scientific society with members from academia, government, 
and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, 
publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its 
members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. GSA 
encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and 
social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and 
supports all levels of earth science education.
                      national science foundation
    The Geological Society of America (GSA) appreciates the increase to 
the National Science Foundation (NSF) budget in FY 2022 and thanks the 
Committee for recognizing the important role that the agency plays in 
our country's global competitiveness. We urge Congress to provide NSF 
at least $11 billion in FY 2023. Increases in funding will allow NSF to 
continue to support its core basic research in addition to growing 
investments in its Ten Big Ideas and other transformational research, 
such as that funded by the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation 
and Partnerships (TIP).
    Sustained increases beyond inflation are necessary to regain 
America's science and technology leadership and to enable the 
discoveries that lead to future innovations and industries. Data from 
the Merit Review Process Fiscal Year 2020 Digest show that NSF receives 
many more high-quality proposals than it can fund. In FY 2020, NSF was 
only able to fund 28% of the proposals received. The report noted, 
``Approximately $3.9 billion was requested for declined proposals that 
were rated Very Good or higher in the merit review process--proposals 
that, if funded, may have produced substantial research and education 
benefits.''
    Geoscience research is a critical component of the overall science 
and technology enterprise and a key contributor to groundbreaking 
research across disciplines at NSF. Increased investments in NSF's 
geoscience portfolio are necessary to address pressing issues including 
natural hazards, energy and minerals, water resources, and education.
  --There is a vital need to understand the abundance and distribution 
        of critical mineral resources, as well as the geologic 
        processes that form them, as articulated in the Energy Policy 
        Act of 2020. NSF's Division of Earth Sciences supports research 
        on the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth and 
        the processes that govern the formation and behavior of the 
        Earth's materials. This research contributes to a better 
        understanding of the natural distribution of mineral and energy 
        resources.
  --The quality and quantity of surface water and groundwater have a 
        direct impact on the wellbeing of societies and ecosystems, as 
        evidenced by flooding and drought impacts experienced across 
        the U.S. during the past year. NSF's research addresses major 
        gaps in our understanding of water availability, quality, and 
        dynamics, including the impact of both a changing climate and 
        human activity on the water system.
  --The Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences provides critical 
        infrastructure and research funding for understanding our 
        planet, including weather and precipitation variability, 
        atmospheric conditions, and space weather hazards. NSF is a key 
        partner in obtaining data necessary to predict severe space 
        weather events, which affect the electric power grid, satellite 
        communications, and navigation systems, as noted in The 
        Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve 
        the Forecasting of Tomorrow Act (PROSWIFT Act), which was 
        signed into law in October of 2020.
  --Understanding the oceans is key to a sustainable future. The 
        National Research Council report Sea Change,2015-2025 Decadal 
        Survey of Ocean Sciences highlights areas of research that are 
        need to make informed decisions. These include better 
        characterizing risk and the ability forecast geohazards such as 
        earthquakes, tsunamis, undersea landslides, and volcanic 
        eruptions; rates, mechanisms, impacts, and geographic 
        variability of sea level change; and changes in the marine 
        food.
  --Natural hazards are a major cause of fatalities and economic 
        losses. NOAA found in 2021 alone, 20 weather/climate disaster 
        events with losses greater than $1 billion. An improved 
        scientific understanding of hazards will reduce future losses 
        by informing effective planning and mitigation. We urge 
        Congress to support NSF investments in fundamental Earth 
        science research and facilities that underpin innovations in 
        natural hazards monitoring and warning systems. For example, 
        the Coastlines and People Hubs for Research and Broadening 
        Participation initiative aims to understand the impacts of 
        coastal environmental variability and natural hazards on 
        populated coastal regions.
             national aeronautics and space administration
    GSA appreciates past committee support of NASA Science and requests 
increases to NASA's Science Mission Directorate and its Earth Science 
and Planetary Science Divisions in FY 2023 as proposed in the 
President's budget request. Increased funding will be critical to 
implement the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences 
report, Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth 
Observation from Space. The report notes:

    ``Earth science and derived Earth information have become an 
        integral component of our daily lives, our business successes, 
        and society's capacity to thrive. Extending this societal 
        progress requires that we focus on understanding and reliably 
        predicting the many ways our planet is changing.''

    The data and observations from Earth observing missions and 
research are a tremendously important resource for natural resource 
exploration and land use planning, as well as assessing water 
resources, natural disaster impacts, global agriculture production. The 
Landsat satellites have amassed the largest archive of remotely sensed 
land data in the world. On September 27, 2021, the NASA/USGS Landsat 
program launched its ninth satellite in its 50 year program that will 
operate in tandem with Landsat 8 and replace Landsat 7. GSA supports 
interagency efforts to ensure the future viability of Landsat 
satellites as well as funding to increase the capabilities and uses of 
multi-spacecraft constellations of small scientific satellites.
    By looking at our planet as an integrated system, NASA's Earth and 
climate science efforts are among the Nation's most effective tools to 
understand and tackle climate change. For example, NASA's new Earth 
System Observatory consists of a series of Earth-focused missions that 
will create a holistic view of the Earth to provide key information 
related to climate change, natural hazards and agricultural processes. 
In addition, NASA's proposal to create an Earth Information Center will 
make data more accessible to communities most affected by climate 
change.
    Planetary research is directly linked to Earth science research and 
cuts in either program will hinder the other. In order to support 
missions to better understand the workings of the entire solar system, 
planetary scientists engage in both terrestrial field studies and Earth 
observation to examine geologic features and processes that are common 
on other planets, such as impact structures, volcanic constructs, 
tectonic structures, and glacial and fluvial deposits and landforms. In 
addition, geochemical planetary research studies include investigations 
of extraterrestrial materials now on Earth, including lunar samples, 
meteorites, cosmic dust particles, and, most recently, particles 
returned from comets and asteroids. We appreciate past congressional 
support for Planetary Science and urge you to continue to investment to 
allow NASA to move forward with priority missions as identified in the 
recent decadal survey, Origins, Worlds, and Life: A Decadal Strategy 
for Planetary Science and Astrobiology 2023-2032.
              support needed to educate future innovators
    For the United States to remain a global leader, the Nation must 
provide greater investment in its people, including women and 
individuals from other groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM 
fields. NSF's Education and Human Resources Directorate researches and 
improves the way we teach science and provides research and fellowship 
opportunities for students that encourage them to continue in the 
sciences. Similarly, NASA's educational programs, led by NASA's Office 
of STEM Engagement and directorates, have inspired and led many into 
science careers. GSA fully supports these efforts, as well as 
additional programs to make the geoscience workforce more diverse, such 
as NSF INCLUDES. Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners 
of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science.
    Please contact GSA Director for Geoscience Policy Kasey White to 
learn more about the Geological Society of America--including GSA 
Position Statements on water resources, planetary research, energy and 
mineral resources, natural hazards, climate change, and public 
investment in Earth science research.
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission 
                                (GLIFWC)
    Summary of GLIFWC'S FY 2023 Testimony.--GLIFWC supports sustained 
funding for the TRGP at no less than the FY 2022 enacted funding level. 
GLIFWC is closely monitoring misinformation and harassment related to 
the exercise of treaty rights and is working proactively with other 
jurisdictions to address social conflict and prevent its potential 
progression into extremism. This program has enabled GLIFWC to solidify 
its communications, training, and equipment requirements, essential to 
ensuring the safety of GLIFWC officers and the role of GLIFWC 
Conservation officers within the proper functioning of 
interjurisdictional emergency mutual assistance networks in the treaty 
ceded territories.
    Ceded Territory Treaty Rights and GLIFWC'S Role.--GLIFWC was 
established in 1984 as a ``Tribal organization'' within the meaning of 
the Indian Self-Determination Act (Public Law 93-638). It exercises 
authority delegated by its member Tribes to implement Federal court 
orders and various interjurisdictional agreements related to their 
treaty rights. GLIFWC assists its member Tribes in:
  X  securing and implementing treaty guaranteed rights to hunt, fish, 
        and gather in Chippewa treaty ceded territories; and
  X  cooperatively managing, restoring and protecting ceded territory 
        natural resources and their habitats.

        
        

    For over nearly 40 years, Congress and various Administrations have 
funded GLIFWC through the BIA, the Department of Justice, and other 
agencies to meet specific Federal obligations under: (1) a number of 
US/Chippewa treaties;\1\ (2) the Federal trust responsibility; (3) the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, the Clean Water 
Act, and other Federal legislation; and (4) various court decisions, 
including a 1999 US Supreme Court case, that affirmed the treaty rights 
of GLIFWC's member Tribes. Under the direction of its member Tribes, 
GLIFWC operates a ceded territory hunting, fishing, and gathering 
rights protection/implementation program through its staff of 
biologists, scientists, technicians, conservation enforcement officers, 
and public information specialists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Specifically, the Treaty of 1836, 7 Stat. 491; Treaty of 1837, 
7 Stat. 536; Treaty of 1842, 7 Stat. 591; and Treaty of 1854, 10 Stat. 
1109. The rights guaranteed by these treaties have been affirmed by 
various court decisions, including a 1999 U.S. Supreme Court case.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Community-Based Policing.--GLIFWC's officers carry out their duties 
through a community-based policing program. The underlying premise of 
that program is that effective detection and deterrence of illegal 
activities, as well as education of the regulated constituents, are 
best accomplished if the officers work within the Tribal communities 
they primarily serve. The officers work with reservation communities of 
the following member Tribes: in Wisconsin--Bad River, Lac Courte 
Oreilles, Lac du Flambeau, Red Cliff, Sokaogon Chippewa (Mole Lake), 
and St. Croix; in Minnesota--Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs; and in 
Michigan--Bay Mills, Keweenaw Bay, and Lac Vieux Desert. To help 
develop mutual trust between GLIFWC officers and Tribal communities, 
officers provide outdoor skills workshops and safety classes (hunter, 
boater, snowmobile, ATV) to Tribal youth in grades 4-8. GLIFWC's 
officers also actively participate in summer and winter youth outdoor 
activity camps, kids fishing events, workshops on canoe safety and rice 
stick carving, and seminars on trapping and archery/bow safety.
    During the COVID-19 pandemic, GLIFWC's member Tribes saw a rise in 
harassment incidents across the ceded territory. GLIFWC's Conservation 
Officers have responded by increasing their coordination and 
cooperation with local law enforcement and by documenting and mapping 
the locations of these incidents. In May 2021, a roundtable discussion 
was held that included Senator Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin Governor Tony 
Evers, DNR Secretary Preston Cole, Tribal leaders, and State and Tribal 
law enforcement to discuss how best to prevent and respond to these 
incidents. GLIFWC Conservation Officers have also increased their 
outreach to county sheriff's departments.
    GLIFWC's member Tribes realize it is critical to build 
relationships between Tribal youth and law enforcement officers as a 
means of combatting gang recruitment and drug/alcohol abuse in 
reservation communities. GLIFWC is continuing to implement community 
policing strategies to build community relationships targeting Tribal 
youth. GLIFWC Conservation Officers continue to work to improve and 
expand youth outdoor recreation activities to help prevent violations 
of Tribal off-reservation codes, improve public safety and promote an 
outdoor lifestyle as an alternative to potentially turning to 
violence\2\ and substance abuse\3\. GLIFWC, in partnership with the 
U.S. Forest Service, plans to resume its Camp Onji-Akiing (From the 
Earth) in 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ The American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth population 
is more affected by gang involvement than any other racial population. 
15% of AI/AN youth are involved with gangs compared to 8% of Latino 
youth and 6% of African American youth nationally. (National Council on 
Crime and Delinquency: Glesmann, C., Krisberg, B.A., & Marchionna, S., 
2009).
    \3\ 22.9% of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) youth aged 
12 and older report alcohol use, 18.4% report binge drinking and 16.0% 
report substance dependence or abuse. In the same group, 35.8% report 
tobacco use and 12.5% report illicit drug use. (2010 National Survey on 
Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Interaction With Law Enforcement Agencies.--GLIFWC's Conservation 
Officers are integral members of regional emergency services networks 
in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. They not only enforce the 
Tribes' conservation codes but are fully certified officers who work 
cooperatively with authorities from other jurisdictions when they 
detect violations of State or Federal criminal and conservation laws. 
These partnerships evolved from the inter-governmental cooperation 
required to combat the violence experienced during the early 
implementation of treaty rights in Wisconsin. As time passed, GLIFWC's 
professional officers continued to provide a bridge between local law 
enforcement and many rural Indian communities.
    GLIFWC remains at this forefront, using DOJ funding to develop 
interjurisdictional legal training that is attended by GLIFWC officers, 
Tribal police and conservation officers, Tribal judges, Tribal and 
county prosecutors, and State and Federal agency law enforcement staff. 
DOJ funding has also enabled GLIFWC to certify its officers as medical 
emergency first responders, and to train them in search and rescue, 
particularly in cold water rescue techniques. When a crime is in 
progress or emergencies occur, local, State, and Federal law 
enforcement agencies look to GLIFWC's officers as part of the mutual 
assistance networks. In fact, the role of GLIFWC's officers in these 
networks was further legitimized in 2007 by the passage of Wisconsin 
Act 27, which affords GLIFWC wardens the same statutory safeguards and 
protections that are afforded to their DNR counterparts. GLIFWC wardens 
now have access to the criminal history database and other information 
to identify whom they are encountering in the field so that they can 
determine whether they are about to face a fugitive or some other 
dangerous individual.
    GLIFWC's participation in mutual assistance networks located 
throughout a 60,000 square mile region increases public safety in an 
effective and cost-efficient manner. In 2020, GLIFWC officers utilized 
prior DOJ funded training and equipment to assist in the patrol of 
276,345 vehicle miles. GLIFWC officers continued to assist federal, 
State and local officers in: (1) responding to emergency backup 
requests from other law enforcement agencies; (2) accidents; (3) search 
and rescue operations; (4) medical calls including requiring CPR and an 
AED to resuscitate citizens; and (5) removing commercial fishing nets 
that have been damaged due to Lake Superior's strong storms or 
vandalism which pose navigation hazards.
    Looking to the Future.--Tribal members are relying more heavily on 
off-reservation treaty harvesting activities, especially given the 
ongoing pandemic and rapidly increasing food costs. This necessitates 
more outreach to Tribal members to ensure they are exercising their 
rights safely and within Tribal regulations. It also requires education 
of the non-Tribal public about treaty rights. This work will 
proactively prevent and deter social conflict. GLIFWC's Conservation 
Officers are an integral part of this work and work closely with 
GLIFWC's public information staff to ensure that timely and accurate 
information about treaty rights is provided through GLIFWC media as 
well as the media outlets of other jurisdictions.

    [This statement was submitted by Michael J. Isham, Executive 
Administrator]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society
    On behalf of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), we 
are pleased to provide this written testimony to House Appropriations 
subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies 
for the official record. HFES urges the subcommittee to provide at 
least $11 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) in the 
fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations process. In addition, HFES 
supports efforts by NSF to broaden participation in science for 
underrepresented groups to ensure a diverse, equitable, and inclusive 
workforce and research enterprise, such as the INCLUDES and ADVANCE 
initiatives. These efforts are critical to not only fixing inequities 
in the U.S. research enterprise but also to ensuring that the U.S. has 
the robust, 21st Century workforce needed to maintain its competitive 
edge in technological innovation.
    HFES is a multidisciplinary professional association with over 
3,000 individual members worldwide, comprised of scientists and 
practitioners, all with a common interest in enhancing the performance, 
effectiveness, and safety of systems with which humans interact through 
the design of those systems' user interfaces to optimally fit humans' 
physical and cognitive capabilities. The Society and its members 
strongly believe that investment in scientific research serves as an 
important driver for innovation and the economy, national security, and 
maintaining American global competitiveness. Funding for fundamental 
research at NSF to address national and societal needs will be critical 
as Congress looks at legislation to ensure the U.S. remains the global 
leader in advancing science and technology. We thank the subcommittee 
for its longtime recognition of the value of scientific and engineering 
research and its contribution to innovation in the U.S.
    human factors and ergonomics at the national science foundation
    HFES and its members strongly believe that Federal investment in 
NSF will have a direct and positive impact on the U.S. economy, 
national security, and the health and well-being of Americans. It is 
for these reasons that HFES supports robust funding for the Foundation 
to encourage further advancements in the fields of technology, 
education, defense, and healthcare, among others. In the past, NSF 
funding for HF/E basic research has strengthened interdisciplinary 
partnerships allowing for a multilateral approach to technology 
research and development, including the human and user perspectives. 
The benefits of this research are not confined to one field but rather 
span across a range of disciplines to increase understanding of the way 
humans interact with technology, as well as with each other.
    In particular, NSF funds HF/E research to:
  --Better understand and improve the effectiveness of how individuals, 
        groups, organizations, and society make decisions.\1\
  --Improve understanding of the relationship between science and 
        engineering, technology, and society, in order to advance the 
        adoption and use of technology.\2\
  --Gain a better understanding of how humans and computers interact to 
        ensure the development of new devices or environments that 
        empower the user.\3\
  --Inform decision making in engineering design, control, and 
        optimization to improve individual engineering components and 
        entire systems.\4\

    \1\ Decision, Risk & Management Sciences (DRMS) Program (http://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5423).
    \2\ Science and Technology Studies (STS) Program (https://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505697).
    \3\ Human Centered Computing (HCC) Program (https://www.nsf.gov/
funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504958).
    \4\ Operation and Design Cluster (http://www.nsf.gov/funding/
pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13473).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    HF/E research will be especially critical as Congress and the 
Federal Government work to develop, adopt, and broadly integrate 
emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI). HFES 
recognizes that most systems that rely on AI will not operate 
independently but will be initially programmed and trained by humans to 
augment, collaborate, or perform specific tasks.
    The HF/E profession has conducted detailed research on impacts of 
AI on human performance, and HFES believes AI must be designed to 
successfully support human capabilities and overcome known human 
cognitive limitations, so that humans can understand the actions and 
intentions of AI. More research is needed to understand how systems can 
be designed to overcome AI biases, provide transparency and 
explainability for human use, and provide clear interfaces for human-AI 
interactions. Interdisciplinary research programs at NSF to address 
these challenges, such as its Fairness in Artificial Intelligence 
program\5\ and the AI Research Institutes\6\, will be critical to 
ensuring the U.S. achieves the promised benefits AI can bring to 
society.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ NSF Program on Fairness in Artificial Intelligence in 
Collaboration with Amazon (FAI) (https://www.nsf.gov/funding/
pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505651).
    \6\ Artificial Intelligence Research Institutes (https://
www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505686).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
           the value of human factors and ergonomics science
    For over 50 years, the U.S. Federal Government has funded 
scientists and engineers to explore and better understand the 
relationship between humans, technology, and the environment. 
Originally stemming from urgent needs to improve the performance of 
humans using complex systems such as aircraft during World War II, the 
field of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) works to develop safe, 
effective, and practical human use of technology. HF/E does this by 
developing scientific approaches for understanding this complex 
interface, also known as ``human-systems integration.'' Today, HF/E is 
applied to fields as diverse as transportation, architecture, 
environmental design, consumer products, electronics and computers, 
energy systems, medical devices, manufacturing, office automation, 
organizational design and management, aging, farming, health, sports 
and recreation, oil field operations, mining, forensics, and education.
    With increasing reliance by Federal agencies and the private sector 
on technology-aided decision-making, HF/E is vital to effectively 
achieving our National objectives. While a large proportion of HF/E 
research exists at the intersection of science and practice-that is, 
HF/E is often viewed more at the ``applied'' end of the science 
continuum-the field also contributes to advancing ``fundamental'' 
scientific understanding of the interface between human decision-
making, engineering, design, technology, and the world around us 
through research funded by NSF. The reach of HF/E is profound, touching 
nearly all aspects of human life from the health care sector to the 
ways we travel, to the hand-held devices we use every day.
                               conclusion
    Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and 
education across science and engineering disciplines, HFES supports an 
overall FY 2023 NSF budget of at least $11 billion. This investment 
funds important research studies, enabling an evidence-base, 
methodology, and measurements for improving organizational function, 
performance, and design across sectors and disciplines.
    On behalf of HFES, we would like to thank you for the opportunity 
to provide this testimony. Please do not hesitate to contact us should 
you have any questions about HFES or HF/E research. HFES truly 
appreciates the subcommittee's long history of support for scientific 
research and innovation.

    [This statement was submitted by Steven C. Kemp, CAE, Executive 
Director]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of Humane Society Legislative Fund and The Humane 
                      Society of the United States
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for this opportunity to offer testimony on 
matters of importance to our organizations and to our millions of 
supporters. We thank you for the support and investment in animal 
protection in the subcommittee's Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bill. 
We appreciate your continued consideration for the following requests 
in the Fiscal Year 2023 Department of Commerce, Justice, Science, and 
Related Agencies budget:
  --NOAA North Atlantic Right Whales: at least $26 million
  --NOAA Protected Resources: increase of at least $30 million
  --NOAA John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant 
        Program: $8 million
  --Marine Mammal Commission: $6 million
  --DOJ Animal Welfare Act enforcement: report language for DOJ-USDA 
        MOU
 national oceanic and atmospheric administration--north atlantic right 
                           whale conservation
    We, along with coalition partners, request at least $26 million in 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget to 
support the recovery of the critically endangered North Atlantic right 
whale, which is plunging ever closer to extinction due to fishing gear 
entanglements and vessel strikes. Recently updated estimates for the 
species indicate that from January 2019 to January 2020, the population 
plummeted by eight percent to 336 individuals-a rate of decline forty 
times the legal limit. This is the lowest assessment in decades.
    Within the $26 million for North Atlantic right whale conservation, 
we request the following allocations:
    Within Marine Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species
  --$12,000,000 for the continued development and implementation of new 
        rules from NOAA aimed at reducing the mortality rate of North 
        Atlantic right whales by vessel strikes, fishing gear 
        entanglements, and other threats to their survival. This 
        funding should also be used for regulatory and management 
        support to both reduce vessel-strike risk in high-traffic areas 
        and to facilitate a transition to commercial fishing gear known 
        to reduce gear entanglement risk with a strong focus on 
        fishermen education and outreach.
  --$8,000,000 to expand the pilot program to refine and field test 
        innovative fishing gear technologies designed to reduce North 
        Atlantic right whale entanglements. As determined by the 
        agency's needs, some funding within this amount should be 
        directed towards the development of geolocation technologies 
        and mapping. Lastly, research on how to lower the cost of new 
        gear technologies should also be included.
  --$3,000,000 for: (1) Enforcement activities of offshore lobster 
        fisheries in Massachusetts and Maine, related to personnel and 
        vessel needs, monitoring, gear removal, and surveys (2) 
        Enforcement activities of current and future vessel speed 
        restrictions.
  --$2,000,000 for surveys and monitoring, including underwater 
        acoustic gliders, of North Atlantic right whales in Atlantic 
        coastal waters.
  --$1,000,000 for disentanglement, stranding response, and necropsy 
        activities.
  --3 percent cap on the amount of funds NOAA can use internally.

    Within Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys, and Assessments
    $300,000 to continue conducting the continuous plankton recorder 
survey that will enhance our understanding of the distribution and 
movement of Calanus spp., the primary prey of the North Atlantic right 
whale.
    We thank the subcommittee for its continued commitment to ensuring 
the survival of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
 national oceanic and atmospheric administration--office of protected 
                               resources
    In the last few years, we have seen other imperiled marine species 
reach crisis status. The Southern Resident killer whale population is 
at its lowest levels in 20 years. The number of vaquitas-the smallest 
and most endangered marine mammal on Earth-has plummeted by 90 percent 
in recent years; scientists estimate that a mere 10 vaquitas might 
remain in the world. Without bold, immediate action, their extinction 
is virtually assured. Each of these tragic declines underscores the 
danger of being complacent and failing to provide robust funding to the 
National Marine Fisheries Service. Thus, we recommend a $30 million 
increase in funding to the agency's protected resources budget to 
prevent any more of our amazing marine species slipping irrevocably to 
extinction.
   national oceanic and atmospheric administration--john h. prescott 
             marine mammal rescue assistance grant program
    We request $8 million in FY23 for the John H. Prescott Marine 
Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, an increase from $4 million in 
FY22. The Prescott program provides competitive grants to marine mammal 
stranding organizations to rescue, rehabilitate, or investigate sick, 
injured, or distressed live marine mammals, and to investigate and 
determine the cause of death or injury to these animals. The program is 
the sole source of Federal funding for the National Marine Mammal 
Stranding Network, comprising more than 90 member organizations in 26 
States, the District of Columbia, two territories, and two Tribes. 
Funds are awarded only if at least 25 percent of non-federal matching 
funds are also committed, and no single award may exceed $100,000. To 
date, NOAA has issued 794 Prescott program awards to the National 
stranding network, totaling over $67 million in Federal funding and 
over $28 million in non-federal funding.
                        marine mammal commission
    For FY23, we urge that the Marine Mammal Commission (MMC) budget be 
increased to $6 million to help restore the Commission's key oversight 
role in conserving marine mammals. The U.S. taxpayer contributes just 
over 1 cent per year to fund this agency and its work. Starting in 
FY15, the MMC had been flat-funded at $3.43 million. MMC funding 
increased slightly to $3.769 million in FY21, and to $4.2 million in 
FY22. Despite that, the agency's actual discretionary funding has 
declined due to rising fixed costs such as salaries and rent. Providing 
$6 million in funding for FY23 would enable the MMC to fulfill its 
obligations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
         department of justice--animal welfare act enforcement
    The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) sets basic standards of care for 
animals used in research, exhibition, transport, and sales. This law is 
crucial to protecting over a million animals from inhumane care and 
treatment. Yet many dealers, exhibitors, and research facilities are 
getting away with egregious abuses. Enforcement of the AWA must be 
strengthened because the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 
enforcement actions have not been frequent or strong enough to stop 
those engaging in abuse or to deter potential violators of the law. 
Without vigorous enforcement of this important law, there is no 
deterrent for violators and animals will continue to suffer. To keep up 
with the sheer number of animals in need of AWA protection, the USDA 
needs help.
    The Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources 
Division (DOJ) already works tirelessly to ensure that full effect is 
given to the Federal statutes and enforcement regimes that provide for 
the humane treatment of captive, farmed, and companion animals across 
the United States--including sections of the AWA. However, to provide 
the Department with additional tools to take action against dealers, 
exhibitors, and research facilities that violate the AWA, we encourage 
the inclusion of report language calling on USDA and DOJ to develop a 
Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate a partnership in enforcing 
the AWA, and to create a formalized structure for USDA to partner and 
share information on AWA violators with DOJ.
    As such, we urge the inclusion of this report language: The 
Committee urges the Department to enter into a memorandum of 
understanding with the Secretary of Agriculture to encourage greater 
collaboration on Animal Welfare Act enforcement and ensure that the 
Department of Justice has access to evidence needed to initiate cases.

    [This statement was submitted by Jocelyn Ziemian, Senior 
Legislative Specialist, Humane Society Legislative Fund]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of Indigenous Cannabis Coalition
Dear Chairman Shaheen and Ranking Committee Members,

    As Tribal leaders, Tribal citizens, organizations and cannabis 
advocates, we publicly endorse the Fiscal Year 2023 appropriations 
legislation for the Commerce Justice and Science subcommittee and the 
support for Tribal sovereignty and the implementation of Indian treaty 
rights and self-determination in cannabis commerce. We believe that 
responsible regulation and control of marijuana by Tribes in their 
respective homelands is beneficial to society and the public's health, 
and provides safer alternatives to the illicit cartel economies that 
occur in States that continue the practice of criminalizing black and 
brown communities with failed marijuana policies.
    We support the 2023 appropriations bill's new policy language that 
says no Federal funds appropriated to agencies within Interior, Justice 
Department, Bureau of Indian Affairs or Office of Justice Services 
could be used to ``enforce Federal laws criminalizing the use, 
distribution, possession, or cultivation of marijuana against any 
person engaged in the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of 
marijuana in Indian country'' where such activity is authorized, we are 
highly concerned that the new contingencies create further 
discriminatory practices and fails to protect Tribal sovereignty.
    We ask that the members of this committee pass this House measure 
specifically regarding provisions on the Federal enforcement of 
cannabis on Indian lands. The language reflects Tribal sovereignty for 
all 574 federally recognized Tribes and does not allow for State law to 
supersede Tribal law regarding trade and commerce in cannabis, an 
imperative aspect of upholding the trust responsibility and uplifting 
self-determination.

    [This statement was submitted by Mary Jane Oatman, Executive 
Director (Nez Perce/Delaware) Kamiah, ID]
                                 ______
                                 
               Prepared Statement of Insights Association
    On behalf of the Insights Association (IA), the leading nonprofit 
trade association for the market research and data analytics industry, 
I am respectfully submitting testimony on the U.S. Census Bureau's 
``Ask U.S. Panel'' project and the bill language and committee report 
language we are seeking. The project is presumably funded through the 
Current Surveys and Programs account, though the President's FY23 
budget request makes no mention of it.
    IA defends and promotes the indisputable role of insights in 
driving positive impacts on society and consumers. Our more than 7,000 
company and individual members are the world's leading producers of 
intelligence, analytics and insights defining the needs, attitudes and 
behaviors of consumers, organizations and their employees, students and 
citizens. With that essential understanding, leaders can make 
intelligent decisions and deploy strategies and tactics to build trust, 
inspire innovation, realize the full potential of individuals and 
teams, and successfully create and promote products, services and 
ideas.
    The Ask U.S. Panel is being developed by the Bureau through a 
cooperative agreement to create a new ``nationally representative 
survey panel for tracking public opinion on a variety of topics of 
interest to numerous Federal agencies and their partners, and for 
conducting experimentation on alternative question wording and 
methodological approaches.'' The Bureau intends to spend at least the 
first 2 years of the project on a pilot before trying to make their 
panel probability-based in the third year (or later).
    This lead time is particularly galling since numerous private 
sector insights companies and organizations currently provide well-
established high-quality probability-based panels to the Federal 
Government and other customers without needing Federal subsidy and 
multiple years of development time. At best, the plan for the Census 
Bureau to develop a probability-based research panel is duplicative. It 
is also anti-competitive, given these existing panels and the Bureau's 
intent to fund an additional insights organization (Research Triangle 
Institute) to spend years building one, whose intellectual property and 
technology that organization would get to keep for its own purposes.
    Our industry is not the only interest raising concerns about the 
project. The Department of Commerce's Office of the Inspector General 
(OIG) has initiated ``an evaluation'' of the ``award and use of a 
cooperative agreement to participate in a joint statistical project 
with Research Triangle Institute, an independent nonprofit 
institution.'' The OIG's ``objective is to determine whether the 
cooperative agreement was properly authorized, executed, and 
administered in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.'' \1\
    Recent Congressional inquiries to the Bureau have been met with 
reference to this OIG evaluation as the reason for the Bureau's 
inability to answer questions. However, if the OIG evaluation somehow 
prevents the Census Bureau from discussing the Ask U.S. Panel, should 
it not also prevent the continued pursuit of the project?
    IA has requested bill language in CJS: ``No funds in this bill may 
be spent in support or development of the Ask U.S. Panel or any similar 
effort to develop a survey, opinion or market research service 
duplicative of private sector offerings.''
    Along with the prohibition on funds, IA also requested committee 
report language: ``Ask U.S. Panel Survey. The Committee is concerned 
about the lack of transparency related to the Census Bureau's plans for 
implementation of the Ask U.S. Panel Survey, particularly given the 
lack of congressional authorization and the expanding scope of the 
project since it was initially announced. The Committee also is 
concerned about the use of taxpayer dollars for the development of a 
panel survey given the wide range of options that currently exist in 
the private sector for these types of activities. The Committee directs 
the Census Bureau to provide a report to the Committee within 60 days 
about the panel's methodology, data collection processes, 
implementation, and procurement strategy to allow the Committee to 
evaluate the project's use of Federal resources.''
    IA's concerns include:
    1. Federal agencies can (and already do) purchase such services 
from the private sector.--The ultimate goal of the Ask U.S. Panel 
project--to create a probability-based nationwide representative survey 
panel for tracking public opinion--is already being fulfilled utilizing 
numerous non-governmental sources. Insights providers such as Dynata, 
Gallup, Ipsos, NORC at the University of Chicago, SSRS, the University 
of Southern California, and others maintain probability-based research 
panels that could meet any needs of the Bureau or other Federal 
agencies. Most of them already successfully provide such services to 
Federal agency clients, including the Bureau itself. Plenty of other 
insights companies and organizations with panels could also adapt to 
provide probability-based panels if requested.
    Since these insights providers offer their services commercially on 
the open market, the Census Bureau could acquire such panel research 
services with full and open competitions. So why does the Bureau feel 
the need to disregard the availability of ready commercial alternatives 
and develop its own panel?

    2. The Ask U.S. Panel is an unnecessary financial burden on Federal 
taxpayers.--Besides just the cost and expertise involved in 
establishing this duplicative service, the Census Bureau has not 
considered the immense expertise in data quality, incentive management 
and delivery, fraud detection, and privacy and permissions management 
required to successfully maintain this kind of panel. The Bureau has 
mentioned no planned procedures to monitor and mitigate attrition of 
panelists and how it would refresh the pool of available respondents. 
The multi-year pilot plan suggests they just hope to learn on the fly 
(an expensive gamble). Why should taxpayers fund the lengthy creation 
and complicated maintenance of such a duplicative service when it could 
be simply purchased in the open market for a tiny fraction of the cost?
    The Bureau's supporting Statement to OMB estimates that the pilot 
will cost a mere $3.5 million,\2\ but this hides the true cost of the 
overall project, since actually building the panel, which the Bureau 
doesn't propose to even do until at least year three, would cost a 
massively greater amount. NORC estimates it would cost at least $25 
million to build this kind of online panel, with annual maintenance 
costing as much as $2 million per year.\3\ Meanwhile, NORC estimates 
that studies from pre-existing probability-based panel providers could 
``be purchased for as little as $100,000.'' \4\

    3. The Federal Government should not compete against the private 
sector.--According to the original Notice of Federal Funding,\5\ the 
Ask U.S. Panel would be ``open to government and other non-profit 
researchers and policy makers,'' meaning that the Bureau's proposed 
panel itself could compete directly with private sector insights 
providers.
    Since 1955, Federal agencies have been charged with avoiding 
``activities conducted by the Government that provide services or 
products for its own use which could be procured from private 
enterprise through ordinary business channels''.\6\ The policy required 
the head of an agency to make any exception to such restrictions ``only 
where it is clearly demonstrated . . .  that it is not in the public 
interest to procure such product or service from private enterprise.'' 
This policy was reiterated by every Administration following, including 
in OMB Circular A-76\7\ and other policies specifically requiring 
competitive sourcing.
    The Census Bureau implies in a supporting Statement to OMB that it 
has conducted a competitive sourcing analysis, but in fact has only 
checked to see if the data to be collected in the pilot project stage 
is duplicative of other Federal Government agencies.\8\ That is no 
substitute for an actual competitive sourcing analysis.

    4. Government should not subsidize a private entity to develop (and 
keep for its own use) duplicative intellectual property.--By using a 
cooperative agreement, under which the intellectual property (IP) 
developed is owned not by the Federal Government but by the awardee, 
the Census Bureau is using taxpayer funds to establish a panel that is 
free to be used by a private entity for its own work long after the 
contracted work is complete. Per the Department of Commerce Financial 
Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions (December 26, 2014, 
Sec. D.03.a), the awardee ``owns any work produced or purchased under a 
Federal award.''
    How could the best or most cost-effective way of pursuing the 
Census Bureau's research goals involve directly subsidizing a private 
entity to spend years developing a service already offered by other 
private entities?
                               conclusion
    We applaud the Census Bureau for their ongoing innovation and 
dedication to serve as the leading source of the highest quality and 
most representative data for America's people and economy. The Insights 
Association dedicates much of our daily advocacy to supporting the 
decennial census and the American Community Survey (ACS), the two 
essential Federal data sources underpinning statistical sampling/
representativeness in almost all U.S. research studies.
    The insights industry is no stranger to the importance of the 
Bureau and its core work; we want the Bureau to focus on that work and 
do it well.
    IA remains gravely concerned about the shaky rationale and lack of 
need for the Ask U.S. Panel given numerous commercially-viable 
alternatives. The Census Bureau should be using the competitive 
marketplace of available insights services to acquire pre-existing 
research services on an as-needed basis, which would reduce public 
burden, save years of development time, and ultimately cost taxpayers a 
lot less money.
    Thank you for allowing IA to testify on the Ask U.S. Panel project, 
an important under-the-radar issue in the FY23 CJS Appropriations 
legislation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Evaluation of the U.S. Census Bureau's Award and Use of a 
Cooperative Agreement
(#2022-420). January 14, 2022. https://www.oig.doc.gov/OIGPublications/
Evaluation-of-Census-Cooperative-Agreement.pdf.
    \2\ Page 17. Supporting Statement Part A Ask US Pilot_4_4--22.docx 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_nbr=202202-0607-
008.
    \3\ NORC comments. February 22, 2022. Page 3. https://
www.regulations.gov/comment/USBC-2021-0024-0004.
    \4\ NORC comments. February 22, 2022. Page 2. https://
www.regulations.gov/comment/USBC-2021-0024-0004.
    \5\ CENSUS-ADR-ADRM-2020-2006579. U.S. Census Bureau Research and 
Methodology Directorate Cooperative Agreements. Department of Commerce. 
Page 10. https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/search-
grants.html?keywords=CENSUS-ADR-ADRM-2020-2006579.
    \6\ Bureau of the Budget Bulletin 55-4. January 15, 1955. https://
www.governmentcompetition.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/
Bureauof_the_Budget_Bulletin_55-4_January_15_1955.pdf.
    \7\ https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/whitehouse.gov/files/omb/
circulars/A76/a076.pdf.
    \8\ Page 5. Supporting Statement Part A Ask US Pilot_4_4--22.docx 
https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_nbr=202202-0607-
008.

