[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 71 (Wednesday, May 12, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H3356-H3409]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
AMERICA COMPETES REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2010
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344 and rule
XVIII, the Chair declares the House in
[[Page H3357]]
the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for the
consideration of the bill, H.R. 5116.
{time} 1450
In the Committee of the Whole
Accordingly, the House resolved itself into the Committee of the
Whole House on the State of the Union for the consideration of the bill
(H.R. 5116) to invest in innovation through research and development,
to improve the competitiveness of the United States, and for other
purposes, with Ms. Norton in the chair.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to the rule, the bill is considered read the
first time.
The gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Hall) each will control 30 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
On October 12, 2005, in response to a bipartisan request by the
Science and Technology Committee and some of our colleagues in the
Senate, the National Academies released the report ``Rising Above the
Gathering Storm.'' The distinguished panel, led by Norm Augustine, the
former CEO of Lockheed Martin, and which also included Craig Barrett of
Intel, the current Secretary of Energy, Steve Chu, and a cast of other
distinguished academic and business leaders, painted a very dire
picture. The report made clear that without action, the future was
bleak for our children and grandchildren. This report was, without
question, a call to arms.
The Science and Technology Committee, along with several committees
in the Senate, moved forward by turning the ``Gathering Storm''
recommendation into legislative language. The final result was the
enactment of the America COMPETES Act of 2007, with the bipartisan
support of 365 Members. Moreover, with the leadership of Senators
Alexander and Bingaman and 69 Senate cosponsors, the Senate approved
the conference report by unanimous consent. Now, after 3 years, we are
back to work on reauthorizing the America COMPETES Act.
Since the enactment of America COMPETES, the Science and Technology
Committee has held 48 hearings on areas addressed in the bill
considered by the House today. Going through regular order, our
subcommittee, in a bipartisan process, brought the full committee to a
strong body of work. The bill was approved by the Science and
Technology Committee on April 28, with a bipartisan vote of 29-8.
I want to thank all of the members of our committee for their work,
and more importantly, their contribution to this bill.
Since I became chairman of the committee, it has been my goal for
this to be a committee of good ideas and consensus. But more
importantly, I have wanted an inclusive process that encouraged members
on all sides to bring forward ideas and to discuss them.
I am proud of the process that we've used in bringing this bill to
the House, and I believe this is a better bill today because of the
hard work of our members. So I thank them for their efforts.
I would also like to thank the majority and minority staffs for the
many hours of thoughtful work they have committed to this bill.
Many significant pieces of legislation come before this House. We all
know that. But, honestly, I feel strongly that this bill is a big deal
and it's important. It's a big deal and important for our country and
for this Congress. It's a big deal and an important step in leading our
Nation's innovation agenda in the face of growing global competition.
It's a big deal and important for the business community, including the
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers,
and the Business Roundtable, which is why they have been so supportive.
It's a big deal and important to our universities and our national
labs, and it's a big deal and important to our children and
grandchildren so they will not be the first generation of Americans to
inherit a standard of living lower than their parents.
If we are to reverse the trend of the last 20 years where our
country's technological edge in the world has diminished, we must make
the investments necessary today. The statistics speak for themselves.
More than 50 percent of our economic growth since World War II can be
attributed to the development and adoption of new technologies.
The path is simple. Research and education lead to innovation.
Innovation leads to economic development and good-paying jobs and the
revenue to pay for more research. And as private firms underinvest in
research and development because the returns are too far off in the
future, there is a clear and necessary role of government to help our
Nation keep pace with the rest of the world.
To quickly summarize, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of
2010, H.R. 5116, makes investments in science innovation, education to
strengthen U.S. scientific economic leadership, supports business, and
creates jobs in the short, mid, and long term.
In the short term, Federal programs like the innovative technological
Federal loan guarantees addresses the immediate need of small- and
medium-sized manufacturers. In the midterm, the bill will strengthen
regional economies through programs like the regional innovation
clusters.
To ensure its scientific and technological leadership now and long
into the future, the bill makes investments in the basic research. The
bill includes a reauthorization of the Advanced Research Projects
Agency for Energy, ARPA-E. Even before the price of oil hit today's
record highs, ``Gathering Storm'' recommended greater energy
independence. But as we move to a cleaner, more efficient and more
balanced economic portfolio, we should not trade our dependency on
foreign oil for a dependency on foreign technology. This is why ARPA-E
is so important.
The bill also includes an authorization for Energy Innovation Hubs
which will each focus on overcoming a single technological barrier to
achieving our national energy innovation goals. The bill will double
authorization funding for our basic research programs, the National
Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science, the
labs at the National Institute of Standards and Technology over the
next 10 years.
Throughout the committee process, there was a lot of legitimate
discussion about Federal deficits. And I agree, we must address the
challenges presented by our deficits, but we also must invest in our
country's future. I remember Newt Gingrich saying one of his greatest
regrets was not doubling the funding for NSF when he put NIH on a
doubling path.
During the committee consideration of this bill, we made some
significant changes to the bill's authorization levels. But we will
maintain a doubling path for our research accounts over the next 10
years. We do so on a slightly less aggressive trajectory.
The bill, as introduced, included authorizations totaling
approximately $93 billion over 5 years. The bill we consider today
includes authorizations of approximately $84 billion. This represents a
10.3 percent reduction in funding for the introduction of the bill, or
a reduction of more than $9.6 billion over 5 years.
This bill provides a stable, sustainable, and achievable set of
authorization levels that balance the importance of these investments
with the reality of our current budget deficits.
Another important element of the funding roadmap in the bill is
certainty. As we know, most successful businesses do not operate in a
1-year timetable. They generate plans years in advance. In fact, many
businesses operate using at least a 5-year plan. So as we continue to
climb out of the worst economic downturn in a generation, we need a 5-
year plan to reinvest in our intellectual capital, our research
enterprise, and our workforce training. This becomes even more
important when comparing our efforts to other nations.
Our global competitors, most notably China, increase innovation in 5-
year windows. They write a 5-year plan, watch its progress, and in year
4, they begin on the next 5-year plan. The time has come for our
country to establish a clear path forward with a thoughtful,
responsible 5-year plan.
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Finally, let me say that more than 50 years ago when DARPA was first
created, no one had an idea that the research it would fund would be
responsible for creation of the Internet or the proliferation of GPS
technologies, but it did. Those innovations started with Federal
dollars, as did countless other game-changing technologies.
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There is an undeniable relationship between the investment in R&D and
the creation of jobs, the creation of companies, and economic growth.
But don't just take my word for it. The Joint Economic Committee
released a report this week that shows the economic benefits from
Federal investment in research.
The Science Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of the
Nation's leading research universities, released a report this week
entitled ``Sparking Economic Growth: How Federally Funded University
Research Creates Innovation, New Companies, and Jobs.'' This report
tells the stories of 100 companies, including Google, Cisco, SAS,
Genentech, Orbital Sciences, Sun Power, Medtronic, and Hewlett-Packard,
that were all created based on research funded with Federal dollars.
And, last, there are the sponsors of this important legislation. The
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, the National
Association of Manufacturers, the Council of Competitiveness, the Task
Force of American Innovation, the American Chemical Society, as well as
a growing list of over 1,000 major companies, universities, trade
associations, and professional organizations, all understanding the
benefits to U.S. companies of making a sustained commitment to research
and STEM education.
COMPETES is and will continue to be a bipartisan, bicameral effort
that every Member of this House can feel ownership of and should take
bragging rights on.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise today to speak on H.R. 5116, a bill reauthorizing the America
COMPETES Act. COMPETES was originally authorized in 2007 in response to
recommendations in the National Academies Report, ``Rising Above the
Gathering Storm,'' and initiatives proposed in President Bush's
American Competitiveness Initiative that stressed the need for
increased investments in basic science research and development. The
2007 House-passed bill was a 3-year authorization that placed three
agencies, the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, and the Office of Science at the Department
of Energy on a 10-year doubling path.
I remain committed to the underlying goals of the America COMPETES
Act. I like the thrust. I like the goals. Most of us on our side of the
docket did. We believe that we should continue to prioritize
investments in basic research and science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics--the STEM--education. These long-term investments, coupled
with policies that reduce tax burdens, streamline Federal regulations,
and balance the Federal budget, are necessary steps for our Nation to
remain competitive in the global marketplace.
However, the bill goes far beyond the original intent and scope of
the COMPETES legislation. One of my primary concerns is the cost of the
overall package. At $86 billion, it represents over $22 billion in new
funding above the fiscal year 2010 basic level. Even if you consider
the 10-year doubling path for the three agencies as opposed to flat
funding, the bill is still almost $8 billion over that amount.
It is also important to note that these agencies received an
additional $5 billion in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Given the current state of our national economy and the fact that our
Nation's budget deficit has increased 50 percent since the last
authorization 3 years ago, we have to be mindful of our spending if
America is to continue to compete globally.
I am also concerned by the creation of several new programs in this
bill, including Energy Innovation Hubs at DOE, a loan guarantee program
at the Department of Commerce, and regional innovation clusters at the
Department of Commerce. Several of these new programs fund activities
beyond basic science research and development, and many are potentially
duplicative of current efforts and could divert money away from
priority basic research.
Given the number of new programs in this bill, it is especially
troubling that the authorization length is 5 years, as it limits
congressional oversight opportunities and calls for out-year funding
increases without regard to the current and future fiscal environment.
At the full committee markup in April, Republicans offered 39
amendments to, among other things, address increased costs, shifts in
priorities, duplications of programs, and congressional oversight. Some
of these concerns will be debated today as part of our amendment
process.
Before I close, I would also like to thank and acknowledge my staff
for all of the hard work they have done on this bill. I also want to
thank Chairman Gordon and his staff for all of their efforts. Chairman
Gordon and I have worked together in this body for several years, and I
will absolutely miss working with him when he retires at the end of
this year. As a matter of fact, as he leaves this session, I hope we
can name part of this program after Bart Gordon because he is the
father of it.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, how much time do we have?
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Tennessee has 20\1/2\ minutes
remaining.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield to the gentleman from
Oregon (Mr. Wu), the chairman of our Technology and Innovation
Subcommittee, 1\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. WU. I thank the chairman.
I rise today in strong support of America COMPETES, and I want to
recognize the tremendous leadership which Chairman Gordon has given in
this effort. He is the father of this bill. He has created the ARPA-E
energy initiative in this bill and has shown tremendous leadership by
pushing this effort forward.
I am particularly proud of the contribution that my subcommittee, the
Technology and Innovation Subcommittee, has made to this legislation.
Innovation is absolutely crucial to our Nation's long-term global
competitiveness. It is our economic seed corn, and we have a
responsibility to support the kind of economic environment that
empowers our Nation's private sector to innovate and create jobs.
The bipartisan legislation we are considering today will strengthen
our Nation's economic competitiveness by creating an environment that
encourages innovation and facilitates economic growth. It will create
high wage, middle class jobs through innovation and technologic
development. Among other things, the bill makes critical investments in
the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which will help this vital
program better address the needs of our Nation's small- and medium-
sized manufacturers.
Of particular importance is the new focus of the MEP program on
finding out what the local job market really needs and helping
community colleges focus job training on these particular needs so that
the retrained workers can find work nearby. America COMPETES is the
cornerstone of our Nation's global competitiveness, and today's
reauthorization bill represents another crucial step in implementing
the innovation agenda.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chair, I yield 4 minutes to Mr.
Sensenbrenner, the gentleman from Wisconsin.
Mr. SENSENBRENNER. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Madam Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 5116, the America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act. Madam Chairman, I support efforts to
invest in science and technology. In these tough economic times, we
must look ahead and recognize the necessity of research and
experimentation in developing new products and improving existing ones.
If the U.S. wants to remain the leader in technological innovation, it
is imperative that we invigorate investment in private sector
innovation so that we can expand our global leadership in high
technology and spur greater economic growth domestically.
As the former chairman of the House Science Committee, I understand
the importance of promoting policies that strengthen America's
technological
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leadership, and recognize the endless economic benefits when innovation
takes place. However, once again, we are seeing the majority ignore
rising deficits and continue on the path of reckless spending. As some
of my colleagues have already noted, this legislation includes $22
billion in new funding over this year's base. Our national debt stands
at $13 trillion, and our deficits are up 50 percent over the past 3
years. The majority cannot continue to pile the debt upon our children
and grandchildren.
It strikes me as odd that we are ramping up funding for this act when
the programs that it funds are only starting to be implemented. Without
having the opportunity to perform proper oversight to know which
programs are effective and which are not, it appears that we are simply
here today to throw another $86 billion at the wall to see what sticks.
The legislation before us goes beyond basic research and development
activities. It creates several duplicative and unnecessary programs.
Take, for example, the creation of the new Energy Innovation Hub
program. The administration's fiscal year 2011 budget included funding
for a hub on batteries and energy storage; however, budget documents
indicate that there are at least five other DOE programs which conduct
similar energy storage R&D activities. Unfortunately, this is not the
only example of a proposed hub that appears to duplicate existing R&D
efforts.
Additionally, this legislation not only dramatically increases
spending, but shifts the focus of the original America COMPETES Act of
basic research to increased spending on later-stage technology
development and commercialization efforts. I do not believe that the
government ought to be in the business of picking winners and losers;
however, that is exactly what the provisions of this legislation
attempt to do.
Throughout the legislation, there is an emphasis on climate change
research and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. It troubles me to
see in a competitiveness bill the prominence of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions as a policy objective. This legislation effectively seeks to
prohibit the pursuit of technologies that would advance energy
independence through expanded supplier production of domestic energy
resources.
