[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 6 (Thursday, January 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S686-S687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NATIONAL RESEARCH INVESTMENT ACT OF 1997

 Mr. GRAMM. Mr. President, yesterday I joined with Senator Mack 
and Senator Hutchison in introducing S. 124, the National Research 
Investment Act of 1997. I ask that the text of the bill be printed in 
the Record.
  The text of the bill follows:

                                 S. 124

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``National Research Investment 
     Act of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSES.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) for fiscal year 1965, 5.7 percent of the Federal budget 
     was expended for non-defense research and development 
     activities;
       (2) for fiscal year 1997, the percentage of the Federal 
     budget allocated for nondefense research and development 
     activities is 1.9 percent, which is 67 percent less than the 
     percentage in fiscal year 1965;
       (3) for the first time in 25 years during the period 
     beginning with fiscal year 1992 and ending with fiscal year 
     1995, the amount of funds expended by the Federal Government 
     on research (expressed in real dollars) declined each year;
       (4) during the period beginning with fiscal year 1970, and 
     ending with fiscal year 1995, the United States had not, 
     during any fiscal year, expended an amount for nondefense 
     research and development activities, that, expressed as a 
     percentage of the Gross Domestic Product, was greater than or 
     equal to the percentage expended by Japan or Germany for that 
     fiscal year; and
       (5) an increased level of investment in basic science and 
     medical research by the Federal Government is essential to 
     maintaining the position of the United States as the 
     technological leader of the world.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
       (1) To double the annual authorized amount of Federal 
     funding for basic science and medical research over the 10-
     year period following the date of enactment of this Act, so 
     that the amount of Federal funding for fiscal year 2007 is 
     equal to $65,000,000,000.
       (2) To restore the high priority that science and 
     technology had previously been afforded in the Federal 
     budget.
       (3) To invest in the future of the United States and the 
     people of the United States by expanding the research 
     activities referred to in paragraph (1).
       (4) To enhance the quality of life for all the people of 
     the United States.
       (5) To guarantee the leadership of the United States in 
     science and medicine.

     SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATIONS OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Funds for Covered Research and Development Defined.--
     For purposes of this section, the term ``funds for covered 
     research and development'' means--
       (1) any funds made available by appropriations for--
       (A) the National Science Foundation;
       (B) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration;
       (C) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of 
     the Department of Commerce;
       (D) the National Institute for Standards and Technology of 
     the Department of Commerce; and
       (E) the National Institutes of Health of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services;
       (2) any funds made available by appropriations for use for 
     research and development activities (as that term is used in 
     the most recent applicable appropriations Act with respect to 
     a Federal Agency) for basic science or medical research--
       (A) by the Centers for Disease Control of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services;
       (B) by the Department of Energy, (to the extent that the 
     activities are not defense-related activities);
       (C) by the Department of Agriculture;
       (D) by the Department of Veterans Affairs;
       (E) by the Smithsonian Institution; and
       (F) by the Department of Education; and
       (3) any funds made available by appropriations to the 
     Environmental Protection Agency for science and technology 
     activities for basic science or medical research.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to the limitations under paragraph 
     (2), there are authorized to be appropriated as funds for 
     covered research and development--
       (A) for fiscal year 1998, $35,750,000,000, of which 
     $14,025,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (B) for fiscal year 1999, $39,000,000,000, of which 
     $15,300,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (C) for fiscal year 2000, $42,250,000,000, of which 
     $16,575,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (D) for fiscal year 2001, $45,500,000,000, of which 
     $17,850,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (E) for fiscal year 2002, $48,750,000,000, of which 
     $19,125,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (F) for fiscal year 2003, $52,000,000,000, of which 
     $20,400,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (G) for fiscal year 2004, $55,250,000,000, of which 
     $21,675,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (H) for fiscal year 2005, $58,500,000,000, of which 
     $22,950,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services;
       (I) for fiscal year 2006, $61,750,000,000, of which 
     $24,225,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services; and
       (J) for fiscal year 2007, $65,000,000,000, of which 
     $25,500,000,000 shall be used by the National Institutes of 
     Health of the Department of Health and Human Services.
       (2) Limitations.--
       (A) Development of public information.--In using funds made 
     available under this section, the appropriate officials shall 
     take such action as may be necessary to ensure that priority 
     is given to basic scientific research that has the purpose of 
     developing scientific information to be available to the 
     general public.
       (B) Use of funds.--No funds made available pursuant to the 
     authorization under this subsection may be used for 
     commercial purposes, except that such funds may only be used 
     for precompetitive research and development for technology.
       (C) Peer review.--In allocating funds made available under 
     this section, the appropriate officials shall take such 
     action as may

[[Page S687]]

     be necessary to ensure that a peer review system is used.

     SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE WITH DISCRETIONARY CAPS.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds may be 
     made available under this Act in a manner that does not 
     conform with the discretionary spending caps provided in the 
     most recently adopted concurrent resolution on the 
     budget.

                          ____________________