    [This statement was submitted by Howard Fienberg, Senior VP 
Advocacy]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of International Fund for Animal Welfare
Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the 
subcommittee:

    Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony on the FY23 
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. 
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has 15 offices 
globally and works in more than 40 countries around the world. IFAW 
takes a holistic approach to innovating solutions for tough 
conservation challenges like conflicts between humans and wildlife, and 
illegal wildlife trafficking. IFAW's Marine Mammal Rescue Team, based 
on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has also served as a first line of defense 
for stranded marine mammals in distress for more than 20 years. Our 
team investigates incidents involving human interactions with marine 
mammals, and, rescues dolphins, whales, seals, and other marine 
mammals, releasing them, whenever possible, back into the wild.
    IFAW is grateful for this subcommittee's championship of strong 
marine conservation and research funding for the current fiscal year 
(FY22), and requests additional support for these programs in FY23 to 
meet urgent and growing needs.
    Our oceans are in trouble. From the depletion of fish stocks to 
climate change, increasing ocean temperatures, noise pollution, and 
acidification, human activity threatens marine ecosystems that are 
vital to the health of our oceans and to all life on earth. Marine 
mammals are further impacted by changes that are occurring rapidly, 
such as increases in offshore wind energy and aquaculture, potentially 
exacerbating existing threats.
    Fortunately, just as human activities are responsible for many of 
the current ocean threats, it is within our power to change our shared 
trajectory, and this subcommittee has jurisdiction over critical 
programs that can help to do just that. Given the severity of the 
challenges we face, IFAW respectfully asks the subcommittee to exert 
its leadership in order to reverse the alarming and interrelated 
climate and biodiversity emergencies by making substantial increases in 
funding for the important marine conservation programs within your 
purview. Doing so will help to protect ocean biodiversity, and will in 
turn have significant positive effects, including promoting healthy 
fish stocks, fighting climate change, and safeguarding human health and 
wellbeing.
    For FY23, IFAW requests the following direction from the 
subcommittee within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service Marine 
Mammals, Sea Turtles, and Other Species conservation programs:
               north atlantic right whales: $26.3 million
    Recent population surveys have found a decline in North Atlantic 
right whale (NARW) populations, and suggest that there are currently 
fewer than 340 individuals remaining. Urgent action must be taken NOW 
in order to save these iconic animals from extinction.
    The NARW faces ongoing threats from fishing gear entanglement and 
vessel strikes, amongst other stressors. It is imperative that we 
continue to provide significant funding to conserve this imperiled 
species, better understand how it interacts with commercial fisheries 
and vessel traffic, and if needed, support the fishing industry in 
complying with last year's Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan 
(ALWTRP) rule.
    Critical habitat for right whales frequently overlaps with 
commercial fishing grounds and areas of high vessel traffic, leaving 
the whales vulnerable to vessel collisions and fishing gear 
entanglements, the two leading causes of injury and death to the 
species. Whales that survive these dangers are often subject to chronic 
stress and reproductive failure, further inhibiting the species' 
ability to recover. Due to human-caused threats, the population's 
mortality rate still exceeds the birth rate by a ratio of three to two.
    By providing funding for NARW research and prioritizing cooperative 
research with fishermen, Congress can help generate innovative and 
long-term solutions for saving this endangered species--while 
preserving the essential economic activity of commercial fishing and 
shipping.
  --$12,000,000 for the continued development and implementation of new 
        rules from NOAA to reduce mortality of NARWs from vessel 
        strikes, fishing gear entanglements, and other threats to their 
        survival. This funding should also be used to provide 
        regulatory and management support to both reduce vessel-strike 
        risk in high-traffic areas and to facilitate a transition to 
        commercial fishing gear known to reduce gear entanglement risk, 
        with a strong focus on fishermen education and outreach;
  --$8,000,000 to expand the existing pilot program to field test and 
        refine innovative fishing gear technologies intended to reduce 
        NARW entanglements. As determined by the agency's needs, some 
        funding within this amount should be directed towards the 
        development of gear geolocation technologies and toward 
        strategies for lowering the cost of adoption of new gear 
        technologies;
  --$3,000,000 for enforcement of current and future vessel speed 
        restrictions and offshore lobster fisheries in Massachusetts 
        and Maine, related to personnel and vessel needs, monitoring, 
        gear removal, and surveys;
  --$2,000,000 for surveys and monitoring, including but not limited to 
        underwater acoustic detection technologies, of NARW in Atlantic 
        coastal waters;
  --$1,000,000 for disentanglement, stranding response, and necropsy 
        activities;
  --3% cap on the amount of funds NOAA can use internally.

    We also request an additional $300,000 within Fisheries Data 
Collections, Surveys, and Assessment in order to continue conducting 
the continuous plankton recorder survey that will enhance our 
understanding of the distribution and movement of Calanus finmarchicus, 
the primary prey of the NARW.
    john h. prescott marine mammal rescue assistance grant program:
                              $15 million
    The Prescott Grant Program provides grants or cooperative 
agreements to eligible stranding network participants for the recovery 
and treatment of stranded marine mammals; the collection of data from 
living or dead stranded marine mammals; and for facility upgrades, 
operation costs, and staffing needs directly related to the recovery 
and treatment of stranded marine mammals and the collection of data 
from living or dead stranded marine mammals. In FY22, the Committee 
provided $5 million for this important program. This year IFAW is 
requesting a significant increase to $15 million.
    The National Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Network provides 
critical services that allow NOAA to fulfil its duties under the Marine 
Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Under the MMPA, the Secretary is 
responsible for the establishment of the Marine Mammal Health and 
Stranding Response Program (MMHSRP), composed of marine mammal experts 
including stranding response programs, scientists, and veterinarians 
who are charged with data collection on the health of marine mammals, 
observed trends of wild populations, and effective responses to unusual 
mortality events (UMEs) to better inform the collective management and 
conservation of marine mammal species. Without the support and efforts 
of stranding organizations who are fundamental to the collection and 
reporting of this data, NOAA's understanding of marine mammal health 
trends would be fatality flawed, putting NOAA at risk of violation of 
the MMPA. In addition, responders provide a crucial service that 
supports public safety, a timely and humane response, and life-saving 
care for marine mammals--including a variety of cetaceans and pinnipeds 
and endangered and threatened species--along the whole of the United 
States coast.
    As threats to marine mammals are increasing, the financial 
constraints on the stranding network are also going up. It is estimated 
that for every entangled whale that is reported, another 10 are unseen. 
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain shortages and 
increased shipping costs are driving up prices in a realm that is 
already expensive. The provision of high-quality food and medication is 
key to the successful care and rehabilitation of all marine mammals in 
rehabilitation. Depending on the case, the testing necessary to reach a 
diagnosis for a patient can include radiology or advanced imaging (such 
as MRI or CT scans) in addition to the baseline diagnostics of complete 
blood counts, serum chemistry profiles, parasite screens, and 
microbiology. Members maintain fleets of rescue vehicles to safely 
transport patients, and a hospital in which to care for them. The 
hospitals include pens with enclosed pools through which water is 
circulated. That water is filtered through a sophisticated system of 
filters before being sanitized and returned to the patient pools. This 
is key to maintaining good health for the patients, and the approach is 
one that importantly considers the environment in that water is 
conserved by this recirculation process.
    Given the condition of our ocean and the threats to marine mammals 
currently, and in the future, reinforcing and appropriately building 
out the MMHSRP for timely, effective response in the interest of public 
service, animal welfare, disease surveillance, science and conservation 
will likely require a Federal investment of at least $30 million. For 
FY23, IFAW respectfully asks for a significant investment of $15 
million in the Prescott Grant Program toward that total figure.
             unusual/large whale response funds: $1 million
    A recent increase in large whale strandings along the Northeastern 
coast of the US has led the Federal Government to declare three 
separate, concurrent UMEs for minke whales, humpback whales, and the 
endangered NARW, respectively to further assess these mortalities. The 
primary cause of the NARW UME is human interaction, including vessel 
strikes and entanglements, and a number of live entangled NARW have 
also been included in the event. As fishing ropes have gotten stronger, 
entanglements have become more severe and it is increasingly more 
difficult for whales to break or shed the gear themselves. The 
likelihood of entanglement has also increased as right whale habitat 
and fisheries increasingly overlap due to changing ecosystems and 
climate change. Entanglement can lead to reductions in feeding 
capability, swimming efficiency, nutritional status, and fecundity and, 
in many cases, results in death. In fact, between 2010 and 2018, 
entanglements caused 72% of known-cause right whale deaths. 
Furthermore, observed deaths due to entanglement alone have exceeded 
the potential biological removal (PBR) levels, for both right and 
humpback whales in the Northwest Atlantic for nearly two decades, 
meaning that these human impacts are simply unsustainable for this 
population and have been ongoing for far too long. With the NARW on the 
brink of extinction, it is critical that action be taken now to address 
entanglements or this species will be lost forever.
    Unfortunately, despite the importance of conducting thorough exams 
and necropsies on these critical cases and the technical expertise of 
stranding networks, effective large whale stranding response has become 
increasingly difficult. An increase in dead whale events, a lack of 
resources, including adequate staffing, necessary heavy equipment, 
appropriate carcass landing sites, and disposal options, as well as the 
expense associated with aerial surveys to locate carcasses, on-water 
towing, over-land hauling, heavy equipment hire, disposal and sample 
processing are critical limiting factors. While limited Federal funding 
is available for response to specific UME events, resources often are 
not sufficient to respond to every event sufficiently or for non-UME 
whale species.
    The cost of a single stranding event involving a large whale can be 
as much as $50,000 or more, making it difficult for responders to meet 
not only our country's legal conservation obligation to these large 
whales, but also a moral animal welfare obligation by expanding 
detection and mitigation of anthropogenic threats to these federally 
protected animals. IFAW therefore requests $1 million for FY23 to be 
directed specifically to unusual or large whale stranding responses.
                               conclusion
    In closing, thank you for the opportunity to share IFAW's funding 
priorities to promote conservation in the FY2023 Commerce, Science, 
Justice and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. Our oceans and native 
marine species are more than our National heritage; they are essential 
aspects of the healthy ecosystems on which we all rely. We appreciate 
the continued leadership of this subcommittee on conservation efforts. 
With your support, we can reverse the tide of extinction, protect human 
health, and promote a better future for generations of wildlife lovers 
and Americans yet to come. Thank you.

    [This statement was submitted by Kate Wall, Senior Legislative 
Manager]
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
    On behalf of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, I am pleased to submit 
this written testimony on our funding priorities and requests for the 
Fiscal Year 2023 for the Department of Justice and the Department of 
Commerce Budgets. Our Budget Request endorses the requests and 
recommendations of our international, regional, and national partners, 
the Pacific Salmon Commission, the Northwest Indian Fisheries 
Commission, the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians and the National 
Congress of American Indians.
    The moral compass of our Nation is expressed annually when Congress 
exercises its authority to appropriate funding to support certain 
programs and services. The Constitution, Treaties, Executive Orders, 
and numerous court decisions established the legal and moral foundation 
for prioritizing funding for American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN). 
Yet, as documented by two Reports that were issued by the U.S. Civil 
Rights Commission, a quiet crisis of unfulfilled Federal obligations 
has persisted for decades across Indian Country and has left our Tribal 
citizens and communities vulnerable to the current public health crisis 
and economic devastation. The COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate 
impact on AI/AN resulted in the highest rates of infection, 
hospitalizations, and deaths compared to any other racial and ethnic 
group in the U.S. And these harrowing statistics are likely much worse 
given the lack of accurate, reliable, quality data on AI/AN.
    The Biden Administration has committed to respect Tribal 
sovereignty, as well as, uphold the trust responsibility, strengthen 
the Nation-to-Nation relationship, and empower Tribal communities 
through Self-Governance and Self-Determination to make their own 
decisions and govern their own communities. We urge Congress to follow 
suit and pass a Federal budget for AI/AN that is reflective of the 
solemn promises made by the U.S. We have proven time and again that 
when you invest in Jamestown and empower our Tribe to exercise our 
inherent right of Self-Governance we become strong economic development 
drivers for our community and the surrounding region by growing our 
resource base and creating jobs. Tribes are a critical governmental 
partner in our Nation's quest to ``Build Back Better''.
                  uphold trust and treaty obligations
    1.  Provide Recurring Base Funding for Tribal Programs
    2.  equire All Agencies to Provide an Annual Estimate of the Costs 
to Fully Fund Tribal Programs & Improve Data Collection to Support 
Tribal Funding Requests
    3.  Provide Mandatory Funding for Tribal Programs and Services
      tribal requests and recommendations--department of commerce
(Support the FY 2022 request of the Pacific Salmon Commission)
    1.  Provide $110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery 
Fund (NOAA/NMFS)
    2.  Provide $43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty
    3.  Provide $26.5 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery Program 
(NOAA/NMFS)
      national requests and recommendations--department of justice
    1.  Fully Fund the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA)
    2.  Fully Fund Violence Against Women Act (VAWA)
    3.  Office of Justice Programs (OJP)--Create a Ten Percent (10%) 
Tribal Set-Aside for Tribes
    4.  Victims of Crime Act Funding--Provide a five percent (5%) set 
aside
    5.  Fund COPS Program--$52 million
                   uphold trust & treaty obligations
1. Provide Recurring Base Funding for Tribal Programs
    Stable base funding at sufficient levels is essential for viable 
and effective Tribal programs and services. Grant funding is highly 
competitive, short-term, the application process is complex, the 
administrative burden on Tribes is excessive and there are numerous 
restrictions imposed on how Tribes may use the funds. Simply put, 
competitive grants create barriers to effectively and efficiently 
providing programs and services in Tribal communities. Reducing 
Administrative inefficiencies would improve program effectiveness and 
increase the ability of Tribes to leverage the Federal dollar. Base 
funding coupled with more flexibility allows for more effective and 
efficient use of the Federal dollar and stronger Tribal governmental 
systems resulting in strong and self-reliant Tribal citizens and 
communities.
2. Require All Agencies to Provide an Annual Estimate of the Costs to 
        Fully Fund
        Tribal Programs & Improve Data Collection to Support Tribal 
        Funding Requests
    It is incumbent upon the agencies, as trustees, to work 
collectively with the Tribes to quantify the true unmet need/
unfulfilled Federal obligation with credible metrics that will 
demonstrate an accurate community profile for each Tribe. We need 
economic statistics and data that establish and drive policy goals, 
ensure effective implementation of programs and services, measure 
funding impacts, prove effective and efficient use of funding, and to 
demonstrate program success. These data metrics, however, are not a 
``justification'' of whether Tribes deserve funding. The Federal 
obligation does not dissipate if a Tribe performs poorly in any area. 
Rather, a heightened response by the government is required to identify 
the challenges that impede a Tribe's success and to build greater 
capacity at the local level, if necessary. At this point in time, there 
is not a system in place that captures the data needed. There is an 
absence of good data agency-wide with some agencies under the prior 
Administration having imposed a moratorium on the collection of needs-
based data for Tribes. The Federal Government needs to be held 
accountable and directed to work in partnership with Tribes to collect 
data that quantifies the true unmet needs/unfulfilled Federal 
obligations in Indian country.
3. Provide Mandatory Funding for Tribal Programs and Services
    Trust and Treaty obligations are not discretionary; these are 
mandatory obligations. On an annual basis Tribes are required to 
``justify'' their budgetary needs and prove to the Federal Government 
that the Federal investment in Tribal communities is a good investment. 
We have shown time and again that the Federal investment in Jamestown 
is a good investment but the narrative about funding needs to be re-
written because it is mischaracterizing the Federal trust obligation. 
Tribes relinquished their lands and resources in exchange for funding 
and services from the Federal Government in perpetuity and that 
obligation has not changed with time. It is solidified in our 
Constitution, Treaties, Executive Orders, and countless legal opinions.
       department of commerce tribal requests and recommendations
1. $110 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (NOAA/
        NMFS)
    The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery fund was established to reverse 
the decline of salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest. Jamestown 
uses the funds to restore wild salmon populations and to protect and 
restore important habitat in the Puget Sound coastal plains. These 
funds also support our policy development and help to build the 
technical capacity of our Natural Resource staff charged with planning, 
implementation, and monitoring recovery activities.
2. $43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty--The U.S. Section 
        estimates that this funding is needed to implement national 
        commitments created by the Treaty (NOAA/NMFS)
    The Pacific Salmon Treaty provides the framework for international 
collaboration and cooperation to conserve and manage Pacific Salmon. 
The Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) works together to establish fishery 
regimes, develop management recommendations, assess each country's 
performance and compliance with the Treaty, and is the forum for all 
entities to work towards reaching an agreement on mutual fisheries 
issues.
3. $26.5 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery Program (NOAA/NMFS)
    Jamestown hatchery operations have elevated our success and 
generated a substantial return on our investment in our aquaculture 
business. The Tribe operates three hatcheries, two in Washington state 
and one in Hawaii that produce shellfish and sablefish seeds. The 
seedlings help to replenish fish and shellfish stocks that have been 
depleted due to loss of ecosystems and natural habitats. Tribes depend 
on hatcheries to support Treaty fishing rights, protect our culture and 
traditional ways of life, and to bolster our commercial fishery 
operations at home and trade abroad.
      national requests and recommendations department of justice
1. Fully Fund the Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA)
    The Tribal Law and Order Act (TLOA) was an important step in 
empowering Tribes to better address the unique public safety challenges 
and reduce the prevalence of violent crime in Indian country. However, 
effective implementation of TLOA is contingent upon adequate Federal 
funding for law enforcement, courts, detention facilities and the 
provision of rehabilitative and preventative services. Full Funding is 
needed to effectively and efficiently implement the comprehensive and 
improved measures that were enacted to address the public safety crisis 
in Tribal communities.
2. Fully Fund Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Including $5 million 
        for VAWA Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction
    The Office on Violence Against Women provides funding for Tribes to 
address violence against women in their communities. The incidence of 
domestic violence in Tribal communities is staggering and it is 
estimated that over 85% of American Indians/Alaska Natives (AI/AN) will 
be victims of intimate partner violence, stalking and/or sexual 
violence in their lifetime. Over 90% of these crimes are committed by 
non-Natives who were outside of the jurisdictional authority of the 
Tribes. In 2013, Congress afforded AI/AN judicial recourse by 
reaffirming the inherent sovereign authority of Tribes to exercise 
Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction over Indians and Non-
Indians who commit certain crimes in Indian country. Although Congress 
authorized $5 million for Tribes to exercise this new jurisdictional 
authority, in FY2021 only $4.3 million was appropriated. Tribal justice 
systems need additional resources to fully implement this authority and 
we therefore urge Congress to appropriate $5 million.
3. Office of Justice Programs (OJP)--Create a 10% Tribal Set-Aside for 
        all (OJP) Programs and Allow for Greater Flexibility
    Jamestown is advocating for a 10% Tribal set-aside from all OJP 
discretionary programs to provide Tribes base funding and maximum 
flexibility including the ability to combine DOJ funding with other 
sources of funding and allow Tribes to develop comprehensive holistic 
strategies to address public safety and justice in their communities. 
Stable funding for Tribal public safety and justice is a prerequisite 
to ensure a safe, healthy, and thriving Tribal community.
4. Provide a Five Percent (5%) Tribal Set-Aside for Victims of Crime 
        Act Funding
    The Victims of Crime Act funding is financed by fines and penalties 
imposed on convicted Federal offenders and is the largest source of 
Federal funding for crime victims. As of 2020, the fund balance was 
over $6 billion. Although the fund was established in 1984 and despite 
the staggering rates of violent crimes in Indian country, Tribes were 
not authorized as direct recipients of funding until recently. For the 
past 5 years, Congress has authorized and appropriated a portion of the 
fund directly to Tribal Nations. We urge Congress to continue to 
provide a 5% Tribal Set Aside on a recurring annual basis.
5. Fund the COPS Program--$52 million
    The COPS Office provides funding to Tribes for law enforcement 
officers. Since the creation of the COPS program Tribes have hired more 
than 1700 law enforcement officers. COPS funding is also used for 
police training, equipment, vehicles, and technology. Although there is 
a great need for additional law enforcement officers throughout Indian 
Country, limited resources has hindered Tribe's ability to hire, 
retain, and train law enforcement officers. It is imperative for the 
safety of Tribal citizens, Indian communities, and surrounding 
neighboring communities that a significant increase in funding is 
allocated for Tribal law enforcement officers and programs.
    We thank you for the opportunity to provide this written testimony.

    [This statement was submitted by Hon. W. Ron Allen, Tribal 
Chairman/CEO]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative
    Chairman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and other members of the 
subcommittee, we commend your long-standing support for key ocean 
accounts, and thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony 
regarding the Fiscal Year 2023 CJS appropriations bill.
    Our oceans hold some of our most viable solutions to address 
climate impacts. These impacts are already exacting an enormous and 
unacceptable toll on our economy and our communities. The agencies 
under your charge are required by law to respond to the domestic and 
global crisis in our oceans, which is inextricably linked to climate. 
We urge you to ensure that all have sufficient resources to take the 
necessary actions. You have an opportunity to reassert global 
leadership that will steer the planet, including the stewardship of our 
oceans, back to a just, sustainable, and more secure future.
    We are encouraged by the Administration proposal for nearly $7 
billion for NOAA, as well as significantly increased support for the 
National Science Foundation and NASA's Earth Science Division. However, 
we ask your committee to critically examine funding for these front-
line agencies in FY 2023 to determine if additional resources are 
required to empower them to confront the unprecedented challenges posed 
by a rapidly changing climate, including more than a foot of sea level 
rise by 2050, as recently documented by NOAA.
    The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (Joint Initiative) is a 
collaborative, bipartisan effort to catalyze action on meaningful ocean 
policy reform. We believe that providing the necessary funding for core 
programs at NOAA, NSF, and NASA is an essential investment that will 
save lives, protect national security, grow our economy, increase 
justice and equity, mitigate climate change, and preserve the health of 
our oceans, coasts, and communities.
    Ocean and coastal environments are often the first line of defense 
in promoting resilience and protecting American communities from severe 
weather events. The oceans are disproportionately impacted by 
increasing emissions from human activities, but also have immense 
potential to reduce carbon emissions by as much as 21 percent, and play 
an instrumental role in mitigating the climate crisis. For example, 
with adequate funding US agencies can exert global leadership to 
significantly reduce emissions from marine transportation and ports, 
which now account for nearly 3 percent of global GHG emissions.
    Likewise, your budget should provide funding to encourage action to 
advance offshore renewable energy to create new clean energy sources 
and invest in coastal communities. With a clear nexus of climate and 
oceans, a failure to take decisive action would severely impact the 
health and livelihoods of millions of Americans, with the largest 
impact on historically underserved communities, especially Black, 
Indigenous people of color, and low-income environmental justice 
communities. Programs should be designed to create just and equitable 
policy solutions and empower these communities to take decisive action 
to restore and protect the places they live, work, and recreate.
    The Biden Administration's proposed topline budget makes 
significant strides toward re-establishing NOAA, NSF, and NASA Earth 
Sciences as premier science agencies that provide the underpinning to 
address the global climate crisis, while restoring and protecting the 
Nation's oceans. However, we strongly urge the Committee to consider 
strategic investments above this level in critical accounts such as 
ocean acidification, managing fish stocks, addressing the ocean/climate 
interface for wind power and shipping decarbonization, and empowering 
oceans and coasts to mitigate climate impacts.
                 research, exploration, and observation
    A critical component of America's economic, military, and 
diplomatic power lies in its ocean research, education, exploration, 
and observation enterprises. Especially given the pace of observed 
changes in climate and ocean chemistry, we strongly urge the 
subcommittee to protect vital ocean science and research capabilities. 
To make the best, proactive management decisions possible, it is 
necessary that we first explore, map, observe, and understand our 
ocean.
    Observation and monitoring programs are integral to NOAA's ability 
to accurately forecast weather, for NOAA's protection and management of 
America's ocean resources, and for the U.S. military's navigation and 
extreme weather preparedness. We ask that your committee continue to 
fully support enhanced capabilities for observation and monitoring by 
NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) and NOAA's 
Sustained Ocean Observations and Monitoring Program. We also suggest 
the committee continue its support for the Ocean Exploration program to 
maintain the pace, scope, and efficiency of exploration. It is also 
critical to fund climate research at OAR. This is essential to promote 
high-priority climate science that advances our understanding of 
Earth's climate system.
    Likewise, we support the FY 2023 proposed increase in NSF's overall 
budget to $10.5 billion, recognizing that developing sufficient 
capabilities to sustain ocean-based economies and protect our coasts 
and coastal communities from natural and man-made hazards will require 
a sustained investment in the geosciences, essential to economic 
development and the safety and security of our citizens. NSF's 
investment in the geosciences--which includes ocean sciences--has 
spurred innovations, addressed salient national and global challenges, 
galvanized new economic sectors, generated countless jobs, and led to 
the development and implementation of advanced technologies.
    We are highly supportive of the proposed increase in NASA's Earth 
science funding for climate and weather monitoring and measurement. The 
recommended $2.4 billion for Earth-observing satellites and related 
research will enhance NASA's ability to improve national capabilities 
to predict climate, weather, and natural hazards, and better manage 
resources.
                        education and extension
    The National Sea Grant College Program works to better research, 
understand, conserve, and utilize America's coastal resources, making 
it critical to coastal States, communities, and economies. Given Sea 
Grant's critical importance, we urge this committee to strongly support 
Sea Grant in FY 2023, including funding for marine aquaculture 
education and extension programming.
    NOAA's environmental education and ocean stewardship programs 
increase essential access to STEM education and cultivate environmental 
stewardship. We request that the committee continue its support for 
Bay-Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) programs and Environmental 
Literacy Programs (ELP). These vital programs in increase equity 
through inspiring and educating future ocean leaders who represent all 
Americans.
                        resilience and security
    Sufficient funding must be dedicated to strengthening the 
resiliency of coastal communities and ocean ecosystems to combat 
dramatic, climate driven changes in our oceans. We ask this 
subcommittee to continue leading on ocean and coastal security by 
funding over historical levels the National Ocean and Coastal Security 
Fund (NOCSF) in FY 2023. We further recommend continued support for 
regional data portals used to support critical ocean partnerships that 
encourage collaboration and data sharing on the regional scale. In 
addition, we recommend continued support of Coastal Management Grants 
and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, which preserve 
millions of acres of coastal habitat, buffering against rising seas and 
storm events.
    NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) is a front-line agency for 
sustained resilience and security. We strongly recommend that NOS be 
adequately funded commensurate with its sobering responsibilities. NOS 
also supports the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), which 
collects and distributes data that is used at the National, regional, 
State, and local levels. We recommend you strongly support IOOS to meet 
the safety, economic and stewardship needs of the Nation.
    The NOS also administers the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 
and key restoration projects that dramatically enhance the resilience 
of coastal communities and ocean environments. National Marine 
Sanctuaries require continued congressional support to protect and 
steward special marine spaces, especially in the face of climate 
change, and develop the next generation of ocean stewards.
                          ocean acidification
    Ocean acidification is evident along every shoreline and is 
impacting economies worldwide. By changing the chemistry of seawater, 
ocean acidification endangers shellfish, corals, and other marine life 
and disrupts marine food webs. Ocean acidification poses a fundamental 
risk to fisheries and aquaculture industries and to human health, as 
well as a potentially catastrophic risk to our economy. We strongly 
urge you to increase funding for NOAA's Integrated Ocean Acidification 
program to support critical research, monitoring, education, and 
outreach. The potential devastating impact from ocean acidification 
requires an unequivocal response to prevent catastrophe.
                  sustainable fisheries & aquaculture
    Fishing is a cornerstone of the ocean economy and an important 
aspect of American history and culture. Since 1976, we have seen 
tremendous progress toward creating and maintaining sustainable 
fisheries domestically and internationally, in part due to your 
subcommittee's commitment to scientifically-sound fishery management. 
Aquaculture is also a growing aspect of America's seafood economy. We 
are encouraged by NOAAs strong support for sustainable, environmentally 
sound aquaculture.
    However, America's seafood industry is currently being challenged 
by changing ocean conditions, shifts in historic stock distributions, 
and increasingly complex data requirements. NOAA Fisheries requires 
elevated funding to address these challenges. We thank you for 
responding to our testimony from year's past and many other 
organizations, increasing funding for the NOAA Fisheries to over $1 
billion. We ask you to continue this trend in fiscal Year 2023, to 
fully implement the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and 
Management Act. We also urge you to support full implementation of the 
U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program to address IUU fishing and other 
initiatives to spread sustainable fisheries management globally. 
Further, we recommend funding the research and expansion of aquaculture 
to increase sustainable American seafood, and provide a low-carbon 
source of protein for the planet's projected 10 billion people. These 
initiatives will not only increase sustainability but also create 
quality jobs for coastal Americans.
                           concluding remarks
    The Joint Initiative greatly appreciates your commitment to 
addressing the challenges of our maritime nation, and to the ocean-
climate nexus, so critical to the future of our blue planet. We 
appreciate your consideration of our fiscal Year 2023 budget request. 
We will continue to track progress on key ocean and coastal programs 
and accounts in fiscal Year 2023 and beyond, and we stand ready to 
assist you in advancing positive and lasting changes in the way we 
manage our Nation's oceans and coasts.
              Joint Initiative Leadership Council Members
             The Honorable Christine Todd Whitman, Co-Chair
Maite Arce | Frances Beinecke | Don Boesch The Honorable Norm Dicks | 
Quenton Dokken | Robert Gagosian | Sherri Goodman | Scott Gudes | The 
Honorable Conrad Lautenbacher | Margaret Leinen | Julie Packard | The 
Honorable Leon Panetta | John Pappalardo | The Honorable Pietro 
Parravano | Queen Quet |Randy Repass | Larry Robinson | Andrew 
Rosenberg Paul Sandifer

    [This statement was submitted by Christine Todd Whitman and Leon 
Panetta]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of the Learning and Education Academic Research 
                            Network (LEARN)
    We are writing on behalf of the Learning and Education Academic 
Research Network (LEARN) Coalition to express our support for increased 
funding for several key STEM related research programs that your 
subcommittee will debate as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 
appropriations process. LEARN, a coalition of 41 leading research 
colleges of education across the country, supports critical investments 
in research aimed at advancing the scientific understanding of learning 
and development. We advocate for greater funding for these priorities 
across all Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation 
(NSF). Specifically, LEARN is requesting $11 billion be allocated to 
NSF overall, and for Congress to match the President's FY2023 budget 
proposal by providing $1.37 billion towards the Directorate for 
Education and Human Resources (EHR), which the Administration's FY2023 
budget request be renamed the Directorate for STEM Education (EDU), and 
robust funding for the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and 
Partnerships (TIP). While advocating for these increased resources for 
FY2023, we want to express our appreciation for the increases for NSF 
provided in FY2022.
    While we are grateful for the funding NSF was appropriated in 
FY2022, we respectfully recognize that increased funding is required to 
address the effects of historical underinvestment in fundamental 
research in the United States as well as to support COVID-19 recovery. 
According to the National Science Board, more than $3 billion in high-
quality proposals are submitted each year that cannot be funded with 
current appropriations. The potential impact of these missed 
opportunities is even starker when considering the return on investment 
of fundamental scientific research and the significant investments that 
other nations -both allies and adversaries-are making in comparable 
research areas.
    In addition to our call for a $11 billion funding level for NSF, 
LEARN supports funding for NSF's EDU directorate at $1.37 billion in 
FY2023. EDU works to prepare the next generation of STEM professionals 
by conducting rigorous research and evaluation of STEM education. Over 
the past 20 years, the share of U.S. research and development funded by 
the Federal Government has declined; this decline has 
disproportionately impacted the higher education sector reducing 
resources to the sector that drives the most innovation in this area. 
Stagnation in these key U.S. talent development programs come as our 
National security leaders are sounding alarm bells over foreign talent 
recruitment programs which are effectively siphoning STEM capacity from 
the United States and elsewhere to countries that are strongly 
investing while we remain complacent. As Congress considers making a 
large investment in STEM education through the America Creating 
Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, 
Education, and Science (COMPETES)/United States Innovation and 
Competition (USICA) Act, we urge you to first invest in EDU which has 
been successfully supporting STEM education research and dissemination 
to ensure the creation of an adept and diverse STEM workforce.
    Finally, LEARN members are invigorated by the Administrations new 
call for funding for the TIP directorate. As noted in the President's 
FY2023 budget, a portion of TIP's mission is to ``cultivate new 
education pathways leading to a diverse and skilled future technical 
workforce comprising researchers, practitioners, technicians and 
entrepreneurs.'' The newly proposed funding for TIP would allow for 
work across the public and private sector to provide practical 
experiences to learners and encourage strategic cross-sector 
partnerships. By targeting a range of educational institutions from 
community colleges and vocational schools to graduate schools, adequate 
funding for TIP would ensure that the Nation's STEM workforce is as 
diverse as it is strong. As a nascent directorate, we urge Congress to 
provide TIP with robust funding so it can accomplish its innovative 
goals.
    The LEARN Coalition believes strongly that collectively these key 
investments will advance scientific learning and development to ensure 
a globally competitive, STEM-educated workforce in the long run. Thank 
you for considering these requests and please contact us if we can be 
of any assistance.

Sincerely,
Camilla P. Benbow, EdD
Co-Chair, Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN)

Patricia and Rodes Hart
Dean of Education and Human Development of the Peabody College of 
Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University

Rick Ginsberg, PhD
Co-Chair, Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN)
Dean of the School of Education, University of Kansas

Glenn E. Good, PhD
Co-Chair, Learning and Education Academic Research Network (LEARN)
Dean of the College of Education, University of Florida
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of Monterey Bay Aquarium
    The Monterey Bay Aquarium is pleased to submit this statement in 
support of President Biden's $6.9 billion budget for the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the FY 2023 
Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Act. The following testimony 
outlines several specific requests within NOAA that support vital 
research, education and grant programs that are needed in California, 
the West Coast and nationwide.
    The mission of the Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the 
ocean. In a typical year, we welcome 2 million visitors annually, 
provide more than 91,000 students and 5,000 teachers with award-winning 
education programs at no cost, and continue to produce valuable data, 
tools and approaches at local to global scales through our conservation 
and science programs.
    NOAA is a crucial leader and frequent partner in our mission-driven 
work. As the Nation's lead science agency for oceanic and atmospheric 
matters, NOAA provides important tools and services that are necessary 
to supporting safe communities across the United States and creating a 
sustainable future for all. NOAA's research, environmental observations 
and predictions, marine resource conservation and management and 
education programs and services shape the way we live today and guide 
decision-making about how to maintain the health and function of 
coupled ocean and climate system.
    The Aquarium strongly supports the President's budget request of 
$6.9 billion dollars for FY23 and encourages the subcommittee to 
continue its balanced and strategic investment strategy for NOAA. 
Significant congressional investment in NOAA is needed to ensure that 
the Nation's ocean agency can continue to provide vital science and 
management services into the future and act for the health and safety 
of our citizens and rich natural resources. The Aquarium urges the 
subcommittee to support priority requests for research, education, 
management, and grants in FY23 that are particularly important for 
California and West Coast communities.
    Pacific Highly Migratory Species.--Pelagic and highly migratory 
fisheries in the Pacific Ocean support thousands of jobs and generate 
hundreds of millions in revenue related to commercial and recreational 
fishing, as well as related seafood industries along the West Coast. 
These highly migratory species (HMS) include valuable tunas (albacore, 
bluefin), swordfish, marlin, and pelagic sharks that are managed 
through international agreements and rely on scientific contributions 
from all nations.
    Federal funding opportunities for non-federal scientists in pelagic 
and HMS research programs in the Pacific have declined considerably 
since the Pacific Fisheries Research Program (PFRP) ended in 2013. This 
has resulted in significantly fewer public-private research 
collaborations with NOAA and a lack of independent science to address 
critical and timely management questions that directly impact U.S. 
stakeholders and the health of the Pacific Ocean ecosystem. In the 
Atlantic, NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) currently has dedicated Federal 
research programs for HMS fisheries, notably the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna 
Research Program, as well as a recent HMS Research Program through Sea 
Grant. Priority HMS fisheries research questions remain unanswered in 
the Pacific region, but there are no dedicated Federal programs to 
address life history and other questions central to ensuring 
international management is sustainable.
    We are very grateful that Congress included Pacific HMS research 
grants alongside the existing Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico HMS research 
programs within the FY22 Senate Commerce Justice Science report. 
Additional funding should be provided to ensure that Pacific HMS 
research needs are addressed alongside the existing HMS priorities in 
the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
    Request.--We urge the subcommittee to provide an additional $2 
million and report language to NOAA to support independent HMS research 
grants for the Pacific region to address key science in support of 
sustainable international management.
                Corresponding Report Language Request:
                Highly Migratory Species: Migratory Species (HMS) 
                Research Initiative for Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf of 
                Mexico HMS. The Committee notes lack of funding for 
                Pacific HMS independent research that supports 
                ecologically and economically important species such as 
                tuna, swordfish, marlin, and pelagic sharks. Within 
                funding for the Sea Grant program, the Committee 
                provides $2,000,000 over FY22 for research grants to 
                non-federal entities to improve science-based 
                management of domestic and international HMS in the 
                Pacific region.

    Bycatch Reduction.--We recommend that the subcommittee include an 
increase of $2 million over FY22 funding for bycatch reduction 
competitive grants to non-federal researchers for the development and 
implementation of practical bycatch solutions that support sustainable 
U.S. fisheries. The program was again funded at the same level in FY22. 
We request that the subcommittee increase funding for NOAA's bycatch 
reporting and reduction programs to accelerate technology improvements 
and help U.S. fishermen achieve greater environmental sustainability 
while protecting living marine resources, particularly endangered, 
protected and threatened species.
    Seafood Import Monitoring Program.--We support an additional $5 
million for NMFS to implement the Seafood Import Monitoring Program 
(SIMP). Increasing funding for NMFS and specifically for SIMP 
implementation is essential for safeguarding the integrity of seafood 
imports in the U.S. and leveling the playing field for U.S. fishermen 
undercut by illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood products in 
the market.
    Climate-Ready Fisheries.--The Aquarium supports advancing climate-
ready fisheries management in the Fiscal Year 2023 Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. This should include 
full funding for NOAA's Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative 
and enhanced support for fisheries surveys. We specifically request the 
following investments to support climate-ready fisheries:
  1.  National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries and Ecosystem 
        Science Programs and Services: $180 million, of which $10 
        million is dedicated to Climate-Informed Fisheries Assessment 
        and Management Strategies for Changing Oceans;
  2.  National Marine Fisheries Service, Fisheries Data Collections, 
        Surveys, and Assessments: $212 million; and
  3.  Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, Climate Competitive Research: 
        $91.5 million, of which $10 million is dedicated to Marine 
        Ecosystem Responses to Climate Change.