In order for the U.S. to continue to compete and to be an innovative
leader throughout the world, we must ensure we devote the proper
resources and incentives in basic research and development. However,
this legislation is not the answer. I urge a ``no'' vote on this bill.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
subcommittee chairman of the Research and Science Education Committee,
Dr. Lipinski.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of this bill, and
I want to thank Chairman Gordon for his tremendous leadership on this
issue. Passage of this bill will help produce a brighter future for our
Nation and our Nation's workers or, put more simply, this bill means
jobs.
As a former college professor, an engineer, and a ceaseless advocate
for American manufacturing, I want to focus on the National Science
Foundation title, which comes from my bill, H.R. 4997. Besides keeping
NSF on its doubling path, it significantly increases support for basic
research, STEM education, graduate education, and technology transfer.
That is turning research into jobs.
In addition to our newly created NSF manufacturing and research
program and a reauthorization of the National Nanotechnology
Initiative, it includes a funding increase for MEP programs and a new
innovative technology loan guarantee program.
The COMPETES Act also includes provisions to address the serious
deterioration in the state of our research infrastructure, both at
universities and our national labs, which threatens America's
competitiveness. In addition, the GENIUS Act is included, a bipartisan
bill I introduced with Representative Wolf to allow the NSF to offer
innovative inducement prizes.
The COMPETES Reauthorization Act takes a proactive and bipartisan
approach to securing America's position in a 21st century global
economy and creating jobs, and I urge my colleagues to vote for this
bill.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairwoman, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentlelady from Illinois, a member of the committee, Mrs. Biggert.
Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and Madam Chair, I
rise in support of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
of 2010.
I commend Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for their efforts
to move this bill through regular order and for working with Members on
both sides to make improvements to the bill.
Like many of my colleagues here, I strongly supported in 2007 the
original America COMPETES Act, which became our Nation's first
coordinated and strategic investment plan aimed at maintaining U.S.
leadership in science and technology.
Based on the recommendations in the National Academies report,
``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,'' this bill we are considering
today will build on the investments of the 2007 legislation and
preserve U.S. leadership in math, science, and engineering education,
and basic research development and commercialization opportunities for
our country.
As some have suggested, H.R. 5116 is not without flaws. I share the
concerns my colleagues have about the creation of new programs and
higher funding levels contained in the bill. Some of our concerns were
addressed in committee, some were not. That said, I also urge my
colleagues to keep in mind that this bill is, above all else, an
investment in scientific advancement, with proven economic returns for
many years to come.
At the heart of the COMPETES Act is the reauthorization of the
Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science
Foundation, two programs that form the backbone of basic research and
education in universities and laboratories across the country. Their
reauthorization is critical to America's ability to maintain a
technological and competitive edge over our European and Asian
competitors in the global economy.
{time} 1515
In particular, the Office of Science supports 40 percent of basic
research in the United States and ensures that the U.S. retains its
dominance in such key scientific fields as nanotechnology, materials
science, biotechnology, and supercomputing--all areas in which emerging
technology is laying the groundwork for a new generation of products
and services. The Office of Science is especially critical to States
like Illinois, where university and laboratory research and development
supports 68,000 high-tech jobs, according to the Illinois Science and
Technology Coalition. Furthermore, the Office of Science maintains
large-scale user facilities like at Argonne National Laboratory in my
district. These facilities provide scientists from both the public and
private sector with the tools that they need to turn groundbreaking
research into real, tangible tools and benefits for consumers,
patients, energy users, and other sectors. In my district alone, dozens
of firms have spun off from the research started at Argonne and gone on
to become major employers and economic leaders.
Consider this. In 1 year, the user facility at Argonne will host
3,500 researchers from 50 States, 145 U.S. companies, and 265
universities.
The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairwoman, I yield the gentlewoman 1
additional minute.
Mrs. BIGGERT. Without this support, research breakthroughs in AIDS
medications, alternative fuels, and infrastructure materials would not
have been possible. Fortunately, with this reauthorization of COMPETES,
we will have the ability to realize the promises of scientific
innovation much faster.
Too often, I hear from small businesses in my district about what I
call the ``valley of death''--that period when a firm has developed a
new technology but faces difficulty commercializing it and moving it
into the market. By facilitating commercialization and opening access
to advanced Federal facilities, this bill removes those hurdles.
Madam Chairman, in a struggling economy where investment dollars are
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scarce and new opportunities are at a premium, we should put our
Nation's immense scientific talent and extensive infrastructure to work
creating and developing the products and jobs of tomorrow.
With that, I would urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, let me first point out that my
friend from Texas (Mr. Hall) is not doing a Roy Orbison impersonation
today. He had a cataract removed earlier and that's the reason he
periodically is wearing his sunglasses. A lesser person wouldn't have
made it today. I compliment Mr. Hall for being here.
I yield 1 minute to our very distinguished majority leader, the
gentleman from Maryland, Steny Hoyer.
Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman from Tennessee, the chairman of the
committee, for yielding. I congratulate Mr. Hall, my good friend from
Texas, for his leadership. And I rise in support of the America
COMPETES Act.
I want to congratulate Mr. Gordon in particular. Mr. Gordon has been
focused on the subject matter of this bill--innovation, entrepreneurial
efforts, science, technology, math, and engineering efforts--to make
our economy more competitive worldwide and more vibrant here at home.
This bill creates jobs in the short term and builds a strong foundation
for prosperity in the long term. That's what we need to be focusing on.
That's what Americans want us to focus on. They want us to get jobs
now. But they also want to have a resilient, growing economy for the
future. We can accomplish both goals by expanding our support for
research and development so that the United States remains the world's
technology leader.
This bill establishes innovative technology Federal loan guarantees
for small- and medium-sized manufacturers. Those loans, which are
especially needed at a time when credit is tight, will help our
businesses keep pace with a changing economy, increase productivity,
and hold their own with overseas competitors. By supporting innovation,
as this bill does, this bill will help those businesses save and create
jobs. It will also promote job growth and innovation on the regional
level by creating regional innovation clusters--collections of local
businesses that collaborate on emerging technology in similar fields.
As Chairman Bart Gordon of the Science and Technology Committee has
observed, ``Clusters can strengthen or revive a region's economy and
can advance the work being done in their field by bringing their
leaders together to share ideas and build off one another.'' I agree
with that comment. That's why I think they're so important.
However, as Mike Muro of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the
Brookings Institution points out, America ``lags other nations in
fostering these distributed, bottom-up systems of business development,
innovation, and talent matching. The time has come,'' Mr. Muro went on,
``for America to make regional industry networks a defining aspect of
the Nation's effort to catalyze the next era of high-quality job
creation and growth.'' Bart Gordon and the Science and Tech Committee
have done that. I congratulate them for that. It's an encouraging step
that this bill does just that.
In addition, the America COMPETES Act helps ensure that our workforce
will meet the challenges of the 21st century economy, by investing in
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It reauthorizes and
increases funding for the vital National Science Foundation, which
promotes cutting-edge research by funding innovation in fields from
computer science to mathematics to genomics.
Madam Chair, Federal support for research is one of the best
investments we can make. I congratulate Mr. Gordon, again, not only on
his leadership on this bill, but on his leadership through the decades
that he has served in this institution on these very issues. Federally
supported research gave us GPS, the computer mouse, computer-aided
design, and the Internet. There's no telling the ways in which it might
shape our lives in the years to come. The legacy that Mr. Gordon will
leave--unfortunately, he's leaving our midst at the end of this year,
voluntarily, deciding to do some other things. I congratulate him,
though, on the extraordinary contributions he's made during his years
of service here.
In a competitive world economy, the National Science Foundation
reported that our R&D expenditure has fallen as a share of the world
total, as the growing Asian economies gain a greater share. This bill
can, and will, help reverse that trend. The America COMPETES Act won
bipartisan support the first time Congress authorized it in 2007. I
hope and expect that that bill will garner such bipartisan support that
it deserves this time around.
Again, in closing, Madam Chair, let me congratulate Mr. Gordon and
thank Mr. Hall for his role.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairwoman, may I inquire as to how much
time I have left?
The CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 19 minutes remaining.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I thank the chairwoman.
Madam Chair, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Rohrabacher).
Mr. ROHRABACHER. Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 5116, but
let me begin by congratulating Chairman Gordon for the great leadership
that he's provided while he's been chairman of the committee, as well
as the great cooperation and leadership that Ranking Member Hall has
provided us. These two gentlemen have exemplified the very best of our
democratic system. Back now to this piece of legislation, however.
The theoretical purpose of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act
is to enhance the Nation's long-term economic competitiveness through
investments in science and technology. I support this laudable goal, as
I have for more than 21 years as a member of the Committee on Science
and Technology, including 10 years in which I was a subcommittee
chairman. But I cannot support this legislation which, simply put,
authorizes too much funding in too many wrongheaded ways.
While I'm certain this bill was drafted with the best of intentions
and motivations, I strongly disagree that this is in our Nation's best
interests. American investments in science and technology cannot
operate in a vacuum. We need a broader strategy that prioritizes
spending, reduces debt, eliminates deficits, and provides clarity,
stability, and the appropriate regulatory environment. Only this
combined policy, with all of the difficult analysis and hard choices
that it entails, will allow America to maintain our technological edge.
But this legislation makes no choices. It simply authorizes more and
more spending.
We cannot enhance our long-term competitiveness by mortgaging the
future of our children and grandchildren. That is precisely what this
legislation does. The Congressional Budget Office says that
implementing this legislation will cost $85 billion, a 32 percent
increase over the FY 2010 baseline. This will clearly elevate the level
of deficit spending for our country. We're talking about borrowing
money from China and other foreign nations to meet the goals of this
legislation. It's new spending on top of old, creating towering debt.
Like a game of Jenga, we're eroding the base by piling even greater
burdens on an increasingly unstable system, hoping that the whole thing
won't just fall apart while we're holding the ball. Well, instead, if
we manage to get through this without a total collapse, the way our
country is going, we will be burying our children in debt. And that is
not an option we should be advocating. We should go at the debt
legislation by legislation, as we are today.
At the same time, in this legislation there is no prioritization of
programs and spending, no attempt at increasing efficiencies or at
restructuring programs that would be expected to be reauthorized in a
bill of this size and complexity. There aren't even any commonsense
safeguards to make sure that these funds won't promote foreign
competitors. If we finance foreign researchers who then return home
with their new capabilities, it certainly won't help America compete.
Perhaps, if the money will go to train foreigners and subsidize
companies not owned by Americans, we should name this the America
DEPLETES Act. Creating new Federal programs or expanding existing
programs should always be done with caution and oversight. Establishing
new programs, especially in times of economic downturn, means
increasing deficit spending, which in
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itself is something that will drag down productivity and economic
activity.
Along with some good things, this legislation creates new programs
which are unnecessary and wasteful and which, as some of my fellow
colleagues have already pointed out, are redundant to existing
programs. All of this while increasing the level of deficit spending.
This is not a roadmap to progress for a better future. It's just
another well-intentioned spending program, financed by borrowing, that
will propel America over the economic cliff to which we are headed.
Over this last year, spending more, borrowing more, taxing more,
subsidizing more, and running up the level of Federal deficit spending
at such a record pace has not spurred our economy. It has not caused
economic growth or reversed the economic crisis and challenge which we
find ourselves confronting today. I believe those pushing this
legislation are well-intentioned, but they're not diligent. Diligence
would require prioritization, program restructuring, regulatory relief,
and tearing down the roadblocks to using the technologies that we
already have, rather than just spending more and more.
So, with that, I suggest that there are good parts to this bill, but
I would have to rise in opposition.
{time} 1530
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from Washington, Dr. Baird, the outstanding subcommittee
chairman of the Energy and the Environment Subcommittee.
Mr. BAIRD. Madam Chair, I think one of the best things that can
happen to a Member of Congress is the privilege to serve on a committee
you are passionate about and with a chairman and ranking member who you
have deep respect for, and that certainly applies to the Science
Committee chairman and ranking member.
America COMPETES is about jobs; it is about energy independence; it
is about better foreign policy; and it is about leaving a cleaner,
healthier environment for our children and our grandchildren. Contrary
to some of the things some of the opponents have said, this is, in
fact, one of the very best investments we can make in our future. Every
day and in this room today are young Americans watching this process.
This bill is about their future. It's about whether they'll have
qualified, well-trained scientists, engineers and mathematicians as
professors and mentors. It's about whether this country will have the
technology to lead the world in the next century and the rest of this
century on energy independence. It is about discoveries that will
transform lives and transform this Nation.
I'm particularly proud of the authorization work in this to
reauthorize the DOE Office of Basic Science. They produce outstanding
work, as my colleague Mrs. Biggert said earlier, but I am also
particularly impressed with some of the new programs of the original
America COMPETES, notably the ARPA-E program. If anything this Congress
does is going to turn around the economy not just for the short term
but for the long term, it is innovations like that which will result
from the authorization of the America COMPETES Act, ARPA-E, NSF
reauthorization, NIST, and all of the other elements. This is critical
legislation, absolutely critical for the future strength, national
security, economic health and jobs of our citizens, and I urge its
passage.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I recognize for 1\1/2\ minutes
the gentlelady from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson), a valued member
of the Science and Technology Committee.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise in support of
H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. My colleagues and
I on the Committee on Science and Technology have held numerous
hearings and markups to prepare the legislation that is before us
today. It puts the National Science Foundation and the Department of
Energy's Office of Science on a path to double their research budgets,
and it's needed. It will prepare thousands of new teachers and provide
current teachers with better materials and skills by reauthorizing the
Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. It also reauthorizes grant programs
to increase the number of advanced placement teachers in high-need
schools and provides students in high-need communities with access to
laboratory experiences. As women and minorities continue to be
underrepresented in the sciences, the America COMPETES Act includes
many provisions that will strengthen diversity in our Nation's
scientific enterprise.
I am pleased that during committee we prohibited the consolidation of
programs that serve minority institutions and students. I also applaud
the committee for including the Fulfilling the Potential of Women in
Academic Science and Engineering Act, which is important legislation
that I sponsored for two Congresses. I also applaud many of the other
provisions in this legislation that promise to ensure America COMPETES
includes all Americans. These provisions will have schools around the
Nation elevate their math and science programs so that they can achieve
the standard exemplified by the School of Science and Engineering at
Townview in Dallas. This school is rated the best in the Nation among
public high schools and has been that for 10 years.
Madam Chair, I want to commend Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member
Hall for their hard work on this legislation. This bill was put
together in a bipartisan fashion. It represents a concerted effort to
create a more competitive science and engineering workforce. I support
this bill, Madam Chair, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of
it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. How much time is remaining?
The CHAIR. The gentleman has 13\1/2\ minutes remaining on his time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Thank you, Madam Chair.
I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Arizona (Ms.
Giffords), the chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee.
Ms. GIFFORDS. Madam Chair, first I would like to congratulate
Chairman Gordon and also Ranking Member Hall for this legislation.
Three years ago, this body recognized the importance that science and
technology play on our 21st century workforce, and we took action by
passing the America COMPETES Act of 2007. We heeded the warnings from
the National Academies' report, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm.''
American students were falling behind in science and mathematics, and
with their falling grades went our ability to remain competitive in
this new global economy. That's why I offered amendments 3 years ago to
help students from low-income and rural parts of America to get the
support they need to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering
and mathematics. But we're not through the woods yet. Today we renew
our commitment by maintaining America's leadership by reauthorizing
this legislation.
This bipartisan bill is exactly the sort this Congress should be
focusing on. It's about the economy; it's about jobs; it's about
innovation; and it's about preparing for tomorrow. I want to take a
moment to mention a particular component of this legislation which I am
particularly proud to support. Earlier this year, I introduced the 21st
Century Graduate STEM Education Act which is now incorporated into this
legislation. We need to do everything we can to ensure that our
students at every level have the best STEM education in the world so
that they can enter the workforce and thrive. The grants created by
this act will help equip graduate students in the STEM fields with the
skills and knowledge for careers so that they can be successful outside
of the traditional academic track.
We need to see more engineers. We need to see more mathematicians. We
need to see more scientists. We need to see more Ph.D.- and master's-
level scientists and engineers teaching in schools, providing the next
generation of students with a solid foundation in math and science.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the
[[Page H3362]]
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Miller), the chairman of the
Oversight Committee.
Mr. MILLER of North Carolina. Madam Chair, if the next generation of
Americans is to be as prosperous as ours, we must regain our edge in
technology, innovation and education. Even before the Great Recession,
the industries that North Carolinians long relied upon--textiles,
tobacco, furniture--suffered one loss after another, and most of our
lost jobs are not coming back. New jobs will either come from science
and research, or they won't come at all.
New technologies create new jobs, and America must lead the way in
developing new technologies and in bringing those technologies to the
marketplace. This bill will provide loans to help small businesses keep
their current employees and hire more. Universities and private
companies in my district are already leaders in many emerging
technologies, including advanced energy technologies; and we will
greatly benefit from the provisions of this bill that will create
regional economies around existing areas of expertise for innovation
hubs. Finally, this bill's investment in basic research will create
jobs that we cannot now even imagine.
On behalf of North Carolinians worried about what the future holds
for their children, I urge support of this bill, and I thank Chairman
Gordon for his tireless work.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairwoman, I continue to reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Fudge), another valued member of our
committee, a new but active member.
Ms. FUDGE. Madam Chairman, I too congratulate Chairman Gordon and
Ranking Member Hall on this landmark legislation. I am proud to have
had the opportunity to work with them on this critical initiative. I
represent Cleveland, an area that is rapidly strengthening its science
and technology resume. In my district, the Cleveland Clinic and
University Hospitals are performing revolutionary biomedical research.
Research and development efforts are supported by the students and
faculty at Case Western Reserve University, one of the leading research
universities in the country. Also, the Ohio STEM learning network, a
paragon of STEM learning, has expanded education to traditionally
underrepresented groups and is being modeled in other areas of the
country.
There is still work to be done. Collaboration among Federal agencies
is essential, which is why I have incorporated an amendment in
committee that would instruct the NSF, NIH, and the Department of
Education to collaborate in identifying grand challenges in education
research and then determine what specific role each agency should play.
This section of COMPETES instructs these agencies to solicit input from
a variety of stakeholders in STEM education, those who know best the
needs of a STEM community. This will ensure that the research performed
is relevant and useful.
The America COMPETES Act draws attention to what we really need to
focus on to continue our leadership and innovation: STEM education and
research and development. I urge my colleagues to support this
legislation.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind), the chairman of the New Dems.
Mr. KIND. Madam Chair, I thank my good friend and colleague from
Tennessee for yielding me this time. As one of the co-chairs in the New
Dem Coalition, Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of reauthorization
of the America COMPETES Act. The New Democratic Coalition was strongly
behind the creation of America COMPETES in 2007, as we stand with this
reauthorization bill today.
I want to commend the leadership of the Science Committee and all the
members for producing this legislation, but especially our good friend
from Tennessee, Chairman Gordon, for the vision and the leadership that
he has shown on this issue. Unfortunately, we're going to be losing
Representative Gordon to retirement this year, but I can't think of a
more powerful or lasting legacy for any Member to leave with than with
the creation of the America COMPETES Act.
What this legislation is about is making sure the United States of
America remains the most innovative and creative Nation in the world,
that we stay on the cutting edge of scientific, medical and
technological discoveries and breakthroughs, that we're making sensible
investments in basic and applied research and also in workforce
development areas, especially in those crucial fields of study, such as
science, technology, engineering, and math.
We have a choice to make today, whether to support these investments
or not and watch other nations in the world do this for us. This bill
is based on the seminal studies that have occurred previously through
the National Academy of Science, ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm,''
or even before that with the John Glenn Commission ``Before It's Too
Late.'' So the information is in. The studies are complete. We know
what we have to do, and this is one of those fundamental building
blocks to establish the groundwork for long-term sustainable economic
growth. In short, this is about jobs today, tomorrow, and in the
future. I encourage my colleagues to support this reauthorization. And
I congratulate Chairman Gordon for such an important bill and for his
distinguished service in Congress.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the
gentlelady from New York (Mrs. Maloney), the chairman of the Joint
Economic Committee.
Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Chair, I rise in support. This legislation will
help to bolster our Nation's economic competitiveness by supporting
basic research, the fundamental building block for innovation and
making investments in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Joint Economic Committee released a report this week looking at
the role of basic research in the R&D process. The report highlights
the critical role the Federal Government plays in funding basic
research. While the Federal Government supports about one-quarter of
overall R&D, as you can see on this chart, it funds more than half, 57
percent, of basic research. Without Federal involvement, basic research
would be underfunded because the returns the private sector can gain on
basic research are smaller than the broader benefits to our overall
economy.
As we recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression, we
have to look under every rock to give ourselves every chance of
sparking innovations that will fuel future growth and jobs. The America
COMPETES reauthorization funds the basic research that will drive a new
generation of innovation, spawning new technologies and industries and
leading to additional growth and jobs. America COMPETES will strengthen
our economy by making strategic investments in America's future. I urge
a ``yes'' vote and applaud the chairman of the committee for his many
years of service.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to
the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan), another valued member of our
committee.
Mr. LUJAN. Madam Chair, I rise today in support of the America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, and I thank Chairman Gordon and
Ranking Member Hall for their work on this important bill and all my
colleagues on the Committee on Science and Technology for their hard
work.
During these difficult economic times, it's more important than ever
to make sure the United States has the ability to compete globally.
That's why this legislation is so sorely needed and which is why I
included language in this bill that encourages cooperative agreements
between small businesses and our national labs. Our national
laboratories are developing new technology that could change the way we
generate energy, keep our airports safer, and make our hospitals
healthier. My language will make sure this technology gets into a
competitive marketplace to encourage economic
[[Page H3363]]
development and create jobs right here in America.
The COMPETES Act also makes key investments in science education,
ensuring that our students are prepared for the jobs of the future. For
too long, there has been a divide that has kept minority students out
of these fields. We must close this divide and make sure that this
generation of students has the opportunity to be the next generation of
scientists, researchers, and inventors. That is why I included language
in this bill to help support Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Tribal
Colleges and Universities, and other minority-serving institutions. The
America COMPETES Act will drive innovation, support small business,
increase American competitiveness, and create jobs. I urge my
colleagues to support this bill.
{time} 1545
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman
from California (Mr. Bilbray).
Mr. BILBRAY. Madam Chairman, I regretfully stand up today in
opposition to this bill, and it is not because of major portions of the
bill. I want to say first of all, I want to thank the chairman for his
effort here in getting as much of a bipartisan bill as possible. He
worked hard on this, and not just this bill, but I think through the
entire years he has been chair, he has really made an effort to do what
a lot of people talk about in this town but very few are willing to do,
and that is make that bipartisan effort.
Sadly, Madam Chair, I have to oppose this bill for one major issue,
and that is this bill does not take the effort to make sure that the
billions of dollars in this bill do not go to illegal employers who are
creating a crime problem in my district and around this country. All we
have asked for is the ability to assure our constituency that none of
the tax money that we are putting into this bill at this effort will be
diverted into illegal activities such as hiring people who are not
legally present in the United States.
As every Member of Congress knows, the Federal Government requires
that all Federal departments, including Members of Congress, use E-
verification system to ensure or at least make the effort to avoid the
situation where Federal tax dollars are being diverted into illegal
employment.
The President of the United States this year initiated a program of
requiring contractors to use the E-Verify system to make sure that
those tax dollars didn't go to contractors who were illegally
employing. All we asked with this bill was that we include a provision
that allows us to be able to ensure our constituency that the same can
be said with this expenditure of billions of dollars.
I have to say, I really feel remorse for having to stand up now
because it has been such a great effort to try to get it across and do
the right thing. All I can say, Madam Chair, is I hope the chairman,
who knows how we feel about this, is successful in the future as this
bill moves forward at including the provision for this in this bill
that all employers, all contractors, all grantees, do the right thing
and the appropriate thing by using E-Verify to make sure that Federal
funds are not used in illegal activity.
So as we move forward, I would ask that the chairman's mark be looked
at as an opportunity to include the E-Verify requirement; that when we
go to conference, the E-Verify requirement be looked at as a
possibility at that level; and before we go to final adoption, that we
include the E-Verify in this, because I think after what has happened
in the last few weeks, with the outrage across this country, both sides
being very upset, the major thing they are upset about is that Congress
is not taking the opportunity to do those little things that common
sense and common decency say we should be doing as legislators and
addressing the real source of the illegal immigration problem, and that
is the illegal employment. And if we cannot find enough intestinal
fortitude to require those who are getting Federal grants and Federal
guarantees to play by the rules and make sure they are not hiring
illegals, how can we go home to our constituency and say we really do
care, let alone we've done enough.
I ask, Madam Chair, that we sadly vote against this bill, even with
all of its great packages, until the essential part of this is done,
and that is requiring that everybody who gets a loan guarantee,
everybody who gets a grant, anybody who gives a job out under this bill
needs to make sure that it is going to an American or a legal resident
who has the right under the law to be employed in this country. Until
we do that much, we really don't have the right to ask the American
people to pay for this bill.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski) for a colloquy.
Mr. LIPINSKI. Madam Chair, section 404 of the bill reorganizes the
NIST laboratories, including creating an engineering laboratory for
manufacturing and construction research. As you are aware, NIST
currently performs important research on fire safety. Will this
restructuring of the current Building and Fire Research Lab prevent
NIST from engaging in this important fire safety research?
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. The gentleman is correct that NIST does
perform critical research on fire safety, enabling safer fire codes and
standards and safer equipment for firefighters. Nothing in this
restructuring provision will prevent NIST from continuing this
important work.
Mr. LIPINSKI. I thank Chairman Gordon.
Ms. HERSETH SANDLIN. Madam Chair, thank you for the opportunity to
offer this amendment to the America COMPETES Act. I am grateful to
Chairwoman Slaughter and the Rules Committee for making this amendment
in order.
I'd also like to thank Chairman Gordon for his support for this
amendment and for his nearly 26 years of service in this Chamber. I
congratulate him on his hard work on this bill and wish him and his
family the best as he gets ready to move on to the next chapter in his
career.
This amendment expresses the sense of the Congress that the National
Science Foundation should respond to the recommendations of the
National Academy of Sciences and National Science and Technology
Council regarding investments in facilities, and to make joint
investments with the Department of Energy where possible.
Currently, the NSF in investing in one such project with the
Department of Energy for a joint facility in South Dakota, in response
to the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and National
Science and Technology Council.
The facility in Lead, South Dakota is known as the Deep Underground
Science and Engineering Laboratory, or DUSEL. A deep underground
facility will shield experiments from cosmic rays that interfere with
results. The DUSEL in Lead will be the largest deep underground
facility in the world; Russia, Italy, and Japan already have deep
underground facilities.
Lead is the home of the Homestake gold mine, once the largest and
deepest gold mine in North America. The DUSEL will continue a long
history of scientific exploration in the Homestake mine, which began
with the solar neutrino experiments of the 1960s.
Construction is already underway at the mine to accommodate this new
21st century scientific project of national significance. Preparations
for a Large Underground Xenon, or LUX, detector are already occurring
4,850 feet below the surface. The mission of the LUX detector is to
detect dark matter which makes up approximately 95 percent of mass in
the known universe. This experiment will help us better understand the
makeup of the universe.
The DUSEL project promises to advance our understanding in a number
of scientific disciplines, including particle and nuclear physics,
geology, hydrology, geo-engineering, biology, and biochemistry.