    Ocean Science and Technology.--The Aquarium collaborates with the 
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) on science and 
conservation issues of mutual interest. The success of our efforts to 
harness cutting edge research to address challenging ocean-related 
issues is dependent on a vibrant ocean science and technology 
enterprise. To continue to generate science-based solutions to restore 
our ocean, and support a robust U.S. role in global efforts, we urge 
the subcommittee to bolster funding for essential new science and 
technology. Through NOAA and the other relevant agencies, including NSF 
and NASA, we recommend the subcommittee provide support for research 
and technology development and ocean science.
    NOAA Education.--The Aquarium is a long-time partner of NOAA's 
Education programs. We also share NOAA Education's commitment to 
ensuring diversity among our staff and within the professional spheres 
of our field. NOAA's Jose E. Serrano Educational Partnership Program 
(EPP) with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) provides STEM education 
and future workforce training, benefiting both the agency and other 
organizations by creating a pool of diverse, qualified candidates for 
the future workforce. We are proud to work with the EPP centers and 
urge the subcommittee to provide additional funding for the EPP-MSI 
program to support expansion of the EPP network, particularly to build 
professional opportunities on the west coast, and build technical 
capacity within the next generation to address emerging challenges.
    National Marine Sanctuaries.--The Aquarium collaborates with the 
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) program to provide 
public education and research connected to the MBNMS and in support of 
its living marine resources. We also support the designation of the 
Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, also in California's 
waters. We recognize the constraints on this important program and 
support an increase in appropriations for the NOAA Sanctuaries program, 
including $87 million for Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas within 
NOAA's Operations, Research, and Facilities (ORF) account.
    Marine Debris Program.--According to the 2021 National Academies of 
Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report undertaken as 
directed by the Save Our Seas 2.0 Act enacted in 2020, ocean plastic 
pollution continues to increase, as does the United States' role as a 
major contributor in this global plastic crisis. The Aquarium urges the 
subcommittee to provide $15 million for the Marine Debris Program (MDP) 
to provide frontline services, funding, and science to meet the demands 
of plastic pollution challenges along our coastline. Additional funding 
above $15 million is necessary in order to meet two recommendations 
generated by the NASEM report: (1) for the MDP Marine Debris Monitoring 
and Assessment Project to conduct scientifically designed national 
marine debris shoreline surveys every 5 years using standardized 
protocols; and (2) for MDP to contribute to a Federal research and 
policy strategy focused on identifying, implementing, and assessing 
equitable and effective interventions across the entire plastic life 
cycle to reduce the U.S. contribution of plastic waste to the 
environment.
    Thank you for your consideration of these requests.

    [This statement was submitted by Ms. Margaret Spring, Chief 
Conservation & Science Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of the National Association of Latino Elected and 
              Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the subcommittee:

    On behalf of the National Association of Latino Elected and 
Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, thank you for the 
opportunity to submit testimony on the U.S. Census Bureau's budget for 
fiscal year 2023. As you consider appropriations for fiscal Year 2023, 
NALEO Educational Fund urges this subcommittee to provide $2 billion in 
funding for the U.S. Census Bureau, which represents a $495 million 
increase over the President's budget request and $646 million over the 
agency's fiscal Year 2022 enacted level. We believe that the $2 billion 
funding level is necessary to support the Bureau's efforts to address 
and ameliorate the significant undercount of our Nation's Latino 
population and other population groups in the 2020 Census. In addition, 
we believe there needs to be more robust investment to enhance the 
accuracy of other Bureau data products. Finally, a higher level of 
funding would help the Bureau continue to assess and start to make the 
fundamental changes needed to modernize the census and count all of our 
Nation's residents fairly and accurately.
    NALEO Educational Fund is the Nation's leading nonprofit 
organization that facilitates the full participation of Latinos in the 
American political process, from citizenship to public service. Our 
Board members and constituency encompass the Nation's more than 7,000 
Latino elected and appointed officials, and include Republicans, 
Democrats, and Independents. Since the 1990 Census, our organization 
has conducted outreach campaigns to promote the full and accurate count 
of the Latino community. In addition, NALEO Educational Fund is a 
leading expert on Census policy development, with a long record of 
service on the Bureau's National Advisory Committees. The organization 
serves as co-chair of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human 
Rights' Census Task Force, a Steering Committee member of the Census 
Counts Campaign, and the co-chair of the National Hispanic Leadership 
Agenda's Census Task Force.
          addressing and ameliorating the severe undercount of
                         latinos in census 2020
    In March, the Census Bureau released its initial findings from its 
Post-Enumeration Survey (PES), which revealed a massive 4.99 percent 
national undercount of Latinos in Census 2020, which is more than 
triple the percentage of Latinos undercounted in Census 2010. The PES 
also revealed a 2.79 percent undercount of very young children (ages 0-
4); a 3.30 percent undercount for Blacks; and a 5.64 percent for 
American Indians or Alaska Natives living on reservations. The 
undercount of very young children, which increased more than threefold 
from 2010, is very salient for the Latino population and the Nation as 
a whole. First, the 2020 Census shows that slightly more than one in 
four children under 18-years-old is Latino (25.7 percent). In addition, 
2016 research spearheaded by demographer Dr. William O'Hare found that 
the net undercount rate in 2010 for very young Latino children (ages 0-
4) was 7.1 percent, compared to 4.3 percent for non-Latinos--with 
Census 2010 missing nearly 400,000 very young Latino children. While 
more research is needed to determine the undercount of very young 
Latino children in Census 2020, the initial PES findings raise serious 
concerns about the size and scope of this undercount.
    The historic undercount of Latinos and other population groups has 
serious implications for the full range of programs, activities, and 
decisions for which census data are used. These data guide the 
distribution of more than $1.5 trillion in annual Federal funding to 
States and localities, and flawed data will lead to a potential 
misallocation of resources that could have a detrimental effect on our 
schools, healthcare systems, infrastructure, and programs essential for 
the future prosperity and well-being of Latino families and all of our 
Nation's residents. The undercount of Latinos and other people of color 
could also dramatically erode the ability of government agencies to 
monitor and enforce civil rights protections. As a result, our Nation 
could see existing ethnic and socio-economic inequities in areas such 
as employment, education, housing, and health care grow far worse.
    The undercount of Latinos and other people of color could also lead 
to a vast number of unsound decisions being made in the public and 
private sector. Furthermore, data from Census 2020 have already been 
used to apportion the U.S. House of Representatives and for 
redistricting, despite the fact that such data do not reflect the 
actual growth of the Latino population. Without a thorough 
understanding of the factors which contributed to the Census 2020 
undercount, we cannot take the action needed to improve the accuracy of 
the Census 2030 data which will be used for apportionment and 
redistricting at the start of the next decade.
    Our funding request for fiscal year 2023 would help support the 
Bureau's efforts to continue to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the 
effect of the undercount on the Latino community and the implications 
of the undercount for all of the activities for which census data are 
used. This would include the Bureau's continued work to examine options 
to ameliorate the undercount.
    Additionally, in May, the Bureau released PES estimates for the 
undercount of the total population in each State and the District of 
Columbia. These estimates indicated statistically significant 
undercounts in six States (Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Mississippi, 
Tennessee and Texas), but did not include demographic characteristics 
such as age, race and Hispanic origin. In addition, the estimates were 
not available for geographies below the state level. Moreover, the PES 
state estimates are net figures derived in part from both the 2020 
Census omissions and persons overcounted in the enumeration. Thus, the 
persons overcounted in the state may mask the impact of the persons 
missed in the enumeration and other significant problems with the 
overall accuracy of state census data.
    Based on our work with and research on historically undercounted 
communities, we believe it is likely that Census 2020's accuracy varied 
in different regions of the States. For example, areas with large 
concentrations of Latinos, Black residents, and young children are 
likely to have had the highest undercounts, while places with large 
concentrations of non-Hispanic whites and wealthy residents likely had 
overcounts. However, without specific Latino undercount data and data 
on other population groups throughout each State, we cannot determine 
precisely where and to what extent these population groups were missed.
    We understand the Census Bureau's position that the PES sample size 
is not adequate enough to produce data that meet the Bureau's standards 
for every demographic group in each State or many localities in the 
Nation. Thus, our funding request would support much-needed Bureau 
efforts to research and make available data from other sources that 
could help illuminate the accuracy of Census 2020 data for various 
demographic groups and localities. Finally, our funding request would 
also enhance the Bureau's ability to engage stakeholders in its efforts 
to evaluate the implications of the National undercounts and the state 
PES estimates for different population groups, examine options to 
mitigate the effect of the undercounts on funding formulas and the fair 
allocation of resources, and plan for Census 2030.
  strengthening population estimates and the american community survey
    The Bureau's Population Estimates play a critical role in 
determining the allocation of Federal funding, and the next annual 
series of Population Estimates is the basis for all subsequent annual 
estimates for the next decade. The Bureau will use Census 2020 data in 
its determination of the next annual series of Population Estimates and 
given the severe undercount of Latinos and other population groups, the 
agency needs resources to strengthen the accuracy of the next annual 
series. This funding would also support expanded and enhanced 
opportunities for cities, counties, towns, Tribal governments, and 
other localities to help ensure the accuracy of their annual estimates, 
through the Population Estimates Challenge Program and other 
activities. This will help ensure that trillions of Federal funds over 
the decade can reach the communities needing them the most.
    In addition, we believe that the American Community Survey (ACS) is 
in dire need of additional resources to implement several critical 
enhancements to the survey. The ACS provides updated data on a wide 
range of demographic and housing characteristics that are crucial for 
sound public and private decision-making which affects all aspects of 
the lives of Latinos, including income, employment status, educational 
attainment, language proficiency, and nativity. Additional funding 
would help with such enhancements as increasing the ACS' sample size, 
improving its non-response follow up operations, addressing steadily 
declining response rates, revising content, and making other 
methodological and operational improvements.
                         modernizing the census
    The massive net national undercount of our Nation's Latino 
population and other people of color in the 2020 Census demonstrates 
the need for the Census Bureau to make fundamental changes to how it 
counts the U.S. population. It can no longer simply rely on the 
traditional methods of mailing forms out to households and encouraging 
the public to respond. Thus, our funding request also aims at providing 
the Census Bureau resources for the purpose of informing its planning 
for future census data collection programs and surveys. Modernizing the 
census will involve research, evaluation and testing of a broad range 
of initiatives and approaches, including modernizing the Bureau's 
information technology infrastructure, and assessing the use of machine 
learning and Big Data methodology.
    In addition, as part of its modernization activities, the Bureau 
intends to examine the expanded use of administrative records for 
various purposes. However, these records have serious limitations with 
respect to the accuracy and completeness of information on Latinos and 
other people of color, young children, low-income residents, and other 
underrepresented populations. Thus, the Bureau needs resources to 
continue to assess the appropriate use of administrative records for 
its data compilation and analysis activities.
    Finally, the Bureau's efforts to modernize the census could result 
in approaches that would enable the agency to achieve cost-savings for 
its Census 2030 operations. However, the agency must start several 
years before Census 2030 to thoroughly test and evaluate these 
approaches if they are to be used in a sound and effective manner. 
Thus, more robust funding for the Bureau in FY 2023 is an investment 
which would lead to more efficient and cost-effective operations in the 
next enumeration.
                               conclusion
    Census data are the basis of our representative democracy, and our 
Nation's well-being and prosperity depend in part on the accuracy of 
the data collected by the Census Bureau. These data guide a wide range 
of decisions made in the public and private sectors that affect the 
lives of all Americans. Latinos are the Nation's second-largest 
population group, and the Bureau cannot produce accurate data on all of 
our country's residents without accurate data on Latinos. However, as 
the PES undercount estimates indicate, the Bureau faced significant 
challenges in accurately enumerating Latinos and other population 
groups, and these challenges have important implications for other 
Census activities and products. In addition, evolving demographic, 
economic, technological and statistical trends require the Bureau to 
continue its work to modernize the census. We believe that the $2 
billion level of funding we are requesting for fiscal Year 2023 will 
help the Bureau carry out a more robust range of activities to make 
progress in providing the most accurate data possible for our Nation. 
We appreciate this subcommittee's attention to these important matters 
and look forward to working with you and other Members of Congress to 
achieve this important goal.

    [This statement was submitted by Arturo Vargas, Chief Executive 
Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of the National Congress of American Indians
    On behalf of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), this 
testimony addresses important programs in the U.S. Department of 
Justice (DOJ), U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), and the National 
Science Foundation (NSF). As the most representative organization of 
American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) Tribal Nations, NCAI serves 
the broad interests of Tribal governments across the United States. As 
Congress considers the FY 2023 budget and beyond, leaders of Tribal 
Nations call on decision-makers to ensure that the promises made to 
Indian Country are honored in the Federal budget.
                         department of justice
    The public safety problems that continue to plague Tribal 
communities are the result of decades of gross underfunding for Tribal 
criminal justice systems, a uniquely complex jurisdictional scheme, and 
the historic, abject failure by the Federal Government to fulfill its 
public safety obligations on AI/AN lands. Crime rates in Tribal 
communities are among the highest in the Nation, and AI/ANs experience 
rates of violent crime that are 2.5 times the National average. The 
2022 reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act reaffirms the 
jurisdiction of all Tribal Nations to prosecute certain crimes. 
Congress must now appropriate and streamline public safety funds to 
ensure that Tribal Nations can implement their jurisdiction and 
increase safety in Tribal communities.
    Include Tribal governments in disbursements from the Crime Victims 
Fund (CVF)--a mandatory account. The CVF is the Federal Government's 
primary funding source for providing services to victims of crime, and 
we express our sincere gratitude to appropriators for providing direct 
funding to Tribal governments from the CVF for the past 5 years. For 
this funding to fully achieve its purpose, Tribal Nations need the 
disbursements from the CVF to be recurring in order to ensure long term 
program stability for victims. We urge this subcommittee to direct an 
amount equal to 5 percent of overall CVF disbursements to Tribal 
Nations again this year.
    Create a streamlined Tribal allocation across Office of Justice 
Programs (OJP) programs. For several years, both this subcommittee and 
its Senate counterpart have supported requests to streamline and 
consolidate OJP Tribal programs by allocating 7 percent from all 
discretionary OJP programs to address Indian Country public safety and 
Tribal justice needs. Despite the subcommittees' support, the request 
has never been enacted. One of the biggest shortcomings of DOJ Tribal 
funding is that it is administered as competitive funding that must fit 
with DOJ established priorities and guidelines. This requires Tribal 
Nations--on behalf of their Tribal justice systems--to compete against 
each other and develop projects that align with changing DOJ 
priorities. Often, Tribal Nations cannot count on funding continuing 
beyond the current grant period further limiting the ability to 
effectively address public safety in the long term. A streamlined OJP 
Tribal allocation would significantly improve the Federal funding 
process by which Tribal Nations receive resources to establish Tribal 
courts, assist in developing detention facilities, provide legal 
assistance, develop and maintain juvenile delinquency prevention 
programs, and provide substance abuse prevention programs. Further, 
this type of Tribal allocation would give Tribal Nations the 
flexibility to develop a detailed strategic plan on how best to spend 
those resources. We urge the subcommittees to continue to support this 
request and work with the appropriate authorizing committees to include 
it.
    Increase funding for Tribal law enforcement programs under DOJ's 
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants to $52 million. 
Since the creation of the COPS Office, more than 2,000 grants totaling 
over $400 million have been awarded to Tribal Nations to hire more than 
1,700 new or redeployed law enforcement officers. COPS grants have also 
helped Tribal Nations to obtain necessary law enforcement training, 
equipment, vehicles, and technology. Yet, there is still a tremendous 
unmet need within Tribal justice systems for more COPS funding. The 
COPS Office has acknowledged that due to limited resources, it has not 
been able to adequately fund Tribal justice systems particularly in the 
area of hiring and retaining Tribal law enforcement officers. In a 
report released in December 2010, the COPS Office described its 
practice of intermittent funding as ``problematic,'' especially ``when 
referring to hiring of officers.\1\'' Indian Country urges Congress to 
significantly increase funding for Tribal law enforcement programs 
under the COPS program.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ U.S. Department of Justice, COPS Office report to Congress as 
required by Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, available at: https://
www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/tribal/legacy/2014/02/06/cops-
congress-report.pdf, Accessed: May 13, 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Fully fund the programs authorized in the Violence Against Women 
Act (VAWA), including the funds authorized for Tribal implementation of 
VAWA Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction. Over 85 percent of AI/AN 
women are estimated to experience violent victimization in their 
lifetimes. The DOJ Office of Violence Against Women (OVW) provides 
funding to Tribal governments to address violence against women in 
their communities. OVW's largest source of funding for Tribal 
governments is the Grants to Tribal Governments Program, which is 
funded via statutory allocations from other OVW programs. Fully funding 
these OVW programs results in full funding for the Grants to Tribal 
Governments Program.
    The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022) 
recognized and affirmed the inherent sovereign authority of all Tribal 
Nations to exercise Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (STCJ) over 
all persons--Indian and non-Indian--who commit certain crimes within 
Indian country and designated lands. VAWA 2022 included a new STCJ 
pilot program for Alaska Native Villages and increased authorization 
levels to support Tribal public safety in Alaska and in the lower 48. 
The law authorizes $25 million a year for 5 years for Tribal Nations to 
implement the STCJ, receive reimbursements for certain costs, and 
strengthen Tribal justice systems. We urge this subcommittee to 
appropriate the full amount authorized for VAWA 2022 implementation 
purposes so that more Tribal communities are able to take advantage of 
this lifesaving law.
                         department of commerce
    Beginning in February 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics 
published monthly data on AI/AN employment, using data that was 
previously available through the U.S. Census Bureau's Current 
Population Survey. The newly published data reveals a labor market that 
would be considered catastrophic if it were representative of the full 
U.S. economy-Indian Country has an unemployment rate more than double 
national rate.\2\ The data further highlights that Indian Country is 
still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, with unemployment 
rates reaching 28.6% during the peak of the pandemic fallout--an amount 
comparable to the National unemployment rate during the Great 
Depression.\3\ As of January 2022, the unemployment rate for Native 
Americans was still greater than the peak unemployment rate for white 
workers during the pandemic.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ Robert Maxim, Randall Akee, and Gabriel R. Sanchez, For the 
first time, the government published monthly unemployment data on 
Native Americans, and the picture is stark, available at: https://
www.brookings.edu/articles/despite-an-optimistic-jobs-report-new-data-
shows-native-american-unemployment-remains-staggeringly-high/
#::text=Prior%20to%20the%20pandemic
%2C%20Native,unemployment%20during%20the%20Great%20Depression, 
Accessed: May 4, 2022.
    \3\ Id.
    \4\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Even when controlling for a host of factors, the Brookings 
Institute posits that structural racism in the U.S. economy affects AI/
AN access to education and attainment as well as employment 
opportunities.\5\ As traditionally place-based peoples with strong 
cultural and historical ties to the land, AI/ANs do not tend to move 
away regardless of economic situations. This means that the structural 
impediments to economic growth are focused and exacerbated on Tribal 
lands, underscoring the importance of Federal investment through 
regular Federal appropriations. Unfortunately, cross-referencing Office 
of Management and Budget data with Appropriations Committee reports 
reveals that regular appropriations for the benefit of Native Americans 
represents approximately 0.19% of total regular appropriations budget 
authority in the fiscal Year 2022 Omnibus. With Federal investment 
metrics such as these, it is no surprise that Indian Country is in a 
State of catastrophe by national standards. These broken promises of 
the United States dampen local, regional, and national U.S. economic 
productivity and negatively impact the safety and wellbeing of 
Americans--Native and non-Native alike.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \5\ Id.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    The U.S. Department of Commerce administers programs that could 
greatly benefit Indian Country, for example, the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), International 
Trade Administration, Economic Development Administration, Minority 
Business Development Agency (MBDA), Census Bureau, and the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, the funding for 
these programs benefiting Native Americans must increase from the 
trickle of past years to a more robust distribution for broadband 
deployment, economic and business development assistance, trade and 
tourism promotion, fisheries programs, and Tribal government data 
collection and analysis capacity.
    This subcommittee can correct this investment deficiency by 
providing: at least $1 billion to NTIA's Tribal Broadband Connectivity 
Grant Program to reduce the backlog of at least $5 billion of 
identified, unfunded broadband projects; $70 million to continue 
supporting MBDA Business Specialty Centers, and set aside at least $5 
million in grants for Native American business and procurement 
assistance; $5 million for the Office of Native American Business 
Development (ONABD) to coordinate within Commerce and with other 
Federal agencies to promote and support Native American business 
development, trade, and tourism; at least $110 million for the Pacific 
Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund; $25.9 million for NOAA Mitchell Act 
Hatchery Programs; and at least $100 million for Census Bureau grants 
to Tribal Nations to improve internal government data capacity.
                      national science foundation
    NSF has dedicated funding for Tribal Colleges and Universities 
(TCUs) and other research activities related to arctic social sciences 
to promote high-quality science and educational opportunities in social 
and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, computer sciences, as well 
as supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) 
and STEM education, research, and outreach. As traditionally place-
based peoples with strong cultural and historical ties to the land, 
investments in TCUs promote economic growth, education, career 
training, social wellbeing, and cultural preservation directly within 
Native communities. Similar to many Federal investments through the 
regular appropriations process, cross-referencing Office of Management 
and Budget data with Appropriations Committee reports reveals that 
regular appropriations for NSF for the benefit of Native Americans 
represents approximately 0.27% of total regular appropriations budget 
authority in the FY 2022 Omnibus.
    This subcommittee must increase its investment into Native Higher 
Education by providing $100 million for the Tribal Colleges and 
Universities Program, which includes funding for Alaska Native-Serving 
institutions and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions, and $10 million 
for the Arctic Social Sciences Program to support research on social 
and cultural systems of the Arctic, present and past.
                               conclusion
    Tribal Nations are uniquely reliant on the Federal Government to 
fulfill its promises made in exchange for the land that created the 
foundation of the bounty and wealth of the United States. Our people 
have paid for every penny obligated to Indian Country hundreds of times 
over by providing this Nation with our land. In order to uphold this 
Nation's promises to its people, it must first uphold its promises to 
this land's First Peoples. We expect to continue to be treated as 
sovereign nations with governmental parity. We must continue down that 
path of Nation-to-Nation growth, and only then will all of our people 
be able to fully flourish.
    For more information, please contact Kelbie Kennedy, Policy Manager 
and Policy Lead--National Security and Community Safety, at 
[email protected]; C.C. Wright, Policy Lead--Community Development & 
Infrastructure, at [email protected]; Julia Wakeford, Policy Lead--
Social and Cultural Resources at [email protected]; or Tyler Scribner, 
Policy Lead--Federal Revenue & Appropriations, [email protected].

    [This statement was submitted by Dante Desiderio, Chief Executive 
Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of National Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA)/
            Guardian ad Litem (GAL) Association for Children
    Chairman Leahy, Chair Shaheen, Vice Chairman Shelby, Ranking Member 
Moran, and Members of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related 
Agencies subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit remarks 
on the Department of Justice (DOJ) FY 2023 budget including funding of 
the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) Program through the Office 
of Justice Programs' State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance 
Account.
    CASA/GAL advocacy is a well-established model strongly associated 
with improved long-term outcomes for child victims, for which the need 
continues to be critical. With Congressional support at the requested 
level of $15 million, the CASA/GAL network in 49 States and the 
District of Columbia will enhance and advance specialized training, 
tools, and resources to continue delivering vital one-on-one best-
interest advocacy that addresses the complex and ever-evolving needs of 
children who have suffered trauma after experiencing abuse or neglect 
by one or more primary caregivers.
    Emerging issues such as the commercial sexual exploitation of 
children and our Nation's growing opioid epidemic--for which children 
account for an increasing number of victims--both necessitate a greater 
specialization within one-on-one advocacy, with a keen and deliberate 
focus on progressing toward the call within the Victims of Child Abuse 
Act to serve every child victim. As we enrich CASA/GAL advocacy to 
encompass evolving direct service needs, our National network will 
further strengthen its capacity to serve over 250,000 child victims of 
abuse and neglect.
    Child victimization and maltreatment by primary caregivers remains 
all too prevalent in our country and the negative impacts on children, 
their families and society are significant. Traumatized victims of 
child abuse and neglect face significant and multiple risk factors, 
most notably, juvenile delinquency, adult criminality, and poor 
educational performance that affects future employment and stability. 
These issues result in a hefty impact on federal, State and local 
spending-at least one-quarter of the DOJ budget is dedicated to our 
Nation's prison system, and at the same time, the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the economic and social costs of 
child abuse and neglect to total $124 billion nationwide per annum. 
Local CASA/GAL programs offer an effective service to child victims of 
abuse and neglect that improves outcomes, increases the efficient 
functioning of our court systems, and saves millions in Federal and 
State taxpayer dollars annually in the process.
    CASA/GAL programs are, at the heart of their operation, a highly 
effective leveraging of community-based resources to provide dedicated 
and sustained one-on-one advocacy for child victims and advise the 
courts of the child's best interests and needs throughout abuse and 
neglect proceedings. Research has shown that the presence of a caring, 
consistent adult in the life of a child victim is associated with 
improved long-term outcomes. These efforts, which focus on helping the 
child find a safe, permanent home where they can both heal and thrive, 
require thorough background screening, specialized training, and 
resources to promote a nationwide system of programs that adhere to and 
assure the highest quality of services and care for the child victim.
    CASA Program funds through DOJ achieve and uphold national standard 
setting, assessment, accountability, and evaluation across 950 local, 
State, and Tribal programs to promote improved child outcomes and 
effective stewardship of public investments in victim advocacy. 
Evidence-based practices, intensive technical assistance, direct 
program guidance and partnerships, and national program standards and 
quality assurance processes all lie at the foundation of effective 
CASA/GAL program service delivery in communities across the Nation.
    Given the nature of the CASA/GAL advocates' intensive work with 
child victims of abuse and neglect, standards of rigorous screening, 
training, supervision, and service are implemented nationwide, with 
Congressional support, to ensure consistent quality for victims who 
directly benefit from having their needs and rights championed in the 
courtroom and in the community. Comprehensive pre-service, in-service, 
and issue-focused training curricula--including training in 
disproportionality, cultural competency, and working with older youth--
ensures a cutting edge approach to victim services centered on the 
child thriving well into the future as a member of the community. 
Federal support is foundational to the solid and high-quality 
functioning of a national child advocacy network for victims of abuse 
and neglect.
    As the needs of child victims of abuse and neglect grow and change, 
so must the specialization of one-on-one advocacy and services by CASA/
GAL programs. Since the Victims of Child Abuse Act was passed, the 
landscape of victims' services for children has evolved significantly. 
Researchers and practitioners know more now than ever about trauma, and 
its associated impacts on child development, as well as the significant 
and multiple risk factors and issues faced by abused and neglected 
children such as mental health/post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), 
commercial sex trafficking, overmedication, and the growing effects of 
substance abuse and the opioid epidemic in particular. Further, we know 
that youth of color in particular face very significant challenges--in 
addition to victimization--on their path to a thriving adulthood. CASA/
GAL advocates bring one-on-one attention and a dedicated focus to each 
of the issues that the child victim faces, but additional resources are 
needed to enhance and build their knowledge base as part of a 
continuous advocacy development process.
    These complex issues warrant adaptive and responsive training, 
technical assistance, and resources, while continuing on a trajectory 
of maintaining quality care and services within current CASA/GAL 
caseloads and also simultaneously building the capacity to take on 
additional cases when appointed by the court. National CASA/GAL 
Association is committed to continuous improvement of training, 
technical assistance, and resource delivery to strengthen and support 
local CASA/GAL programs and state organizations to help advocates 
remain at the forefront of emerging child welfare issues.
    Federal support at the requested level is instrumental to bridging 
advocacy training and best practice tools into multiple and new 
emerging issue areas including child sex trafficking, substance abuse 
and opioid-overuse, and the overmedication of child victims, for 
example. Advocates need to be well versed in warning signs for these 
issues, as well as the available services, resources, and coordination 
of community and court efforts in order to best address the child 
victim's case.
    FY 2023 funding of $15 million will be targeted to fortifying 
resources and training generally for CASA/GAL programs, and in key 
focus areas including commercial sexual exploitation, children impacted 
by substance abuse disorders, children of incarcerated parents and 
young people aging out of foster care, based upon existing best 
practices and models. In addition, this Federal funding will be used to 
target resources to serve over 250,000 child victims of abuse and 
neglect, and continue efforts toward the development of strong state 
CASA/GAL organizations in the States currently under resourced, that 
will enhance support of program service delivery in local communities. 
Additional projects include sustaining development of training on best 
practices in addressing the needs of children impacted by the opioid 
epidemic and other forms of substance abuse, child sex trafficking, 
unaccompanied children and addressing racial disproportionality in 
child welfare and the need for racially and culturally sensitive 
recruitment and matching of CASA/GAL advocates.
    According to the most recent government data available, the number 
of child maltreatment cases was 656,000 in 2019. This remains a 
significant population with equally significant and complex issues and 
risk factors. Without the benefit of a specially trained CASA/GAL 
advocate that is able to devote dedicated time and attention to the 
details of the case, the child victim faces a complex court process and 
child welfare system that is overwhelmed, under resourced and 
challenging to navigate. Our ability as a national network to serve 
every child victim of abuse and neglect is directly tied to 
strengthening and expanding a foundational and interwoven program of 
advocate training, technical assistance, standards, tools, and 
resources that are funded with DOJ support.
    While children who are the victims of maltreatment have suffered 
deep layers of trauma, these experiences do not have to be their only 
life story. Juvenile detention and adult incarceration do not have to 
be the path to their future. Substance abuse, PTSD, homelessness, and 
joblessness do not have to be the basis of their experiences. We can 
change their trajectory, together, with Congressional support.
    Caring, dedicated, and extensively trained CASA/GAL advocates bring 
about positive changes in the lives of child victims. Full funding is 
needed to continue expanding the advocate pipeline, enhance the 
training, resources, and services provided to and through CASA/GAL 
programs, and strengthen outcomes for future members of our Nation's 
workforce.
    We urge the subcommittee to allocate $15 million for the Court 
Appointed Special Advocates Program to address the overwhelming need 
for dedicated advocacy on behalf of child victims of abuse and neglect. 
Thank you for your consideration.

    [This statement was submitted by Tara L. Perry, Chief Executive 
Officer]
                                 ______
                                 
      Prepared Statement of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran and Members of the subcommittee:

    Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony regarding FY 2023 
funding that impacts the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). 
We respectfully request your approval of robust funding throughout the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) budget, 
particularly for the National Ocean Service and National Marine 
Fisheries Service to allow for continued and expanding partnerships 
that deliver high quality ocean and coastal conservation.
    NFWF and NOAA have been strong partners since 1996 and the 
Foundation continues to administer programs with NOAA that address 
ongoing and emerging issues. We believe that NFWF is a sound investment 
because of our proven track record for leveraging Federal funding with 
private contributions to maximize the impact Federal resources can 
achieve. We appreciate the subcommittee's past support and respectfully 
request continued funding for the following programs and partnerships.
                      national coastal resilience
    Resilient communities are better prepared to adapt to changing 
natural resource conditions, infrastructure threats and impacts to 
local economies. NFWF and NOAA working together through the National 
Coastal Resilience Fund (NCRF) provide communities with invaluable 
resources for restoring, enhancing, and strengthening natural 
infrastructure--the natural features that help reduce the impacts of 
coastal storms and floods--protecting communities while also enhancing 
habitats for fish and wildlife, addressing climate change, and 
sequestering carbon. NFWF also leads significant monitoring and 
evaluation efforts that measure the enhanced resilience of the restored 
coastal systems, including carbon sequestration. This helps improve our 
understanding of which activities are associated with the greatest and 
most cost-effective reductions in storm risk and storm damage.
    Through the NCRF in 2021, NFWF, NOAA, and other partners awarded 
$40.5 million in new grants that will support projects in 28 States and 
U.S. territories. The 49 grants announced will generate more than $58.3 
million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of 
nearly $98.8 million. These investments will support the restoration or 
expansion of natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands, 
dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, coastal rivers, and 
barrier islands that minimize the impacts of storms, flooding and other 
coastal hazards. In addition to NOAA, 2021 partners included the 
Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency's Gulf of Mexico 
Office, TransRe, AT&T and Shell USA, Inc. These partners pooled 
resources to promote projects that advance innovative approaches to 
protect communities against regional threats resulting from climate 
change.
    The demand for this program's financial resources continues to 
significantly exceed the amount of annual funding available - in 2021, 
NFWF received 269 proposals seeking more than $178 million in funding, 
with only $41 million in available resources to meet this need. NFWF 
expects that demand will only increase as climate related risks 
increase and more communities develop capacity to utilize nature-based 
infrastructure to protect lives and infrastructure from these risks. 
The Foundation fully expects that even with additional funding provided 
from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) that demand will continue 
to greatly surpass available funding.
             fisheries electronic monitoring and reporting
    Since 2010, NFWF has invested significantly in fisheries around the 
U.S. to catalyze projects that are modernizing the way vital fisheries 
data are collected, shared, and analyzed. High quality, timely and 
accurate fisheries information is critical to maintaining sustainable 
U.S. fisheries. Fishermen and seafood marketers are increasingly using 
information about their fishing activity to improve the efficiency and 
effectiveness of their operations and to satisfy their customer demands 
for legally and sustainably caught seafood.
    From 2015 to 2021, the Electronic Monitoring and Reporting (EMR) 
grant program has funded $25.1 million across 75 projects that 
modernize U.S. fisheries data collection and received $26.3 million in 
matching funds to leverage these investments. Innovation and technology 
have the potential to reduce the cost of fishery monitoring; increase 
the speed, reliability and transparency of fisheries data; and enable 
managers and fishermen to address management challenges more 
effectively. EMR isn't one size fits all. NFWF projects represent a 
cross section of the advancements being made around the U.S. in 
fisheries management.
                        coral reef conservation
    Since 2000, NFWF has partnered with NOAA, FWS, and USDA-NRCS to 
respond to the alarming decline in both the quantity and productivity 
of the Nation's coral reef ecosystems through multiple coral 
conservation initiatives that aim to improve management, increase 
public awareness, and reduce threats to coral reefs. NFWF works with 
local, State, territorial, Federal and regional partners to achieve its 
goals in coral conservation and bolsters multi-agency initiatives like 
the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Watershed Partnership Initiative. The 
program supports reef resiliency by reducing local stressors from 
unsustainable harvest and land-based pollution. In 2020 the program 
added a new funding priority to build capacity for direct reef 
restoration efforts and launched a separate emergency funding 
solicitation to respond to events like Stoney Coral Tissue Loss Disease 
which can be time sensitive.
    Since the creation of NFWF's coral program in 2000, the program has 
awarded $22 million across 408 projects, leveraging more than $29 
million in conservation resources. Funds have assisted broad-scale 
coral reef management by establishing new techniques for assessing and 
monitoring reef health and new fishery management models. Site-specific 
initiatives have developed and implemented watershed management plans, 
reduced sediment erosion through stream bank stabilization, provided 
incentives or best management practices on agricultural lands, and 
supported capacity-building of management and conservation 
organizations to sustain conservation outcomes.
                       killer whale conservation
    NFWF partners with NOAA's Office of Protected Resources, SeaWorld 
Entertainment and BNSF Railway on the Killer Whale Research and 
Conservation Program to aid in the recovery of the Southern Resident 
killer whale population in the Pacific Northwest. The program 
prioritizes the highest impact activities called for in the recovery 
plan as more funding is sought to fund additional actions beyond 
traditional management and conservation measures.
    In the first 7 years, the program has awarded 46 grants totaling 
$5.3 million, drawing an additional $9.2 million in grantee match for a 
total conservation investment of more than $14.5 million. These awards 
have fostered collaborative efforts in the three priority action areas 
of recovery to increase prey availability through restoration of 
important salmon runs; improve water quality and reduce disturbance in 
critical habitat; and fill critical research gaps in health, 
demographics and stressors. All three strategies work to partner 
science with management action and restoration activities. NFWF has 
taken a comprehensive food-web approach to recovering this apex 
predator and works with state and transboundary managers to implement 
recovery actions. DoD is expected to join this program in 2022 to 
further advance the food-web approach.
              papahanaumokuakea research and conservation
    NFWF's and NOAA's partnership on the Papahanaumokuakea Research and
Conservation Fund provides coordinated and collaborative research and 
conservation in support of effectively managing the species and 
habitats in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. One of the 
key challenges for NOAA and its partners managing this expansive area 
is its remote location. Past agency funding only allowed for a single 
voyage to the Marine Monument in the Pacific Ocean to address multiple 
needs and locations per year, making it difficult to do the in-depth 
studies managers need. NFWF and NOAA initiated a new model for 
investments to go deeper, learn more and further expand the existing 
program and research dollars that are currently invested to maximize 
the conservation impact.
    The partnership supports collaborative research and conservation 
actions to galvanize funding around a critical management theme. For 
example, prioritized research on the algae Chondria is helping managers 
explore mitigation of the recent unprecedented algae invasion while 
support of marine debris removal cruises works to remove the 
significant amounts of debris accumulating in the monument. Throughout 
all investments, the program seeks to maximize conservation impact, 
management capacity and cultural and outreach opportunities.
                             marine debris
    NFWF and NOAA have several ways in which we are working together to 
combat the problem of Marine Debris. Starting over two decades ago, 
NFWF administered a Marine Debris Program to help NOAA's new program 
understand the scope of marine debris across the Nation by advancing 
science around sources, sinks and impacts to both habitats and 
wildlife. These early efforts transitioned into the Fishing for Energy 
program which prioritized removal and prevention of derelict fishing 
gear as one of the most destructive types of marine debris. This 
programmatic funding and disposal infrastructure has helped to expand 
and institutionalize marine debris removal and disposal efforts in 
several coastal States and port communities.
    Building off this extensive experience, in 2020 NOAA asked NFWF to 
assist in administering approximately $10 million in 2019 supplemental 
funding to remove damaging marine debris from coastal areas of 
communities impacted by hurricanes Florence and Michael, and Typhoon 
Yutu and reduce impacts to communities, industry and further harm to 
habitats and fish and wildlife populations. The Hurricane Response 
Marine Debris Removal Fund is a partnership between NFWF and the NOAA 
Marine Debris Program that awards grants to assess, remove and dispose 
of marine debris caused by severe storms. Grants are awarded based on 
the targeted debris' existing or potential impact to coastal 
communities and resources, and to prevent further harm to sensitive 
marine habitats and species listed under the Endangered Species Act. 
NOAA has again requested assistance with administration of the 2021 
supplemental funding which will award grants in 2022.
                            nfwf background
    NFWF was established by Congress in 1984 to catalyze private 
investments to conserve fish, wildlife and their habitats. In addition, 
every dollar directly appropriated to NFWF by Congress goes to on-the-
ground conservation projects and NFWF charges no administrative costs. 
NFWF raises private funds not only to leverage Federal dollars, but 
also to support the associated management costs of implementing the 
Federal funds. Since Congress created the foundation in 1984, NFWF and 
its grantees have invested $7.4 billion in to more than 20,400 projects 
while partnering with 6,000+ organizations.
    NFWF remains fully transparent and is required by law to notify 
Congress 30 days in advance of every grant that exceeds $10,000 in 
Federal funds. Details of all projects awarded during FY 2021 can be 
found in NFWF's annual investment guide and all NFWF's grants can be 
found on our website: https://www.nfwf.org/grants/grants-libary.
    In FY 2021, NFWF was audited by an independent accounting firm, and 
they issued an unqualified report with no material weaknesses 
identified and no deficiencies identified. This is the THIRTEENTH 
consecutive year of unqualified audits. In addition, NFWF has 
continually qualified as a low-risk auditee under OMB guidelines.
    In FY 2021, through discretionary cooperative agreements, NFWF 
partnered with 15 Federal and State agencies or departments and more 
than 30 corporations and foundations to support implementation of 
Federal conservation priorities. These efforts focused on working 
landscapes, private lands, natural resource conservation, coastal 
resilience and community-based restoration.
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran and members of the 
subcommittee, we appreciate your continued support and stand ready to 
answer any questions you or your staff might have.