Experiments in the mine will be conducted at the surface and up to
8,000 feet deep. It will also have an important educational component
for K-12 students all the way through graduate school students.
Educating our girls and boys at a younger age in science will help them
achieve as they get older and encourage them to pursue scientific
careers.
I am grateful for Chairman Gordon's support for this amendment and
urge my colleagues to approve this amendment and help advance the cause
of science and continue our Nation's leading role in exploring the
foundations of the natural world around us.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Chair, I want to express my support of the
America COMPETES Act, and in its commitment to investing in quality
math and science education. Strong investments in STEM fields are
essential to the future success of our nation, both in our commitment
to quality education and America's continued leadership in science
throughout the world.
[[Page H3364]]
I particularly rise in strong support of the Davis Amendment for
which I am a cosponsor; an amendment that envisions the increasingly
important role that community colleges can and should play in the
advancement of STEM education and STEM career training.
Community colleges are an affordable and accessible educational
vehicle. They provide high quality education and career training ro a
diverse population of students and serve the diverse needs of their
communities.
I strongly support the plan to build partnerships and grants to
community colleges to improve educational opportunities for underserved
communities, and to explore and expand the role of community colleges
in STEM fields.
This amendment will assist community colleges by exploring the role
of two-year institutions of higher education as STEM educators,
providers of the foundational elements for people on the path to STEM
careers and transitioning to four-year instititions in STEM degree
programs.
The amendment will further task Federal agencies with engaging
underrepresented groups in STEM and in engaging community colleges on
opportunities to participate in STEM related research, curriculum and
infrastructure.
I thank Congressman Danny Davis for his leadership and am happy to
join him on this amendment.
Ms. HIRONO. Madam Chair, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5116, the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act.
Three years ago, Congress passed the America Creating Opportunities
to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology Education and Science
Act, or America COMPETES Act. Enactment of this law authorized funds
over three years for the National Science Foundation, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, and certain math and science
related programs within the Energy Department's Office of Science.
The 2007 law came about partly in reaction to a 2005 National
Academies report that focused on American students' lagging performance
in science and math compared with their peers in other developed
countries. In passing this law, we realize then, as we do now, that
failure to invest in our young people by improving science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) education at all levels will have serious
repercussions--not only in terms of workforce development but also in
our ability to promote cutting-edge, innovative breakthroughs that will
keep us competitive in the global economy.
As a cosponsor of H.R. 5116, I believe that America's economy can
continue to grow and prosper if we act now to promote innovation and
the development of new technology. This bill expands, strengthens, and
aligns STEM education programs at all levels. It allows more schools to
participate in the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program, which
trains highly competent secondary teachers in STEM fields to teach in
high-need schools. It provides grants to increase the quantity and
quality of students receiving undergraduate degrees in STEM and creates
fellowships to develop the leadership skills of recent doctoral degree
graduates in these fields. Importantly, H.R. 5116 promotes
participation of women and minorities in STEM fields to strengthen and
diversify our workforce.
The America COMPETES Reauthorization Act also creates a new program
that provides loan guarantees to small- and medium-sized manufacturers
for projects using innovative technologies or processes. In addition,
this bill fosters innovation and basic research by supporting new
regional innovation clusters, creating energy innovation hubs, and
reauthorizing ARPA-E (the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Energy)
to pursue high-risk, high-reward technology development.
Our nation has flourished from the dreams of pioneers who have turned
innovative ideas into breakthrough technologies. Investing in STEM
education, workforce development, and R&D will help spur economic
growth and provide quality jobs for Americans in the 21st century.
I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chairman, we have no further speakers, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
The CHAIR. All time for general debate has expired.
Pursuant to the rule, the bill shall be considered for amendment
under the 5-minute rule.
It shall be in order to consider as an original bill for the purpose
of amendment under the 5-minute rule the amendment in the nature of a
substitute printed in the bill, modified by the amendment printed in
part A of House Report 111-479. The committee amendment in the nature
of a substitute shall be considered as read.
The text of the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute is
as follows:
H.R. 5116
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``America
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act
is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
TITLE I--SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Subtitle A--National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments
Sec. 101. Short title.
Sec. 102. National nanotechnology program amendments.
Sec. 103. Societal dimensions of nanotechnology.
Sec. 104. Technology transfer.
Sec. 105. Research in areas of national importance.
Sec. 106. Nanomanufacturing research.
Sec. 107. Definitions.
Subtitle B--Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development
Sec. 111. Short title.
Sec. 112. Program planning and coordination.
Sec. 113. Large-scale research in areas of national importance.
Sec. 114. Cyber-physical systems and information management.
Sec. 115. National Coordination Office.
Sec. 116. Improving networking and information technology education.
Sec. 117. Conforming and technical amendments.
Subtitle C--Other OSTP Provisions
Sec. 121. Federal scientific collections.
Sec. 122. Coordination of manufacturing research and development.
Sec. 123. Interagency public access committee.
Sec. 124. Fulfilling the potential of women in academic science and
engineering.
TITLE II--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Sec. 201. Short title.
Subtitle A--General Provisions
Sec. 211. Definitions.
Sec. 212. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 213. National Science Board administrative amendments.
Sec. 214. Broader impacts review criterion.
Sec. 215. National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
Sec. 216. Collection of data on demographics of faculty.
Subtitle B--Research and Innovation
Sec. 221. Support for potentially transformative research.
Sec. 222. Facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations for national
needs.
Sec. 223. National Science Foundation manufacturing research and
education.
Sec. 224. Strengthening institutional research partnerships.
Sec. 225. National Science Board report on mid-scale instrumentation.
Sec. 226. Sense of Congress on overall support for research
infrastructure at the Foundation.
Sec. 227. Partnerships for innovation.
Sec. 228. Prize awards.
Subtitle C--STEM Education and Workforce Training
Sec. 241. Graduate student support.
Sec. 242. Postdoctoral fellowship in STEM education research.
Sec. 243. Robert Noyce teacher scholarship program.
Sec. 244. Institutions serving persons with disabilities.
Sec. 245. Institutional integration.
Sec. 246. Postdoctoral research fellowships.
Sec. 247. Broadening participation training and outreach.
Sec. 248. Transforming undergraduate education in STEM.
Sec. 249. 21st century graduate education.
Sec. 250. Undergraduate broadening participation program.
Sec. 251. Grand challenges in education research.
Sec. 252. Research experiences for undergraduates.
Sec. 253. Laboratory science pilot program.
Sec. 254. STEM industry internship programs.
Sec. 255. Tribal colleges and universities program.
TITLE III--STEM EDUCATION
Sec. 301. Coordination of Federal STEM education.
Sec. 302. Advisory committee on STEM education.
Sec. 303. STEM education at the Department of Energy.
Sec. 304. Green energy education.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
Sec. 401. Short title.
Sec. 402. Authorization of appropriations.
Sec. 403. Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology.
Sec. 404. Reorganization of NIST laboratories.
Sec. 405. Federal Government standards and conformity assessment
coordination.
Sec. 406. Manufacturing extension partnership.
Sec. 407. Bioscience research program.
Sec. 408. Emergency communication and tracking technologies research
initiative.
[[Page H3365]]
Sec. 409. TIP Advisory Board.
Sec. 410. Underrepresented minorities.
Sec. 411. Cyber security standards and guidelines.
Sec. 412. Definitions.
TITLE V--INNOVATION
Sec. 501. Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Sec. 502. Federal loan guarantees for innovative technologies in
manufacturing.
Sec. 503. Regional innovation program.
TITLE VI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Subtitle A--Office of Science
Sec. 601. Short title.
Sec. 602. Definitions.
Sec. 603. Mission of the Office of Science.
Sec. 604. Basic Energy Sciences Program.
Sec. 605. Biological and Environmental Research Program.
Sec. 606. Advanced Scientific Computing Research Program.
Sec. 607. Fusion energy research program.
Sec. 608. High Energy Physics Program.
Sec. 609. Nuclear Physics Program.
Sec. 610. Science Laboratories Infrastructure Program.
Sec. 611. Authorization of appropriations.
Subtitle B--Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
Sec. 621. Short title.
Sec. 622. ARPA-E amendments.
Subtitle C--Energy Innovation Hubs
Sec. 631. Short title.
Sec. 632. Energy Innovation Hubs.
Subtitle D--Cooperative Research and Development Fund
Sec. 641. Short title.
Sec. 642. Cooperative research and development fund.
TITLE VII--MISCELLANEOUS
Sec. 701. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 702. Persons with disabilities.
Sec. 703. Veterans and service members.
TITLE I--SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
Subtitle A--National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments
SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``National Nanotechnology
Initiative Amendments Act of 2010''.
SEC. 102. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by striking section 2(c)(4) and inserting the following
new paragraph:
``(4) develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment
of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of
2010, and update every 3 years thereafter, a strategic plan
to guide the activities described under subsection (b) that
specifies near-term and long-term objectives for the Program,
the anticipated time frame for achieving the near-term
objectives, and the metrics to be used for assessing progress
toward the objectives, and that describes--
``(A) how the Program will move results out of the
laboratory and into applications for the benefit of society,
including through cooperation and collaborations with
nanotechnology research, development, and technology
transition initiatives supported by the States;
``(B) how the Program will encourage and support
interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology;
and
``(C) proposed research in areas of national importance in
accordance with the requirements of section 105 of the
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2010;'';
(2) in section 2--
(A) in subsection (d)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as
paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
(ii) by inserting the following new paragraph before
paragraph (2), as so redesignated by clause (i) of this
subparagraph:
``(1) the Program budget, for the previous fiscal year, for
each agency that participates in the Program, including a
breakout of spending for the development and acquisition of
research facilities and instrumentation, for each program
component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection
(b)(10);''; and
(B) by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
``(e) Standards Setting.--The agencies participating in the
Program shall support the activities of committees involved
in the development of standards for nanotechnology and may
reimburse the travel costs of scientists and engineers who
participate in activities of such committees.'';
(3) by striking section 3(b) and inserting the following
new subsection:
``(b) Funding.--(1) The operation of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall be supported by
funds from each agency participating in the Program. The
portion of such Office's total budget provided by each agency
for each fiscal year shall be in the same proportion as the
agency's share of the total budget for the Program for the
previous fiscal year, as specified in the report required
under section 2(d)(1).
``(2) The annual report under section 2(d) shall include--
``(A) a description of the funding required by the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office to perform the functions
specified under subsection (a) for the next fiscal year by
category of activity, including the funding required to carry
out the requirements of section 2(b)(10)(D), subsection (d)
of this section, and section 5;
``(B) a description of the funding required by such Office
to perform the functions specified under subsection (a) for
the current fiscal year by category of activity, including
the funding required to carry out the requirements of
subsection (d); and
``(C) the amount of funding provided for such Office for
the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the
Program.'';
(4) by inserting at the end of section 3 the following new
subsection:
``(d) Public Information.--(1) The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall develop and maintain a database
accessible by the public of projects funded under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety, the Education and Societal
Dimensions, and the Nanomanufacturing program component
areas, or any successor program component areas, including a
description of each project, its source of funding by agency,
and its funding history. For the Environmental, Health, and
Safety program component area, or any successor program
component area, projects shall be grouped by major objective
as defined by the research plan required under section 103(b)
of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of
2010. For the Education and Societal Dimensions program
component area, or any successor program component area, the
projects shall be grouped in subcategories of--
``(A) education in formal settings;
``(B) education in informal settings;
``(C) public outreach; and
``(D) ethical, legal, and other societal issues.
``(2) The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall
develop, maintain, and publicize information on
nanotechnology facilities supported under the Program, and
may include information on nanotechnology facilities
supported by the States, that are accessible for use by
individuals from academic institutions and from industry. The
information shall include at a minimum the terms and
conditions for the use of each facility, a description of the
capabilities of the instruments and equipment available for
use at the facility, and a description of the technical
support available to assist users of the facility.'';
(5) in section 4(a)--
(A) by striking ``or designate'';
(B) by inserting ``as a distinct entity'' after ``Advisory
Panel''; and
(C) by inserting at the end ``The Advisory Panel shall form
a subpanel with membership having specific qualifications
tailored to enable it to carry out the requirements of
subsection (c)(7).'';
(6) in section 4(b)--
(A) by striking ``or designated'' and ``or designating'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ``At least one
member of the Advisory Panel shall be an individual employed
by and representing a minority-serving institution.'';
(7) by amending section 5 to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL
NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall enter into an
arrangement with the National Research Council of the
National Academy of Sciences to conduct a triennial review of
the Program. The Director shall ensure that the arrangement
with the National Research Council is concluded in order to
allow sufficient time for the reporting requirements of
subsection (b) to be satisfied. Each triennial review shall
include an evaluation of the--
``(1) research priorities and technical content of the
Program, including whether the allocation of funding among
program component areas, as designated according to section
2(c)(2), is appropriate;
``(2) effectiveness of the Program's management and
coordination across agencies and disciplines, including an
assessment of the effectiveness of the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office;
``(3) Program's scientific and technological
accomplishments and its success in transferring technology to
the private sector; and
``(4) adequacy of the Program's activities addressing
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal
concerns, including human health concerns.
``(b) Evaluation To Be Transmitted to Congress.--The
National Research Council shall document the results of each
triennial review carried out in accordance with subsection
(a) in a report that includes any recommendations for ways to
improve the Program's management and coordination processes
and for changes to the Program's objectives, funding
priorities, and technical content. Each report shall be
submitted to the Director of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office, who shall transmit it to the Advisory
Panel, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
of the Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of
the House of Representatives not later than September 30 of
every third year, with the first report due September 30,
2010.
``(c) Funding.--Of the amounts provided in accordance with
section 3(b)(1), the following amounts shall be available to
carry out this section:
``(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2010.
``(2) $500,000 for fiscal year 2011.
``(3) $500,000 for fiscal year 2012.''; and
(8) in section 10--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Nanotechnology.--The term `nanotechnology' means the
science and technology that will enable one to understand,
measure, manipulate, and manufacture at the nanoscale, aimed
at creating materials, devices, and systems with
fundamentally new properties or functions.''; and
[[Page H3366]]
(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(7) Nanoscale.--The term `nanoscale' means one or more
dimensions of between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers.''.
SEC. 103. SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.
(a) Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of
Nanotechnology.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall designate an associate director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy as the
Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology. The
Coordinator shall be responsible for oversight of the
coordination, planning, and budget prioritization of
activities required by section 2(b)(10) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(10)). The Coordinator shall, with the assistance of
appropriate senior officials of the agencies funding
activities within the Environmental, Health, and Safety and
the Education and Societal Dimensions program component areas
of the Program, or any successor program component areas,
ensure that the requirements of such section 2(b)(10) are
satisfied. The responsibilities of the Coordinator shall
include--
(1) ensuring that a research plan for the environmental,
health, and safety research activities required under
subsection (b) is developed, updated, and implemented and
that the plan is responsive to the recommendations of the
subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under section 4(a)
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this subtitle;
(2) encouraging and monitoring the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of
resources and management attention necessary to ensure that
the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate
societal concerns related to nanotechnology, including human
health concerns, are addressed under the Program, including
the implementation of the research plan described in
subsection (b); and
(3) encouraging the agencies required to develop the
research plan under subsection (b) to identify, assess, and
implement suitable mechanisms for the establishment of
public-private partnerships for support of environmental,
health, and safety research.
(b) Research Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of
Nanotechnology shall convene and chair a panel comprised of
representatives from the agencies funding research activities
under the Environmental, Health, and Safety program component
area of the Program, or any successor program component area,
and from such other agencies as the Coordinator considers
necessary to develop, periodically update, and coordinate the
implementation of a research plan for this program component
area. In developing and updating the plan, the panel convened
by the Coordinator shall solicit and be responsive to
recommendations and advice from--
(A) the subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under
section 4(a) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this
subtitle; and
(B) the agencies responsible for environmental, health, and
safety regulations associated with the production, use, and
disposal of nanoscale materials and products.
(2) Development of standards.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall include a description of how the Program
will help to ensure the development of--
(A) standards related to nomenclature associated with
engineered nanoscale materials;
(B) engineered nanoscale standard reference materials for
environmental, health, and safety testing; and
(C) standards related to methods and procedures for
detecting, measuring, monitoring, sampling, and testing
engineered nanoscale materials for environmental, health, and
safety impacts.
(3) Components of plan.--The plan required under paragraph
(1) shall, with respect to activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (2)--
(A) specify near-term research objectives and long-term
research objectives;
(B) specify milestones associated with each near-term
objective and the estimated time and resources required to
reach each milestone;
(C) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B), describe the
role of each agency carrying out or sponsoring research in
order to meet the objectives specified under subparagraph (A)
and to achieve the milestones specified under subparagraph
(B);
(D) specify the funding allocated to each major objective
of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the
current fiscal year; and
(E) estimate the funding required for each major objective
of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the
following 3 fiscal years.
(4) Transmittal to congress.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall be submitted not later than 60 days after
the date of enactment of this Act to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives.
(5) Updating and appending to report.--The plan required
under paragraph (1) shall be updated annually and appended to
the report required under section 2(d) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(d)).
(c) Nanotechnology Partnerships.--
(1) Establishment.--As part of the program authorized by
section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 2002, the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall provide 1 or more grants to establish partnerships as
defined by subsection (a)(2) of that section, except that
each such partnership shall include 1 or more businesses
engaged in the production of nanoscale materials, products,
or devices. Partnerships established in accordance with this
subsection shall be designated as ``Nanotechnology Education
Partnerships''.
(2) Purpose.--Nanotechnology Education Partnerships shall
be designed to recruit and help prepare secondary school
students to pursue postsecondary level courses of instruction
in nanotechnology. At a minimum, grants shall be used to
support--
(A) professional development activities to enable secondary
school teachers to use curricular materials incorporating
nanotechnology and to inform teachers about career
possibilities for students in nanotechnology;
(B) enrichment programs for students, including access to
nanotechnology facilities and equipment at partner
institutions, to increase their understanding of nanoscale
science and technology and to inform them about career
possibilities in nanotechnology as scientists, engineers, and
technicians; and
(C) identification of appropriate nanotechnology
educational materials and incorporation of nanotechnology
into the curriculum for secondary school students at one or
more organizations participating in a Partnership.
(3) Selection.--Grants under this subsection shall be
awarded in accordance with subsection (b) of such section 9,
except that paragraph (3)(B) of that subsection shall not
apply.
(d) Undergraduate Education Programs.--
(1) Activities supported.--As part of the activities
included under the Education and Societal Dimensions program
component area, or any successor program component area, the
Program shall support efforts to introduce nanoscale science,
engineering, and technology into undergraduate science and
engineering education through a variety of interdisciplinary
approaches. Activities supported may include--
(A) development of courses of instruction or modules to
existing courses;
(B) faculty professional development; and
(C) acquisition of equipment and instrumentation suitable
for undergraduate education and research in nanotechnology.
(2) Course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement
authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out
activities described in paragraph (1) through the Course,
Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program from amounts
authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B) of the America
COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(3) Advanced technology education authorization.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National
Science Foundation to carry out activities described in
paragraph (1) through the Advanced Technology Education
program from amounts authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B)
of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
(e) Interagency Working Group.--The National Science and
Technology Council shall establish under the Nanoscale
Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee an
Education Working Group to coordinate, prioritize, and plan
the educational activities supported under the Program.
(f) Societal Dimensions in Nanotechnology Education
Activities.--Activities supported under the Education and
Societal Dimensions program component area, or any successor
program component area, that involve informal, precollege, or
undergraduate nanotechnology education shall include
education regarding the environmental, health and safety, and
other societal aspects of nanotechnology.
(g) Remote Access to Nanotechnology Facilities.--(1)
Agencies supporting nanotechnology research facilities as
part of the Program shall require the entities that operate
such facilities to allow access via the Internet, and support
the costs associated with the provision of such access, by
secondary school students and teachers, to instruments and
equipment within such facilities for educational purposes.
The agencies may waive this requirement for cases when
particular facilities would be inappropriate for educational
purposes or the costs for providing such access would be
prohibitive.
(2) The agencies identified in paragraph (1) shall require
the entities that operate such nanotechnology research
facilities to establish and publish procedures, guidelines,
and conditions for the submission and approval of
applications for the use of the facilities for the purpose
identified in paragraph (1) and shall authorize personnel who
operate the facilities to provide necessary technical support
to students and teachers.
SEC. 104. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Prototyping.--
(1) Access to facilities.--In accordance with section
2(b)(7) of 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(7)), the agencies
supporting nanotechnology research facilities as part of the
Program shall provide access to such facilities to companies
for the purpose of assisting the companies in the development
of prototypes of nanoscale products, devices, or processes
(or products, devices, or processes enabled by
nanotechnology) for determining proof of concept. The
agencies shall publicize the availability of these facilities
and encourage their use by companies as provided for in this
section.
(2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)--
(A) shall establish and publish procedures, guidelines, and
conditions for the submission and approval of applications
for use of nanotechnology facilities;
(B) shall publish descriptions of the capabilities of
facilities available for use under this subsection, including
the availability of technical support; and
[[Page H3367]]
(C) may waive recovery, require full recovery, or require
partial recovery of the costs associated with use of the
facilities for projects under this subsection.
(3) Selection and criteria.--In cases when less than full
cost recovery is required pursuant to paragraph (2)(C),
projects provided access to nanotechnology facilities in
accordance with this subsection shall be selected through a
competitive, merit-based process, and the criteria for the
selection of such projects shall include at a minimum--
(A) the readiness of the project for technology
demonstration;
(B) evidence of a commitment by the applicant for further
development of the project to full commercialization if the
proof of concept is established by the prototype; and
(C) evidence of the potential for further funding from
private sector sources following the successful demonstration
of proof of concept.
The agencies may give special consideration in selecting
projects to applications that are relevant to important
national needs or requirements.
(b) Use of Existing Technology Transfer Programs.--
(1) Participating agencies.--Each agency participating in
the Program shall--
(A) encourage the submission of applications for support of
nanotechnology related projects to the Small Business
Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology
Transfer Program administered by such agencies; and
(B) through the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office
and within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives--
(i) the plan described in section 2(c)(7) of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501(c)(7)); and
(ii) a report specifying, if the agency administers a Small
Business Innovation Research Program and a Small Business
Technology Transfer Program--
(I) the number of proposals received for nanotechnology
related projects during the current fiscal year and the
previous 2 fiscal years;
(II) the number of such proposals funded in each year;
(III) the total number of nanotechnology related projects
funded and the amount of funding provided for fiscal year
2004 through fiscal year 2008; and
(IV) a description of the projects identified in accordance
with subclause (III) which received private sector funding
beyond the period of phase II support.
(2) National institute of standards and technology.--The
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology in carrying out the requirements of section 28 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15
U.S.C. 278n) shall--
(A) in regard to subsection (d) of that section, encourage
the submission of proposals for support of nanotechnology
related projects; and
(B) in regard to subsection (g) of that section, include a
description of how the requirement of subparagraph (A) of
this paragraph is being met, the number of proposals for
nanotechnology related projects received, the number of such
proposals funded, the total number of such projects funded
since the beginning of the Technology Innovation Program, and
the outcomes of such funded projects in terms of the metrics
developed in accordance with such subsection (g).
(3) TIP advisory board.--The TIP Advisory Board established
under section 28(k) of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(k)), in carrying out its
responsibilities under subsection (k)(3), shall provide the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology with--
(A) advice on how to accomplish the requirement of
paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection; and
(B) an assessment of the adequacy of the allocation of
resources for nanotechnology related projects supported under
the Technology Innovation Program.
(c) Industry Liaison Groups.--An objective of the Program
shall be to establish industry liaison groups for all
industry sectors that would benefit from applications of
nanotechnology. The Nanomanufacturing, Industry Liaison, and
Innovation Working Group of the National Science and
Technology Council shall actively pursue establishing such
liaison groups.
(d) Coordination With State Initiatives.--Section 2(b)(5)
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
``(5) ensuring United States global leadership in the
development and application of nanotechnology, including
through coordination and leveraging Federal investments with
nanotechnology research, development, and technology
transition initiatives supported by the States;''.
SEC. 105. RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Program shall include support for
nanotechnology research and development activities directed
toward application areas that have the potential for
significant contributions to national economic
competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits.
The activities supported shall be designed to advance the
development of research discoveries by demonstrating
technical solutions to important problems in such areas as
nano-electronics, energy efficiency, health care, and water
remediation and purification. The Advisory Panel shall make
recommendations to the Program for candidate research and
development areas for support under this section.
(b) Characteristics.--
(1) In general.--Research and development activities under
this section shall--
(A) include projects selected on the basis of applications
for support through a competitive, merit-based process;
(B) involve collaborations among researchers in academic
institutions and industry, and may involve nonprofit research
institutions and Federal laboratories, as appropriate;
(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through
collaboration with related State initiatives; and
(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research
discoveries and the results of technology demonstration
activities to industry for commercial development.
(2) Procedures.--Determination of the requirements for
applications under this subsection, review and selection of
applications for support, and subsequent funding of projects
shall be carried out by a collaboration of no fewer than 2
agencies participating in the Program. In selecting
applications for support, the agencies shall give special
consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-
Federal sources.
(3) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, as
authorized by section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)), that are organized to investigate basic research
questions and carry out technology demonstration activities
in areas such as those identified in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Reports required under section 2(d) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501(d)) shall include a description of research and
development areas supported in accordance with this section,
including the same budget information as is required for
program component areas under paragraphs (1) and (2) of such
section 2(d).
SEC. 106. NANOMANUFACTURING RESEARCH.
(a) Research Areas.--The Nanomanufacturing program
component area, or any successor program component area,
shall include research on--
(1) development of instrumentation and tools required for
the rapid characterization of nanoscale materials and for
monitoring of nanoscale manufacturing processes; and
(2) approaches and techniques for scaling the synthesis of
new nanoscale materials to achieve industrial-level
production rates.
(b) Green Nanotechnology.--Interdisciplinary research
centers supported under the Program in accordance with
section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research
and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(4)) that are focused
on nanomanufacturing research and centers established under
the authority of section 105(b)(3) of this subtitle shall
include as part of the activities of such centers--
(1) research on methods and approaches to develop
environmentally benign nanoscale products and nanoscale
manufacturing processes, taking into consideration relevant
findings and results of research supported under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety program component area, or
any successor program component area;
(2) fostering the transfer of the results of such research
to industry; and
(3) providing for the education of scientists and engineers
through interdisciplinary studies in the principles and
techniques for the design and development of environmentally
benign nanoscale products and processes.
(c) Review of Nanomanufacturing Research and Research
Facilities.--
(1) Public meeting.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall sponsor a public meeting, including
representation from a wide range of industries engaged in
nanoscale manufacturing, to--
(A) obtain the views of participants at the meeting on--
(i) the relevance and value of the research being carried
out under the Nanomanufacturing program component area of the
Program, or any successor program component area; and
(ii) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research
facilities supported under the Program are adequate--
(I) to meet current and near-term requirements for the
fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and
systems; and
(II) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and
equipment at the facilities, by means of networking
technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from
the facilities; and
(B) receive any recommendations on ways to strengthen the
research portfolio supported under the Nanomanufacturing
program component area, or any successor program component
area, and on improving the capabilities of nanotechnology
research facilities supported under the Program.