    [This statement was submitted by Will Heaton Director, External 
Relations]
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)
    NLADA is America's oldest and largest national organization whose 
resources are exclusively dedicated to excellence in the delivery of 
legal services. Our comments concern the Legal Services Corporation 
(LSC) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) programs.
                       legal services corporation
    Civil legal problems jeopardize the housing, income, physical 
safety and other basic human needs of millions of Americans every year. 
When people have access to legal help, these problems are often 
resolved positively, but people who are forced to face courts and 
complex legal processes alone are more likely to experience severe 
consequences that create deep unnecessary hardship for themselves and 
their families. The latter is unfortunately the reality for a large 
majority of low-income Americans, and the problem is growing. In 2017, 
LSC published data showing that low-income Americans received no help 
or inadequate help with 86 percent of their civil legal problems. This 
is because despite overwhelming evidence for both the effectiveness of 
civil legal aid, and the considerable social and economic return on 
investment that it produces,\1\ our country has failed in recent years 
to provide a level of resources for legal aid that is remotely 
commensurate with the level of need.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Moore, L. and Phyper, M., Aug 2019, Return on Investment in 
Civil Justice Services and Programs; Selected Annotated Bibliography of 
Existing Research; Canadian Forum on Civil Justice; see pages p10-26.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    While we are grateful to Congress for providing modest increases in 
funding in recent years, this has not been sufficient to address the 
current resource shortfall, because prior funding losses were never 
rectified. Demonstratively, the appropriation level for FY2019 was the 
exact dollar amount as it was in FY1994. Therefore, simply as a result 
of inflation LSC is badly underfunded compared to its level almost 
three decades ago, and for much of that period it was considerably 
lower in real terms also. This historical understanding underpins the 
current crisis, but present conditions have deepened it considerably. 
In April, LSC released new data showing the extent to which this has 
occurred. Last year, low-income Americans received little or no legal 
help with 92 percent--more than nine in ten--of their civil legal 
problems.\2\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ Legal Services Corporation, Apr 2022, The Justice Gap: The 
Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    This is not because people are simply uneducated about the 
availability of legal help, though this is true for many. Rather, 
people facing serious legal problems are seeking help but denied it 
because their local legal aid organization does not have the resources 
needed to assist: programs had to turn away 49 percent of eligible 
clients seeking help, and could not fully resolve 44 percent of the 
problems of the clients they could serve. Even prior to the release of 
LSC's new data, NLADA calculated LSC would need to provide $1.36 
billion for FY2023 in order to provide adequate service to every 
eligible person seeking help from one of its grantees. This was based 
in part on a projection of the level of need in FY2023, and in part on 
our understanding that it is not possible to avoid addressing the 
consequences of prior underfunding any longer.
    An elevated level of legal need and demand for services.--The 
severe disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided, but it 
has created lasting consequences for many of our country's poorest 
families and the overall financial situation of low-income Americans is 
becoming even more precarious. The Census Bureau Household Pulse survey 
data collected at the start of April found increases of more than 30 
percent in the number of households relying on credit or personal loans 
to make ends meet, with far higher rates experienced by people of 
color\3\. This limits the ability of families to resolve their problems 
before they reach the stage at which legal assistance becomes 
necessary.\4\ In particular, an eviction crisis that was blunted but 
not halted \5\ by Federal eviction moratoria and emergency rental 
assistance continues to create widespread unmet legal need. Household 
Pulse data from the same period suggests that around 28 percent of 
American households ``are not current on rent or mortgage where 
eviction or foreclosure in the next 2 months is either very likely or 
somewhat likely''.\6\ Eviction cases where tenants are represented are 
overwhelmingly likely to resolve with the eviction avoided, but the 
opposite is true when they are not,\7\ as is the case for 90 percent of 
tenants.\8\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Pete Gannon, Apr 26, 2022, Warnings Appear in Household 
Finances, Axios.com.
    \4\ This intersects with the economic hardship caused by the expiry 
of the Federal child tax credit, which alone increased the number of 
children in poverty by almost 4 million. See: Parolin, Z., Collyer, S., 
and Curran, M., Feb 17, 2022, Absence of Monthly Child Tax Credit Leads 
to 3.7 Million More Children in Poverty in January 2022, Columbia 
University Center on Poverty and Social Policy.
    \5\ Tenants were often refused the opportunity to renew their 
lease, which Federal moratoria did not protect against.
    \6\ Data taken from week 44 of the Household Pulse survey, at: 
https://www.census.gov/data- tools/demo/hhp/#/?measures=EVICTFOR.
    \7\ For a review of recent studies finding this, see pages 50-53 
in: The Economic Impact of an Eviction Right to Counsel in Baltimore 
City; Prepared for The Public Justice Center, May 8, 2020, Stout Risius 
Ross.
    \8\ Desmond, M., Mar 2015, Unaffordable America: Poverty, housing, 
and eviction, Fast Focus, Volume 22, Institute for Research on Poverty, 
University of Madison-Wisconsin, p.5.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Addressing the consequences of underfunding. The insufficiency of 
resources provided for civil legal aid has forced many providers to 
``triage'' clients, prioritizing the most urgent cases at the expense 
of other worthy seekers of assistance. It has also come at the expense 
of investing in other organizational needs that are nonetheless 
required to provide adequate services. Most notably, compensation for 
attorneys and other important staff at legal aid organizations is 
currently not sufficient to recruit and retain the workforce they need. 
The median starting salary for a legal services attorney in 2021 was 
less than $55,000.\9\ Combined with the high student debt burden 
required for a law degree, it is unaffordable for many to accept these 
positions or remain over the long-term. Also affected by resource 
limitations is the ability of organizations to educate their 
communities about available services, contributing to the fact that 53 
percent of people did not feel confident they could find a lawyer they 
could afford to help with their legal problem.\10\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ National Association for Law Placement, Inc., Sept 2021, 
Starting Salaries--Class of 2020.
    \10\ Legal Services Corporation, Apr 2022, The Justice Gap: The 
Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-income Americans, p.52.
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                  u.s. department of justice programs
Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training and Technical 
        Assistance
    We request that FY 2023 funding be maintained for the Department of 
Justice, Office of Justice Programs, within the State and Local Law 
Enforcement Assistance appropriations account, at a level similar to 
that provided in recent years, which is approximately $1 to 2 million, 
for the Tribal Civil and Criminal Legal Assistance, Training and 
Technical Assistance grant program (TCCLA). This should continue to 
include funding in FY 2023 to support the work done on behalf of Native 
Americans by Indian Legal Services programs that are connected with the 
Legal Services Corporation. This FY2023 funding could be either within 
a specified line item for ``assistance to Indian Tribes,'' such as the 
$50 million Congress appropriated in the FY2022 Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, and was included in the President's Budget for 
FY2023, or within a Tribal set-aside percentage of Office of Justice 
Programs accounts, as this subcommittee has recommended in prior years. 
The consortium of 24 Indian Legal Services programs operating in 23 
States provides legal representation to thousands of American Indian 
and Alaska Native individuals in Tribal and State courts, and assists 
more than 160 Tribal governments and/or Tribal judicial systems to 
enhance or develop their justice systems. In at least 46 Tribal courts, 
these Indian Legal Services programs provide the only public defender 
services available. Many of these Indian Legal Services programs have 
been awarded funding under the TCCLA grants program, most recently for 
FY 2021 for both Tribal civil and criminal legal assistance:
    Recent examples of civil legal assistance work done under TCCLA 
funding awards include drafting model domestic violence protective 
order codes, as well as drafting Tribal laws and revisions to civil 
codes, policies and procedures; providing representation to children 
within the juvenile systems of Tribal courts as guardians ad litem; 
handling Indian wills, which has included drafting Advanced Directives 
for Tribal members; and collaborating and maintaining relationships 
with Tribal domestic violence advocates, Tribal crime victims' 
advocates, urban Indian organizations, prosecutors, Tribal public 
defenders, State and Tribal social service agencies, Tribal housing 
authorities, senior center staff, staff at local Bureau of Indian 
Affairs and Department of the Interior Office of Special Trustee 
offices, the Tribal bar, and others to improve community awareness 
about available legal services and provide more comprehensive services.
    Recent examples of programs' criminal legal assistance work 
conducted under TCCLA funding awards include representation of 
defendants in a tribal/State court dual-jurisdiction DWI healing to 
wellness court; presenting on the U.S. v. Cooley case and impacts on 
Tribal law enforcement when encountering non-Indians on non-Tribal 
lands within the boundaries of a reservation; handling cases related to 
the expungement of criminal records; providing a Public Defender for 
Tribal members in the Chickasaw Nation Tribal Court pursuant to the 
June, 2020, U.S. Supreme Court ruling in McGirt v. Oklahoma; assisting 
juvenile Tribal members in criminal defense and court appointments of 
guardian ad litem cases when parents faced criminal prosecution or 
incarceration; and handling trial level casework regarding unlawful 
pre-trial detention.
    In FY 2023, whether the subcommittee recommends funding to DOJ for 
Indian Country Tribal justice and law enforcement programs as an 
overall sum, as in fiscal year 2022, or as a Tribal set-aside 
percentage of overall DOJ funding, as has been proposed in prior fiscal 
years, we request that both bill and report language direct that some 
DOJ funding be allocated for the purpose of the provision of both 
Tribal civil and criminal legal assistance to individual Tribal 
citizens and to Tribal judicial systems pursuant to the Indian Tribal 
Justice Technical and Legal Assistance Act.
                      public defender improvement
    The Federal Government has an important role in ensuring quality in 
State and local public defense systems, and the President's Budget for 
FY2023 included $25 million for public defender improvement. We urge 
the committee to fully fund this program. DOJ has previously undertaken 
initiatives to support state, Tribal, and local public defense systems, 
including the Smart Defense Initiative, which focused on upholding the 
Sixth Amendment right to counsel, and on fostering defender-researcher 
partnerships; and the Sixth Amendment Initiative, which focused on the 
protection of all Sixth Amendment rights via strategic planning, 
implementation of strategic plans, and innovative partnerships between 
public defense service providers and other criminal legal system 
stakeholder groups. These initiatives have yielded substantial benefits 
for criminal legal systems and for communities more broadly. For 
example, a pilot program under the Smart Defense Initiative to provide 
representation at all felony arraignments in Alameda County, CA reduced 
unnecessary pretrial incarceration and provided substantial cost 
savings: the percentage of cases where accused individuals were 
released at arraignment increased from less than 1% to 20%; motions to 
reduce bail (which were virtually nonexistent without counsel) had an 
83% success rate; and the assistance of counsel avoided 2,974 days of 
incarceration, translating to a savings of $422,308 in a single year.
               violence against women act (vawa) programs
    More than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the United 
States had experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an 
intimate partner. Civil legal aid helps survivors secure their physical 
safety, break legal links with their abuser, and rebuild their lives 
over the long term. We urge the committee to provide $100 million for 
civil legal assistance for victims, as requested by the President. None 
of this appropriation should be drawn from the Crime Victims Fund 
administered by the Office for Victims of Crime, because this reduces 
the total amount available to serve victims of crime and jeopardizes 
the sustainability of Crime Victims Fund over the long-term. The 
sustainability of the Crime Victims Fund is a bipartisan concern, as 
shown by the enactment of H.R. 1652, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime 
Victims Fund Act.
       john r. justice student loan repayment assistance program
    As the cost of law school continues to rise, new lawyers are 
increasingly reliant on student loans to obtain a law degree: a 2021 
report shows that the average law school student borrows over $118,000 
just to attend law school, and 74.1% of law school students graduate in 
debt.\11\ Salaries for public defenders and prosecutors are low, so 
sustaining a career in public service is often impractical if not 
impossible, leading to public defender programs and prosecution offices 
being unable to retain talented attorneys. The John R. Justice Student 
Loan Repayment Assistance Program (JRJ) offers critical support to 
relieve the pressure of student loan debt for public defenders and 
prosecutors. We are grateful that the committee has doubled the 
appropriation level for the John R. Justice program to $4 million for 
this year, but for this program to have a meaningful national impact, 
it should be funded at the authorized level of $25 million.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \11\ See e.g.; Hanson, M., December 5, 2021, Average Law School 
Debt, Education Data Initiative, EducationData.org; and Hess, A. J., 
Dec 22, 2022, U.S. Student Debt Has Increased by More than 100 percent 
Over the Past 10 Years, CNBC.com.

    [This statement was submitted by Radhika Singh, Vice President]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of National Marine Sanctuary Foundation
    Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony 
regarding appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA) in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. On behalf of the 
National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, I thank the subcommittee for the 
$4.5 million increase in the Marine Sanctuary Program (ORF) funding and 
$1 million increase in Marine Sanctuaries Construction (PAC) funding 
for FY 2022, and language supporting expansion of the National Marine 
Sanctuary System. As supporters, stakeholders, and partners of 
America's National Marine Sanctuary System, we strongly urge the 
Committee to:
    1. Appropriate at least $95.5 million in National Marine 
        Sanctuaries in FY
       2023.
    2. Direct NOAA to prioritize programs in sanctuaries.
    3. Cap corporate fees to no more than 5 percent of the annual 
        appropriations.
    4. Address Section 304(f) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act.
                 office of national marine sanctuaries
    NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) serves as the 
trustee for a network of 15 national marine sanctuaries and two marine 
national monuments that encompass over 620,000 square miles of marine 
and Great Lakes waters. The National Marine Sanctuary System conserves 
some of the Nation's most critical natural, historic, and cultural 
resources.
    The conservation of marine ecosystems is vital to maintaining a 
healthy ocean and Great Lakes, sustaining productive coastal economies, 
and addressing climate change. According to the Bureau of Economic 
Analysis, the marine economy accounted for $397 billion of U.S.GDP in 
2019. Tourism and recreation accounted for the most significant 
portion, $234 billion of the gross output, and marine living resources 
accounted for $26.6 billion. Both sectors depend on a healthy ocean. 
Sanctuaries drive the growth of the blue economy through fishing, 
diving, recreation, hospitality, and tourism.
    The ocean is central to mitigating climate change, absorbing 90 
percent of the climate system's excess heat. Climate change is 
disproportionately impacting the ocean and its impacts threaten the 
physical well-being, economic prosperity, and food security of 
communities along our coasts and businesses that rely on marine 
resources. National marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments 
are a key part of the solution to ocean climate impacts. They protect 
ecosystems that remove atmospheric carbon and store it in marine 
sediments and habitats, safeguard coastal communities from flooding and 
storms and reduce non-climate stressors to support ecosystem 
resilience.
    For Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas ORF account, we urge 
Congress to provide at least $87 million. ONMS manages more ocean and 
Great Lakes area than the entire National Park Service on a 
significantly lower budget. This is the minimum level of funding 
necessary to advance conservation and restoration in U.S. waters while 
addressing the threats of biodiversity loss, climate change, and 
inequitable access to nature. There are three sites currently in the 
designation process as national marine sanctuaries, four sites on the 
nomination inventory awaiting action, and one site under consideration 
for the inventory. These sites have strong community-based support and 
four were nominated by Indigenous communities. Engaging communities as 
stewards of these protected waters make sanctuaries unique and provides 
a participatory approach to conservation. With additional resources, 
ONMS can engage communities throughout the sanctuary nomination and 
designation processes.
    For Marine Sanctuaries PAC, we urge Congress to provide at least 
$8.5 million. This funding will support the replacement or repair of 
vessels that are mission-critical. ONMS maintains a fleet of small 
boats that allows managers and partners to assess, monitor, research 
and protect national marine sanctuaries. These efforts include 
responding to entangled whales, conducting scientific missions, 
maintaining mooring buoys, and enforcing regulations. Increasing 
demands on an aging fleet lead to higher operating costs and challenges 
to maintaining safe, efficient, and effective operations. To continue 
on-the-water science and conservation programs that strengthen the 
management of our ocean and Great Lakes, investment in recapitalizing 
aging vessels across the National Marine Sanctuary System in addition 
to upgrades, retrofits, and life-cycle extensions is critical. Funding 
would also support improvements for visitor centers, facilities and 
signage, and ADA compliance that anchor tourism and recreation in 
communities and enhance equitable access to nature.
    In October 2022, the Nation will mark the 50th anniversary of the 
National Marine Sanctuaries Act. As we move towards this anniversary, 
we need to invest in America's protected waters, and the communities 
and businesses that depend upon them. The Build Back Better bill 
proposed critical investment in ONMS facilities across the country. For 
the anniversary, we urge the subcommittee to create a special 
investment of $25 million in PAC for the next 5 years to improve 
facilities.
 prioritizing national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments
    Marine sanctuaries and monuments protect nationally significant 
areas in our ocean and Great Lakes akin to national parks and national 
wildlife refuges. Because of their special designation and NOAA's 
responsibility to hold them in trustee, the Department of Commerce and 
the agency should prioritize investment in these areas. We appreciate 
Congress including report language in Consolidated Appropriations Act 
for FY 2022 for National Ocean Service (NOS) to prioritize marine 
debris cleanup efforts within marine sanctuaries and marine national 
monuments. We request the subcommittee expand this language to include 
other accounts within NOAA, specifically, Navigations, Observation and 
Positioning, Coastal Science and Assessment and Coral Reef Conservation 
Program within NOS, Protected Resource Science and Management and 
Habitat Conservation and Restoration within NMFS, and Climate Research 
and Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Research within OAR. In addition to 
the general provision above, we respectfully request funding for 
sanctuaries Line Offices. We request this funding above the President's 
FY 2023 Budget request.
    National Ocean Service (NOS).--We commend the Coral Reef 
Conservation Program and the Office of Response and Restoration's 
Marine Debris Program for supporting work in sanctuaries and monuments. 
We request support in the following accounts:
  --$15 million within the Navigation, Observation, and Positioning to: 
        characterize and monitor marine ecosystems and living 
        resources; understand and predict impacts from climate change; 
        prioritize and synthesize long-term data collections; advance 
        technologies for biological observing; and develop targeted 
        modelling, web-enabled ecosystem trends, and other tools to 
        inform adaptation strategies.
  --$5 million within the Office of Response and Restoration for marine 
        debris removal in sanctuaries and monuments to enhance water 
        quality and reduce the impacts of debris on resources.
  --$1 million within the Coral Reef Conservation Program to support 
        the MPA Center providing technical assistance to Pacific 
        Islands, Caribbean, and international partners, complementing 
        USAID.
  --$10 million within National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 
        (NCCOS) for biogeographic assessments and characterizations in 
        sanctuaries and monuments to evaluate regulatory and management 
        decisions, and grants to non-federal partners for targeted 
        research on priority management issues.
  --$5 million within the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) 
        program to support the collection, management, accessibility 
        and distribution of critical natural and archaeological data 
        and information.

    National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).--We commend the Office of 
Habitat Conservation for their strong support for work in sanctuaries. 
We request support in the following accounts:
  --$100 million for Habitat Conservation and Restoration within the 
        National Marine Fisheries Service and dedicate $40 million to 
        support habitat restoration in U.S. waters, with the increase 
        directed for restoration in national marine sanctuaries and 
        marine national monuments and assessing blue carbon 
        sequestration.
  --Funding for the Office of Law Enforcement to increase enforcement 
        in sanctuaries, especially those like the Florida Keys where 
        there are zone programs.
  --For Protected Resources Science and Management, we request an 
        increase of $10 million to support species recovery grants. 
        Sanctuaries facilitate partnerships across sectors and can 
        effectively develop best practices and models for improving 
        science and management for protected species.
  --For the Integrated Ecosystem Assessment Program, we request $5 
        million to directly support the science needs and management of 
        sanctuaries and monuments.

    Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).--Sanctuaries act as living 
laboratories for stewardship, education, restoration, and science to 
address climate impacts. Scientists across NOAA are increasing our 
understanding of the climate drivers, conditions, trends, and 
predictions affecting our ocean through research conducted in 
sanctuaries.
  --Within OAR's climate research, we request $5 million to support 
        climate science in sanctuaries and monuments.
  --Within the Office of Exploration and Research, $6 million to 
        support and conduct critical operations in the National Marine 
        Sanctuary System, with emphasis on the Pacific Islands Region, 
        Great Lakes, and Gulf of Mexico.
  --$3 million in the Ocean Acidification Program to focus research on 
        sanctuaries and monuments aligned with the current OAP 
        Strategic Plan.
  --$3 million for NOAA Research Laboratories to support the design, 
        construction, and installation of research and monitoring 
        instruments in sanctuaries and monuments.
            office of marine and aviation operations (omao)
    Within OMAO, we request $3 million in dedicated funds to support 
operations in the National Marine Sanctuary System using NOAA Ships and 
uncrewed systems to address science and management needs and provide 
increased access to and on water presence for NOAA and partners in 
these protected areas.
                   cap for noaa administrative costs
    We urge the subcommittee to cap NOAA's and NOS's corporate and 
administrative costs at five percent of total ORF appropriations for 
the account. In fiscal year 2021, ONMS paid over $7 million in 
administrative and corporate costs to NOAA. ONMS shoulders a 
disproportionate share of corporate expenses and direct bills because 
other programs are exempt from such fees. Rather than ONMS and other 
non-exempt programs shouldering these costs, we urge this subcommittee 
to cap costs and require NOAA budget these expenses directly. Direct 
accounts for NOAA's and Line Offices' Administration, management, and 
corporate services would be transparent and allow Congress to 
appropriate actual costs for these expenses. More importantly, it 
ensures NOAA has the necessary and deserved budget for administration 
and management without impacting program and mission delivery.
Suspend Section 304(f) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act
    Section 304(f) of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act is outdated 
and should be repealed as demonstrated in NOAA's findings for Mallows 
Bay-Potomac River and Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine 
Sanctuaries. With only 1.9% of the U.S. marine environment protected 
outside of the central Pacific, our Nation needs to increase the level 
and scale of marine protected areas to conserve biodiversity and all 
its contributions to people and the economy. National marine 
sanctuaries are an effective and cooperative approach to increase 
protection. We urge the subcommittee to include language to strike 
Section 304(f) or suspend the provision in FY 2023.
    Thank you for this opportunity to provide testimony. Robust funding 
will ensure sound management of these treasured places through strong 
community engagement in stewardship; support of mission-critical tools; 
active restoration of marine environments; preservation of maritime 
resources; and improved understanding of ecosystems. We look forward to 
working with the subcommittee during the FY 2023 appropriations 
process.

    [This statement was submitted by Ms. Kristen J. Sarri, President 
and CEO]
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of The National Ocean and Coastal Security
    Mrs. Chairwoman and Members of the subcommittee, this joint 
statement is submitted on behalf of the non-profit organizations listed 
above who share a deep concern for the health of the Nation's oceans, 
coasts, and Great Lakes.
    The ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes are experiencing dramatic 
changes from sea level rise, increasing coastal storm frequency, 
coastal flooding, erosion, hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, ocean 
acidification, biodiversity loss, and more. Many of these changes are 
caused by climate change, which is disproportionately impacting the 
ocean. Warming waters are changing ocean circulation and chemistry, 
raising sea levels, increasing storm intensity, and changing the 
diversity and abundance of marine species. These impacts weaken marine 
ecosystem's ability to provide critical ecological services and natural 
infrastructure for climate resilience. This threatens the physical 
well-being, economic prosperity, and food security of communities along 
our coasts and businesses that rely on marine resources and 
transportation.
    The most recent State of U.S. High Tide Flooding report recorded 
record high global sea levels and some regions across the country are 
seeing up to 1,100 percent increases in high tide flooding. At the same 
time, the population in coastal areas continues to increase and nearly 
40 percent of coastal residents are vulnerable communities--the 
elderly, children, and the poor. This interface of coastal change and 
increasing coastal populations is driving the need to enhance coastal 
community adaptation, mitigation, and resilience capacity. Our coastal 
organizations, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), are poised to play a leading role in addressing 
these continually evolving ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes challenges 
and helping people where they live.
    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) recognizes the 
importance of coastal infrastructure--and the critical role of NOAA and 
its partners--in addressing coastal community adaptation, mitigation, 
and resilience. The IIJA included one-time investments of $47 billion 
for resiliency with $2.6 billion of that amount going to NOAA. The NOAA 
funds include amounts for data acquisition, marine debris, forecasting 
and modeling, regional management, projects for habitat restoration and 
community resilience and coastal and ocean observing. Our organizations 
thank Congress for making these significant investments.
    The IIJA makes impressive strides to advance ocean, coastal, and 
Great Lakes resilience, yet these investments are only an initial down 
payment on the full need. Coastal communities are looking at multi-
billion dollar price tags to bolster themselves from rising seas and 
associated coastal hazards. For example, Harris County, Texas planners 
estimate it will cost more than $30 billion to provide protection 
against major 100-year flood events. This is over 10 times the 
investment to NOAA under IIJA. The economic and social cost of inaction 
is exorbitant--Hurricane Harvey in 2017 cost $125 billion in damages 
and led to the deaths of 68 people while causing the third 500-year-
flood in a 3 year period. Studies show that investments in coastal 
resilience work. A project supported by NOAA and its partners in Harris 
County--Exploration Green--created a wetland to absorb floodwaters, and 
even though the project was in the early stages of development when 
Hurricane Harvey hit, it protected 150 homes from flooding, and now it 
protects over 3,000 homes from 100-year and 500-year flood events.
    Our annual appropriations request for FY 2023 and ensures the full 
impact of the IIJA investments are realized. The immediate and long 
term success of infrastructure investments depend on community 
engagement, planning, analysis of options and implementation, and 
stewardship of newly restored areas--all activities that were not 
supported under the IIJA. Increased capacity is needed to work with 
local communities to support and implement these projects, as well as 
manage the restored areas. Furthermore, many of our programs have 
significant educational and outreach mandates that complement the 
development of coastal infrastructure, but were not funded in the IIJA. 
Education, outreach, and training within coastal communities can both 
explain the value of coastal infrastructure and improve community 
resilience through planning and preparedness.
    Our organizations stand in strong support of NOAA's ocean, coastal, 
and Great Lakes research, observing, conservation, management, 
stewardship, training, and education programs which advance coastal 
resilience. We support the following investments in FY 2023 
appropriations to ensure robust investments in coastal resilience as 
well as capacity to implement the IIJA:


------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$140 million for the National Sea Grant  $108.5 million for Coastal
 College Program and $18 million for      Management Grants and $64.782
 Sea Grant Aquaculture..                  million for Coastal Zone Mgmt.
                                          and Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$87 million for National Marine          $42.5 million for National
 Sanctuaries operations, research, &      Estuarine Research Reserve
 facilities and $8.5 million for          System operations and $10
 procurement, acquisition &               million for procurement,
 construction.                            acquisition & construction
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$75.3 million for the Regional           $34 million for National Ocean
 Integrated Ocean Observing Program.      and Coastal Security Fund
------------------------------------------------------------------------
$2.5 million for Regional Ocean          ...............................
 Partnerships.
------------------------------------------------------------------------


    National Sea Grant College Program.--The National Sea Grant College 
Program Act authorizes the awarding of grants and contracts to initiate 
and support programs at Sea Grant colleges and other institutions for 
research, education, and advisory services in any field related to the 
conservation and development of marine resources. A joint federal, 
State, and local investment, Sea Grant provides solutions for the 
issues affecting our Nation's coastal communities (including the Great 
Lakes, Gulf of Mexico, and communities on the Atlantic, Caribbean, and 
Pacific coasts), yielding quantifiable economic, social, and 
environmental benefits. Sea Grant is a unique university-based program 
within NOAA that awards over 90% of its appropriated funds to coastal 
States through a competitive process to address issues identified as 
critical by coastal communities throughout the United States. Sea Grant 
fosters cost-effective partnerships among State universities, State and 
local governments, NOAA, and coastal communities and businesses, 
leveraging nearly $3 for every $1 appropriated by Congress. In 2020 the 
Sea Grant program helped generate an estimated $520 million in economic 
benefits; created or supported 11,000 jobs; created or sustained 1332 
businesses; provided 34 State-level programs with funding that assisted 
285 communities improve their resilience; helped over 11,000 people 
adopt safe and sustainable fishing practices; helped restore or protect 
an estimated 4.2 million acres of habitat; and supported the education 
and training of nearly 2000 undergraduate and graduate students.
    The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).--The IOOS Regional 
Associations (RAs) work with Tribal, State, regional and Federal 
agencies to design and operate regional observing systems which provide 
actionable information to a variety of stakeholders. IOOS efficiently 
links observation to modeling via data management in order to improve 
the safety and efficiency of maritime operations, more effectively 
protect and restore healthy coastal ecosystems, reduce public health 
risks, and to mitigate the effects of coastal hazards including 
flooding. The IOOS regional network enables NOAA to more efficiently 
achieve their goals by increased access to non-Federal data sources and 
by developing tailored information products that address the unique 
needs of users around the Nation. The FY 2023 request supports the core 
operation of these regional systems allowing them to continue critical 
observations and to provide that information in useful formats, in a 
timely manner. In addition, the support will allow for repairs to aging 
infrastructure and modernization of the system to better provide 
information on changing conditions including biology and marine life.
    Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Programs.--The 34 State and Territory 
CZM Programs, in partnership with the National CZM Program, support the 
congressionally recognized priority of the effective management, 
beneficial use, protection, and development of the coastal zone. The 
demands on CZM Programs have increased with continuously more 
complicated balancing of coastal zone uses and needs for conservation, 
while emerging issues including sea level rise, increased coastal storm 
frequency, and other coastal hazards such as coastal flooding and 
erosion threaten the lives and livelihoods of coastal communities. 
Additionally, IIJA provided for $207 million for habitat restoration 
projects under the CZMA placing increased demands for directed project 
execution on the CZM Programs without providing resources to address 
basic capacity needs. While the IIJA funds do address some components 
of the extensive needs for coastal resilience, there remain critical 
gaps that are not addressed which are supported by the annual 
appropriations for Coastal Management Grants. These gaps include 
vulnerability assessments; long-term resilience planning; and project 
planning, design, engineering, and implementation for green and gray 
infrastructure projects with coastal community resilience benefits. To 
ensure the effective implementation of this new legislation and the 
continuation of comprehensive coastal resilience efforts, it is 
imperative that the Coastal Management Grants be funded at a level that 
ensures the States and Territories have the necessary capacity to meet 
these mandates.
    The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS).--The NERRS 
include 30 special coastal places (Reserves), encompassing more than 
1.4 million acres. Over 50 years, and in times of crisis, Reserves have 
become trusted members of coastal communities. The NERRS is a time-
tested, mission-ready program that is prepared for growth and has a 
proven track record of delivering the information and solutions 
communities need to address climate change and many other challenges. 
Communities look to Reserves as partners in addressing the challenges 
of a changing coast and as places for safe outdoor experiences that are 
essential to public health. An increase in program funding will send 
more dollars to each State and enhance the NOAA services each Reserve 
and its communities receive. The increase will support NERRS geographic 
growth: there are two proposed reserves in Louisiana and Wisconsin in 
the designation pipeline. A funding increase will also deepen and 
broaden the impact of national programs that make coastal communities 
and the Nation more resilient, including the NERRS System-Wide 
Management Program, Coastal Training Program, Collaborative Research 
competitive grant program, and Davidson Graduate Research Fellowship. 
Additionally, funding for the NERRS will strengthen the impact of 
investments made through the infrastructure bill. Reserves support 
jobs, contribute to the economy, and provide much-needed refuge, 
especially during the pandemic.
    National Marine Sanctuaries Program and Habitat Restoration.--The 
National Marine Sanctuary System encompasses over 600,000 square miles 
of marine and Great Lakes waters protecting ecologically and 
biologically significant habitats. Sanctuaries serve as living 
laboratories for stewardship, education, restoration, and science to 
address climate impacts. Sanctuaries also bolster tourism and robust 
recreational industries, promote sustainable visitation, engage 
businesses in stewardship, and drive the growth of the blue economy. 
Communities across the Nation can nominate their most treasured marine 
and Great Lakes places for consideration as sanctuaries. Engaging 
communities as stewards of these protected waters provides a 
comprehensive, highly participatory approach to managing and conserving 
marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. The Office of National Marine 
Sanctuaries (ONMS) needs the resources to properly engage communities 
throughout the sanctuary nomination and designation process.
    ONMS did not receive any IIJA funds. The FY23 request will ensure 
that ONMS has the resources to conduct scientific research, effectively 
manage sanctuaries and designate new ones, enforce regulations, and 
engage the public in stewardship. Funding would support the 
Administration's initiation of the designation process
for sanctuaries in the ONMS Inventory and complete the proposed 
Papahanaumokuakea, Lake Ontario, and Chumash Heritage sanctuaries' 
designation. There are an additional four sites nominated for 
designation in inventory awaiting action, and one site under 
consideration for the inventory. This funding level would also support 
the replacement or repair of vessels that are mission-critical to 
operations, management, and enforcement and provide investments that 
create jobs through shipbuilding
    The Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs).--The four ROPs play a 
unique role in facilitating collaboration across State coastal 
agencies, including State and Territory CZM Programs, Tribes, Federal 
agencies, and other stakeholder groups, to manage the Nation's coast 
and enhance coastal resilience. The IIJA provides significant resources 
to support the four ROPs, Tribal engagement, and ROP equivalents in 
regions without an ROP. IIJA funding together with sustained annual 
appropriations will enable the ROPs and their equivalents to tackle 
increasingly complex coastal issue in a coordinated way and to engage 
Tribes who are a critical partner in managing the Nation's coasts who 
have often been left out of these coastal management discussions.
    The National Ocean and Coastal Security (NOCSA) Fund.--The NOCSA 
Fund provides grants to non-profit organizations, academic 
institutions, for-profit organizations, and State, Territory, local, 
municipal, and Tribal governments for the purpose of investing in 
conservation projects that restore or expand natural coastal features 
that minimize the impacts of storms and other naturally occurring 
events on nearby communities. Increased resources under IIJA and 
sustained annual appropriations will enable coastal communities to 
tackle the vast need for coastal habitat restoration and community 
resilience projects across the Nation's coasts.
    Ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes research, education, conservation, 
and resource management programs funded by this subcommittee are 
investments in the future health, resiliency, and well-being of our 
coastal communities which will result in returns of improved quality of 
life, as well as environmental and economic outcomes many times over 
the Federal investment.
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide this joint statement.
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of National Opinion Research Center (NORC)
    The National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of 
Chicago appreciates the opportunity to provide testimony on the fiscal 
Year 2023 Census Bureau (``the Bureau'') budget request. In particular, 
we focus on the Bureau's proposed ``Ask U.S. Panel'' pilot project, for 
which the Bureau has not requested funding as part of its FY 2023 
request despite its stated plans to continue to expand the Program and 
Pilot over the next year.
                               about norc
    NORC is an objective, non-partisan research institution that 
delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical 
programmatic, business, and policy decisions. We have been successful 
in utilizing our well-established surveys to compile reliable data for 
Federal agencies, private sector clients, and others for over 75 years. 
This collection of surveys includes the ``AmeriSpeak'' online 
probability-based panel for rapid turnaround studies, which has been in 
place since 2016. Given our experience with the ``AmeriSpeak'' panel, 
we have firsthand knowledge of the time, resources, and plans needed to 
successfully execute a panel like the one the Bureau is seeking to 
create via the Ask U.S. Panel.
                   concerns about the ask u.s. panel
    The Ask U.S. Panel, first proposed under the Bureau's June 2020 
Notice of Funding Opportunity, was intended to ``establish a research 
platform that is developed and maintained by a third-party collaborator 
but, open to government and other non-profit researchers and policy 
makers that can allow a more frequent measurement of the population and 
can include repeated measures designs.'' The Bureau awarded the project 
to RTI International through a cooperative agreement.
    We have numerous concerns regarding the development of the Panel, 
including the use of a cooperative agreement, the duplication of 
resources already existing in the private sector, and the diversion of 
taxpayer dollars and Bureau personnel from other important priorities 
related to the Bureau's unique functions. However, our main concern is 
the lack of transparency surrounding the Bureau's plans for the Panel. 
Since awarding the cooperative agreement in 2020, the Bureau has 
avoided numerous requests from stakeholders for information about its 
methodology, data collection processes, and intended uses for the 
Panel.
    This lack of transparency, combined with the rapid implementation 
of the Panel, raises concerns regarding the need, validity, and 
usability of the Panel. The Bureau has pursued rapid implementation of 
new data products and data collection programs in recent years. While 
NORC applauds the Bureau's recent innovations, we suggest that 
additional diligence may be necessary to ensure the Ask U.S. Panel 
fulfills its intended purposes and that the Bureau communicates with 
its users on the best fit for each of its products. Recent Federal 
Register Notices and statements under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) 
from the Bureau on the Ask U.S. Panel indicate that the plans and 
methodology are rapidly evolving. The Bureau must be transparent about 
its methodology and planned implementation to ensure this product 
produces valid and usable results and is not a waste of taxpayer 
dollars.
    To this end, stakeholders have repeatedly reached out to the Bureau 
for additional information on this project and the Bureau has been 
dismissive and/or nonresponsive to these requests. This lack of 
transparency by the Bureau is evidenced in their lack of response to 
stakeholder comments through the PRA process (comments submitted on 
February 4, 2022; March 29, 2022; and May 3, 2022). The lack of 
consideration by the Bureau of public comments calls into question its 
commitment to the consultative process established by the PRA and the 
transparency of the Bureau in its actions. We note that in a recent 
Director's blog post Director Santos stated, ``An important aspect of 
that is cultivating trust with all our Nation's communities, be they 
urban or rural, low-income or high income, and regardless of race or 
ethnicity or other socio-demographic groups. That is why seeking, 
listening to and incorporating feedback is critical to garnering trust 
from the full range of our Nation's communities. It also promotes the 
production of relevant, quality data and therefore facilitates 
excellence at the Census Bureau.'' \1\ NORC agrees with this 
perspective and believes meaningful engagement with the Bureau's 
stakeholders and transparency in the Bureau's operations are essential 
factors in engendering trust and confidence in the Bureau's programs 
and products. In the case of inquiry and feedback regarding the Ask 
U.S. Panel, the Bureau's actions to date, both through the PRA process 
and other channels, do not meet the standard laid out in the Director's 
blog post.
    It also is notable that the Bureau did not include any references 
to the Ask U.S. Panel in its FY 2023 budget request despite recent 
Federal Register Notices indicating its plans to implement the Panel. 
It is unclear to us and other stakeholders how the Bureau plans to fund 
the Panel and how this effort fits in with the Household Pulse Surveys 
and High Frequency Data Program. Despite approaching the Bureau through 
various channels, both directly and indirectly, we have not received 
any clarity about how these programs interact and what funding the 
Bureau plans to utilize to build out the Ask U.S. Panel in the next 
year.
        request for the fiscal year 2023 cjs appropriations bill
    Given these concerns, we respectfully ask the Committee to instruct 
the Bureau to be more transparent with stakeholders, as well as provide 
more detailed information about its plans for the Panel. Providing 
proper oversight of the implementation of this project will ensure the 
scope of the Ask U.S. Panel stays within its parameters and does not 
waste public funds.
    To that end, we request the Committee include the following 
language in the report accompanying the fiscal Year 2023 CJS 
appropriations bill.