Companies participating in industry liaison groups shall be
invited to participate in the meeting. The Coordination
Office shall prepare a report documenting the findings and
recommendations resulting from the meeting.
(2) Advisory panel review.--The Advisory Panel shall review
the Nanomanufacturing program component area of the Program,
or any successor program component area, and the capabilities
of nanotechnology research facilities supported under the
Program to assess--
(A) whether the funding for the Nanomanufacturing program
component area, or any successor program component area, is
adequate and receiving appropriate priority within the
overall resources available for the Program;
(B) the relevance of the research being supported to the
identified needs and requirements of industry;
(C) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research
facilities supported under the Program are adequate--
[[Page H3368]]
(i) to meet current and near-term requirements for the
fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and
systems; and
(ii) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and
equipment at the facilities, by means of networking
technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from
the facilities; and
(D) the level of funding that would be needed to support--
(i) the acquisition of instrumentation, equipment, and
networking technology sufficient to provide the capabilities
at nanotechnology research facilities described in
subparagraph (C); and
(ii) the operation and maintenance of such facilities.
In carrying out its assessment, the Advisory Panel shall take
into consideration the findings and recommendations from the
report required under paragraph (1).
(3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives a report on its assessment required
under paragraph (2), along with any recommendations and a
copy of the report prepared in accordance with paragraph (1).
SEC. 107. DEFINITIONS.
In this subtitle, terms that are defined in section 10 of
the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act
(15 U.S.C. 7509) have the meaning given those terms in that
section.
Subtitle B--Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development
SEC. 111. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development Act of
2010''.
SEC. 112. PROGRAM PLANNING AND COORDINATION.
(a) Periodic Reviews.--Section 101 of the High-Performance
Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding
at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Periodic Reviews.--The agencies identified in
subsection (a)(3)(B) shall--
``(1) periodically assess the contents and funding levels
of the Program Component Areas and restructure the Program
when warranted, taking into consideration any relevant
recommendations of the advisory committee established under
subsection (b); and
``(2) ensure that the Program includes large-scale, long-
term, interdisciplinary research and development activities,
including activities described in section 104.''.
(b) Development of Strategic Plan.--Section 101 of such Act
(15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended further by adding after
subsection (d), as added by subsection (a) of this section,
the following new subsection:
``(e) Strategic Plan.--
``(1) In General.--The agencies identified in subsection
(a)(3)(B), working through the National Science and
Technology Council and with the assistance of the National
Coordination Office established under section 102, shall
develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment of the
Networking and Information Technology Research and
Development Act of 2010, and update every 3 years thereafter,
a 5-year strategic plan to guide the activities described
under subsection (a)(1).
``(2) Contents.--The strategic plan shall specify near-term
and long-term objectives for the Program, the anticipated
time frame for achieving the near-term objectives, the
metrics to be used for assessing progress toward the
objectives, and how the Program will--
``(A) foster the transfer of research and development
results into new technologies and applications for the
benefit of society, including through cooperation and
collaborations with networking and information technology
research, development, and technology transition initiatives
supported by the States;
``(B) encourage and support mechanisms for
interdisciplinary research and development in networking and
information technology, including through collaborations
across agencies, across Program Component Areas, with
industry, with Federal laboratories (as defined in section 4
of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3703)), and with international organizations;
``(C) address long-term challenges of national importance
for which solutions require large-scale, long-term,
interdisciplinary research and development;
``(D) place emphasis on innovative and high-risk projects
having the potential for substantial societal returns on the
research investment;
``(E) strengthen all levels of networking and information
technology education and training programs to ensure an
adequate, well-trained workforce; and
``(F) attract more women and underrepresented minorities to
pursue postsecondary degrees in networking and information
technology.
``(3) National Research Infrastructure.--The strategic plan
developed in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be
accompanied by milestones and roadmaps for establishing and
maintaining the national research infrastructure required to
support the Program, including the roadmap required by
subsection (a)(2)(E).
``(4) Recommendations.--The entities involved in developing
the strategic plan under paragraph (1) shall take into
consideration the recommendations--
``(A) of the advisory committee established under
subsection (b); and
``(B) of the stakeholders whose input was solicited by the
National Coordination Office, as required under section
102(b)(3).
``(5) Report to Congress.--The Director of the National
Coordination Office shall transmit the strategic plan
required under paragraph (1) to the advisory committee, the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives.''.
(c) Additional Responsibilities of Director.--Section
101(a)(2) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(2)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subparagraphs (E) and (F) as
subparagraphs (F) and (G), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraph:
``(E) encourage and monitor the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of
resources and management attention necessary to ensure that
the strategic plan under subsection (e) is developed and
executed effectively and that the objectives of the Program
are met;''.
(d) Advisory Committee.--Section 101(b)(1) of such Act (15
U.S.C. 5511(b)(1)) is amended by inserting after ``an
advisory committee on high-performance computing,'' the
following: ``in which the co-chairs shall be members of the
President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and
with the remainder of the committee''.
(e) Report.--Section 101(a)(3) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5511(a)(3)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (C)--
(A) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is
submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
(B) by striking ``each Program Component Area;'' and
inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area
supported in accordance with section 104;'';
(2) in subparagraph (D)--
(A) by striking ``each Program Component Area,'' and
inserting ``each Program Component Area and research area
supported in accordance with section 104,'';
(B) by striking ``is submitted,'' and inserting ``is
submitted, the levels for the previous fiscal year,''; and
(C) by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
(3) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (G);
and
(4) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following new
subparagraphs:
``(E) include a description of how the objectives for each
Program Component Area, and the objectives for activities
that involve multiple Program Component Areas, relate to the
objectives of the Program identified in the strategic plan
required under subsection (e);
``(F) include--
``(i) a description of the funding required by the National
Coordination Office to perform the functions specified under
section 102(b) for the next fiscal year by category of
activity;
``(ii) a description of the funding required by such Office
to perform the functions specified under section 102(b) for
the current fiscal year by category of activity; and
``(iii) the amount of funding provided for such Office for
the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the
Program; and''.
(f) Definition.--Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5503) is
amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as
paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated,
the following new paragraph:
``(1) `cyber-physical systems' means physical or engineered
systems whose networking and information technology functions
and physical elements are deeply integrated and are actively
connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators,
or other means to perform monitoring and control
functions;'';
(3) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated--
(A) by striking ``high-performance computing'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
(B) by striking ``supercomputer'' and inserting ``high-end
computing'';
(4) in paragraph (6), as so redesignated, by striking
``network referred to as'' and all that follows through the
semicolon and inserting ``network, including advanced
computer networks of Federal agencies and departments;''; and
(5) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated, by striking
``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting
``networking and information technology research and
development program''.
SEC. 113. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL
IMPORTANCE.
Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is amended by adding
at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 104. LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL
IMPORTANCE.
``(a) In General.--The Program shall encourage agencies
identified in section 101(a)(3)(B) to support large-scale,
long-term, interdisciplinary research and development
activities in networking and information technology directed
toward application areas that have the potential for
significant contributions to national economic
competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits.
Such activities, ranging from basic research to the
demonstration of technical solutions, shall be designed to
advance the development of research discoveries. The advisory
committee established under section 101(b) shall make
recommendations to the Program for candidate research and
development areas for support under this section.
``(b) Characteristics.--
``(1) In general.--Research and development activities
under this section shall--
``(A) include projects selected on the basis of
applications for support through a competitive, merit-based
process;
``(B) involve collaborations among researchers in
institutions of higher education and industry, and may
involve nonprofit research institutions and Federal
laboratories, as appropriate;
[[Page H3369]]
``(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through
collaboration with related State initiatives; and
``(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research
discoveries and the results of technology demonstration
activities, including from institutions of higher education
and Federal laboratories, to industry for commercial
development.
``(2) Cost-sharing.--In selecting applications for support,
the agencies shall give special consideration to projects
that include cost sharing from non-Federal sources.
``(3) Agency collaboration.--If 2 or more agencies
identified in section 101(a)(3)(B), or other appropriate
agencies, are working on large-scale research and development
activities in the same area of national importance, then such
agencies shall strive to collaborate through joint
solicitation and selection of applications for support and
subsequent funding of projects.
``(4) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary research centers that are organized
to investigate basic research questions and carry out
technology demonstration activities in areas described in
subsection (a). Research may be carried out through existing
interdisciplinary centers, including those authorized under
section 7024(b)(2) of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law
110-69; 42 U.S.C. 1862o-10).''.
SEC. 114. CYBER-PHYSICAL SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT.
(a) Additional Program Characteristics.--Section 101(a)(1)
of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:
``(J) provide for increased understanding of the scientific
principles of cyber-physical systems and improve the methods
available for the design, development, and operation of
cyber-physical systems that are characterized by high
reliability, safety, and security; and
``(K) provide for research and development on human-
computer interactions, visualization, and information
management.''.
(b) Task Force.--Title I of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511) is
amended further by adding after section 104, as added by
section 113 of this Act, the following new section:
``SEC. 105. UNIVERSITY/INDUSTRY TASK FORCE.
``(a) Establishment.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of enactment of the Networking and Information
Technology Research and Development Act of 2010, the Director
of the National Coordination Office established under section
102 shall convene a task force to explore mechanisms for
carrying out collaborative research and development
activities for cyber-physical systems, including the related
technologies required to enable these systems, through a
consortium or other appropriate entity with participants from
institutions of higher education, Federal laboratories, and
industry.
``(b) Functions.--The task force shall--
``(1) develop options for a collaborative model and an
organizational structure for such entity under which the
joint research and development activities could be planned,
managed, and conducted effectively, including mechanisms for
the allocation of resources among the participants in such
entity for support of such activities;
``(2) propose a process for developing a research and
development agenda for such entity, including objectives and
milestones;
``(3) define the roles and responsibilities for the
participants from institutions of higher education, Federal
laboratories, and industry in such entity;
``(4) propose guidelines for assigning intellectual
property rights and for the transfer of research results to
the private sector; and
``(5) make recommendations for how such entity could be
funded from Federal, State, and non-governmental sources.
``(c) Composition.--In establishing the task force under
subsection (a), the Director of the National Coordination
Office shall appoint an equal number of individuals from
institutions of higher education and from industry with
knowledge and expertise in cyber-physical systems, of which 2
may be selected from Federal laboratories.
``(d) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of the Networking and Information Technology
Research and Development Act of 2010, the Director of the
National Coordination Office shall transmit to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives a report describing the findings and
recommendations of the task force.''.
SEC. 115. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.
Section 102 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5512) is amended to read
as follows:
``SEC. 102. NATIONAL COORDINATION OFFICE.
``(a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a
National Coordination Office with a Director and full-time
staff.
``(b) Functions.--The National Coordination Office shall--
``(1) provide technical and administrative support to--
``(A) the agencies participating in planning and
implementing the Program, including such support as needed in
the development of the strategic plan under section 101(e);
and
``(B) the advisory committee established under section
101(b);
``(2) serve as the primary point of contact on Federal
networking and information technology activities for
government organizations, academia, industry, professional
societies, State computing and networking technology
programs, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange
technical and programmatic information;
``(3) solicit input and recommendations from a wide range
of stakeholders during the development of each strategic plan
required under section 101(e) through the convening of at
least 1 workshop with invitees from academia, industry,
Federal laboratories, and other relevant organizations and
institutions;
``(4) conduct public outreach, including the dissemination
of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee, as
appropriate; and
``(5) promote access to and early application of the
technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Program
activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal
Government and to United States industry.
``(c) Source of Funding.--
``(1) In general.--The operation of the National
Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each
agency participating in the Program.
``(2) Specifications.--The portion of the total budget of
such Office that is provided by each agency for each fiscal
year shall be in the same proportion as each such agency's
share of the total budget for the Program for the previous
fiscal year, as specified in the report required under
section 101(a)(3).''.
SEC. 116. IMPROVING NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
EDUCATION.
Section 201(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5521(a)) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as
paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) the National Science Foundation shall use its
existing programs, in collaboration with other agencies, as
appropriate, to improve the teaching and learning of
networking and information technology at all levels of
education and to increase participation in networking and
information technology fields, including by women and
underrepresented minorities;''.
SEC. 117. CONFORMING AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.
(a) Section 3.--Section 3 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5502) is
amended--
(1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking
``high-performance computing'' and inserting ``networking and
information technology'';
(2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A), by striking ``high-performance computing'' and inserting
``networking and information technology'';
(3) in subparagraphs (A) and (F) of paragraph (1), by
striking ``high-performance computing'' each place it appears
and inserting ``networking and information technology''; and
(4) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``high-performance computing and'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology and''; and
(B) by striking ``high-performance computing network'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''.
(b) Title I.--The heading of title I of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5511) is amended by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTING''
and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY''.
(c) Section 101.--Section 101 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5511)
is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE
COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT'';
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking ``National High-
Performance Computing'' and inserting ``Networking and
Information Technology Research and Development'';
(B) in paragraph (1) of such subsection--
(i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking
``National High-Performance Computing Program'' and inserting
``networking and information technology research and
development program'';
(ii) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance
computing, including networking'' and inserting ``networking
and information technology''; and
(iii) in subparagraphs (B), (C), and (G), by striking
``high-performance'' each place it appears and inserting
``high-end''; and
(C) in paragraph (2) of such subsection--
(i) in subparagraphs (A) and (C)--
(I) by striking ``high-performance computing'' each place
it appears and inserting ``networking and information
technology''; and
(II) by striking ``development, networking,'' each place it
appears and inserting ``development,''; and
(ii) in subparagraphs (F) and (G), as redesignated by
section 112(c)(1) of this Act, by striking ``high-
performance'' each place it appears and inserting ``high-
end'';
(3) in subsection (b)(1), in the matter preceding
subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance computing''
both places it appears and inserting ``networking and
information technology''; and
(4) in subsection (c)(1)(A), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(d) Section 201.--Section 201(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5521(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and all that follows through ``networking;'' and
inserting ``networking and information research and
development;''.