                Ask U.S. Panel Survey. The Committee is concerned about 
                the lack of transparency related to the Census Bureau's 
                plans for implementation of the Ask U.S. Panel Survey, 
                particularly given the lack of congressional 
                authorization and the expanding scope of the project 
                since it was initially announced. The Committee also is 
                concerned about the use of taxpayer dollars for the 
                development of a panel survey given the wide range of 
                options that currently exist in the private sector for 
                these types of activities. The Committee directs the 
                Census Bureau to provide a report to the Committee 
                within 60 days about the panel's methodology, data 
                collection processes, implementation, incurred and 
                projected costs, and procurement strategy to allow the 
                Committee to evaluate the project's use of Federal 
                resources.
                               conclusion
    While the Census Bureau should be lauded for its recent 
innovations, the lack of transparency surrounding the Ask U.S. Panel 
raises serious concerns, which ultimately question the need for the 
Panel as a government developed program. We hope the Committee will 
provide active oversight to ensure the Bureau is fully transparent 
about its plans for this product, including responding to stakeholder 
requests.
    Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony on the Ask U.S. 
Panel.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.census.gov/newsroom/blogs/director/2022/02/
thinking-differently-perpetuating-
excellence.html, February 14, 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 ______
                                 
     Prepared Statement of the National Seafood Marketing Coalition
Dear Chairman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:

    As you begin to prepare the fiscal Year 23 Appropriations bill, the 
National Seafood Marketing Coalition (NSMC) requests that you work with 
all of your colleagues to ensure increased funding for the Saltonstall-
Kennedy (S-K) Grant Program. The NSMC includes 70 US Fisheries 
organizations from across the country as well as signed support from 9 
separate State Legislatures.
    Enacted in 1954, the S-K Act aims to `` . . .  aid the American 
commercial fishing industry by promoting the free flow of domestically 
produced products in commerce and developing and increasing markets for 
those products,'' through a federal, competitive grant program. As you 
know, the S-K Grant Program is funded by a tariff on imported seafood 
and these funds are transferred from USDA into NOAA's ``Promote and 
Develop Seafood Products'' account. The tariffs capitalizing the 
Promote and Develop account have increased almost every year from $82 
million in 2007 to now over $240 million in 2021. Regardless of this 
dramatic and consistent increase, the S-K Grant program has stayed in 
the $8M--$12M range of Congressional funding. The fiscal year 2022 
funding for the S-K Grants turned out to be $11.8M, which is 
approximately 4.8% of the ``transfer'' from USDA. However, the S-K Act 
clearly States that:

    (e) Allocation of fund moneys
    (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all moneys in the 
        fund shall be used exclusively for the purpose of promoting 
        United States fisheries in accordance with the provisions of 
        this section, and no such moneys shall be transferred from the 
        fund for any other purpose . . . .(A) the Secretary shall use 
        no less than 60 per centum of such moneys to make direct 
        industry assistance grants to develop the United States 
        fisheries and to expand domestic and foreign markets for United 
        States fishery products pursuant to subsection (c) of this 
        section;

    Increased S-K funding is needed for the U.S. seafood industry now 
more than ever. World events have closed markets and significantly 
raised tariffs on many U.S. seafood exports. Moreover, because of the 
war in Ukraine and other U.S. policies, several foreign nations have 
severely restricted the import of our US seafood products and at the 
same time, the US Seafood market is a ``center or the target'' for all 
other foreign seafood products! (The U.S. imports approximately 90% of 
seafood consumed domestically). Increased S-K funding should focus on 
increasing domestic consumption of U.S. produced seafood as well as the 
secondary processing of seafood within the U.S. American fisheries are 
also challenged by disproportionate foreign government spending to 
support their fishing industries. For example, Norway spends more than 
10 times the amount of money on marketing Norwegian salmon in U.S. 
markets as the US does on all of our seafood products, everywhere. 
Increased S-K allocations could, in part, help to level the playing 
field in promotion of U.S. produced seafood.
    Recently, Congress re-established the American Fisheries Advisory 
Committee (AFAC Committee) to work with NOAA to prioritize and direct 
S-K funding. The NSMC as a representative of the Alaska and US Seafood 
Industry, is looking forward to AFAC's new leadership role in the 
application of S-K funding. It has been 50 years since S-K funding 
decisions have had the industry input that was intended by the 1954 
enabling legislation. According to the legislation, the purpose of S-K 
funding is ``to assist persons in carrying out research and development 
projects addressed to any aspect of United States fisheries, including, 
but not limited to, harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated 
infrastructures.'' The AFAC Committee, as designed, will have both 
geographical and experiential diversity including fishermen, scientists 
and regulators drawing from six regions across the country. As such, 
AFAC will be an effective advisory body, ensuring that increased S-K 
funding is strategically invested to return maximum benefit to the 
American Seafood Industry.
    As one of the US Seafood industry's representatives and advocates, 
we would like to see the S-K Grant funding begin to approach the 
percentage of U.S. tariffs on imported seafood that were envisioned 
when the original statute was passed. For FY 23, UFA encourages you to 
consider funding the S-K Grant program at no less than 15% of the 
transfer to NOAA's ``Promote and Develop Seafood Products'' account 
derived from tariffs on imported seafood as a specific Lt numbered line 
item in the FY23 budget. This equates to approximately 35 million 
dollars, and is a step in the right direction towards the 60% language 
contained in the S-K Act. In future years, we recommend continued 
incremental increases towards the statutory 60% allocation in the SK 
Act.
    We very much thank you for being the champion you have been for so 
long in our request for increased S-K Grant funding that will address 
the new and increased needs of America's fishing industry and ensure 
the new AFAC Committee's ability to maximize a newly refreshed desire 
for a National Seafood Marketing campaign and to finally begin 
addressing the rebuilding and expansion of America's Seafood markets.

    [This statement was submitted by Bruce Schactler, Director]
                                 ______
                                 
       Prepared Statement of Natural Science Collections Alliance
    The Natural Science Collections Alliance appreciates the 
opportunity to provide testimony in support of fiscal year (FY) 2023 
appropriations for the National Science Foundation (NSF). We encourage 
Congress to provide the NSF with at least $11 billion in FY 2023.
    The Natural Science Collections Alliance is a non-profit 
association that supports natural science collections, their human 
resources, the institutions that house them, and their research 
activities for the benefit of science and society. Our membership 
consists of institutions that are part of an international network of 
museums, botanical gardens, herbaria, universities, and other 
institutions that contain natural science collections and use them in 
research, exhibitions, academic and informal science education, and 
outreach activities.
    Scientific collections, and the collections professionals and 
scientists who make, care for, and study these resources, are an 
important component of our Nation's research infrastructure. These 
collections and their associated experts contribute to the expansion of 
our bioeconomy. Whether held at a museum, government managed laboratory 
or archive, or in a university science department, these scientific 
resources form a coordinated network of specimens, samples, and data 
(for example, genetic, tissue, organism, and environmental) that are a 
unique and irreplaceable foundation from which scientists are studying 
and explaining past and present life on earth.
    Natural science collections advance scientific research and 
education, and that informs actions to improve public health, 
agricultural productivity, natural resource management, biodiversity 
conservation, and American economic innovation. Current research 
involving natural science collections also contributes to the 
development of new cyberinfrastructure, data visualization tools, and 
improved data management practices. A few examples of how scientific 
collections have saved lives, enhanced food production, and advanced 
scientific discovery include:
  --Scientists used museum specimens in U.S. collections to gather data 
        on the distribution of the mosquito Culex quadrofaciatus, which 
        is known to carry West Nile Virus and other pathogens. They 
        then modeled the distribution under different scenarios of 
        changing climates to predict regions where the species may 
        expand in the future. Predicting the spread of disease vectors 
        such as these mosquitoes helps the health care community 
        prepare for disease outbreaks and where they will happen.
  --Researchers from Boston University documented Tau proteins in the 
        brains of fluid preserved museum specimens of Downy Woodpecker. 
        These proteins are also found in traumatic brain injuries in 
        humans. Because of the life history traits of woodpeckers, the 
        researchers argue these birds may have evolved a level of 
        resistance to traumatic head injuries that could have 
        implications for treatments for humans.
  --Citrus bacterial canker disease wreaks havoc on fruit crops in 
        Florida. Using plant specimens collected a century ago, 
        scientists have analyzed the bacterium and traced its source. 
        Knowledge of how the bacteria spreads allows scientists to 
        develop effective control methods and to protect the U.S. 
        citrus industry.
  --When the 2001 anthrax attacks happened in the United States, 
        specimens collected decades earlier allowed researchers from 
        the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to quickly 
        identify the strain involved.

    Scientific collections enable us to tell the story of life on 
Earth. There are more than 1,600 biological collections in the United 
States. These resources are the result of more than 200 years of 
scientific investigation, discovery, and inventory of living and fossil 
species. Scientists have collected and curated more than one billion 
specimens within those collections. This work is on-going as new 
questions continue to be asked and answered.
    The institutions that care for scientific collections are important 
research infrastructure that enable other scientists to study the basic 
data of life; conduct biological, geological, anthropological, and 
environmental research; and integrate research findings from across 
these diverse disciplines. Their professional staff members train 
future generations with the tools and expertise required to move 
science forward. In-house institutional staff expertise is vital to the 
development and deployment of this critical research infrastructure.
    Recent reports highlight the value of mobilizing biodiversity 
specimens and data in spurring new scientific discoveries that grow our 
economy, improve our public health and wellbeing, and increase our 
National security. In 2019, the Biodiversity Collections Network issued 
a community-informed call for the development of an Extended Specimen 
Network. The report, ``Extending U.S. Biodiversity Collections to 
Promote Research and Education,'' outlines a national agenda that 
leverages digital data in biodiversity collections for new uses and 
calls for building an Extended Specimen Network. This endeavor requires 
robust investments in our Nation's scientific collections, whether they 
are owned by a Federal or state agency or are part of an educational 
institution or free-standing natural history museum or another research 
center.
    A 2020 report by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and 
Medicine, ``Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and 
Education for the 21st Century,'' provides guidance to the NSF 
regarding the sustainability of living stock and natural history 
collections. The report argues that collections are a critical part of 
our Nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental 
resource for understanding the natural world.
    According to the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Scientific 
Collections (IWGSC), ``scientific collections are essential to 
supporting agency missions and are thus vital to supporting the global 
research enterprise.'' A 2020 report by the IWGSC, ``Economic Analyses 
of Federal Scientific Collections,'' presents a framework for 
estimating and documenting the long-term benefits, both monetary and 
non-monetary, generated by Federal institutional collections.
    The NASEM, BCoN, and IWGSC reports, articulate a common vision of 
the future of biological collections and define a need to broaden and 
deepen the collections and associated data to realize the potential for 
biodiversity collections to inform 21st century science. Because the 
NSF is the only agency that supports research in all fields of science, 
it is ideally suited lead a national effort to build the Extended 
Specimen Network, which will require the engagement of computer and 
information scientists, geoscientists, life and environmental 
scientists, and anthropologists.
    Collections are a critical resource for advancing the knowledge 
needed to address current global challenges such as climate change, 
biodiversity loss, and pandemics. The COVID-19 crisis has illustrated 
how inextricably linked humans are to the natural world. Biological 
collections, their extended data, and the experts that build and study 
them are globally important for understanding where viruses such as 
SARS-CoV-2 exist in nature or when they cross from their current hosts 
to humans.
    The United Nation's (UN) Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform 
on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has warned that about a 
million species of plants and animals worldwide face extinction within 
the next few decades. This would not only be an unprecedented loss of 
global biodiversity but also a loss of valuable genetic diversity that 
has implications for human health and well-being. Robust investments 
must be made to support efforts to grow and digitize natural history 
collections and conduct critical collections-based science that can 
help prevent these losses.
    The NSF plays a unique role in protecting and expanding access to 
our Nation's scientific collections. It supports research that uses 
existing collections as well as studies that gather new natural history 
specimens. NSF's Directorates for Biological Sciences (BIO), 
Geosciences (GEO), and Social and Behavioral and Economic sciences 
support research and student training opportunities in natural history 
collections. The NSF is also an important supporter of national 
biological research infrastructure that houses natural history 
collections, such as living stock collections and field stations.
    The NSF funds evolving work to digitize high priority specimen 
collections. The result of this effort is that irreplaceable biological 
specimens and their associated data are now accessible through the 
Internet to researchers, educators, and the public. More than 130 
million specimens are now online, with millions more awaiting 
digitization. This project involves biologists, computer scientists, 
and engineers in multi-disciplinary teams who develop innovative 
imaging, robotics, and data storage and retrieval methods. Resulting 
new tools and approaches expedite the digitization process and 
contribute to the development of new products and services of value to 
other industries. Museum specimens and associated data also represent 
an extraordinary resource for teaching core concepts in science.
    An example is the multi-institutional openVertebrate (oVert) 
project, which creates high-resolution 3D anatomical data for 
scientific specimens of amphibians, reptiles, fishes, mammals, and 
birds held in U.S. museums. Through its NSF-supported partner 
MorphoSource, an open-access online repository, these data have been 
downloaded more than 100,000 times and viewed over 1 million times by 
faculty, veterinarians, exhibit designers, K12 teachers, and artists 
resulting in more than 200 scientific publications. In addition, more 
than 2,000 undergraduate students have learned from these data and 
visualizations while studying zoology, veterinary science, art, and 
design.
    In addition to supporting research, NSF's science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs enhance the 
ability of museums, botanic gardens, zoos, and other research 
institutions to provide science learning opportunities for students. 
NSF's Advancing Informal STEM Learning program furthers our 
understanding of informal science education outside of traditional 
classrooms. The program makes important contributions to efforts to 
make STEM more inclusive of historically underrepresented groups.
                               conclusion
    Investments in NSF have always been in the National interest and 
their value continues to grow. Scientific collections contribute to 
improved public well-being and national economic security. It is not 
possible to replace this important documentation of our Nation's 
heritage. Specimens collected decades or centuries ago are increasingly 
used to develop and validate models that explain how species, including 
viruses, parasites, and pathogens have dispersed around the world, as 
well as how and when they might infect humans now and in the future. 
NSF is the primary funding source that provides support to institutions 
that preserve at-risk scientific collections. These small grants help 
ensure these collections are not destroyed and their data lost.
    Please support funding of at least $11 billion for NSF in FY 2023. 
Investments in NSF programs that support natural science collections 
research and education are essential if we are to maintain our global 
leadership in innovation and biodiversity research.
    In addition to appropriations, Congress is currently considering 
multiple proposals to significantly expand NSF's mission and budget. 
The proposed investments in technological research will enable the 
biodiversity collections community to build the cyberinfrastructure and 
databases necessary to mobilize biodiversity data in ways that bolster 
21st century science and drive innovation. We applaud these efforts to 
invest in our Nation's scientific and technological enterprise and urge 
that robust investments also be made in basic and foundational 
research.
    Furthermore, we also request that Congress provide additional 
economic relief--such as the provisions outlined in the RISE Act 
(HR.869, S.289) that are now part of the U.S. Innovation and 
Competition Act (S. 1260)--to the U.S. research community, including 
natural history museums, botanical gardens, and other science centers, 
that have suffered significant budget disruptions resulting from 
reduced public attendance or closures associated with responding to the 
COVID-19 pandemic.
    Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of this request and for 
your prior support of the National Science Foundation.

    [This statement was submitted by Gil Nelson, PhD, President]
                                 ______
                                 
              Prepared Statement of The Nature Conservancy
    Chair Cartwright, Ranking Member Aderholt and members of the 
subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to comment on the fiscal 
year 2023 (FY2) appropriations for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA). The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a nonprofit 
working around the world to conserve the lands and waters on which all 
life depends. TNC appreciates Congress's work last year to pass the 
bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). These 
investments complement but do not supplant the need for ongoing program 
funding through the appropriations process. The subcommittee 
acknowledged that need when it included moderate by necessary program 
increases for NOAA in the FY22 omnibus spending bill. We again ask you 
to provide a robust appropriations package that will serve as the 
foundation for implementing the IIJA and ensuring long-term success for 
critical programs under the subcommittee's jurisdiction.
    Investment in ocean, coastal and Great Lakes restoration and 
management can be part of the country's economic recovery. Each year, 
the ocean and coastal economies contribute $304 billion to the Nation's 
GDP and 3.3 million jobs. NOAA's funding keeps that economic engine 
running. It helps NOAA catalyze local and regional action and reduces 
risk and saves money based on the tangible economic and societal 
benefits that natural resources provide. The demand for NOAA's products 
and technical and financial assistance exceeds available funding. The 
NOAA budget levels detailed below represent a prudent investment in the 
United States' future.
                         national ocean service
    Title IX Fund--National Coastal Resilience Fund Grants.--TNC 
supports no less than the FY22 enacted funding of $34 million, and 
requests at least $5 million be set aside for planning, technical 
assistance, and assessment activities. In an otherwise strong budget, 
the administration has proposed to terminate this critical grant 
program. The National Coastal Resilience Fund provides the resources 
and tools to build coastal resilience to avoid costly Federal disaster 
assistance and sustain healthy fisheries, maintain robust tourism 
opportunities, provide for increased shipping demands and support other 
coastal industries. Throughout its budget request, NOAA emphasizes the 
need to make its climate products and services more available to the 
communities that need them. It is profoundly inconsistent with that 
need to terminate the very grants that enable communities to reduce 
their climate risks. While IIJA did provide temporary supplemental 
funding for these grants, the reality is demand for this funding far 
exceeds even this increased amount at a time when the country is facing 
an increase in billion-dollar climate-related disasters. More funding 
for planning and technical assistance will help more communities access 
future grants and leverage other funding to implement the resulting 
risk reduction projects. This is particularly important in under-
resourced communities that do not have the capacity to begin this work 
on their own and may be particularly vulnerable to disasters. TNC 
appreciates Congress's support for this transformational program and 
urges the subcommittee to continue to fund it.
    Coastal Zone Management and Services.--TNC supports funding of no 
less than the requested level of $49.48 million. This level of funding 
will provide for continued capacity to provide coastal resilience 
technical assistance to communities across the country, including 
additional emphasis on under-resourced and underserved communities. 
Continued funding of at least $3 million for the Digital Coast 
Partnership will support new and improved products, services and 
technical assistance to communities through this public-private 
partnership. Funding would also support communities through the 
development of the next generation of coastal managers via the Coastal 
Management and Digital Coast Fellows programs. Providing competitive 
salaries and expanded recruitment efforts will enhance the ability to 
reach underrepresented communities. This increase will support the 
designation process for three new National Estuarine Research Reserves 
in Louisiana and Wisconsin to provide better representation and 
connectivity of habitats across the system.
    Coastal Management Grants.--TNC supports funding of no less than 
the FY22 enacted level of $79 million for coastal zone management 
grants. TNC collaborates with State and territorial coastal programs 
around the country to meet multiple goals for coastal communities, 
including economic development, enhancement of public access and 
recreation, coastal resilience and conservation of coastal resources. 
After years of essentially flat funding, the IIJA provided additional 
but temporary funding to support State and territorial coastal zone 
management programs expanding coastal resilience and restoration 
projects. Continued funding for core grants is necessary to address the 
full suite of activities in the approved coastal programs.
    National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS).--TNC supports 
funding of no less than the FY22 enacted level of $29.7 million. NERRS 
partners with States and territories to ensure long-term education, 
stewardship and research on estuarine habitats. The reserves advance 
knowledge and estuary stewardship and serve as a scientific foundation 
for coastal management decisions. By using local management needs to 
help shape research, NERRS aims to fill critical gaps. This funding 
would maintain the capacity of NERRS to conduct research and monitoring 
and incorporate this research into training and technical assistance to 
local communities. With the designation of the new NERRS in Connecticut 
earlier this year, it is important to maintain core funding so as not 
to dilute efforts across the system.
    Coral Reef Conservation Program.--TNC supports the requested level 
of $34 million. The modest increase will help NOAA, States, territories 
and community, research, and non-governmental partners address the 
continued decline of coral reefs. This decline has had significant 
social, economic and ecological impacts on people and communities in 
the United States and around the world. TNC works with NOAA's Coral 
Reef Conservation Program under a competitively awarded, multiyear 
cooperative agreement to address the top threats to coral reef 
ecosystems: changing ocean conditions, overfishing and land-based 
sources of pollution. Together, TNC and NOAA develop place-based 
strategies, measure the effectiveness of management efforts, and build 
capacity among reef managers.
    Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas.--TNC supports the requested 
level of $86.771 million. National marine sanctuaries support economic 
growth and hundreds of coastal businesses in sanctuary communities, 
preserve vibrant underwater and maritime treasures for Americans to 
enjoy and provide critical public access for more than 42 million 
visitors each year. Through a transparent, inclusive approach, the 
marine sanctuaries provide for the conservation of marine resources 
while balancing multiple uses and diverse stakeholder needs. The 
increased funding would enable expanded engagement with partners, 
underrepresented communities, Tribes and Indigenous communities; 
increase capacity for protection, conservation and stewardship; and 
support the designation process for five community-nominated candidate 
sites.
                national marine fisheries service (nmfs)
    Fisheries and Ecosystem Science Programs and Services.--TNC 
supports the requested level of $180.246 million. Science is the 
foundation of successful fisheries management. While many gains have 
been achieved, there remain unfunded opportunities in each NMFS region, 
especially related to electronic monitoring and reporting (EM/ER). NMFS 
has also begun a fisheries information management modernization effort 
that would enhance its capacity to take in, integrate and make 
accessible data from a variety of sources to improve management. 
Modernizing data management would support the implementation of related 
science efforts. This includes the proposed $10 million for enhanced 
science and assessments as part of the cross-program Climate, 
Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative and the proposed $8.669 million to 
enhance the ability to conduct offshore wind assessments to understand 
and mitigate potential impacts in support of these vital renewable 
energy developments. The enhanced research capacity would help fill 
gaps in stock productivity, fisheries adaptations, improve future 
projections and risk assessments and translate these efforts into 
management strategies to support decision-makers.
    Habitat Conservation and Restoration.--TNC supports no less than 
the requested level of $61.353 million. NOAA funding for coastal 
habitat restoration supports, on average, 15 jobs per $1 million 
invested and up to 30 jobs per $1 million spent on labor-intensive 
restoration projects. Project funds are awarded on a competitive basis 
and typically leverage the resources and capacity of multiple partners. 
While habitat restoration activities did receive a temporary 
supplemental increase through the IIJA, base program funding is 
necessary to support the timely implementation of those awards and the 
other core functions of the program. This includes NOAA's consultations 
on and implementation of Essential Fish Habitat. The Regional Fishery 
Management Councils address fishing impacts on these areas, and NOAA 
must have sufficient capacity to provide technical assistance to the 
councils and to work with Federal agencies to avoid, minimize and 
mitigate non-fishing impacts on these important fishery habitats. The 
proposed funding would support large-scale habitat restoration to build 
climate resilience as well as competitive grants for multiyear awards 
to develop restoration planning, project design and permitting and 
project implementation.
    Fisheries Management Programs and Services.--TNC supports no less 
than the requested level of $149.081 million. With a $214 billion 
fisheries and seafood sector, U.S. fishing communities rely on 
management services and information from NOAA to make the most informed 
decisions on where, how and when to fish. NOAA Fisheries has made 
important strides in addressing these challenges and strengthening 
fisheries management. Support for these efforts is necessary to recover 
fish stocks so they can provide food and jobs now and in the future. 
Increased funding will enable NOAA to take the next steps to better 
incorporate ecosystem and changing climate considerations into 
management activities. The proposed $6.155 million in funding would 
increase consultation capacity to assess the effects of planned 
renewable offshore energy activities.
    Observers and Training.--TNC supports no less than the FY22 enacted 
level of $57 million, including $10.3 million to fully fund industry 
costs for at-sea monitoring in the New England multispecies fishery. 
This funding should cover both electronic monitoring and observers. 
After several years of collaborative work with fishery participants, 
scientists and other stakeholders, NOAA approved the New England 
Fishery Management Council's proposal to increase monitoring on 
groundfish vessels to 100 percent for a period of at least 4 years if, 
and only if, funding is available to support it. Because of ongoing 
support from Congress to develop electronic monitoring systems, 
fishermen can now meet the at-sea monitoring requirement with these 
systems or observers. Continued funding along with leveraged private 
funding should provide sufficient resources to aid in the near-term 
transition to increased monitoring and expand the use of electronic 
monitoring.
    Fisheries Data Collections, Surveys and Assessments.--TNC supports 
no less than the requested level of $212.095 million. Limited or poor-
quality information on the status of fishery stocks undermines the 
effectiveness of fisheries management and can erode community support 
for conservation measures. Within this proposed increase, $11.5 million 
would provide long-needed funding to expand surveys, sampling and 
analysis capabilities to better track shifting species as part of the 
cross-program Climate, Ecosystems and Fisheries Initiative. The funding 
would increase the use of technology to conduct surveys, a capacity 
that became increasingly important when the pandemic disrupted data 
collection. Also within the proposed increase, $17.38 million would 
establish a national program to mitigate the potential impacts of 
renewable energy activities on NMFS scientific surveys.
    Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF).--TNC supports the 
request level of $65 million. PCSRF has funded hundreds of successful 
on-the-ground salmon conservation efforts, but habitat project needs 
exceed available funding. PCSRF has catalyzed thousands of partnerships 
among federal, State, local and Tribal governments and conservation, 
business and community organizations.
    Protected Resources Science and Management.--TNC supports the 
requested level of $239.965 million. Within this increase is $10 
million for the competitive Species Recovery Grants to enable the 
agency to strengthen and expand state, Tribal and territorial 
partnerships to address the growing number of listed species and allow 
for larger-scale, ecosystem-level recovery efforts. Additional listed 
species and emerging offshore wind activities have increased the number 
and complexity of NOAA's consultation and permitting requirements. 
Funding is needed to aid NOAA's ability to complete these requirements 
in a timely and predictable manner.
    Thank you for this opportunity to share TNC's priorities. Please 
contact me if you have questions or would like additional information.

    [This statement was submitted by Stephanie Bailenson, Senior Policy 
Advisor for the Ocean and Coasts]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of New England Innocence Project and the National 
                           Innocence Network
    My name is Cynthia Mousseau and I serve as a Staff Attorney at the 
New England Innocence Project (NEIP). On behalf of NEIP and as a member 
of the Innocence Network, a coalition of approximately 60 local 
innocence organizations working to exonerate the innocent and prevent 
wrongful convictions nationwide, thank you for the subcommittee's 
critical funding increases and strong support for innocence and 
forensic science programs in FY22. Thank you also for allowing me to 
submit written testimony for the record as you consider appropriations 
requests for FY23. I urge you to please increase funding for the 
following programs at the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the 
Department of Justice and at the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology at the Department of Commerce, including:
  --$20 million for the Wrongful Conviction Review Program at the 
        Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance 
        (BJA) (the Wrongful Conviction Review Program is part of the 
        Capital Litigation Improvement Program);
  --$20 million for the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing 
        Program at DOJ/BJA
  --$25 million for the Department of Commerce's National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology (NIST) to support and conduct 
        foundational forensic science research, including $2 million 
        for technical merit evaluations.

    These innocence and forensic science programs endeavor to increase 
the fairness and accuracy of the criminal legal system; address 
arbitrary racial disparities and inequities; provide the strongest 
possible forensic science tools to legal system stakeholders; and 
generate greater public safety for our Nation.
    Data from the National Registry of Exonerations show that the 
number of exonerations has significantly increased since Federal 
innocence programs--the Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing and 
Wrongful Convictions Review programs--began receiving funding in 2008 
and 2009, respectively. Between 2009 and 2016, the total number of 
exonerations increased by 84%. This dramatic increase is in part a 
result of the decision to invest in these programs.
    2020 set the record for the highest number of years individuals 
lost to being wrongfully convicted--an average of 13.4 years per 
exoneree. More than 27,000 life years have been lost to wrongful 
incarceration. The National Registry of Exonerations currently lists 
more than 3,100 exonerations since 1989. Half of the people exonerated 
are Black, and innocent Black people spend approximately 45% longer 
wrongfully imprisoned than innocent white people. This racial disparity 
holds true across different types of convictions. Investing in 
innocence and forensic science progams helps to increase the accuracy, 
equity, and integrity of the criminal legal system.
    The New England Innocence Project (NEIP), headquarted in 
Massachussetts, is the only innocence organization serving Vermont, 
Maine, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire. Federal grant funds help expand 
its reach into States that have insufficient resources to meet their 
needs. In fact, as a direct result of a grant from FY21, NEIP will be 
litigating its first case in New Hampshire, a State that has not 
enjoyed robust post-conviction litigation to date. With the support of 
Federal funds, NEIP has provided direct representation and/or support 
that has resulted in 16 exonerations over the past 17 years. 5 recently 
released exonerees collectively spent 160 years in prison. 
Additionally, NEIP has: (1) been able to provide more significant 
support to exonerees upon their release from prison through our 
Exoneree Network, which is lead and run by exonerees; (2) conducted 
numerous trainings throughout New England for prosecutors, defense 
attorneys, law enforcement, judges, and the public to raise awareness 
and prevent causes of wrongful conviction; and (3) expanded our staff 
to include work on pre-trial issues that will prevent wrongful 
convictions from occurring.
    Cases without DNA evidence are difficult and often take many years 
to complete. It is a long, arduous, and resource intensive process to 
prove an individual's innocence after he/she has been wrongfully 
convicted. An average case at NEIP requires years of work and thousands 
of dollars to adequately investigate and litigate. During this long 
time period, the innocent person is languishing behind bars.
    Freeing innocent individuals and preventing wrongful convictions 
through reform also greatly benefits public safety. Every time DNA 
identifies a wrongful conviction, it enables the possible 
identification of the person who actually committed the crime. Such 
true perpetrators have been identified in more than half of the 375 DNA 
exoneration cases. Unfortunately, many of these individuals went on to 
commit additional crimes while an innocent person was convicted and 
incarcerated in their place.
    The value of Federal innocence programs and forensic science 
research is not only for exonerated people, but for all stakeholders in 
the criminal justice system. It is important to fund these important 
Federal programs because reforms and procedures that help to identify, 
remediate, and prevent wrongful convictions also enhance the accuracy 
of criminal investigations, strengthen criminal prosecutions, and 
result in a fairer and more accountable system of justice that provides 
true justice to victims of crime.
                   wrongful conviction review program
    We know that wrongful convictions occur in cases where DNA evidence 
may be insufficient or unavailable to prove innocence. The National 
Registry of Exonerations currently lists more than 3,100 exonerations 
since 1989, the vast majority of which did not have the presence or 
benefit of testable DNA. The Wrongful Conviction Review Program 
provides critical support to ensure that experts are available to 
navigate the complex landscape of post-conviction litigation, as well 
as oversee the thousands of volunteer hours local innocence 
organizations leverage to help investigate these complex non-DNA cases 
and support the significant legal work they require. The Wrongful 
Conviction Review Program has contributed to approximately 50 
exonerations over the past few years with more in the pipeline.
    For example, in 2019, Darrell Jones, who was wrongfully convicted 
of murder and served 32 years, was freed as a result of the work of the 
Committee for Public Counsel Services Innocence Program. The Wrongful 
Conviction Review Program provided funding that enabled his team to 
hire an investigator who identified exculpatory witnesses as well as 
two forensic experts. In 2020, Arturo Jimenez, who was wrongfully 
convicted of murder and served 25 years, was freed because the Wrongful 
Conviction Review program funded an investigator who uncovered key 
evidence that helped the Northern California Innocence Project secure 
his exoneration.
    The Wrongful Conviction Review Program provides funding to local 
innocence organizations, such as NEIP, so that they may provide this 
type of expert, high quality, and efficient representation for innocent 
individuals. The program's goals also are to help alleviate burdens 
placed on the criminal legal system through costly and prolonged post-
conviction litigation and to identify, when possible, the person who 
actually committed the crime.
    In recent years, only a few local innocence organizations received 
Wrongful Conviction Review funding during each grant cycle. Even with 
the FY22 funding increase, there is still a need to expand this program 
further to resolve the long waiting lists of wrongfully convicted 
individuals--lists that are often hundreds of individuals long for just 
an individual innocence organization. These cases require evaluation, 
investigation, and often representation, which helps to improve the 
fairness and reliability of the criminal legal system. We urge you to 
provide $20 million for the Wrongful Conviction Review Program in FY23. 
(Please note that the Wrongful Conviction Review grant program is a 
part of the Capital Litigation Improvement Program.)
    I also urge you to include in the FY23 report for the Commerce, 
Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill the final 
FY22 report language for the Wrongful Conviction Review program. It 
described the need for legal representation and investigation services 
for individuals with post-conviction claims of innocence. It also 
directed at least 50 percent of funds appropriated to the Capital 
Litigation Improvement and Wrongful Conviction Review grant programs 
support Wrongful Conviction Review grantees providing high quality and 
efficient post-conviction representation for defendants in post-
conviction claims of innocence. It also clarified that Wrongful 
Conviction Review grantees shall be nonprofit organizations, 
institutions of higher education, and/or State or local public defender 
offices that have in-house post-conviction representation programs that 
show demonstrable experience and competence in litigating 
postconviction claims of innocence. Finally, the report language 
directed that grant funds shall support grantee provision of post-
conviction legal representation of innocence claims; case review, 
evaluation, and management; experts; potentially exonerative forensic 
testing; and investigation services related to supporting these post-
conviction innocence claims.
          the bloodsworth post-conviction dna testing program
    The Bloodsworth Program supports States and localities that want to 
pursue post-conviction DNA testing in appropriate cases, and grantees 
range from State and local prosecutor offices to law enforcement 
agencies and crime labs. These grantees can collaborate with local 
innocence organizations when appropriate. For example, a grant to 
Arizona allowed the State's Attorney General's Office to partner with 
the Arizona Justice Project to create the Post-Conviction DNA Testing 
Project. This effort canvassed incarcerated individuals in Arizona, 
reviewed cases, located evidence, and filed joint requests with the 
court to have evidence released for DNA testing. In addition to 
identifying the innocent, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard noted 
that the ``grant enable[d] [his] office to support local prosecutors 
and ensure that those who have committed violent crimes are identified 
and behind bars.''
    The Bloodsworth program is a powerful investment for States seeking 
to free innocent individuals and identify the individuals who actually 
committed the crimes. The program has resulted in the exonerations of 
at least 54 wrongfully convicted persons in 14 States. The person who 
actually committed the crime was identified in 13 of those cases. In 
2020, an additional 5 people were exonerated through the program. The 
success of this program both in generating individual exonerations 
while supporting broader system review when problems arise has made it 
popular--DOJ has reported previously that it has received twice as many 
qualified applicants as it has funding to grant.
    For example, Virginian Thomas Haynesworth, who was wrongfully 
incarcerated for 27 years, was freed thanks to Bloodsworth-funded DNA 
testing that also revealed the person who actually committed the crime. 
The culpable person in that case went on to terrorize the community by 
attacking 12 women, with most of the attacks and rapes occurring while 
Mr. Haynesworth was wrongfully incarcerated. Given the importance of 
this program to both innocent individuals and public safety, I urge you 
to provide the $20 million to continue and expand the work of the 
Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program in FY23.
                      forensic science improvement
    To continue the critical work to improve forensic science, and help 
prevent wrongful convictions, I urge you to provide $25 million for 
NIST to support foundational forensic science research, including $2 
million to conduct technical merit evaluations.
    As the Federal entity that is both perfectly positioned and 
institutionally constituted to conduct foundational forensic science 
research, NIST's work will improve the validity and reliability of 
forensic evidence, a need cited by the National Academy of Sciences 
2009 report, Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A 
Path Forward. NIST's reputation for innovation will result in 
technological solutions to advance forensic science applications and 
achieve a tremendous cost savings by reducing court costs posed by 
litigating scientific evidence.
    Additionally, some forensic science methods have not yet received 
an evaluation of their technical merit and NIST needs additional 
support to conduct these vital reviews. The forensic science activities 
and research at NIST will help to improve forensic disciplines and 
propel forensic science and the criminal legal system toward greater 
accuracy and reliability, and as a result, help prevent wrongful 
convictions and improve system equity.
                               conclusion
    Thank you for your leadership in ensuring the accuracy, equity, and 
integrity of our Nation's criminal justice system. I urge you to 
support all of the aforementioned programs, including the Wrongful 
Conviction Review and Bloodsworth grant programs, as well as NIST 
forensic science research. If you have questions or need additional 
information, please contact Jenny Collier, Federal Policy Advisor to 
the Innocence Project, at [email protected].

    [This statement was submitted by Cynthia Mousseau, JD]
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of New Hampshire Superior Court
    Chairwoman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished members 
of the subcommittee, I am honored to have the opportunity to submit my 
testimony on behalf of our country's nearly 4,000 treatment court 
programs and the 150,000 people they will connect to lifesaving 
addiction and mental health treatment this year alone. Given the 
ongoing substance use crisis, I am requesting that Congress provide 
funding of $95 million for the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program 
and $29 million for the Veterans Treatment Court Grant Program at the 
Department of Justice for fiscal year 2023.
    I serve as Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court. In 
nearly two decades on the bench, I have never seen a program more 
effective than treatment courts, including drug courts and veterans 
treatment courts, at promoting public health while upholding the 
justice system's promise to protect public safety. Like many of my 
fellow judges, I felt frustrated by the limited options available in 
the traditional court model to change the behavior of offenders I was 
seeing in the court room repeatedly. When I began presiding over drug 
court in Rockingham County in 2006, I saw a new, more effective 
approach. Treatment court programs address the unique underlying 
conditions of each participant. Strong empirical evidence shows that 
treatment courts not only reduce crime, but also save lives and reunite 
families by connecting participants to evidence-based treatment 
services and recovery support. In my home state of New Hampshire, 
treatment court graduates have a 90 percent employment rate, and 78 
percent of graduates do not reoffend within 2 years. New Hampshire 
treatment courts cost $9 per day compared to $84 per day it costs to 
incarcerate someone.
    Just one of many success stories from New Hampshire is Nick, who 
was just 13 when his relationship with alcohol started. From there, he 
became more and more dependent on different substances. For a long 
time, he was able to hold down a job while trying to raise two children 
with his partner, who also struggled with addiction. But Nick's 
substance use caught up to him in 2012, when he was sent to prison for 
the first time. Nick said his time in prison hardened him, and instead 
of turning his life around, he just ``learned new tricks'' to keep up 
his old habits. After his first 2 years in prison, he turned to 
methamphetamine and heroin. He lost custody of his children and 
experienced homelessness and more stints in jail. Nick tried treatment 
but could not stay sober for long. When he came to treatment court, he 
was feeling hopeless and suicidal. The treatment court program provided 
both the accountability and the treatment he needed to change. In 
treatment court, Nick, like other participants, was assessed by a 
multidisciplinary team and given an individualized treatment plan 
designed by substance use treatment professionals using evidence-based 
methods. Instead of being put behind bars, they set a goal of and path 
to long-term recovery and supervised him every step of the way. The 
treatment court team gave Nick a new understanding of his substance use 
disorder and a real desire for change. Drug court also gave him 
something else he'd been missing: hope. I'm happy to say that Nick has 
been in active recovery for years. He got his driver's license back, 
started his own carpentry business, and got engaged. Most importantly, 
he was reunited with his two children, of whom he now has full custody. 
He is proud to be a father and says he is now ``someone who shows up, 
and who is responsible, peaceful, and kind.''
    Nick isn't alone in his success. Treatment courts have connected 
1.5 million people struggling with substance use and mental health 
disorders with evidence-based treatment options, including medication 
for addiction treatment when appropriate, tailored to their specific 
needs. Together, the court team offers the tools to overcome substance 
use disorder and past trauma to create true recovery and healthy 
relationships.
    I have seen hundreds of individuals in our justice system overcome 
their substance use or mental health disorders and became productive 
citizens in their communities. Most, like Nick, go on to start careers 
and raise families, and many now help others in the horrible position 
they were once in themselves. I can say for certain that the treatment 
court model deserves credit for the health and restored lives of these 
individuals. I can also say that New Hampshire, like many other States, 
is not immune to the deadly opioid epidemic. This crisis continues to 
bring to the fore the critical need to ensure all people, even those 
whose substance use leads to trouble with the law, have access to 
treatment, including medication for addiction treatment when 
appropriate. While there is no single solution to the opioid crisis, 
for individuals before the courts with a severe substance use or mental 
health disorder, treatment courts are a key solution to the crisis.
    There is overwhelming empirical evidence that shows the 
effectiveness of treatment court programs. The Government 
Accountability Office finds the drug court model reduces crime by up to 
58 percent. Further, the Department of Justice's Multi-Site Adult Drug 
Court Evaluation confirmed drug treatment courts significantly reduce 
both drug use and crime, while saving taxpayer money-an average of 
$6,000 saved for every individual served. Other benefits include 
improved employment, financial stability, housing, and family 
reunification. Veterans treatment courts expand on the drug court model 
to include veteran justice outreach specialists from the Department of 
Veterans Affairs, volunteer veteran mentors from the community, and 
other local, State, and Federal resources, and have proven equally 
effective. It is critical that we have interventions like veterans 
treatment court in place to ensure that when our heroes return home, if 
they do struggle, they have the treatment, structure, and support to 
transform their lives.
    Continued support for the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program at 
the Department of Justice ensures the nearly 4,000 treatment courts in 
the United States today provide critical services to those in need, 
while keeping communities safe. But we know there are many individuals 
who still need this opportunity. I strongly urge this subcommittee to 
recommend funding of $95 million to the Drug Court Discretionary Grant 
Program and $29 million to the Veterans Treatment Court Grant Program 
in fiscal year 2023 so treatment courts in New Hampshire and across the 
country can continue to save lives, reunite families, and keep our 
communities healthy and safe.

    [This statement was submitted by the Honorable Tina Nadeau, Chief 
Justice]
                                 ______
                                 
  Prepared Statement of Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)
    Chair Jeanne Shaheen, Ranking Member Kerry Moran and Honorable 
Members of the subcommittee, my name is Ed Johnstone, and I am the 
Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC). The NWIFC 
is composed of the 20 Tribes that are party to United States v. 
Washington, which upheld the Tribes' treaty-reserved right to harvest 
and manage various natural resources on and off-reservation, including 
salmon and shellfish. On behalf of the NWIFC, I'm providing testimony 
for the record on the natural resource and fishery management program 
funding requests for the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration 
(NOAA)/National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23) 
appropriations. These programs support the management of salmon 
fisheries, which contribute to a robust natural resource-based economy 
and the continued exercise of Tribal treaty rights to fish. Given the 
onslaught of pressures we face, it is now more important than ever for 
the Federal trustee to support management, supplementation, and 
restoration of fisheries--vital to the Tribes physical, cultural and 
economic wellbeing, as well as an important link in our Nation's food 
supply chain.
                summary of fy23 appropriations requests
  --$70.0 million plus for NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund
  --$7.0 million for NOAA Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans
  --$43.5 million for NOAA Pacific Salmon Treaty
  --$26.5 million for NOAA Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs

    The member Tribes of the NWIFC ceded much of the land that is now 
western Washington in exchange for reserving the continued right to 
harvest and manage various natural resources including salmon and 
shellfish. Salmon are the foundation of Tribal cultures, traditions and 
economies in western Washington. To ensure that Tribal treaty rights 
and lifeways are protected, it is essential that the Federal Government 
provide support to all aspects of salmon management including, harvest 
planning and implementation (e.g. Pacific Salmon Treaty), hatchery 
production, (e.g. Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs and Hatchery and 
Genetic Management Plans) and habitat protection and restoration (e.g. 
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund).
                       justification of requests
Provide, at a minimum, $70.0 million for NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon 
        Recovery Fund (PCSRF) and preferably restore funding to FY02 
        levels ($110.0 million)
    We respectfully request, at a minimum, $70.0 million for PCSRF, 
which is an increase of $5.0 million over the FY22 enacted level and 
President's Budget Request of $65.0 million. It is worth noting that 
this request is a significant departure from the PCSRF peak level of 
$110.0 million in FY02 or subsequent years in which appropriations were 
maintained upwards of $80.0 million through FY11. We ultimately would 
like to see PCSRF funding fully restored to FY02 levels. This level of 
funding would help carry out the original congressional intent of these 
funds to support the Federal Government's obligations to salmon 
recovery and the treaty fishing rights of the Tribes. However, we 
understand that budget restriction may require Congress to take a more 
incremental approach toward this end goal.
    The PCSRF is a multi-State, multi-Tribe program established by 
Congress in FY00 with a primary goal to help recover dwindling salmon 
populations throughout the Pacific coast region. Through PCSRF, Tribes 
work collaboratively to help protect and restore salmon habitat to 
increase natural salmon productivity. To accomplish this, Tribes 
implement scientifically based salmon recovery plans developed for each 
watershed in concert with federal, State, and local partners. Tribes 
also participate in sustainable harvest management activities such as 
monitoring fish abundance, which is then used to forecast adult returns 
and subsequently develop annual harvest rates that achieve conservation 
objectives and provide for Tribal and non-Tribal harvest opportunities. 
Since its inception, PCSRF has been the primary salmon recovery 
response. This has resulted in the restoration and protection of over 
1.1 million acres of spawning and rearing habitat and re-established 
salmon access to more than 11,489 miles (as of FY20) of previously 
inaccessible streams in our region.
Provide $7.0 million for NOAA Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans 
        (within NOAA--Pacific Salmon)
    We respectfully request $7.0 million to support review, approval 
and implementation of Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs). We 
also respectfully request continued report language to ensure funding 
passed through to the Tribes can be used to implement approved HGMPs. 
We recommend that the overarching Pacific Salmon account be funded at 
$78.0 million to accommodate this request and ensure maintenance of 
existing programs and agency requests. This recommendation is $11.0 
million above FY22 enacted level of $67.0 million and $4.858 million 
above the President's Budget Request of $73.142 million.
    Review and approval of HGMPs is necessary to provide hatcheries 
with Endangered Species Act (ESA) coverage and implementation of the 
plans is necessary to accomplish their conservation goals. NMFS uses 
the information provided by HGMPs to evaluate the impacts of State and 
tribally operated hatcheries on salmon and steelhead listed under the 
ESA and recommends improvements to operations to meet conservation 
objectives. With the lack of improvement in salmon stocks, hatchery 
operations have become even more important to achieving recovery goals 
and maintenance of salmon fisheries. However, the lack of improvement 
in natural origin salmon has also resulted in scrutinizing hatcheries 
for their potential genetic impacts on natural spawning populations. 
This has resulted in increasingly specific performance standards and 
management expectations included in Tribes' HGMPs.
    Implementing the activities described in the HGMPs includes 
biological monitoring and evaluation of hatchery programs. Monitoring 
and evaluation assess whether the goals of the program are being met 
and ensures the compatibility of the program with regional and co-
management salmon recovery plans. These monitoring and evaluation 
programs generally involve various methodologies to monitor the 
juvenile fish released by the hatchery, sample the returning adult 
fish, and evaluate the interactions of hatchery and wild fish.
    Tribes need help addressing the escalating costs of hatchery 
management associated with the monitoring and adaptive management 
practices called for by HGMPs. For example, requirements to closely 
monitor natural and hatchery produced salmon interactions on the 
spawning ground are costly and time-intensive. Therefore, it is 
essential that HGMP funding is increased to address these rising costs 
and that flexibility is provided to ensure that funding can be used by 
the Tribes to implement the plans' recommendations, which both the 
Federal Government and Tribes have extensively invested in.
Provide $43.5 million to implement the National commitments in the 
        Pacific Salmon Treaty agreements (within NOAA--Salmon 
        Management Activities)
    We support the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC) U.S. Section's FY23 
request of $43.5 million for the Pacific Salmon Treaty line within 
Salmon Management Activities, an increase of $4.0 million over the FY22 
enacted level of $39.5 million. Included in this request is $3.06 
million for annual operational costs for hatchery conservation 
programs, $2.33 million for habitat restoration for Puget Sound 
critical stocks, $4,110,000 for Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery 
mitigation, and $4,470,000 to increase prey availability for Southern 
Resident Killer Whales.
    The FY23 request would support implementation of the National 
commitments in the renegotiated Pacific Salmon Treaty (PST) Annex 
Chapters. The recommended funding is also necessary to meet the 
requirements of the biological opinion for listed species and supports 
effective, science-based implementation of negotiated salmon fishing 
arrangements and abundance-based management approaches for Chinook, 
southern Coho, and Northern Boundary and Transboundary River salmon 
fisheries.
    Adult salmon returning to most western Washington streams migrate 
through U.S. and Canadian waters and are harvested by fishers from both 
countries. For years, there were no restrictions on the interception of 
returning salmon by fishers of neighboring countries. Eventually, the 
U.S. and Canada agreed to cooperate on the management of salmon by 
developing and ratifying the PST in 1985. The PSC was created to 
implement the PST and is responsible for developing management 
recommendations and assessing compliance with the treaty. Negotiations 
to revise the provisions of the Annex Chapters were successfully 
completed in 2018 and 2019. These chapters contain the specifics for 
implementing the treaty for each species in each geographic area. These 
revised chapters represent the combined efforts of the participants to 
ensure healthy salmon populations for the next 10 years, and as such 
include commitments from the U.S. to improve current management 
strategies.
Provide $26.5 million for NOAA Mitchell Act Hatchery Programs (within 
        NOAA--Salmon Management Activities)
    We respectfully request $26.5 million for the Mitchell Act Hatchery 
Programs, an increase of $3.5 million over the FY22 enacted level of 
$22.0 million. The request for this additional increase in Mitchell Act 
funds is needed to ensure that mitigation hatcheries operate at full 
production level to meet Federal obligations. This program is funded 
through the Salmon Management Activities subactivity.
    Mitchell Act hatchery production is intended to mitigate for fish 
and habitat loss caused by the Federal hydropower dam system on the 
Columbia River. Funding for these programs supports the operation and 
maintenance of hatcheries that release around 42 million juvenile 
salmon and steelhead in Oregon and Washington. This represents about 30 
percent of the total hatchery salmon and steelhead released in the 
Columbia River Basin. Adequate funding for Mitchell Act hatcheries is 
of particular importance to us because it supports salmon production 
for Tribal treaty harvest along the Washington coast. Additionally, 
adequate funding to ensure full production from the Mitchell Act 
hatcheries dampens the impact of Canadian and Alaskan ocean fisheries 
on Washington and Tribal fisheries under the terms of the PST.
                               conclusion
    The treaties between the Federal Government and Indian Tribes, as 
well as the treaty-reserved rights to harvest, manage and consume fish 
and shellfish, are the ``supreme law of the land'' under the U.S. 
Constitution (Article VI). It is, therefore, critically important for 
Congress and the Federal Government to provide continued support in 
upholding the treaty obligations and carrying out its trust 
responsibilities. An important component of these obligations is to 
fully fund the sustainable salmon fisheries management programs that 
provide for improved harvest planning, hatchery production and habitat 
management. We respectfully urge you to continue to support our efforts 
to protect and restore our treaty-reserved rights and natural resources 
that in turn will provide for thriving ecosystems and economies for 
both Indian and non-Indian communities alike. Thank you.

    [This statement was submitted by Ed Johnstone, Chairman]
                                 ______
                                 
                   Prepared Statement of OpenSecrets
Dear Chairman Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and distinguished members 
of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and 
Science, and Related Agencies:

    Thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony before 
the Committee to discuss fiscal year 2023 budget priorities regarding 
the modernization of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a 
statute intended to inform the American public of foreign influence and 
lobbying operations attempting to impact U.S. policy or public opinion.
    This written testimony is respectfully offered on behalf of 
OpenSecrets to the Committee for use during its consideration of 
Department of Justice funding and for inclusion in the official 
committee record.
    OpenSecrets is a nonpartisan nonprofit research organization 
tracking money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public 
policy. Our vision is for Americans across the ideological spectrum to 
be empowered by access to clear and unbiased information about money's 
role in the U.S. political system and to use that knowledge to 
strengthen our democracy.
    Activities of foreign agents and lobbyists divulged under FARA are 
a subject of sustained public interest. In this testimony, we 
respectfully request that the Committee include report language 
directing a review of the U.S. Department of Justice's implementation 
of FARA and a comprehensive audit of the use of the Lobbying Disclosure 
Act (LDA) exemption that will both be publicly accessible.
    A publicly-accessible report to Congress is necessary to evaluate 
the feasibility and steps needed to require all filings by foreign 
agents to be made in an electronic, machine-processable electronic 
format yielding structured data. This would allow users to search and 
sort or download FARA data, ensuring the same level of accountability 
from lobbyists representing foreign interests as domestic ones.
    The Justice Department Inspector General's 2016 ``Audit of the 
National Security Division's Enforcement and Administration of the 
Foreign Agents Registration Act'' \1\ included 14 recommendations to 
improve NSD's enforcement and administration of FARA. With regard to e-
filing, the inspector general report recommended ``that e-file develop 
with timeliness as a consideration.''
    Despite recommendations from the Department's Inspector General and 
outside experts, the Justice Department has been slow to implement 
changes to improve the public's access to information about foreign 
influence and lobbying intended to impact U.S. policy or public 
opinion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://oig.justice.gov/reports/2016/a1624.pdf.
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    In September 2019, the Department of Justice launched new features 
enabling registrants to submit data through a web-form yielding some 
standardized data. While we believe this is a step in the right 
direction, only initial registrations are required to be submitted this 
way, so information reported in some of the most important records such 
as semi-annual supplemental statements may remain trapped in less 
accessible formats.
    Continuing implementation of a modernized FARA reporting system 
that collects detailed structured data would provide the tools 
necessary for better oversight and ensure information about foreign 
influence is provided in an accurate, complete, and timely manner.
    The current e-filing system requires filers to submit data in 
either image or PDF formats. Yet, much of the supplemental, 
registration, and amendment information is originally produced in 
electronic formats, such as CSV files. Image and PDF formatted files 
destroy critical aspects of the included data, and cannot be marked for 
sensitive information or be used for automated calculations. It is 
virtually impossible to transform a PDF into a structured spreadsheet 
that supports analysis and reuse of the information. Even the basic 
disclosure of how much money foreign actors spend to influence U.S. 
policy and public opinion can be obscured, leaving the American public 
in the dark about how our laws are shaped and influenced.
    The DOJ FARA unit should continue developing systems for users to 
submit information in structured data formats. A sample template could 
allow registrants to standardize their responses in formats that could 
easily be processed by computers. This would streamline the processing 
of data by the FARA Unit, enabling faster review and more uniform 
reporting.
    Structured data yielded from e-filing could optimize this process, 
improving the quality, utility, and clarity of information collected by 
the FARA Unit. Structured data would also enable Federal officials to 
more efficiently identify potential issues with filings as they come in 
or even set automated detection systems.
    Examples of problems that would be ameliorated by this change 
include the accidental release of sensitive personal information such 
as bank account numbers and the prevalence of inaccurate reports to 
Congress caused by miscalculations or incomputable data.
    Registrants working on behalf of foreign principals are only 
required to file a supplemental statement every 6 months and 
registrants often wait even longer so reported dates of receipt can 
sometimes occur in a different year than the work happened.
    Structured data on the payment amounts registrants report in 
question 14(a) of the supplemental statement shows when the payments 
actually took place rather than just the date at the end of the 
reporting period covered by the supplemental statement. This would 
ensure totals reflect amendments or retroactively filed supplemental 
statements that may be filed after the Report to Congress covering a 
period is compiled would allow for a more complete and accurate picture 
of activities reported under FARA. Sometimes amendments result in a 
lower amount of spending being reported than was in the initial 
supplemental statement and other times additional previously unreported 
spending is reported so it could cause differences in both directions.
    Cataloging information about the purpose of receipts or 
disbursements in the structured data would streamline extrication of 
activities required to be reported under FARA from any non-FARA 
registerable activities that may also be included in a filing.
    While it is a simpler system, by way of comparison, new 
registrations under the LDA must be filed to Congress electronically, 
are published as structured data, and made available to the public. 
More parity between disclosure requirements under the LDA and FARA is 
necessary to ensure at least the same level of transparency from 
lobbyists representing foreign interests as domestic.
    We recognize the importance of addressing concerns about 
information security as part of modernization. A computer virus can 
hide inside most types of file formats.
    When accessing those files, it is important to have an up-to-date 
virus scanner. However, there are file formats, known as ``plain-
text,'' that are generally recognized as safe. For spreadsheets, this 
includes files in CSV format. For documents, this includes documents in 
TXT format. In addition, generating spreadsheets as CSV files, and 
documents as TXT files, is widely supported across many platforms, 
including Microsoft Office and Google Docs, so it is easy for 
submitters to generate the files in the required format. In addition, 
problems of incomplete and inaccurate data can be addressed through use 
of better formats in which the data is filed, including the use of 
forms that ensure that users file valid information.
    Increased use of unique or common identifiers to represent data, 
and wherever possible draw the identifiers from unique IDs used by 
other government entities or create crosswalks would allow for more 
interoperability of data and for FARA Unit to validate the data upon 
entry. It can also increase consistency and accuracy, while making the 
process easier on the filer.
    Using web-forms or submitting data in other structured formats 
across the board would allow the government to provide this information 
in an accessible form with little or no additional burden. FARA 
reporting is already conducted through an e-filing system that requires 
a web browser unless a registrant demonstrates limited access to the 
internet. Modernizing FARA's e-filing system can ultimately help ease 
the administrative burden associated with FARA registration.
    FARA also has a number of exemptions that can be misunderstood or 
exploited.
    One commonly used exemption enables some foreign agents to claim an 
exemption from FARA registration and disclosure rules if they register 
as lobbyists under the LDA, a disclosure statute designed to regulate 
the activities of domestic lobbyists. Any individuals lobbying on 
behalf of a foreign commercial interest, rather than a foreign 
government or political party, may evade FARA disclosure requirements 
by merely registering under the LDA.
    Domestic lobbying records are already required to be filed to 
Congress electronically and are immediately converted to structured 
data that are available to the public over the Internet. More parity 
between disclosure requirements under the LDA and FARA is necessary to 
ensure at least the same level of transparency from lobbyists 
representing foreign interests as domestic ones.
    We respectfully urge the Committee to direct the Comptroller 
General of the United States, in consultation with the Inspector 
General of the Department of Justice, to conduct a comprehensive audit 
of the use of the LDA exemption examining (1) whether the LDA exemption 
has contributed to a decline in the number of registrations under FARA; 
(2) whether the LDA exemption has contributed to a lack of public 
awareness of lobbying activities on behalf of foreign entities; (3) the 
impact and feasibility of phasing out the LDA exemption; and (4) how to 
develop policy recommendations for increasing compliance with Federal 
lobbying registration and disclosure requirements.
    We are confident that the report will provide valuable insight to 
the American people and pave the way to increased transparency of the 
activities disclosed by those foreign agents. We urge you to 
appropriate the funding necessary to evaluate modernizing this 
invaluable resource.
    Our recommendations are based on our experiences using FARA, 
including efforts to republish FARA data online in ways that support 
greater access and meaningful analysis. OpenSecrets built the Foreign 
Lobby Watch database containing foreign lobbying documents and data. 
Our reviews of the DOJ's available foreign lobbying records found 
significant problems with how the data is currently structured. We've 
designed our databases to make up for some of the shortfalls in how 
foreign lobbying information is currently made available to the public. 
Structured data directly from the government could streamline this 
process, improving the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
collected by the FARA Unit.
    Thank you for your attention to our concerns on this critical 
issue. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you further on 
this issue and make any additional recommendations about this or other 
important issues before the Committee.
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of the Pacific Salmon Commission
    Mr. Chairman, and Honorable Members of the Committee, I am W. Ron 
Allen, the Tribal Commissioner and Chair for the U.S. Section Budget 
Committee of the Pacific Salmon Commission (PSC). I am also the Tribal 
Chairman/CEO of the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe located on the Olympic 
Peninsula of Washington State. The U.S. Section prepares annual budgets 
for the implementation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty. The implementation 
of the Treaty is funded through the Departments of Commerce, Interior 
and State.
    Department of Commerce funding in support of implementing the 
Pacific Salmon Treaty is part of the Salmon Management Activities 
account in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) budget. The 
United States and Canada completed negotiations of revised Annex 
Chapters to the Treaty in 2019. Funding in the Department of Commerce 
budget is for the programs to fulfill national commitments created by 
the revised Treaty Annex Chapters. The U.S. Section recommends FY 2023 
funding of $43,500,000 to implement national commitments created by the 
Treaty.
    The Department of Commerce principally funds programs conducted by 
the States of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska and the NMFS. 
However, the cost of programs conducted by the States to fulfill 
national commitments created by the Treaty continue to be substantially 
greater than the funding provided in the NMFS budget. Consequently, the 
States have supplemented the Federal Treaty appropriations from other 
sources, including State general funds. Many of those funding sources 
are limited or no longer available and this has been exacerbated by the 
ongoing global pandemic.
    The increases in the FY 2020 budget and in the FY 2021 budget were 
greatly appreciated, however it falls short of what the U.S. Section 
estimates is needed to fully implement the revised Annex Chapters to 
the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
    The U.S. Section recommends that the Pacific Salmon Treaty line 
item in the Salmon Management Activities section of the NMFS budget be 
funded at $43,500,000 for FY 2023. This line item includes $21,400,000 
to provide base support for the States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, 
and Idaho. NMFS activities to implement the Treaty's conservation and 
allocation provisions for Coho, Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, and Pink salmon 
fisheries is funded through overhead fees. Effective, science-based 
implementation of negotiated salmon fishing arrangements and abundance-
based management approaches for Chinook, southern Coho, and Northern 
Boundary and Transboundary River salmon fisheries.
    The U.S. Section recommends annual operational costs of $3,060,000 
for hatchery conservation programs and $2,330,000 for habitat 
restoration for Puget Sound critical stocks, $5,990,000 for Southeast 
Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery Mitigation, and $4,470,000 to increase 
prey availability for Southern Resident Killer Whales. The recommended 
funding includes $6,250,000 for sound science initiatives to fill key 
science gaps and improve fishery management effectiveness. The 
recommended funding helps meet requirements of the biological opinion 
for species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered 
Species Act.
    The sound science funding includes recommends restoring the funding 
for the Chinook Salmon Agreement line item in Salmon Management 
Activities to $1,800,000. This funding supports research and stock 
assessments necessary to acquire and analyze the technical information 
needed to fully implement the abundance-based Chinook salmon management 
program provided for by the Treaty. The States of Alaska, Washington, 
Oregon, and Idaho, and the twenty-five Treaty Tribes conduct projects 
selected in a rigorous competitive process.
    The International Fisheries Commissions line, under Regional 
Councils and Fisheries Commissions in the NMFS budget was funded at 
$457,000 in FY 2022 and provides the U.S. contribution to bilateral 
cooperative salmon enhancement on the transboundary river systems, 
which originate in Canada and flow to the sea through Southeast Alaska. 
This project was established in 1988 to meet U.S. obligations specified 
in the Treaty and annual funding should continue at $475,000 annually.
    The core Treaty implementation projects included in the Pacific 
Salmon Treaty line, and the U.S. Chinook Agreement line under Salmon 
Management Activities, as well as the International Fisheries 
Commission line under Regional Councils and Fisheries Commissions 
consist of a wide range of stock assessment, fishery monitoring, and 
technical support activities for all five species of Pacific salmon in 
the fisheries and rivers between Cape Suckling in Alaska to Cape Falcon 
in Oregon. The States of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the 
NMFS conduct a wide range of programs for salmon stock abundance 
assessment, escapement enumeration, stock distribution, and fishery 
catch and effort information. The information is used to establish 
fishing seasons, harvest levels, and accountability to the provisions 
of Treaty fishing regimes.
    Prior to FY 2020, the base annual Treaty implementation funding 
remained essentially flat since the inception of the Treaty in 1985. In 
order to continue to fulfill the Federal international commitments 
created by the Treaty, as costs and complexity increased over time, the 
States had to augment Federal funding with other Federal and State 
resources. However, alternative sources of funding have seen reductions 
or, in some cases, have been eliminated. The increases for the last 
three Federal fiscal years to implement the revised Annex Chapters were 
a welcome change.
    Negotiations to revise the provisions of the Annex Chapters to the 
Treaty, except for the Fraser River Chapter, were successfully 
completed in 2018. The revised provisions will last for 10 years. These 
chapters contain the specifics for implementing the Treaty for each 
species in each geographic area. The provisions for a revised Fraser 
River Chapter were completed in 2019. The revised chapters represent 
the combined efforts of the participants to ensure healthy salmon 
populations for the next 10 years. They require commitments to increase 
efforts to improve upon current management strategies for numerous 
salmon populations.
    Finally, it is important to consider that the value of the 
commercial harvest of salmon subject to the Treaty and managed at 
productive levels under the Treaty, supports the infrastructure of many 
coastal and inland communities. The value of the commercial and 
recreational fisheries, and the economic diversity they provide for 
local communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, is 
immense. The Pacific Salmon Commission recently funded an economic 
study of these fisheries and determined that this resource creates 
thousands of jobs and is a multi-billion dollar industry. The U.S. 
Section estimates these fisheries support 26,700 full-time equivalent 
jobs and generate $3.4 billion in economic value annually. The value of 
these fish to the twenty-five Treaty Tribes in Washington, Oregon, 
Idaho and Alaska goes far beyond their monetary value, to the cultural 
and religious lives of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples. A 
significant monetary investment is focused on salmon due to the 
listings of Pacific Northwest salmon populations under the Endangered 
Species Act.
    Given these resources, the U.S. Section will continue to utilize 
the Pacific Salmon Commission process to develop recommendations that 
help with the development and implementation of solutions to minimizing 
impacts on listed stocks. We will continue to work towards the true 
intent of the Treaty, and with your support, we will manage this shared 
resource for mutual enhancements and benefits.
    This concludes the statement of the U.S. Section of the Pacific 
Salmon Commission submitted for consideration by your Committee. We 
wish to thank the Committee for the support given to us in the past. 
Please let us know if we can supply additional information or respond 
to any questions the Committee Members may have.
    Thank you.
                                 ______
                                 
        Prepared Statement of Partnership for America's Children
Dear Chairs Shaheen and Cartwright, and Ranking Members Moran and 
Aderholt:

    On behalf of the Partnership for America's Children, I am writing 
to urge you to provide $2 billion in FY 2023 funding for the U.S. 
Census Bureau, $495 million more than the Administration's proposed 
budget, and $646 million above the enacted FY 2022 level. Our support 
for this funding level is consistent with the position taken by The 
Census Project; we have also signed a group letter circulated by The 
Census Project concerning Census Bureau funding. I am submitting this 
testimony separately to emphasize the importance of this funding for 
children.
    The Partnership's mission is to support its network of State and 
community multi-issue child advocacy organizations in effective 
advocacy. The Partnership has 49 member organizations in 40 States that 
advocate to improve policies for children at the State, local and 
Federal level. Collectively they represent over 90% of the Nation's 
children. Partnership members use Census data in their advocacy, and 
thirty Partnership members are also KIDS COUNT grantees in their state, 
serving as that State's data hub on children for policy makers, 
administrators, and nonprofits.
    The Partnership for America's Children served as the National hub 
on the undercount of young children in the 2020 Decennial Census. In 
this role the Partnership formed and continues to co-lead a national 
working group of child-serving organizations that is working to improve 
the count of young children in all Census Bureau demographic products.
    We are aware that funding for over 300 Federal spending programs is 
distributed based on figures compiled from the decennial census and 
other Census Bureau surveys, totaling $1.5 trillion in FY 2017. Many of 
the programs utilizing these funds are especially important for 
children. Examples include Medicaid and community health programs, SNAP 
and child nutrition programs, housing, education and special education, 
child care funding, WIC, and much more.
    Because the 2020 Census was beset by problems, the Bureau has 
reported that the undercount of young children, particularly young 
children of color, is dramatically higher than it was in 2010. Since 
young children were the age group most missed in 2010, and the number 
of young children missed has been growing steadily since 1980, this is 
very problematic for many of the purposes of the decennial census and 
particularly for funding allocation.
    Therefore, it is vitally important that the Census Bureau do all it 
can to improve the accuracy of the count for young children, so that 
children most in need get their fair share of resources. The Census 
Bureau needs to invest in a number of approaches to compensate for the 
2020 Census' inaccuracies, and to work towards a more accurate 2030 
Census, to prevent inequitable distribution of Federal funds.
    The Bureau has developed a blended base approach to the population 
estimates that are used to allocate some Federal funds and to design 
the American Communities Survey which is also used to allocate Federal 
funds. This approach is intended to correct the undercounts in the 2020 
census, but more research is needed. We support $10 million in 
additional funding beyond the President's request for the Population 
Estimates program, in order to mitigate the undercount in the 2020 
Census. The annual Population Estimates can be used to better estimate 
the count for young children and racial and ethnic subgroups in 
geographic areas below the state level, and to identify new data 
sources that would improve the accuracy of the count.
    The Partnership also supports a significant increase in funding for 
the American Community Survey of $100--$300 million beyond the 
Administration's request, to increase the ACS's sample size and to 
address its declining response rates. We believe the ACS needs to be 
expanded in order to be an accurate annual measure of income, poverty, 
and many other subject areas. Of particular importance for children, it 
needs to be expanded to be able to provide subgroup data including 
different age groups for children and data about smaller racial and 
ethnic groups within those age groups. We support the Administration's 
request for increased funding to improve the Current Population Survey 
and other Census products, and strongly favor the continuation of the 
Household Pulse survey for its timely responsiveness in showing levels 
of hardship and program utilization for children. It has been 
particularly important in showing the value of various Federal policies 
in reducing hardship for children.
    The Partnership supports the Administration's requests for 
continued compilation of 2020 decennial data products and for a much 
higher increase for the 2030 Census than was provided in the FY 2013 
year for the 2020 Census. We believe that much work must be done to 
learn from the mistakes of the 2020 Census and to incorporate the 
participation of non-federal partner groups at an earlier stage in the 
process, to allow for a more effective ramp-up of outreach activities 
to overcome decreasing response rates. The Partnership has been and 
remains a Census partner and believes the outreach by independent 
organizations helps build trust among community members who tend to be 
undercounted.
    Thank you for considering the needs of the Census Bureau in 
relation to its vital role in assuring that Federal resources are 
fairly and accurately provided, with special attention to the needs of 
children. If you have any questions you can reach me at 
[email protected].