(e) Section 202.--Section 202(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5522(a)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(f) Section 203.--Section 203(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5523(a)(1)) is amended by striking ``high-performance
computing and networking''
[[Page H3370]]
and inserting ``networking and information technology''.
(g) Section 204.--Section 204(a)(1) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5524(a)(1)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``high-performance
computing systems and networks'' and inserting ``networking
and information technology systems and capabilities''; and
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technology''.
(h) Section 205.--Section 205(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5525(a)) is amended by striking ``computational'' and
inserting ``networking and information technology''.
(i) Section 206.--Section 206(a) of such Act (15 U.S.C.
5526(a)) is amended by striking ``computational research''
and inserting ``networking and information technology
research''.
(j) Section 208.--Section 208 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 5528)
is amended--
(1) in the section heading, by striking ``HIGH-PERFORMANCE
COMPUTING'' and inserting ``NETWORKING AND INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY''; and
(2) in subsection (a)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``High-performance
computing and associated'' and inserting ``Networking and
information'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``high-performance
computing'' and inserting ``networking and information
technologies'';
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``high-performance
computers and associated'' and inserting ``networking and
information''; and
(D) in paragraph (5), by striking ``high-performance
computing and associated'' and inserting ``networking and
information''.
Subtitle C--Other OSTP Provisions
SEC. 121. FEDERAL SCIENTIFIC COLLECTIONS.
(a) Management of Scientific Collections.--The Office of
Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with relevant
Federal agencies, shall ensure the development of formal
policies for the management and use of Federal scientific
collections to improve the quality, organization, access,
including online access, and long-term preservation of such
collections for the benefit of the scientific enterprise.
(b) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term
``scientific collection'' means a set of physical specimens,
living or inanimate, created for the purpose of supporting
science and serving as a long-term research asset, rather
than for their market value as collectibles or their
historical, artistic, or cultural significance.
(c) Clearinghouse.--The Office of Science and Technology
Policy, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, shall
ensure the development of an online clearinghouse for
information on the contents of and access to Federal
scientific collections.
(d) Disposal of Collections.--The policies developed under
subsection (a) shall--
(1) require that, before disposing of a scientific
collection, a Federal agency shall--
(A) conduct a review of the research value of the
collection; and
(B) consult with researchers who have used the collection,
and other potentially interested parties, concerning--
(i) the collection's value for research purposes; and
(ii) possible additional educational uses for the
collection; and
(2) include procedures for Federal agencies to transfer
scientific collections they no longer need to researchers at
institutions or other entities qualified to manage the
collections.
(e) Cost Projections.--The Office of Science and Technology
Policy, in consultation with relevant Federal agencies, shall
develop a common set of methodologies to be used by Federal
agencies for the assessment and projection of costs
associated with the management and preservation of their
scientific collections.
SEC. 122. COORDINATION OF MANUFACTURING RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Interagency Committee.--The Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall establish or designate an
interagency committee under the National Science and
Technology Council with the responsibility for planning and
coordinating Federal programs and activities in manufacturing
research and development.
(b) Responsibilities of Committee.--The interagency
committee established or designated under subsection (a)
shall--
(1) coordinate the manufacturing research and development
programs and activities of the Federal agencies;
(2) establish goals and priorities for manufacturing
research and development that will strengthen United States
manufacturing; and
(3) develop and update every 5 years thereafter a strategic
plan to guide Federal programs and activities in support of
manufacturing research and development, which shall--
(A) specify and prioritize near-term and long-term research
and development objectives, the anticipated time frame for
achieving the objectives, and the metrics for use in
assessing progress toward the objectives;
(B) specify the role of each Federal agency in carrying out
or sponsoring research and development to meet the objectives
of the strategic plan; and
(C) describe how the Federal agencies supporting
manufacturing research and development will foster the
transfer of research and development results into new
manufacturing technologies, processes, and products for the
benefit of society and the national interest.
(c) Recommendations.--In the development of the strategic
plan required under subsection (b)(3), the Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy, working through the
interagency committee, shall take into consideration the
recommendations of a wide range of stakeholders, including
representatives from diverse manufacturing companies,
academia, and other relevant organizations and institutions.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall transmit the strategic
plan developed under subsection (b)(3) to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives, and shall transmit subsequent updates to
those committees when completed.
SEC. 123. INTERAGENCY PUBLIC ACCESS COMMITTEE.
(a) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall establish a working group under
the National Science and Technology Council with the
responsibility to coordinate Federal science agency research
and policies related to the dissemination and long-term
stewardship of the results of unclassified research,
including digital data and peer-reviewed scholarly
publications, supported wholly, or in part, by funding from
the Federal science agencies.
(b) Responsibilities.--The working group established under
subsection (a) shall--
(1) coordinate the development or designation of uniform
standards for research data, the structure of full text and
metadata, navigation tools, and other applications to achieve
interoperability across Federal science agencies, across
science and engineering disciplines, and between research
data and scholarly publications, taking into account existing
consensus standards, including international standards;
(2) coordinate Federal science agency programs and
activities that support research and education on tools and
systems required to ensure preservation and stewardship of
all forms of digital research data, including scholarly
publications;
(3) work with international science and technology
counterparts to maximize interoperability between United
States based unclassified research databases and
international databases and repositories;
(4) solicit input and recommendations from, and collaborate
with, non-Federal stakeholders, including universities,
nonprofit and for-profit publishers, libraries, federally
funded research scientists, and other organizations and
institutions with a stake in long term preservation and
access to the results of federally funded research; and
(5) establish priorities for coordinating the development
of any Federal science agency policies related to public
access to the results of federally funded research to
maximize uniformity of such policies with respect to their
benefit to, and potential economic or other impact on, the
science and engineering enterprise and the stakeholders
thereof.
(c) Patent or Copyright Law.--Nothing in this section shall
be construed to affect any right under the provisions of
title 17 or 35, United States Code.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a report to
Congress describing--
(1) any priorities established under subsection (b)(5);
(2) the status of any Federal science agency policies
related to public access to the results of federally funded
research; and
(3) how any policies developed or being developed by
Federal science agencies, as described in paragraph (2),
incorporate input from the non-Federal stakeholders described
in subsection (b)(4).
(e) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the term
``Federal science agency'' means any Federal agency with an
annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000.
SEC. 124. FULFILLING THE POTENTIAL OF WOMEN IN ACADEMIC
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.
(a) Definition.--In this section, the term ``Federal
science agency'' means any Federal agency that is responsible
for at least 2 percent of total Federal research and
development funding to institutions of higher education,
according to the most recent data available from the National
Science Foundation.
(b) Workshops to Enhance Gender Equity in Academic Science
and Engineering.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall develop a uniform policy for all
Federal science agencies to carry out a program of workshops
that educate program officers, members of grant review
panels, institution of higher education STEM department
chairs, and other federally funded researchers about methods
that minimize the effects of gender bias in evaluation of
Federal research grants and in the related academic
advancement of actual and potential recipients of these
grants, including hiring, tenure, promotion, and selection
for any honor based in part on the recipient's research
record.
(2) Interagency coordination.--The Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that programs
of workshops across the Federal science agencies are
coordinated and supported jointly as appropriate. As part of
this process, the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall ensure that at least 1 workshop is
supported every 2 years among the Federal science agencies in
each of the major science and engineering disciplines
supported by those agencies.
(3) Organizations eligible to carry out workshops.--Federal
science agencies may carry out the program of workshops under
this subsection by making grants to eligible organizations.
In addition to any other organizations made eligible by the
Federal science agencies, the following organizations are
eligible for grants under this subsection:
[[Page H3371]]
(A) Nonprofit scientific and professional societies and
organizations that represent one or more STEM disciplines.
(B) Nonprofit organizations that have the primary mission
of advancing the participation of women in STEM.
(4) Characteristics of workshops.--The workshops shall have
the following characteristics:
(A) Invitees to workshops shall include at least--
(i) the chairs of departments in the relevant discipline
from at least the top 50 institutions of higher education, as
determined by the amount of Federal research and development
funds obligated to each institution of higher education in
the prior year based on data available from the National
Science Foundation;
(ii) members of any standing research grant review panel
appointed by the Federal science agencies in the relevant
discipline;
(iii) in the case of science and engineering disciplines
supported by the Department of Energy, the individuals from
each of the Department of Energy National Laboratories with
personnel management responsibilities comparable to those of
an institution of higher education department chair; and
(iv) Federal science agency program officers in the
relevant discipline, other than program officers that
participate in comparable workshops organized and run
specifically for that agency's program officers.
(B) Activities at the workshops shall include research
presentations and interactive discussions or other activities
that increase the awareness of the existence of gender bias
in the grant-making process and the development of the
academic record necessary to qualify as a grant recipient,
including recruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, and
other forms of formal recognition of individual achievement,
and provide strategies to overcome such bias.
(C) Research presentations and other workshop programs, as
appropriate, shall include a discussion of the unique
challenges faced by women who are members of historically
underrepresented groups.
(D) Workshop programs shall include information on best
practices and the value of mentoring undergraduate and
graduate women students as well as outreach to girls earlier
in their STEM education.
(5) Report.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 5 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall transmit to the Committee on
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a report evaluating the effectiveness of the program
carried out under this subsection to reduce gender bias
towards women engaged in research funded by the Federal
Government. The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall include in this report any
recommendations for improving the evaluation process
described in subparagraph (B).
(B) Minimum criteria for evaluation.--In determining the
effectiveness of the program, the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall consider, at a minimum--
(i) the rates of participation by invitees in the workshops
authorized under this subsection;
(ii) the results of attitudinal surveys conducted on
workshop participants before and after the workshops;
(iii) any relevant institutional policy or practice changes
reported by participants; and
(iv) for individuals described in paragraph (4)(A)(i) or
(iii) who participated in at least 1 workshop 3 or more years
prior to the due date for the report, trends in the data for
the department represented by the chair or employee including
faculty data related to gender as described in section 216.
(C) Institutional attendance at workshops.--As part of the
report under subparagraph (A), the Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall include a list of
institutions of higher education science and engineering
departments whose representatives attended the workshops
required under this subsection.
(6) Minimizing costs.--To the extent practicable, workshops
shall be held in conjunction with national or regional
disciplinary meetings to minimize costs associated with
participant travel.
(c) Extended Research Grant Support and Interim Technical
Support for Caregivers.--
(1) Policies for caregivers.--Not later than 6 months after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy shall develop a uniform
policy to--
(A) extend the period of grant support for federally funded
researchers who have caregiving responsibilities; and
(B) provide funding for interim technical staff support for
federally funded researchers who take a leave of absence for
caregiving responsibilities.
(2) Report.--Upon developing the policy required under
paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall transmit a copy of the policy to the
Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives and to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate.
(d) Collection of Data on Federal Research Grants.--
(1) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall collect
standardized annual composite information on demographics,
field, award type and budget request, review score, and
funding outcome for all applications for research and
development grants to institutions of higher education
supported by that agency.
(2) Reporting of data.--
(A) The Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity and
standardization of data collection required under paragraph
(1).
(B) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, and annually thereafter, each Federal science
agency shall submit data collected under paragraph (1) to the
National Science Foundation.
(C) The National Science Foundation shall be responsible
for storing and publishing all of the grant data submitted
under subparagraph (B) in conjunction with the biennial
report required under section 37 of the Science and
Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d).
TITLE II--NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
SEC. 201. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``National Science
Foundation Authorization Act of 2010''.
Subtitle A--General Provisions
SEC. 211. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation established under section 2
of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1861).
(2) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National
Science Foundation established under section 2 of the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given
such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) State.--The term ``State'' means one of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other
territory or possession of the United States.
(5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.
(6) United states.--The term ``United States'' means the
several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other
territory or possession of the United States.
SEC. 212. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2011.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $7,481,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $6,020,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities;
(B) $945,000,000 shall be made available for education and
human resources;
(C) $166,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $330,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $4,840,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $14,830,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(b) Fiscal Year 2012.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $8,127,000,000 for fiscal year 2012.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $6,496,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities;
(B) $1,020,000,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources;
(C) $235,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $356,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $5,010,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $15,350,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(c) Fiscal Year 2013.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $8,764,000,000 for fiscal year 2013.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $7,009,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities;
(B) $1,100,000,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources;
(C) $250,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $384,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $5,180,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $15,890,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(d) Fiscal Year 2014.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $9,436,000,000 for fiscal year 2014.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $7,562,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities;
(B) $1,187,000,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources;
(C) $250,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $415,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $5,370,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $16,440,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
(e) Fiscal Year 2015.--
[[Page H3372]]
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Foundation $10,161,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $8,160,000,000 shall be made available for research and
related activities;
(B) $1,281,000,000 shall be made available for education
and human resources;
(C) $250,000,000 shall be made available for major research
equipment and facilities construction;
(D) $447,000,000 shall be made available for agency
operations and award management;
(E) $5,550,000 shall be made available for the Office of
the National Science Board; and
(F) $17,020,000 shall be made available for the Office of
Inspector General.
SEC. 213. NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD ADMINISTRATIVE AMENDMENTS.
(a) Staffing at the National Science Board.--Section 4(g)
of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1863(g)) is amended by striking ``not more than 5''.
(b) Science and Engineering Indicators Due Date.--Section
4(j)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42
U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)) is amended by striking ``January 15'' and
inserting ``May 31''.
(c) National Science Board Reports.--Section 4(j)(2) of the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1863(j)(2)) is amended by inserting ``within the authority of
the Foundation (or otherwise as requested by the appropriate
Congressional committees of jurisdiction or the President)''
after ``individual policy matters''.