Sincerely,
Deborah Stein, Network Director
                                 ______
                                 
Prepared Statement of Population Association of America/Association of 
                           Population Centers
    Thank you, Chair Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran and other 
distinguished members of the subcommittee, for this opportunity to 
express support for the Census Bureau, National Science Foundation 
(NSF), National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and Bureau of Justice 
Statistics (BJS). These agencies are important to the Population 
Association of America (PAA) and Association of Population Centers 
(APC), because they provide direct and indirect support to population 
scientists and the field of population, or demographic, research 
overall. In FY 2023, we urge the subcommittee to recommend the 
following funding levels for these agencies: Census Bureau, $2 billion; 
NSF, $11 billion; NIJ, $50 million; and, BJS, $60 million.
    The PAA and APC are two affiliated organizations that together 
represent over 3,000 social and behavioral scientists and the over 40 
population research centers that receive Federal funding and conduct 
research on the implications of population change. Its members, which 
include demographers, economists, sociologists, and statisticians, 
conduct scientific and applied research, analyze changing demographic 
and socio-economic trends, develop policy and planning recommendations, 
and train undergraduate and graduate students. Their research expertise 
covers a wide range of issues, including adolescent health and 
development, aging, health disparities, immigration and migration, 
marriage and divorce, education, social networks, housing, retirement, 
and labor. Population scientists compete for funding from the NSF and 
NIJ and rely on data produced by the Nation's statistical agencies, 
including the Census Bureau and BJS, to conduct research and research 
training activities.
                           the census bureau
    The Census Bureau is the premier source of data regarding U.S. 
demographic, socio-economic, and housing characteristics. While PAA/APC 
members have diverse research expertise, they share a common need for 
access to accurate, timely data about the Nation's changing socio-
economic and demographic characteristics that only the U.S. Census 
Bureau can provide through its conduct of the decennial census, 
American Community Survey (ACS), and a variety of other surveys and 
programs.
    PAA and APC understand that the Census Bureau's funding level 
declines dramatically in the initial years of the decennial planning 
cycle, and the Administration's request reflects, appropriately, this 
anticipated decrease in funding. Nonetheless, PAA and APC urge the 
subcommittee to support increased funding for the Census Bureau in FY 
2023 above the Administration's request as recommended by The Census 
Project. In FY 2023, Congress has a unique opportunity to initiate 
multi-year funding for the Bureau, providing the agency with resources 
that it needs to not only sustain and strengthen its mission, but also 
to recover from years of postponed enhancements and pursue numerous 
necessary operational improvements. The ambitious FY 2023 funding 
recommendation ($2 billion) that census stakeholders are supporting 
would enable the Bureau to purse initiatives not only in the 
President's budget, but also additional activities recommended by 
census stakeholders, including:
  --The American Community Survey.--While the President's budget 
        requests an additional $10 million to improve how the ACS 
        measures the sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) 
        population, census stakeholders and data users in the public, 
        private, non-profit sectors believe the ACS needs an immediate 
        infusion of substantial funding to pursue other long overdue 
        enhancements to the survey. These enhancements include 
        increasing the survey's sample size, improving its non-response 
        follow up operations, addressing steadily declining response 
        rates, revising content, and making other methodological and 
        operational improvements. An independent report issued in 2022 
        by The Census Project urges an infusion of $100 to $300 million 
        to protect the ACS from further data quality deficiencies and 
        take up a long list of activities to ensure the survey is 
        accurately capturing data about the Nation's increasingly 
        complex population and households. PAA and APC support the 
        report's recommendations and urge the Committee to provide the 
        Bureau with additional funding to pursue necessary innovations 
        to the survey's content, operations, and data products.
  --2030 Census.--The President's Budget proposes $252 million for the 
        2030 Census in FY 2023 (a $249 million increase from only $3 
        million in FY 2022). This is nearly twice the increase 
        requested a decade ago for the 2020 Census in the comparable 
        cyclical year (FY 2013) ($64.8 million), as the Bureau intends 
        to continue research and testing to design the next decennial 
        headcount, including work to develop and maintain the 
        completeness of the address list (so that less of the country 
        must be updated in the field), the use of administrative 
        records as a source of data for enumeration, and bringing 
        efficiencies to field operations to reduce non-response follow 
        up. Early decade investments in the decennial census will allow 
        the Bureau to sustain critical capabilities and, as a result 
        reduce the risk of additional funding needs in the peak years 
        later in the decade.
  --Modernize and Sustain the Survey of Income and Program 
        Participation (SIPP).--Policymakers, particularly as the 
        economy emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, need high quality, 
        accurate data to assess the impact of government assistance 
        programs on families and communities. The Survey of Income and 
        Program Participation (SIPP) is designed to achieve that goal, 
        yet its funding has fluctuated routinely, especially during 
        years in which the government has been funded via a series of 
        continuing resolutions. Stabilizing and increasing support for 
        SIPP, to no less than $48 million in FY 2023--an increase of 
        $1.4 million from FY 2022 enacted ($46.6 million)--will help 
        Congress make evidence--based policy decisions on the 
        effectiveness of government assistance program. However, 
        additional funding for SIPP would enable the Bureau to pursue 
        necessary innovations designed to enhance the survey's sample, 
        address decreasing response rates, and improve the survey's 
        content. Restoring minor cuts to the SIPP program does not 
        provide the resources necessary to modernize the survey and its 
        operations. A bolder investment in the survey is warranted.
  --Innovations to Existing Surveys and Programs.--The President's 
        fiscal Year 2023 budget proposes several initiatives that would 
        improve existing surveys and programs, including: $4.5 million 
        to develop and test a self-response web-based instrument for 
        the Current Population Survey (CPS), which is the primary 
        source of information regarding national unemployment rate and 
        provides other data regarding employment, unemployment, and 
        people not in the labor force; an additional $3.7 million to 
        support the Community Resilience Estimates (CRE) program, which 
        began during the pandemic to provide more granular population 
        data; and, an additional $66.6 million to support ``critical 
        updates to data collection methods for surveys that produce 
        vital statistical data on the U.S. population and economy.''

    In sum, PAA and APC join other census stakeholders in urging the 
subcommittee to provide the Census Bureau with $2 billion in FY 2023 to 
complete all 2020 Census operations and data delivery objectives; 
enhance the ACS, initiate planning for the 2030 Census; improve the 
SIPP; and, enrich the quality and granularity of all census data sets.
                   national science foundation (nsf)
    For over 75 years the mission of NSF has been to promote the 
progress of science; to advance the National health, prosperity, and 
welfare; and to secure the National defense. Understanding the 
implications of complex population dynamics is vital to the agency's 
mission, and in particular the Directorate of Social, Behavioral and 
Economic (SBE) Sciences, which is the primary source of support for the 
population sciences within the NSF. The SBE Directorate funds critical 
large-scale longitudinal surveys, such as the Panel Study of Income 
Dynamics, which inform pressing policy decisions and provide the 
empirical evidence to help policy makers to formulate effective 
decisions. It also has participated in cross-cutting, interdisciplinary 
initiatives of interest to population scientists, such as the 
Coastlines and People program, which supports research on the 
implications of climate change on populations, and Mid-scale 
Infrastructure--two areas of emphasis among the agency's research 
priorities.
    NSF is the funding source for about 27 percent of all federally 
supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and 
universities, including basic behavioral and social research. However, 
the SBE Directorate funds approximately 65 percent of basic, 
university-based social and behavioral sciences research in the Nation.
    PAA and APC, as members of the Coalition for National Science 
Funding (CNSF), applaud the Administration's proposed NSF FY 2023 
budget request, $10.5 billion, which represents a 19 percent increase 
in funding over the FY 2022 enacted level. Moreover, the budget request 
envisions an allocation for SBE of $330 million, which would represent 
a historical high-water mark for this directorate, and an estimated 
increase of one-third over what we anticipate the FY 2022 allocation 
will be. We note that the PBR indicates that SBE priority investments 
include climate change research and a boost to the National Center for 
Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES), which plays a key role in 
the development of the National Secure Data Service. We continue to 
support the Committee's longstanding practice of not stipulating 
specific funding levels for individual NSF directorates; however, it is 
helpful to understand the Administration's views on research 
priorities, and in this instance we concur.
    We note that efforts are currently underway in Congress to reach 
bi-cameral agreement on legislation to advance translational and 
interdisciplinary research, emerging technologies, and public-private 
partnerships. Meanwhile, NSF has launched a new Technology, Innovation 
and Partnerships (TIP) directorate in anticipation of, and to dovetail 
with, enactment of this legislation. We urge the Committee to continue 
to ensure that funding for the TIP will not come at the expense of 
other, existing directorates.
    We urge Congress to accelerate the growth of NSF's budget by 
providing NSF with at least $11 billion in FY 2023. The funding level 
will enable the NSF SBE Directorate to continue its support of social 
science surveys and a robust portfolio of population research projects. 
The NSF also continues to focus on interdisciplinary research 
initiatives, recognizing that social and behavioral science contributes 
to many critical areas of research. For example, the Mid-scale 
Infrastructure program is currently funding broad-scale, sensor-based 
data collection projects that represent collaborations among population 
scientists and computer scientists. Increased funding in FY 2023 will 
allow NSF to continue funding the most promising grant applications and 
reduce the number of high caliber proposals that are rejected solely 
for lack of sufficient funds.
     bureau of justice statistics and national institute of justice
    After years of declining budgets, PAA and APC are participating in 
the new Office of Justice Programs Research and Statistics Coalition to 
raise awareness about the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and 
National Institute of Justice (NIJ). Both agencies are important 
sources of data and funding for population scientists conducting 
research on topics such as prisoner reentry, the social and 
environmental dynamics of health and crime, and the effects of 
incarceration across the lifespan. The coalition's recommendations, 
which PAA and APC support, would provide BJS with $60 million and NIJ 
with $50 million in FY 2023.
    Thank you for considering our requests and for supporting Federal 
programs that benefit the population sciences under the subcommittee's 
jurisdiction.

    [This statement was submitted by Mary Jo Hoeksema, Director, 
Government and Public Affairs]
                                 ______
                                 
                 Prepared Statement of Research!America
    Research!America appreciates the opportunity to submit testimony 
for the record regarding the FY23 Commerce, Justice, Science and 
Related Agencies appropriations deliberations. We are the Nation's 
largest nonprofit alliance advocating for science, discovery, and 
innovation to achieve better health for all. We greatly appreciate the 
subcommittee's dedicated stewardship over funding for such critical 
priorities as the National Science Foundation (NSF). As you consider 
fiscal year 2023 (FY23) allocations, we urge that the subcommittee 
allocate at least $11 billion to the National Science Foundation in 
FY23, an increase of 20% over FY22, to advance the frontiers of 
research, deliver the benefits of research to society, develop STEM 
talent, and secure global leadership in science and engineering (S&E).
    The NSF's strategic plan aligns with several national priorities, 
including pandemic response, global economic competitiveness, racial 
equity, and addressing climate change. Allocating robust funding for 
NSF is a sound strategy for advancing the United States' strategic 
interests in an ever-more complex international landscape and meeting 
the aspirations of the American people.
                           what nsf provides
    The NSF invests in S&E at over 2,000 funded academic institutions 
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and three U.S. territories. 
Research topics include important national priorities such as advanced 
manufacturing, infrastructure resilience & sustainability, innovations 
in AI decision-making, cybersecurity, and data analytics, among others. 
The NSF allocates 94% of its budget to research projects, facilities, 
and STEM education, which supported over 300,000 students, postdoctoral 
fellows, researchers, trainees, and teachers in 2019. Since its 
inception in 1950, the NSF has supported more than 248 Nobel Prize 
winners, including six Nobel Laureates in 2019 alone. Continued NSF 
investments will fuel our economy for decades to come while producing 
high-paying jobs for American workers, improving American prosperity 
and quality of life, and enhancing national security.
NSF is at the Forefront of Research and Innovation
    The NSF supports a broad spectrum of research and innovation in 
basic science, engineering, and STEM learning research, and it actively 
seeks research proposals for new tools, advanced instrumentation, data 
analysis, computation, and novel facilities. Furthermore, the NSF 
fosters a culture of smart risk-taking, looking for potentially high 
rewards that justify taking risks. For instance, the SARS-CoV-2 
pandemic highlighted the need for more research on prediction and 
mitigation of current and future pandemics. It also demonstrated the 
need for research on remote distributed work and remote learning. NSF-
funded researchers rapidly mobilized to conduct research that led to 
the development of the COVID Information Commons (CIC), an interactive 
platform that consolidated in one place information on the full range 
of COVID-related awards made by NSF. This tool and platform enabled 
researchers from all disciplines to efficiently search for information 
and discover linkages among highly varied, yet often complementary, 
efforts. This progress would not have been possible without NSF 
investment.
NSF is Essential to Training the Next Generation of American Scientists 
        and Innovators
    The U.S.'s global leadership is directly tied to its strength in 
the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). 
The NSF cultivates future American leaders in these strategically 
important disciplines. Since 1952, the NSF has supported more than 
60,000 students through Graduate Research Fellowships and has provided 
grant support to thousands of postdoctoral fellows and young 
investigators.
    NSF investments have also sustained and enhanced U.S. 
competitiveness on a global stage. In partnership with other sectors, 
the NSF has supported S&E research and innovation that has led to the 
development of breakthrough technologies and solutions to national and 
societal problems. This includes the new Technology, Innovation, and 
Partnerships (TIP) Directorate, which will enable the NSF to focus 
cross-disciplinary expertise and foster cross-sector partnerships to 
develop solutions at speed and scale. TIP will build on successful 
innovation programs such as the NSF Convergence Accelerator, as well as 
the world-leading Lab-to-Market Platform, which spans the NSF 
Innovation Corps, Partnerships for Innovation, Small Business 
Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
    Research!America appreciates the complex task facing the 
subcommittee as it seeks to prioritize funding in a manner that best 
serves the American people, and we thank you for your continued 
leadership and consideration of our funding request. Please call on us 
if we can be of any assistance.

Sincerely,

Mary Woolley
President and CEO
                                 ______
                                 
            Prepared Statement of The Sea Grant Association
    The Sea Grant Association (SGA) recommends Congress appropriate 
$140 million in FY 2023 for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant) and $18 
million for Sea Grant Aquaculture Research. Sea Grant is funded through 
appropriations to NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research in 
the Operations, Research, and Facilities account.
    The SGA recommendation of $140 million for Sea Grant is roughly 
equal to the total amount the Sea Grant program is managing in FY 2022 
when one factors in funding provided in the Consolidated Appropriations 
Act, 2022 (Public Law 117-103) ($76 million for Sea Grant and $13.5 
million for Sea Grant Aquaculture) and the Infrastructure Investment 
and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58) ($50 million for marine debris). The 
SGA's request includes funding to expand Sea Grant's capacity to 
address coastal resilience issues.
    Sea Grant consists of a network of 34 university-based programs and 
has supported coastal and Great Lakes communities through research, 
extension, and education for over 50 years. SGA is a nonprofit 
association made up of the academic institutions participating in the 
program dedicated to furthering Sea Grant's vision, mission, and goals. 
The SGA advocates for greater understanding, use, and conservation of 
marine, coastal, and Great Lakes resources.
    Sustained, bipartisan congressional support for the program led to 
the enactment of a 5-year reauthorization, the National Sea Grant 
College Program Amendments Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-221). The 
legislation identified several priority activities for FY 2021-2025--
including coastal resilience and sustainable aquaculture--and 
authorized additional funding for competitive grants in these areas. 
The request made in this testimony would provide the resources 
necessary for Sea Grant to meet those programmatic objectives.



Justification for the FY 2023 SGA Request for Sea Grant
    Throughout its 50-year history, Sea Grant has supported coastal 
communities, focusing on healthy coastal ecosystems, sustainable 
fisheries and aquaculture, resilient communities and economies, and 
environmental literacy and workforce development. However, the demand 
for services now outweighs existing capacity and resources. Additional 
funding would allow Sea Grant to better serve more diverse 
constituencies, including economically disadvantaged groups, land/
property owners, businesses, Tribes, state/local planners, engineers, 
community leaders, fisheries coalitions, developers, and citizen 
community groups. SGA makes the following recommendations so that it 
can have the capacity to meet the needs of our coastal communities:
National Sea Grant College Program (Sea Grant): $140 million
    Sea Grant Resilient Coasts Initiative.--The last several years have 
brought unprecedented challenges to our Nation, from the ongoing human 
health crisis to increasing natural disasters. For those living in 
coastal areas-which is more than 40 percent of the United States' 
population--the 2022 hurricane season is expected to again pose a 
significant threat, with predictions indicating another above-average 
season with 16-22 named storms and nine hurricanes, four to five of 
which are expected to be major ones. It is imperative that coastal 
communities have the resources to prepare for, mitigate the effects of, 
and recover from such events, as well as the many other challenges 
these communities face, including coastal inundation and erosion, oil 
and chemical spills, and harmful algal blooms.
    Specifically, the funding requested in FY 2023 would enable a focus 
on capacity building to support recruitment of additional resilience 
extension, communication, or education staff in each State Sea Grant; 
to provide funding for a State-based national Sea Grant resilience 
coordinator; and to enable research, engagement, decision support, and 
implementation to support local State-based research, training, 
technical assistance, and coordination that enhance community 
resilience.
    Racial Equity and Inclusion.--Sea Grant invests heavily in its 
people: those in its workforce and those in the communities they serve. 
There is more that must be done to ensure the Sea Grant workforce is 
representative of the broader communities they work with across the 
Nation and that underserved and underrepresented communities are not 
overlooked when addressing coastal issues.
    Sea Grant already has long-standing and trusted relationships with 
local, Tribal, and indigenous communities that depend on the coastal 
and marine environment for livelihood and substance and whose cultures 
are deeply tied to it. Funds appropriated for FY 2023 would advance 
innovative initiatives to further connect to, learn with, and empower 
historically marginalized communities by supporting research, training, 
mentorship, and fellowship opportunities supporting underserved and 
underrepresented communities.
Sustainable Aquaculture: $18 million
    Enhancing Sea Grant's aquaculture program will enable local farmers 
to produce sustainable seafood for the growing population while also 
helping lessen our Nation's seafood trade deficit, which was over $16.9 
billion in 2019. In FY 2020, Sea Grant turned a $13 million 
appropriation into over $80 million in economic impact, creating or 
sustained over 1,000 aquaculture-related jobs and over 400 related 
businesses.
    Sea Grant's work around aquaculture includes support and assistance 
to those across the food chain. The program supports research, 
education, and workforce development on issues of importance to State 
and local communities, including farm siting and permitting, production 
technologies, seafood safety and quality, environmental risks, user 
conflicts within coastal communities and working waterfronts, animal 
welfare, and food security. Through research and extension services, 
Sea Grant assists in increasing sustainable domestic production of 
currently farmed and promising new species through improvements in 
feeds and feeding practices, reproduction, larval rearing and genomics, 
and animal health and through growing adaptations to changing 
environmental conditions. Sea Grant conducts research and provides 
technical assistance and outreach to aquaculture producers, resource 
managers, scientists, and consumers to ensure the safety and quality of 
sustainably cultured seafood products. Finally, Sea Grant also provides 
aquaculture literacy programs for the next generation of farmed seafood 
producers through K-12 education. The funding requested for FY 2023 
would expand the Sea Grant aquaculture program, further enabling 
farmers to produce sustainable seafood that competes with imports and 
provides a safe and nutritious source of protein.
Examples of Recent Sea Grant Accomplishments
  --Alaska Sea Grant is funding a project to help communities adapt and 
        respond to the changing climate, with a goal of providing 
        communities in Bristol Bay with specific data to inform build 
        solutions and to budget and apply for grant funds\1\.
  --Connecticut Sea Grant, with National Sea Grant Law Center and state 
        Bureau of Aquaculture, developed a best practice guide for 
        regulating raw seafood for human consumption and developed the 
        first domestic public health hazards guide for seaweed 
        aquaculture\2\.
  --Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium awarded the first Clean 
        and Resilient Marina certification to Saunders Yachtworks for 
        its best management practices to protect and promote clean 
        water and to reduce water pollution\3\.
  --New Hampshire Sea Grant partnered with oyster growers to provide 
        financial relief and to encourage participation in research and 
        conservation, which provided immediate economic relief for 
        growers during the pandemic and explored alternate revenue 
        streams to help oyster growers build economic resilience\4\.
                          concluding thoughts
    The Sea Grant Association is grateful for the long-standing 
consistent support this subcommittee has provided the program. Our ``on 
the ground'' efforts in coastal resilience, sustainable aquaculture, 
and other key Sea Grant objectives could not happen without the 
guidance and support this subcommittee and the rest of the Congress has 
provided over the years. The Sea Grant Association's request for the 
National Sea Grant College Program of $140 million, while more than the 
amount requested by the Administration for FY 2023, is similar to the 
request the Administration submitted in FY 2022 and is close to the 
total amount the Congress has entrusted Sea Grant to manage in FY 2022 
when one views the program through the lens of the omnibus 
appropriations act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
    Thank you again for your time and for your consideration of this 
request. SGA would be happy to answer any questions or provide any 
additional information.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ A. Gore, ``Storm-related data help Bristol Bay communities plan 
for change,'' 2022, available at: https://alaskaseagrant.org/2022/04/
26/storm-related-data-help-bristol-bay-communities-plan-for-change/.
    \2\ Sea Grant Connecticut Annual Report, 2021, available at: 
https://seagrant.uconn.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1985/2022/02/
2021.AR--.webversion.pdf.
    \3\ K. Maghan, ``Saunders Yachtworks named Alabama's first clean 
and resilient marina,'' 2021, available at: https://masgc.org/news/
article/saunders-yachtworks-named-alabamas-first-clean-and-resilient-
marina.
    \4\ New Hampshire Sea Grant, ``NH oyster COVID relief and 
restoration,'' 2021, available at: https://seagrant.unh.edu/blog/2021/
12/nh-oyster-covid-relief-restoration.

    [This statement was submitted by Dr. Susan White, President]
                                 ______
                                 
           Prepared Statement of Seattle Indian Health Board
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the Senate 
Committee on Appropriations--Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, 
Science, and Related Agencies, my name is Esther Lucero. I am Dine, of 
Latino descent, and third generation in my family living outside of our 
reservation, I strongly identify as an urban Indian. I serve as the 
President & CEO of the Seattle Indian Health Board (SIHB), one of 41 
Urban Indian Organizations (UIO) nationwide. I have had the privilege 
of serving SIHB for 6 years and have been providing congressional 
testimonials for the past 4 years. I am honored to have the opportunity 
to submit my testimony today requesting the Department of Commerce 
appoint a Senior Advisor for the Office of Native American Affairs.
    SIHB is an Indian Health Service (IHS)-designated UIO and a Health 
Resource and Service Administration (HRSA) 330 Federally Qualified 
Health Center, which serves nearly 5,000 AI/AN living in the Greater 
Seattle Area in Washington state. Nationwide, UIOs operate 74 health 
facilities in 22 States and offer services to over 5.4 million AI/AN 
people in select urban areas. As a culturally attuned service provider, 
we offer direct medical, dental, traditional health, behavioral health 
services, and a variety of social support services on issues of gender-
based violence, youth development, and homelessness. We are part of the 
Indian healthcare system and honor our responsibilities to work with 
our Tribal partners to serve all Tribal people, wherever they may 
reside.
    We are home to a Tribal public health authority, Urban Indian 
Health Institute (UIHI), 1 of 12 Tribal Epidemiology Centers (TEC) in 
the country and the only TEC with a national purview- serving both 
rural and urban AI/AN's. For over 20 years, UIHI has managed public 
health information systems, managed disease prevention and control 
programs, communicated vital health information and resources, 
responded to public health emergencies, and coordinate these activities 
with other public health authorities and UIO's nationwide. Due to a 
lack of access to disease surveillance data, UIHI released the only AI/
AN COVID-19 Data Dashboard,\1\ utilizing the over 45 UIO service areas 
providing direct service to communities combating COVID-19.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Urban Indian Health Institute (April 2022) COVID-19 Among 
American Indian/Alaska Natives. Retrieved from: https://www.uihi.org/
covid-19-data-dashboard/.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
  economic investments in indian country by the department of commerce
    To advance economic wellbeing of AI/AN populations, the Department 
of Commerce previously maintained the appointment of a Senior Advisor 
for Native American Affairs. Today, in lieu of a Senior Advisor, the 
Department of Commerce holds multiple Tribal liaison positions. I 
believe this is insufficient to meet the economic demands of Indian 
Country. I insist a Senior Advisor be appointed to: lead the 
coordination and communication of AI/AN issues with Tribes, Tribal 
organizations, and UIOs; implement the department's Tribal Consultation 
Policy Plan, and; guide combined efforts of the Federal Government, 
Tribal governments, and private sectors to promote economic growth for 
Tribes, UIOs, and AI/AN people nationwide.
    To increase economic advancement in Indian Country, we also request 
the Department of Commerce support economic advancement initiatives for 
marginalized communities with funding through the Economic Development 
Administration (EDA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), and 
the U.S. Census Bureau. Economic advancement for AI/AN populations can 
be achieved through investing in healthcare, education, housing, and 
supporting economic sustainability of AI/AN communities. Economic 
advancement can also be achieved through budgetary earmarks and grant 
carve outs support AI/AN populations. SIHB encourages the use of the 
Federal statute language of Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban 
Indian organizations as defined by 25 U.S.C. Sec. 1603.
    A persistent barrier for Indian Country's economic development is 
Federal dollars not reaching urban AI/AN communities in the intended 
amount. For example, the Department of Commerce's Federal funding can 
be channeled through State and local governments before being allocated 
community-based organizations, like SIHB and UIHI. Due to indirect 
State and local administrative processes, reduced funding is allocated 
to community-based organizations to implement Federal initiatives. To 
increase funding for community-based organizations, Federal agencies 
need to combine resources and provide direct funding to UIOs and BIPOC 
organizations conducting Federal initiatives. Together, we can properly 
channel Federal dollars to foster economic empowerment and advancement 
in Indian Country.
             economic inequities effecting ai/an livelihood
    The Commission on Civil Rights documented the history of unmet 
Federal obligations to Tribal nations in a report titled Broken 
Promises,\2\ which included lack of investment to improve Indian 
Country's economic wellbeing. In alignment with Executive Order 13985: 
Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through 
the Federal Government and the Department of Commerce's Strategic Goal 
2: Fostering Inclusive Capitalism and Equitable Economic Growth, we 
request the Department of Commerce strategize and evaluate 
opportunities to promote economic growth within AI/AN communities both 
on and off Tribal territories.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \2\ U.S. Commission On Civil Rights (December 2018). Broken 
Promises: Continuing Federal Funding Shortfall for Native Americans. 
Retrieved from: https://www.usccr.gov/files/pubs/2018/12-20-Broken-
Promises.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Economic growth of AI/AN people has been stunted due to social 
determinants of health impacting economic outcomes, resource extraction 
on Tribal lands, and limited funding for AI/AN communities. AI/AN 
populations have the highest poverty rate among all minority groups and 
nationally, 22.7% of urban AI/AN people live in poverty compared to 
6.9% for Non-Hispanic White (NHW) populations.\3\ Additionally, nearly 
one in six AI/AN families live in poverty, which is 4.8 times the 
proportion of NHW families.\4\ Of our relatives (patients) served at 
SIHB, 84% fell 200% below the Federal poverty level (FPL). Poverty can 
limit a family's access to health services, nutrition, quality housing 
options, and economic opportunities to build wealth and assets.
    The social and economic consequences of poverty are inextricably 
connected to health outcomes.\5\ In the Nation, Medicaid is a major 
source of financing maternal and infant health with 42% of all births 
covered by Medicaid.\6\ Of our relatives served at SIHB, 54.8% are on 
Medicaid/Children's Health Insurance Program, 10.7% are on Medicare, 
5.3% are dual eligible, and 19.4% are uninsured. As the President and 
CEO of a UIO offering health and human services, I recognize our 
relatives have limited resources and accessibility to the services they 
need, which is why I adamantly increase our wraparound services with 
nutrition, behavioral health, gender-based violence, and homelessness 
investments.
    To address economic discrepancies children born under Medicaid 
experience in their lifetime, Washington State is leading economic 
equity policy initiatives through the proposed Future Fund Trust which 
will aid children born under Apple Health Coverage with $3,000 upon 
reaching 18, to spend on higher education, housing payments, and 
business initiatives. Nationally, Senator Booker has introduced the 
American Opportunity Accounts Act which provides children with $1,000 
savings account upon birth with annual contributions up to $2,000 
depending on a family's income. These types of initiatives provide 
economic empowerment to children potentially affected by inter-
generational poverty and can support their access to education, 
housing, and health services to improve their wellbeing.
    SIHB has taken steps to support financial capital of AI/AN 
populations by providing career advancement opportunities for urban AI/
AN through healthcare workforce development. Nationally, 20.5% of AI/AN 
people aged 25 and older in UIO service areas did not complete high 
school or pass the General Education Development (GED) exam compared to 
the 5.5% of Non-Hispanic White population.\7\ SIHB's workforce 
development program currently supports 6 family medicine residents, 6 
public health interns, and 4 Master of Social Work program students. Of 
our 6 family residents, 4 identify as AI/AN and recent graduation rates 
show 80% of our previous residents go on to work in communities of 
color and 50% go on to work in Native communities. These types of 
training programs increase AI/AN representation in healthcare provider 
positions, support financial capital built by AI/AN professionals, and 
improve economic equity amongst AI/AN populations.
    u.s. census and american indian and alaska native representation
    The most recent 2020 U.S. Census reported the largest increase in 
AI/AN representation, thanks, in part, to trusted community messengers' 
educating and incentivizing accurate and appropriate data collection 
practices for Tribal community members. Key census findings reported 
that 76% of AI/AN populations reside outside of Tribal regions, within 
urban areas.\8\ King County, the 13th most populous county in the 
Nation,\9\ has a population of over 39,000 AI/AN's residing in the 
region.\10\ Coinciding with the Department of Commerce Strategic 
Objective 4.1, we support increased funding for culturally attuned data 
collection practices on AI/AN populations to better document existing 
social determinants of health in our community and ensure Federal 
resources reach our AI/AN populations to address systemic inequities.
    UIHI supported the 2020 Census by partnering with 42 health centers 
to award subcontracts for organizations to promote the National `We 
Count' campaign and strengthen AI/AN participation in the census.\11\ 
Additional efforts included UIHI partnering with other Indian 
healthcare providers and Native leaders to produce culturally attuned 
media, educational campaigns, and monetary incentives to encourage 
participation in the `We Count' census campaign. These national 
community-based efforts resulted in an 86.5% increase in the AI/AN 
population from the 2010 Census.\12\
    To build upon 2020 Census efforts, increased investments into 
improving data collection practices are needed to accurately report on 
social demographics of AI/AN populations. Previous Census barriers to 
report accurate AI/AN population statistics include lack of community-
based resources, technological limitations, and general mistrust from 
the community. Inaccurate reporting leads to government agencies 
undercounting AI/AN populations and misinterpreting AI/AN social 
demographics, which drastically impacts the allocation of resources and 
funding reaching Indian Country.
    Taken collectively and intentionally implemented, these requests 
will help address barriers to economic development impacting AI/AN 
populations. Together, we can advance economic well-being for Indian 
Country and support equity across BIPOC communities.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ American Community Survey. (2018). American Community Survey: 
2013-2017 5-year Data Release.
    \4\ American Community Survey. (2018). American Community Survey: 
2013-2017 5-Year Data Release.
    \5\ Urban Indian Health Institute. Data Dashboard, Poverty in 
Seattle. https://www.uihi.org/urban-indian-health/data-dashboard/.
    \6\ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention--National Center for 
Health Statistics. (2020). Birth in the United States. NCHS Data Brief. 
No 387. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db387-
H.pdf.
    \7\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (October 2021) Community Health 
Profile, National Aggregate of Urban Indian Organization Service Areas. 
Retrieved from: https://www.uihi.org/urban-indian-health/urban-indian-
health-organization-profiles/.
    \8\ U.S. Census Bureau. (2021). County Population by 
Characteristics: 2010-2020. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/
popest/technical-documentation/research/evaluation-estimates/2020-
evaluation-estimates/2010s-county-detail.html.
    \9\ U.S. Census Bureau (2020). State and County Quick Facts King 
County, Washington. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/
fact/table/kingcountywashington/PST045221.
    \10\ Urban Indian Health Institute (March 2012). American Indian/
Alaska Native Population by Census Tract- Seattle Indian Health Board 
Service Area, Seattle WA, 2010 Census. Retrieved from: https://
www.uihi.org/uihp-profiles/seattle/.
    \11\ Urban Indian Health Institute. (April 2020) We Count. 
Retrieved from https://wecount.uihi.org/#engage.
    \12\ U.S. Census Bureau (August 2021). 2020 Census Results on Race 
and Ethnicity. Retrieved from: https://www.census.gov/content/dam/
Census/newsroom/press-kits/2021/redistricting/20210812-presentation-
redistricting-jones.pdf.

    [This statement was submitted by Esther Lucero, MPP, President & 
CEO]
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 
                                 (SIAM)
Summary
    This written testimony is submitted on behalf of the Society for 
Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) to ask you to continue your 
support of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in fiscal year (FY) 
2023 by providing NSF with at least $11 billion. In particular, we urge 
you to provide strong support for the Research and Related Activities 
Account (R&RA) that supports key applied mathematics and computational 
science programs in the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the 
Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure. SIAM also requests your support 
for the Education and Human Resources (EHR) directorate that addresses 
fundamental challenges in mathematics and STEM education.
Full Statement
    On behalf of SIAM, we submit this written testimony for the record 
to the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies 
of the Committee on Appropriations of the U.S. Senate.
    SIAM has over 14,000 members, including applied and computational 
mathematicians, computer scientists, numerical analysts, engineers, 
statisticians, and mathematics educators. They work in industrial and 
service organizations, universities, colleges, and government agencies 
and laboratories all over the world. In addition, SIAM has almost 500 
institutional members, including colleges, universities, corporations, 
and research organizations. SIAM members come from many different 
disciplines but have a common interest in applying mathematics in 
partnership with computational science to solve real-world problems, 
which affect national security and industrial competitiveness.
    First, we would like to emphasize how much SIAM appreciates your 
Committee's continued leadership on and recognition of the critical 
role of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and its support for 
mathematics, science, and engineering in enabling a strong U.S. 
economy, workforce, and society.
    Today, we submit this testimony to ask you to continue your support 
of NSF in FY 2023 and beyond. In particular, we join with the research 
and higher education community and request that you provide NSF with at 
least $11 billion in funding for FY 2023. This is $500 million over the 
President's budget request for FY 2023 that calls for $10.49 billion. 
After years of inadequate funding, NSF needs bold growth to protect 
U.S. competitiveness as countries such as China are rapidly increasing 
their science and engineering investments. According to the National 
Science Board, in FY 2020, NSF rejected close to four billion dollars 
of proposals rated ``very good or higher'' due to budget constraints. 
At least $11 billion in funding is needed to ensure NSF can meet 
Congress's vision for the agency, launch new programs in priority areas 
such as Regional Innovation Engines to transform regional economies in 
critical technology areas, invest in revolutionary breakthroughs to 
address resilience and catalyze clean energy innovation, and provide 
sustainable growth to the core research and education activities 
undergirding our science and technology ecosystem.
    As we are reminded every day, the Nation's health, economic 
strength, national security, and welfare are being challenged in 
profound and unprecedented ways. Many of these challenges are fueled by 
gaps in our understanding of complex systems such as biologic 
processes, the energy grid, cyberspace, terrorist networks, or the 
human brain. Mathematics and computational science play a foundational 
and cross-cutting role in understanding these systems through advanced 
modeling and simulation, developing techniques essential to designing 
new breakthrough technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and 
providing new tools for managing resources and logistics. Progress in 
computational sciences and applied mathematics also underpins advances 
across an array of fields and challenges in computing, materials, 
biology, engineering, and other areas.
                      national science foundation
    NSF serves a unique and critical function supporting all areas of 
science and engineering to further innovation and seed the knowledge 
and technologies for a strong future America. NSF provides essential 
Federal support for applied mathematics and computational science, 
including more than 60 percent of all Federal support for basic 
academic research in the mathematical sciences. Of particular 
importance to SIAM, NSF funding supports the development of new 
mathematical models and computational algorithms, which are critical to 
making substantial advances in such fields as neuroscience, energy 
technologies, genomics, and nanotechnology. In addition, new techniques 
developed in mathematics and computing research often have direct 
application in industry. Modern life as we know it--from search engines 
like Google to the design of modern aircraft, from financial markets to 
medical imaging--would not be possible without the techniques developed 
by mathematicians and computational scientists using NSF funding. NSF 
also supports mathematics education at all levels, ensuring that the 
next generation of the U.S. workforce is appropriately trained to 
participate in cutting-edge technological sectors and that students are 
attracted to careers in mathematics and computing.
    SIAM supports NSF's efforts to launch the Directorate for 
Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships and encourages Congress to 
give NSF the resources it needs to truly launch new programs such as 
Regional Innovation Engines and enabling support for NSF priorities in 
climate, clean energy, emerging industries, and broadening 
participation. While investment in these priority areas is important, 
SIAM urges Congress to provide sufficient NSF support for core 
programs, such as those funded by the Division of Mathematical Sciences 
(DMS) and the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), which have 
stagnated in recent years and whose foundational investments underpin 
advances across many science and engineering challenges.
    SIAM urges strong investment in the Research and Related Activities 
account (RRA) to enable robust funding for the Division of Mathematical 
Sciences (DMS), the Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC), and 
other core programs and crosscutting initiatives for essential 
mathematical and computational science research, workforce development 
programs, and early career researcher support.
                 nsf division of mathematical sciences
    The NSF Division of Mathematical Sciences (DMS) in the Directorate 
for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS) provides core support for 
all mathematical sciences. DMS also funds national mathematical science 
research institutes; infrastructure, including workshops, conferences, 
and equipment; and postdoctoral, graduate, and undergraduate training. 
The activities supported by DMS and performed by SIAM members, such as 
modeling, analysis, algorithms, and simulation, underpin advancements 
across science and engineering and provide new ways of obtaining 
insight into the nature of complex phenomena, such as the power grid, 
software for military applications, and the human body.
    Investment in DMS is critical because of the foundational and 
cross-cutting role that mathematics and computational science play in 
sustaining the Nation's economic competitiveness and national security, 
and in making substantial advances on societal challenges such as 
energy and public health. NSF, with its support of a broad range of 
scientific areas, plays an important role in bringing U.S. expertise 
together in interdisciplinary initiatives that bear on these 
challenges. DMS has taken a leadership role in promoting partnerships 
with other agencies and foundations to leverage Federal funding for 
maximum impact. In addition, DMS funding supports a broad array of 
activities in modeling, analysis, algorithms, and simulation that 
underpin advancements across science and engineering. Agencies such as 
the Department of Defense and National Institutes of Health depend on 
the NSF-supported applied math and computational sciences ecosystem to 
fulfill their missions as they build on NSF-funded modeling, algorithm, 
and simulation breakthroughs and leverage the workforce trained using 
NSF support. Both agencies and foundations partner with NSF thereby 
leveraging Federal funding for maximum impact, such as with the Joint 
NSF/National Institutes of Health Initiative Quantitative Approaches to 
Biomedical Big Data (QuBBD).
               nsf office of advanced cyberinfrastructure
    Work in applied mathematics and computational science is critical 
to enabling effective use of the rapid advances in information 
technology and cyberinfrastructure. Programs in the NSF Office of 
Advanced Cyberinfrastructure (OAC) in the Directorate for Computer and 
Information Science and Engineering (CISE) focus on providing research 
communities access to advanced computing capabilities to convert data 
to knowledge and increase our understanding through computational 
simulation and prediction. SIAM strongly endorses NSF's and OAC's role 
advancing high performance computing to meet critical national security 
needs, fully leverage computing technology for economic competitiveness 
and scientific discovery, and position the U.S. for sustained technical 
leadership. OAC funding will support its role as steward for 
computational science, building bridges across NSF to accelerate 
transformational science and engineering.
        supporting the pipeline of mathematicians and scientists
    A lack of sufficient funding for NSF's Education and Human 
Resources (EHR) directorate has left critical gaps in addressing 
fundamental challenges for mathematics and STEM education across 
educational levels. SIAM supports EHR and its programs like Improving 
Undergraduate STEM Education (IUSE), which is key to both advancing 
STEM professional development and developing a STEM literate citizenry. 
SIAM notes that mathematical education is foundational to STEM learning 
across disciplines, and NSF should continue to fund development of 
mathematical and computational skills, including at the undergraduate 
level when young scientists and engineers gain critical interests and 
competencies. SIAM supports the NSF CAREER awards, Graduate Research 
Fellowships, and Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research 
Fellowships (MSPRF) that are crucial to the training and professional 
development of the next generation of leadership in mathematical 
sciences research and education.
                               conclusion
    We would like to thank you again for your ongoing support of NSF 
that enables the research and education communities it supports, 
including thousands of SIAM members, to undertake activities that 
contribute to U.S. health, security, and economic strength. NSF needs 
sustained growth to maintain our competitive edge in science and 
technology, and therefore we respectfully ask that you continue robust 
support of these critical programs in FY 2023.
    We appreciate the opportunity to provide testimony to the Committee 
on behalf of SIAM. SIAM looks forward to providing any additional 
information or assistance you may ask of us during the FY2023 
appropriations process.
                                 ______
                                 
    Prepared Statement of Society for Industrial and Organizational 
                               Psychology
    On behalf of the Society for Industrial and Organizational 
Psychology (SIOP), we are pleased to provide this written testimony to 
the House Appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and 
Science, and Related Agencies for the official record. In this 
testimony, SIOP urges the subcommittee to consider three requests:
  --Provide the requested amount of $11 billion for the National 
        Science Foundation (NSF), including strong support for the 
        Directorate for Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences 
        (SBE), and the new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, and 
        Partnerships (TIP) in the fiscal year (FY) 2023 appropriations 
        process;
  --Include report language to encourage NSF to more rigorously 
        implement the science of team science in the agency's funding 
        strategies for large-scale and multi-disciplinary research 
        projects; and
  --Support for workforce evaluation and technical assistance at the 
        Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing Services 
        Office.
                     appropriations support for nsf
    SIOP is a community of nearly 10,000 members worldwide with a 
common interest in promoting the research, practice, and teaching of 
industrial and organizational (I-O) psychology to enhance human well-
being and performance in organizational and work settings. SIOP 
provides a platform for scientists, academics, consultants, 
practitioners, and students to collaborate, implement, and evaluate 
cutting-edge approaches to workplace challenges across sectors.
    We have evidence that Federal investment in social and behavioral 
science research directly and positively impacts the U.S. economy, 
national security, and the health and well-being of Americans. Through 
SBE, NSF supports basic research to develop a scientific evidence base 
for improving the performance, effectiveness, management, and 
development of organizations and the workforce. The methods, 
measurements, and theories developed through this Federal investment 
enhance business practices, policymaking, and interprofessional 
collaboration. The evidence base derived from basic research in the 
science of organizations is applied throughout the public and private 
sectors.
    SBE is critically important to NSF and has been highly responsive 
to the transformative events of the past few years. SBE rapidly 
responded to the challenges and opportunities posed by the COVID-19 
pandemic, supporting the second most pandemic-related research grants 
among NSF Directorates. This included significant support for the field 
of I-O psychology as the nature of work has fundamentally shifted. SBE 
investments, particularly those from the Science of Organizations 
program, have allowed I-O psychologists to develop data-driven methods 
to address workplace disruption, issues of work-life balance, workforce 
participation by women and underserved populations, and the challenges 
and opportunities related to the shift to remote work. This research 
will be crucial as we continue to emerge from the pandemic and deal 
with its lasting effects on our workplaces and organizations.
    NSF SBE has also provided the foundation for I-O psychologists to 
understand how our rapidly emerging technologies affect the workforce. 
As the rate of technological change continues to accelerate, I-O 
psychologists are already seeking to understand how technologies like 
Artificial Intelligence and automation affect American workers and 
develop responsive employee training programs necessary to reskill our 
workforce.
    Continued Federal support for I-O psychology keeps its knowledge 
and expertise in the public domain and enhances shared workplace 
efficiency and understanding of worker well-being at all levels. Other 
applications of I-O psychology include transitioning veterans and 
service members to civilian jobs, managing age diversity in the 
workplace, and developing preventative sexual harassment workforce 
interventions, among many others.
    NSF has also launched a new Directorate for Technology, Innovation, 
and Partnerships (TIP). SIOP applauds NSF and Congress for investing in 
TIP and encourages the new directorate to continue focusing on use-
inspired research that will position the Foundation to drive innovation 
in industries and technologies of the future. In order to fully reach 
its potential, the TIP Directorate must incorporate social and 
behavioral science topics into its research agenda, particularly 
workforce needs and impacts to the workplace as a result of these new 
technologies or research advancements. Furthermore, as the TIP 
Directorate recruits and hires new staff, effort must be taken to 
ensure that the program officers are drawn from a broad variety of 
professional disciplines, including I-O psychology and other behavioral 
sciences. SIOP encourages NSF and TIP to utilize and support I-O 
concepts and research in its plans for the future success of the 
directorate, as well as employ I-O experts as part of its staff.
    Given NSF's critical role in supporting fundamental research and 
education across science and engineering disciplines, SIOP supports an 
overall FY 2023 NSF budget of $11 billion. SIOP requests robust support 
for the NSF SBE Directorate, which funds important research studies, 
enabling an evidence base, methodology, and measurements for improving 
organizational function, performance, and design across sectors and 
disciplines. SIOP also requests the new TIP Directorate be fully funded 
and empowered to support innovative research that will drive America's 
global competitiveness, including in the social and behavioral 
sciences.
                        science of team science
    SIOP requests that Congress direct NSF to further adopt of the 
Science of Team Science (SciTS) in NSF programs and policies. SciTS is 
the empirical examination of the processes by which large and small 
scientific teams organize, conduct, and communicate research. I-O 
psychologists with expertise in SciTS have engaged with NSF program 
officers and leadership, as well as some congressional staff to ensure 
their findings are fully ingrained in the agency's new models and 
approaches for funding cross-disciplinary science and/or large-scale 
research projects. With the launch of the new Directorate for 
Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships (TIP), SIOP believes it is 
increasingly important that the agency take additional steps to ensure 
evidence-based team science is considered in multi-partner initiatives 
to improve communication between researchers, productivity, efficiency 
and cost-effectiveness. New programs focused on multi-disciplinary 
collaboration between academia, industry, and other community partners, 
such as the Regional Innovation Engines, require targeted SciTS 
approaches to ensure their success.
    Team science is a well-known research subject at NSF and the 
language should be understood by the agency. NSF has funded several 
team science studies through SBE and program officers across 
directorates have expressed interest in leveraging team science to 
improve multi-disciplinary awards, including participating in one-on-
one conversations with SIOP experts and inviting them to present on NSF 
panels. SIOP appreciates NSF's interest in learning more about 
leveraging SciTS to improve programs and collaborations at the agency. 
While NSF has taken some steps forward to address the importance of 
team science in some multi-disciplinary awards, we feel that 
appropriations report language that specifically mentions the 
importance of team science would build on this existing momentum and 
further catalyze meaningful action.
    For further reference, SIOP members served on the National 
Academies'
Committee on the Science of Team Science, which produced the 2015 
report on
this topic: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/19007/enhancing-the-
effectiveness-of-team-science. Also, slides and recordings from NSF's 
2018 Accelerating Engineering Research Center Preparedness Workshop can 
be found at: https://ercbiennial.asee.org/2018-pgw/program/. SIOP 
members Drs. Steve Kozlowski and Kara Hall present on team science.
                       requested report language
    Team Science.--NSF is encouraged to continue to seek ways to 
implement the science of team science to improve scientific 
collaboration as the agency develops new models and approaches for 
funding large-scale and cross-disciplinary research projects, including 
via the Technology, Innovation, and Partnership (TIP) Directorate. In 
particular, NSF is encouraged to ensure that it is implementing the 
recommendations from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 
and Medicine report, Enhancing the Effectiveness of Team Science.\1\
department of justice (doj) community oriented policing services (cops) 
                                 office
    DOJ's COPS Office is responsible for advancing the practice of 
community policing by the Nation's State, local, territorial, and 
Tribal law enforcement agencies through information and grant 
resources. The COPS Hiring Program (CHP), the agency's signature 
initiative, provided $165 million for law enforcement agencies in FY 
2022. Hundreds of law enforcement agencies have benefited from this 
program since its inception, but little is known about these recipients 
and the unique issues they face in key areas like recruitment, 
retention, training and more. Collectively, CHP recipients make up an 
ideal study group to explore important questions over what factors and 
activities drive people toward careers in policing, as well as what may 
drive people away. When there is more evidence about what works and 
what some persistent issues are to be addressed, the COPS Office can 
better tailor technical assistance programming to meet the needs of law 
enforcement agencies.
    To this end, Congress should provide funding for the COPS Office to 
support a volunteer evaluation study of CHP recipients to better 
understand common recruitment, hiring, and retention practices and 
leverage the findings to target future Federal assistance. Congress 
should also specify that the COPS Office work with an outside 
organization with expertise in workforce and workplace sciences. SIOP 
has a relationship with the COPS Office to provide expert input on 
priorities regarding hiring and selection, reducing officer burnout, 
providing meaningful training and professional development, and other 
topics of I-O expertise. SIOP could be key partners in assisting the 
COPS Office as they develop and carry out the study to ensure it is 
designed properly for impactful results.
                       requested report language
    Workforce Study.--The Committee recognizes that persistent 
recruitment, hiring, and retention issues are plaguing law enforcement 
agencies nationwide. The COPS Office provides support to address these 
issues through the COPS Hiring Program, but little is known about 
specific challenges facing grantees. With the appropriations provided, 
COPS should carry out a voluntary assessment of COPS Hiring Program 
recipients to understand workforce challenges facing police 
departments, identify best practices, and collect other findings to 
better target future technical assistance programming. In carrying out 
this study, the COPS Office shall enter into a partnership with 
qualified organizations with extensive expertise in workforce and 
workplace sciences, such as industrial and organizational psychology.

    Thank you for the opportunity to offer SIOP's support for NSF and 
DOJ. Please do not hesitate to contact SIOP should you have any 
questions. Additional information is also available at www.siop.org.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ https://www.nap.edu/catalog/19007/enhancing-the-effectiveness-
of-team-science.

    [This statement was submitted by Dr. Mo Wang, President and Tracy 
L. Vanneman, Executive Director]
                                 ______
                                 
             Prepared Statement of Society for Neuroscience
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and members of the 
subcommittee, on behalf of the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), we are 
honored to present this testimony in support of robust appropriations 
for biomedical research at the National Science Foundation (NSF). SfN 
urges you to provide at least $11 billion, an increase of approximately 
$2.162 billion, in funding for NSF in FY23. As both a researcher and a 
Professor in the Department of Biology at Brandeis University, I 
understand the critical importance of Federal funding for neuroscience 
research in the United States. My own research identified the ability 
of brain circuits to ``tune themselves'' to maintain the appropriate 
level of excitability, which is critical for healthy brain function.
    My research group, supported by NSF funding, made fundamental 
discoveries in how neurons self-adjust their excitability, making it 
easier or harder to send electrical messages to other neurons. Over the 
past two decades, we have unearthed a family of mechanisms that allow 
for this unique flexibility called ``homeostatic plasticity'', so 
neurons can change the rate they send messages and protect 
communication in the face of outside disturbances. Our work has many 
wide-reaching implications: We are studying how learning and memory 
suffer when these mechanisms malfunction; We are exploring how being 
awake or asleep affects these mechanisms; and we are investigating how 
States of being too excitable or not excitable enough contribute to 
disorders like epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder. Basic research, 
like my own, is paramount to understanding the brain at a level deep 
enough to develop treatments and interventions for diseases and 
disorders.
    SfN believes strongly in the research continuum: basic science 
leads to clinical innovations, which lead to translational uses 
positively impacting the public's health. Basic science is the 
foundation upon which all health advances are built. To cure diseases, 
we need to understand them through fundamental discovery-based 
research. However, basic research depends on reliable, sustained 
funding from the Federal Government. SfN is grateful to Congress for 
its support of the important mission of the NSF, which includes a focus 
on promoting the progress of science and advancing the National health, 
prosperity, and welfare, through increased appropriations in recent 
years.
                the importance of the research continuum
    NSF funding for basic research is critical for facilitating 
groundbreaking discoveries and for training researchers at the bench. 
For the United States to remain a leader in biomedical research, 
Congress must continue to support basic research fueling discoveries as 
well as the economy. The deeper our grasp of basic science, the more 
successful those focused on clinical and translational research will 
be. We use a wide range of experimental and animal models not used 
elsewhere in the research pipeline. These opportunities create 
discoveries--sometimes unexpected discoveries -expanding knowledge of 
biological processes, often at the molecular level. This level of 
discovery reveals new targets for research to treat all kinds of brain 
disorders that affect millions of people in the United States and 
beyond.
    NSF basic research funding is also a key economic driver of science 
at universities and research organizations across the country. Federal 
investments in scientific research fuel the Nation's pharmaceutical, 
biotechnology and medical device industries. The private sector 
utilizes basic scientific discoveries funded through NSF to improve 
health and foster a sustainable trajectory for American's Research and 
Development (R&D) enterprise. Basic science generates the knowledge 
needed to uncover the mysteries behind human diseases, which leads to 
private sector development of new treatments and therapeutics. This 
important first step is not ordinarily funded by industry given the 
long-term path of basic science and the pressures for shorter-term 
return on investments by industry. Congressional investment in basic 
science is irreplaceable in the pipeline for development of drugs, 
devices, and other treatments for brain-related diseases and disorders.
    Another example of NSF's success in funding neuroscience is the 
Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) 
Initiative. A part of the research landscape in neuroscience, the BRAIN 
Initiative has been critical in promoting future discoveries across 
neuroscience and related scientific disciplines. By including funding 
in the 21st Century Cures Act, Congress helped maintain the momentum of 
this endeavor. Note, however, using those funds to supplant regular 
appropriations would be counterproductive. There is no substitute for 
robust, sustained, and predictable funding for NSF. SfN appreciates 
Congress' ongoing investment in the BRAIN Initiative and urges its full 
funding in FY22. Some recent exciting advancements in NSF funded 
neuroscience research include the following:
                   n95 mask smart monitoring devices
    As SARS-CoV-2 is a respiratory virus, face masks have emerged as a 
protective mechanism. N95 masks are recommended by medical 
professionals. At Northwestern University, researchers have taken the 
N95 mask and engineered a smart monitoring device, calling it a 
``Fitbit for the face''. The device is a small sensor that attaches to 
the inside of an N95 mask and can detect heart rate, respiration rate, 
and the mask wear time. These are all collected on a smart phone app, 
and the app can also alert users when there are mask leaks. The 
device's portability and ability to harvest energy from the heat and 
motion of mask wearers increases the sensors battery life of up to 11 
days or more. Researchers hope this device will help medical 
professionals better detect Covid-19.
  opioid epidemic may be countered by respiration-detecting technology
    There is an opioid epidemic in the United States. In 2019, the 
National Institute on Drug Abuse reported nearly 50,000 people in the 
United States died from opioid overdoses. The opioid crisis has only 
worsened over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, scientists 
at the University of Washington have created a wearable device that can 
reverse an opioid overdose. When people overdose on opioids, this 
causes respiratory failure. The new device works by detecting 
respiration patterns and motions in its user during an opioid overdose. 
If the user stops breathing or moving, the device administers naloxone, 
a competitive antagonist that works to restore respiration. The 
researchers at the University of Washington have tested this device in 
both a supervised injection facility and a hospital. They found their 
closed-loop system accurately tracked breathing rate in self-injected 
and simulated opioid-induced apneas. This system has the potential to 
detect opioid overdoses before becoming fatal and could reduce the 
burden of the opioid epidemic.
                        funding in regular order
    SfN joins the biomedical research community in supporting an 
increase in NSF funding to at least $11 billion, a $2.162 billion 
increase over FY22. This proposed increase is necessary to provide 
certainty to the field of science, allowing for the exploitation of new 
scientific opportunity, additional training of the next generation of 
scientists, increased economic growth and further improvements in the 
public's health. Equally as important as providing a reliable increase 
in funding for biomedical research is ensuring funding is approved 
before the end of the fiscal year. Continuing Resolutions have 
significant consequences on research, including restricting NSF's 
ability to fund grants. For some of our members, this means waiting for 
a final decision to be made on funding before knowing if their 
perfectly scored grant would in fact be realized or operating a lab 
with 90 percent of the awarded funding until appropriations are final. 
This negatively impacts all the positive benefits research provides the 
field. SfN strongly supports the appropriation of NSF funding in a 
timely manner which avoids delays in approving new research grants or 
causes reductions in funding for already approved research funding.
    SfN thanks the subcommittee for your strong and continued support 
of biomedical research and looks forward to working with you to ensure 
the United States remains the global leader in neuroscience research 
and discovery. Collaboration among Congress, the NSF, and the 
scientific research community has created great benefits for not only 
the United States but also people around the globe suffering from 
brain-related diseases and disorders. On behalf of the Society for 
Neuroscience, we urge you to continue this critical cooperation and 
support of biomedical research.

    [This statement was submitted by Gina Turrigiano, PhD, President]
                                 ______
                                 
         Prepared Statement of United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA)
Dear Chairman Shaheen and Ranking Member Moran:

    United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) is the Alaska commercial fishing 
industry trade association, representing 37 commercial fishing 
organizations based in both Alaska and Washington that participate in 
fisheries throughout the Alaska, and Federal fisheries off the Alaska 
and Washington/Oregon coasts.
    As you prepare the FY 23 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related 
Agencies (CJS) appropriations bill, UFA requests that you work with 
your colleagues to ensure increased funding in the CJS bill for the 
Saltonstall-Kennedy (S-K) Grant Program.
    Enacted in 1954, the S-K Act aims to `` . . .  aid the American 
commercial fishing industry by promoting the free flow of domestically 
produced products in commerce and developing and increasing markets for 
those products,'' through a federal, competitive grant program. As you 
know, the S-K Grant Program is funded by a tariff on imported seafood, 
the revenues from which are transferred from USDA into NOAA's ``Promote 
and Develop Seafood Products'' account. The tariffs capitalizing the 
Promote and Develop account have increased almost every year from $82 
million in 2007 to over $240 million in 2021. Regardless of this 
dramatic and consistent increase, the S-K Grant Program has stayed in 
the $8- $12 million range of Congressional funding. The fiscal Year 22 
funding for the S-K Grant Program is $11.8 million, approximately 4.8% 
of the ``transfer'' from USDA. However, the S-K Act clearly States 
that:
    (e) Allocation of fund moneys
        (1) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all moneys in 
        the fund shall be used exclusively for the purpose of promoting 
        United States fisheries in accordance with the provisions of 
        this section, and no such moneys shall be transferred from the 
        fund for any other purpose . . . .(A) the Secretary shall use 
        no less than 60 per centum of such moneys to make direct 
        industry assistance grants to develop the United States 
        fisheries and to expand domestic and foreign markets for United 
        States fishery products pursuant to subsection (c) of this 
        section;
    Increased S-K funding is needed for the U.S. seafood industry now 
more than ever. World events have closed markets and significantly 
raised tariffs on many U.S. seafood exports. Moreover, because of the 
war in Ukraine and other U.S. policies, several foreign nations have 
been restricted from importing seafood to the U.S. (The U.S. imports 
approximately 90% of seafood consumed domestically). Increased S-K 
funding should focus on increasing domestic consumption of U.S. caught 
seafood as well as the secondary processing of seafood within the U.S. 
American fisheries are also challenged by disproportionate foreign 
government spending to support their fishing industries. For example, 
Norway spends more than 10 times the amount of money allocated to 
market U.S. produced salmon on marketing Norwegian salmon in U.S. 
markets. Increased S-K allocations could, in part, level the playing 
field in the promotion of U.S. produced seafood to U.S. markets.
    Recently, Congress re-established the American Fisheries Advisory 
Committee (AFAC Committee) to work with NOAA to prioritize and direct 
S-K funding. UFA, as a representative of the Alaska Seafood Industry, 
is looking forward to AFAC's new leadership role in the application of 
S-K funding. It has been 50 years since S-K funding decisions had 
industry input as was intended by the 1954 enabling legislation. 
According to the legislation, the purpose of S-K funding was ``to 
assist persons in carrying out research and development projects 
addressed to any aspect of United States fisheries, including, but not 
limited to, harvesting, processing, marketing, and associated 
infrastructures.'' The AFAC Committee, as designed, will have both 
geographical and experiential diversity including fishermen, scientists 
and regulators drawing from six regions across the country. As such, 
AFAC will be an effective advisory body, ensuring that increased S-K 
funding is strategically invested to return maximum benefit to the 
American seafood industry.
    UFA, as the Alaska seafood industry's representative and advocate, 
would like to see the S-K Grant funding begin to approach the 
percentage of U.S. tariffs on imported seafood that were envisioned 
when the original statute was passed. For FY 23, UFA encourages you to 
consider funding the S-K Grant Program at no less than 15% of the 
transfer to NOAA's ``Promote and Develop Seafood Products'' account 
derived from tariffs on imported seafood as a specific line item in the 
budget. This equates to approximately $35 million and is a step in the 
right direction towards the 60% language contained in the S-K Act. In 
future years, we recommend continued incremental increases up to 60%.
    We thank you for considering UFA's request for increased S-K Grant 
funding that will address the new and increased needs of America's 
fishing industry and ensure the new AFAC Committee's ability to 
maximize national seafood marketing as they begin to address the 
rebuilding and expansion of America's seafood markets.
Sincerely,

Matt Alward, President
Tracy Welch, Executive Director
                                 ______
                                 
 Prepared Statement of University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
    On behalf of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research 
(UCAR), a nonprofit consortium of more than 122 North American colleges 
and universities focused on research and training in the Earth system 
sciences, I appreciate the opportunity to submit for the record our 
fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding priorities for the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the National Science Foundation 
(NSF), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 
These agencies serve an incredibly--and increasingly--important role in 
our understanding of climate change and how we can mitigate its adverse 
effects. The below funding priorities reflect my view of what resources 
are needed so they can meet their missions.
    By way of background, UCAR is the manager of the National Center 
for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) on behalf of NSF. Founded in 1960, we 
are trusted administrators of the financial, human resources, 
facilities, and information technology functions that are essential to 
NCAR's success.
    We bring together the Earth system science community to exchange 
ideas, discuss challenges, and share what we've learned. By connecting 
researchers and educators with cutting-edge resources--and with the 
private sector--we take research out of the lab into the real world for 
the benefit of society. UCAR members constitute a self-governing body 
representing nearly all academic programs in Earth system science in 
North America. We provide a clear voice for our membership, in 
collaboration with the broader community, to convey the value of our 
research, education, and partnerships to policymakers and decision 
makers.
    It is undeniable that we have entered a new era of extreme weather 
driven by climate change. While the U.S. is no stranger to extreme 
events, impacts from recent events have been unprecedented. Many parts 
of our country have been drowned in devastating floods, baked under 
deadly heat, suffered multi-year droughts, and burned from fast-moving 
and intensely hot wildfires. This includes many of our own staff who 
fled their homes in December, some of whom lost their homes, and many 
more who are still feeling the impacts to this day. In addition, new 
forms of extreme weather have appeared in recent years, including 
severe tornados that level entire towns and Arctic cyclones that erode 
coastlines.
    These phenomena are just the beginning. Whereas the incremental 
warming of our Earth system may seem small, on-the-ground impacts are 
massive. In addition to local devastation, the impact of extreme 
weather reverberates through our natural, physical, and social systems. 
The Federal Government must not waver in its commitment to produce 
breakthrough research that benefits science, human safety, economic 
prosperity, and national security.
    I appreciate and support the widespread increases to atmospheric 
research in the President's budget request. I respectfully request the 
subcommittee consider UCAR's recommendations regarding targeted 
investments, in the following areas of priority. I believe these 
modifications will better prepare the country to combat the growing 
climate-related challenges that will affect every American.
             national institute of standards and technology
    I respectfully request at least $975 million for Scientific and 
Technical Research and Services (equal to the request).
    The formation and impacts of wildfire must be better understood to 
protect communities in the western United States that are dealing with 
the year-round threat of destruction and displacement from fire events. 
In particular, the wildland-urban interface must be studied to better 
understand air quality impacts and fuels composition. This should be 
part of a more comprehensive, all-of-government approach to addressing 
wildfires.
    I appreciate the subcommittee significantly increasing funding for 
Scientific and Technical Research and Services (STRS) in its FY 23 
request. I respectfully request that within the total for STRS, an 
additional $25 million is designated for NCAR to begin the cross-
disciplinary and interagency work necessary to protect life and 
property from the increasing threat of wildland fire.
    The Fire Research Division develops, verifies, and utilizes 
measurements and predictive methods to quantify the behavior of fire 
and means to reduce the impact of fire on people, property, and the 
environment. This work involves integration of laboratory measurements, 
verified methods of prediction, and large-scale fire experiments to 
demonstrate the use and value of the research products.
    Residents of Colorado are acutely aware of the dangers posed by 
wildland fire, in particular when wildfire encroaches on the urban 
environment. As a Colorado-based entity, NCAR is uniquely positioned to 
lead community efforts to better understand wildfire and develop an 
integrated approach to addressing impacts.
    In the wake of the NCAR, Marshall, and Middle Fork fires, this 
issue is top of mind for not only Colorado and the organization, but 
scientists and policy makers across the American West. NCAR can use 
additional funding to build out a wildfire research test bed. 
Additional funding at NIST can allow for increased research into 
understanding wildfire interactions with the wildland urban interface 
(WUI). NCAR can also use increased funding to couple the CESM2 
(Community Earth System Model Version 2) with local models like WRF-
Fire (Weather Research and Forecasting--Fire) and WRF-Chem (Weather 
Research and Forecasting coupled with Chemistry) to understand how 
large-scale changes to the Earth system will impact local fire 
dynamics, air quality, and local decision making on the ground. NCAR is 
well positioned with its existing expertise to take advantage of 
additional funding to accelerate wildfire research, and to collaborate 
with others in the Earth system science community to address this 
critical issue.
            national oceanic and atmospheric administration
    I respectfully request at least $7.2 billion for NOAA (6 percent 
more than the request).
    NOAA plays a critical role in our efforts to both understand and 
mitigate the threat of climate change. To ensure that NOAA and its 
subagencies have the dedicated resources it needs to continue and 
expand upon its important work, I respectfully request at least:
  --$9 million for sustained funding of climate intervention research 
        at NCAR, within the Office of Atmospheric Research (equal to 
        the request). We have yet to achieve a full understanding of 
        the impacts of climate intervention activities and their 
        associated risks and benefits. Further research is needed to 
        study climate dynamics and air chemistry impacts of 
        geoengineering the Earth system. NCAR is uniquely positioned to 
        study both the climate dynamics and air chemistry impacts of 
        geoengineering on the Earth system.
  --$4.48 billion for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (equal to the 
        request), including at least $16.27 million in dedicated 
        funding to support NCAR's continued development of Airborne 
        Phased Array Radar (APAR). These resources are needed in 
        anticipation of NSF completing its award process in early 2023. 
        APAR is a critical tool for studying weather and related 
        hazards, especially over rugged terrain or the open ocean where 
        operations are inherently challenging. Major advances in radar 
        technology have paved the way for development of APAR to 
        provide more detailed observations from within high-impact 
        weather systems. An APAR system is currently being designed and 
        developed by NCAR for installation on the NSF/NCAR C-130 
        aircraft. This will provide more agile scanning strategies and 
        enhanced capabilities for researchers to advance science 
        frontiers.
  --$15 million for NOAA-wide activities that support Software 
        Development and Code Design of next generation predictive 
        models. NCAR's Computational and Information Systems Lab (CISL) 
        manages and operates two state-of-the-art supercomputers for 
        the Earth system science community. However, supercomputing-
        built infrastructure is only as valuable as the code developed 
        for advanced model runs. The research community plays a 
        critical role in supporting the operational mission of NOAA, 
        but more must be done to ensure continued community engagement 
        with investments in training programs and sustainable pathways 
        for the next generation of Earth system software developers. I 
        respectfully request $15 million in FY 2023 for additional 
        investments in code design and software engineering, coupled 
        with physical sciences, to advance predictability of high 
        impact weather.
                      national science foundation
    The National Science Foundation and its numerous facilities perform 
essential functions in our understanding of the physical world. In 
addition, Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences (AGS) are vital for 
tracking and analyzing extraterrestrial impacts to Earth's weather and 
climate. To help NSF meet its mission, I respectfully request at least 
$301.4 million for AGS (equal to the request) and $124.92 million for 
NCAR Operations and Maintenance of NCAR's Facilities (7.5% more than 
the request).
  --I thank the subcommittee for its continued support of operations 
        and maintenance of NCAR facilities. However, rising inflation 
        means that more money will be needed to adequately maintain NSF 
        facilities, including NCAR. This increase is necessary so that 
        NCAR can continue to attract top scientists, while also 
        modernizing NCAR's Mesa Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. I 
        respectfully request at least $124.9 million (7.5% above the 
        request) for NCAR Facilities.
  --Funding for AGS should include dedicated support for further 
        development of the Coronal Solar Magnetism Observatory (COSMO), 
        a proposed suite of complementary ground-based instruments 
        designed to study magnetic fields and plasma conditions in the 
        Sun's atmosphere.

    The impacts of space weather are felt across multiple sectors, 
including the growing aerospace industry, necessitating increased 
investments in research and observations of the Sun. Tiny, 
electrically-charged particles hurled toward Earth from a solar storm 
can disrupt radio communications, GPS signals, and other technologies 
that people rely on daily. Understanding solar storms and space weather 
will help protect electric grids that power communities in an 
increasingly telecommunication-reliant world.
    I thank the subcommittee for providing a preliminary investment of 
$5.6 million in FY 2021 to survey prospective locations for COSMO. 
Additional funding beyond the initial award is needed to complete site 
survey, choose a candidate site, and to finish construction design and 
get an accurate cost estimate of all remaining elements of COSMO. I 
respectfully request an additional $8 million in FY 2023, specified in 
report language, to support this next stage of progress for this 
critical endeavor.
    Again, I thank the subcommittee for its attention to these matters 
and commitment to ensuring NOAA, NSF, and NIST can continue and expand 
their increasingly important work. I am more than happy to be a 
resource for the subcommittee as it progresses through the FY 2023 
appropriations process.

    [This statement was submitted by Dr. Antonio J. Busalacchi, 
President]
                                 ______
                                 
          Prepared Statement of Western Governors' Association
    Chair Shaheen, Ranking Member Moran, and Members of the 
subcommittee, the Western Governors' Association (WGA) appreciates the 
opportunity to provide testimony on items within the jurisdiction of 
the subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, 
all of which relate to the U.S. Department of Commerce. WGA is an 
independent organization representing the Governors of the 22 
westernmost States and territories. The Association is an instrument of 
the Governors for bipartisan policy development, information sharing 
and collective action on issues of critical importance to the western 
United States.
    Western Governors support strong and dedicated funding for the 
National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) program under 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). WGA is 
well-acquainted with the significant environmental, economic, and 
social effects of drought on the West and its communities. Drought 
contributes to the incidence of forest and rangeland wildfire, impairs 
ecosystems and wildlife habitat, degrades agricultural productivity, 
and poses threats to municipal and industrial water supplies. A growing 
population's dependence on limited water resources creates challenges 
for water management across the West, from the Great Plains to the 
Intermountain West to the coastal, estuarine, and marine environments 
of the Pacific States and islands. Planning for an adequate, reliable, 
and clean water supply requires accurate and complete water and weather 
information.
    NIDIS promotes a coordinated and integrated approach to managing 
future drought. This approach involves improved forecasting and 
monitoring to provide the kind of authoritative, objective, and timely 
drought information that farmers, water managers, decision-makers, and 
State and local governments require for effective drought preparation 
and response. Through NIDIS, NOAA is building a network of early 
warning systems for drought while working with local resource managers 
to identify and address unique regional drought information needs.
    Western Governors value the approach used to build and improve 
NIDIS. Rather than creating a new NIDIS bureaucracy, the system draws 
from existing capacity in States, universities, and multiple Federal 
agencies, as called for in the original authorizing legislation. Given 
our shared fiscal challenges, WGA regards this as a model for Federal-
State collaboration in shared information services.
    Water users throughout the West--including farmers, ranchers, 
Tribes, land managers, business owners, recreationalists, wildlife 
managers, and decision-makers at all levels of government--must be able 
to assess the risks of drought before its onset to make informed 
decisions and implement effective mitigation measures. For these 
reasons, Western Governors request continued support and strong funding 
for the National Weather Service River Forecast Centers and Weather 
Forecast Offices and the NIDIS program, which perform a valuable role 
in western water management and drought response.
    Many western communities, especially Tribal communities, lack 
access to broadband internet due to the high cost of infrastructure and 
the economic challenges of serving low customer densities in rural 
areas. When communities do have access to broadband, download and 
upload speeds are often insufficient to meet bandwidth demands. These 
realities have left many rural businesses at a competitive disadvantage 
and citizens without access to telework, telemedicine, and distance 
learning opportunities. Consequently, Western Governors support efforts 
to adopt a Federal definition of broadband that is higher and more 
scalable than 25/3 Mbps. In addition, the Governors support efforts to 
leverage state expertise through State block grants and opportunities 
to improve connectivity on rural and Tribal lands. To ensure that 
Tribal areas receive adequate investment, Federal broadband programs 
should allocate a designated portion of their available funding to 
Tribal projects. Western Governors applaud the historic level of 
broadband funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, 
Public Law 117-58), particularly the funds allocated to the existing 
Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the new Broadband Equity, 
Access, and Deployment Program administered by the National 
Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The Governors 
look forward to engaging with NTIA on this funding and stand ready to 
implement projects for the benefit of rural and Tribal communities.
    Deployment of broadband infrastructure to these underserved and 
unserved communities requires an accurate picture of nationwide 
broadband availability. Western Governors appreciate the Federal 
Communications Commission's plans in 2022 to implement the Broadband 
Deployment Accuracy and Technological Availability Act, known as the 
Broadband DATA Act, and address the accuracy of broadband data coverage 
and mapping. The Governors support continued investment in these 
efforts, which are especially critical with the NTIA deploying the 
second disbursement of IIJA funds to States using a formula based on 
new FCC maps. WGA also encourages the coordination of data collection 
strategies among the Federal Communications Commission, U.S. Department 
of Agriculture, and other agencies involved in broadband mapping and 
deployment.
    On the subject of data collection, Western Governors are supportive 
of the implementation of the Foundations for Evidence-Based 
Policymaking Act of 2018 (the Evidence Act, Public Law 115-435). The 
act established a new set of comprehensive requirements for Federal 
agencies regarding their collection, use, and management of data in 
evidence-building functions. One such requirement in the Evidence Act 
is for Federal agency heads to ``consult with . . . State and local 
governments.'' Western Governors have been actively engaging with 
Federal agencies as they carry out the provisions of the Evidence Act 
and are intent on assuring that States are robustly engaged by agencies 
in the required development of agency learning agendas. Overseen by the 
head of each Federal agency, the purpose of the learning agendas, 
according to the Evidence Act, is ``identifying and addressing policy 
questions relevant to the programs, policies, and regulations of the 
agency.''
    According to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
report, (GAO-20-119, Evidence-Based Policymaking), however, ``evidence-
building activities are fragmented within . . . agencies and occur at 
multiple levels and entities within and across the agencies'' and that 
``uncoordinated or poorly coordinated efforts can waste scarce funds 
and limit their effectiveness.'' The report went on to say that 
``[e]ffectively-coordinated [evidence building] processes can help 
agencies ensure they are comprehensively and systematically looking 
across their organizations to leverage their existing evidence and 
focus limited resources on building new evidence . . . Such processes 
can help ensure agencies are well positioned to meet forthcoming 
Evidence Act requirements related to assessing and prioritizing 
evidence across the entire agency.'' GAO reiterated the importance of 
active Federal agency engagement, as ``through this engagement, 
agencies may find that external stakeholders (and States), have, or are 
aware of, existing evidence that helps the agency meet its needs or 
provide a fuller picture of performance . . . [and] ensure it is 
meeting the evidence needs of decision makers.''
    Given the numerous Federal agency programs, policies, and 
regulations that directly affect the collective States, agency 
coordination with States and the integration of state data into those 
relevant Federal programs is paramount to their success. For these 
reasons, Western Governors encourage the subcommittee to direct Federal 
agencies to improve their internal processes required in the Evidence 
Act to coordinate with States on Federal data policies and procedures 
and incorporate state data into Federal decision-making processes. 
Western Governors also support full and consistent Federal funding to 
carry out the requirements of this critical legislation and ensure that 
agencies have the capacity and resources required to fulfill GAO's 
evidence-based policymaking recommendations.
    Finally, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) plays a 
critical role in rural economic development, particularly in light of 
recently allocated supplemental funding that has significantly expanded 
assistance available to communities. Western Governors encourage 
increased flexibility in the allowable uses of EDA funds so rural 
communities can prioritize investments that improve quality of life and 
amenities. Relatedly, outcome metrics based solely on the absolute 
number of jobs created do not reflect the important economic benefits 
of such investments. Nor do they account for the relative effect of job 
creation in communities with small populations or areas with high 
unemployment or poverty rates.
    Western Governors recommend an increase in the proportion of 
economic development and infrastructure funding that goes toward 
capacity building. Strengthening local capacity by providing ample and 
consistent Federal funding for institutions, training, and technical 
assistance is essential to maximize the effect of State and Federal 
resources and to ensure that assistance reaches the communities that 
need it most.
    Western Governors recognize the enormous challenge you have in 
balancing competing funding priorities, and we appreciate the 
difficulty of the decisions the subcommittee must make. These 
recommendations are offered in a spirit of cooperation and respect, and 
WGA is prepared to assist you as the subcommittee discharges its 
critical and challenging responsibilities.

    [This statement was submitted by James D. Ogsbury, Executive 
Director]