(d) Board Adherence to Sunshine Act.--Section 15(a) of the
National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42
U.S.C. 1862n-5(a)) is amended--
(1) by striking paragraph (3) and redesignating paragraphs
(4) and (5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively;
(2) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by paragraph (1)
of this subsection--
(A) by striking ``February 15'' and inserting ``April 15'';
and
(B) by striking ``the audit required under paragraph (3)
along with'' and inserting ``any''; and
(3) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated by paragraph (1)
of this subsection, by striking ``To facilitate the audit
required under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the'' and
inserting ``The''.
SEC. 214. BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERION.
(a) Goals.--The Foundation shall apply a Broader Impacts
Review Criterion to achieve the following goals:
(1) Increased economic competitiveness of the United
States.
(2) Development of a globally competitive STEM workforce.
(3) Increased participation of women and underrepresented
minorities in STEM.
(4) Increased partnerships between academia and industry.
(5) Improved pre-K-12 STEM education and teacher
development.
(6) Improved undergraduate STEM education.
(7) Increased public scientific literacy.
(8) Increased national security.
(b) Policy.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall develop and
implement a policy for the Broader Impacts Review Criterion
that--
(1) provides for educating professional staff at the
Foundation, merit review panels, and applicants for
Foundation research grants on the policy developed under this
subsection;
(2) clarifies that the activities of grant recipients
undertaken to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review Criterion
shall--
(A) to the extent practicable employ proven strategies and
models and draw on existing programs and activities; and
(B) when novel approaches are justified, build on the most
current research results;
(3) allows for some portion of funds allocated to broader
impacts under a research grant to be used for assessment and
evaluation of the broader impacts activity;
(4) encourages institutions of higher education and other
nonprofit education or research organizations to develop and
provide, either as individual institutions or in partnerships
thereof, appropriate training and programs to assist
Foundation-funded principal investigators at their
institutions in achieving the goals of the Broader Impacts
Review Criterion as described in subsection (a); and
(5) requires principal investigators applying for
Foundation research grants to provide evidence of
institutional support for the portion of the investigator's
proposal designed to satisfy the Broader Impacts Review
Criterion, including evidence of relevant training, programs,
and other institutional resources available to the
investigator from either their home institution or
organization or another institution or organization with
relevant expertise.
SEC. 215. NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
STATISTICS.
(a) Establishment.--There is established within the
Foundation a National Center for Science and Engineering
Statistics (in this section referred to as the ``Center''),
that shall serve as a central Federal clearinghouse for the
collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of
objective data on science, engineering, technology, and
research and development.
(b) Duties.--In carrying out subsection (a) of this
section, the Director, acting through the Center shall--
(1) collect, acquire, analyze, report, and disseminate
statistical data related to the science and engineering
enterprise in the United States and other nations that is
relevant and useful to practitioners, researchers,
policymakers, and the public, including statistical data on--
(A) research and development trends;
(B) the science and engineering workforce;
(C) United States competitiveness in science, engineering,
technology, and research and development; and
(D) the condition and progress of United States STEM
education;
(2) support research using the data it collects, and on
methodologies in areas related to the work of the Center; and
(3) support the education and training of researchers in
the use of large-scale, nationally representative data sets.
(c) Statistical Reports.--The Director or the National
Science Board, acting through the Center, shall issue
regular, and as necessary, special statistical reports on
topics related to the national and international science and
engineering enterprise such as the biennial report required
by section 4 (j)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)) on indicators of the state of
science and engineering in the United States.
SEC. 216. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF FACULTY.
(a) Collection of Data.--The Director shall report, in
conjunction with the biennial report required under section
37 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42
U.S.C.19 1885d), statistical summary data on the demographics
of STEM discipline faculty at institutions of higher
education in the United States. At a minimum, the Director
shall consider--
(1) the number and percent of faculty by gender, race, and
age;
(2) the number and percent of faculty at each rank, by
gender, race, and age;
(3) the number and percent of faculty who are in nontenure-
track positions, including teaching and research, by gender,
race, and age;
(4) the number of faculty who are reviewed for promotion,
including tenure, and the percentage of that number who are
promoted, by gender, race, and age;
(5) faculty years in rank by gender, race, and age;
(6) faculty attrition by gender, race, and age;
(7) the number and percent of faculty hired by rank,
gender, race, and age; and
(8) the number and percent of faculty in leadership
positions, including endowed or named chairs, serving on
promotion and tenure committees, by gender, race, and age.
(b) Recommendations.--The Director shall solicit input and
recommendations from relevant stakeholders, including
representatives from institutions of higher education and
nonprofit organizations, on the collection of data required
under subsection (a), including the development of standard
definitions on the terms and categories to be used in the
collection of such data.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a
report to Congress on how the Foundation will gather the
demographic data on STEM faculty, including--
(1) a description of the data to be reported and the
sources of those data;
(2) justification for the exclusion of any data described
in paragraph (1); and
(3) a list of the definitions for the terms and categories,
such as ``faculty'' and ``leadership positions'', to be
applied in the reporting of all data described in paragraph
(1).
Subtitle B--Research and Innovation
SEC. 221. SUPPORT FOR POTENTIALLY TRANSFORMATIVE RESEARCH.
(a) Policy.--The Director shall establish a policy that
requires the Foundation to use at least 5 percent of its
research budget to fund high-risk, high-reward basic research
proposals. Support for facilities and infrastructure,
including preconstruction design and operations and
maintenance of major research facilities, shall not be
counted as part of the research budget for the purposes of
this section.
(b) Implementation.--In implementing such policy, the
Foundation may--
(1) develop solicitations specifically for high-risk, high-
reward basic research;
(2) establish review panels for the primary purpose of
selecting high-risk, high-reward proposals or modify
instructions to standard review panels to require
identification of high-risk, high-reward proposals; and
(3) support workshops and participate in conferences with
the primary purpose of identifying new opportunities for
high-risk, high-reward basic research, especially at
interdisciplinary interfaces.
(c) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term
``high-risk, high-reward basic research'' means research
driven by ideas that have the potential to radically change
our understanding of an important existing scientific or
engineering concept, or leading to the creation of a new
paradigm or field of science or engineering, and that is
characterized by its challenge to current understanding or
its pathway to new frontiers.
SEC. 222. FACILITATING INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATIONS FOR
NATIONAL NEEDS.
(a) In General.--The Director shall award competitive,
merit-based awards in amounts not to exceed $5,000,000 over a
period of up to 5 years to interdisciplinary research
collaborations that are likely to assist in addressing
critical challenges to national security, competitiveness,
and societal well-being and that--
(1) involve at least 2 co-equal principal investigators at
the same or different institutions;
(2) draw upon well-integrated, diverse teams of
investigators, including students or postdoctoral
researchers, from one or more disciplines; and
(3) foster creativity and pursue high-risk, high-reward
research.
(b) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under this
section, the Director shall give priority to applicants that
propose to utilize advances in cyberinfrastructure and
simulation-based science and engineering.
[[Page H3373]]
SEC. 223. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION MANUFACTURING RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION.
(a) Manufacturing Research.--The Director shall carry out a
program to award merit-reviewed, competitive grants to
institutions of higher education to support fundamental
research leading to transformative advances in manufacturing
technologies, processes, and enterprises that will support
United States manufacturing through improved performance,
productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness. Research
areas may include--
(1) nanomanufacturing;
(2) manufacturing and construction machines and equipment,
including robotics, automation, and other intelligent
systems;
(3) manufacturing enterprise systems;
(4) advanced sensing and control techniques;
(5) materials processing; and
(6) information technologies for manufacturing, including
predictive and real-time models and simulations, and virtual
manufacturing.
(b) Manufacturing Education.--In order to help ensure a
well-trained manufacturing workforce, the Director shall
award grants to strengthen and expand scientific and
technical education and training in advanced manufacturing,
including through the Foundation's Advanced Technological
Education program.
SEC. 224. STRENGTHENING INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS.
(a) In General.--For any Foundation research grant, in an
amount greater than $2,000,000, to be carried out through a
partnership that includes one or more minority-serving
institutions or predominantly undergraduate institutions and
one or more institutions described in subsection (b), the
Director shall award funds directly, according to the budget
justification described in the grant proposal, to at least
two of the institutions of higher education in the
partnership, including at least one minority-serving
institution or one predominantly undergraduate institution,
to ensure a strong and equitable partnership.
(b) Institutions.--The institutions referred to in
subsection (a) are institutions of higher education that are
among the 100 institutions receiving, over the 3-year period
immediately preceding the awarding of grants, the highest
amount of research funding from the Foundation.
SEC. 225. NATIONAL SCIENCE BOARD REPORT ON MID-SCALE
INSTRUMENTATION.
(a) Mid-scale Research Instrumentation Needs.--The National
Science Board shall evaluate the needs, across all
disciplines supported by the Foundation, for mid-scale
research instrumentation that falls between the instruments
funded by the Major Research Instrumentation program and the
very large projects funded by the Major Research Equipment
and Facilities Construction program.
(b) Report on Mid-scale Research Instrumentation Program.--
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the National Science Board shall submit to Congress a
report on mid-scale research instrumentation at the
Foundation. At a minimum, this report shall include--
(1) the findings from the Board's evaluation of
instrumentation needs required under subsection (a),
including a description of differences across disciplines and
Foundation research directorates;
(2) a recommendation or recommendations regarding how the
Foundation should set priorities for mid-scale
instrumentation across disciplines and Foundation research
directorates;
(3) a recommendation or recommendations regarding the
appropriateness of expanding existing programs, including the
Major Research Instrumentation program or the Major Research
Equipment and Facilities Construction program, to support
more instrumentation at the mid-scale;
(4) a recommendation or recommendations regarding the need
for and appropriateness of a new, Foundation-wide program or
initiative in support of mid-scale instrumentation, including
any recommendations regarding the administration of and
budget for such a program or initiative and the appropriate
scope of instruments to be funded under such a program or
initiative; and
(5) any recommendation or recommendations regarding other
options for supporting mid-scale research instrumentation at
the Foundation.
SEC. 226. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON OVERALL SUPPORT FOR RESEARCH
INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE FOUNDATION.
It is the sense of Congress that the Foundation should
strive to keep the percentage of the Foundation budget
devoted to research infrastructure in the range of 24 to 27
percent, as recommended in the 2003 National Science Board
report entitled ``Science and Engineering Infrastructure for
the 21st Century''.
SEC. 227. PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION.
(a) In General.--The Director shall carry out a program to
award merit-reviewed, competitive grants to institutions of
higher education to establish and to expand partnerships that
promote innovation and increase the economic and social
impact of research by developing tools and resources to
connect new scientific discoveries to practical uses.
(b) Partnerships.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible for funding under this
section, an institution of higher education must propose
establishment of a partnership that--
(A) includes at least one private sector entity; and
(B) may include other institutions of higher education,
public sector institutions, private sector entities, and
social enterprise nonprofit organizations.
(2) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under this
section, the Director shall give priority to partnerships
that include one or more institutions of higher education
that are among the 100 institutions receiving, over the 3-
year period immediately preceding the awarding of grants, the
highest amount of research funding from the Foundation and at
least one of the following:
(A) A minority serving institution.
(B) A primarily undergraduate institution.
(C) A 2-year institution of higher education.
(c) Program.--Proposals funded under this section shall
seek to--
(1) increase the economic or social impact of the most
promising research at the institution or institutions of
higher education that are members of the partnership through
knowledge transfer or commercialization;
(2) increase the engagement of faculty and students across
multiple disciplines and departments, including faculty and
students in schools of business and other appropriate non-
STEM fields and disciplines in knowledge transfer activities;
(3) enhance education and mentoring of students and faculty
in innovation and entrepreneurship through networks, courses,
and development of best practices and curricula;
(4) strengthen the culture of the institution or
institutions of higher education to undertake and participate
in activities related to innovation and leading to economic
or social impact;
(5) broaden the participation of all types of institutions
of higher education in activities to meet STEM workforce
needs and promote innovation and knowledge transfer; and
(6) build lasting partnerships with local and regional
businesses, local and State governments, and other relevant
entities.
(d) Additional Criteria.--In selecting grant recipients
under this section, the Director shall also consider the
extent to which the applicants are able to demonstrate
evidence of institutional support for, and commitment to--
(1) achieving the goals of the program as described in
subsection (c);
(2) expansion to an institution-wide program if the initial
proposal is not for an institution-wide program; and
(3) sustaining any new innovation tools and resources
generated from funding under this program.
(e) Limitation.--No funds provided under this section may
be used to construct or renovate a building or structure.
SEC. 228. PRIZE AWARDS.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the
``Generating Extraordinary New Innovations in the United
States Act of 2010''.
(b) In General.--The Director shall carry out a pilot
program to award innovation inducement cash prizes in any
area of research supported by the Foundation. The Director
may carry out a program of cash prizes only in conformity
with this section.
(c) Topics.--In identifying topics for prize competitions
under this section, the Director shall--
(1) consult widely both within and outside the Federal
Government;
(2) give priority to high-risk, high-reward research
challenges and to problems whose solution could improve the
economic competitiveness of the United States; and
(3) give consideration to the extent to which the topics
have the potential to raise public awareness about federally
sponsored research.
(d) Types of Contests.--The Director shall consider all
categories of innovation inducement prizes, including--
(1) contests in which the award is to the first team or
individual who accomplishes a stated objective; and
(2) contests in which the winner is the team or individual
who comes closest to achieving an objective within a
specified time.
(e) Advertising and Announcement.--
(1) Advertising and solicitation of competitors.--The
Director shall widely advertise prize competitions to
encourage broad participation, including by individuals,
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations,
and businesses.
(2) Announcement through federal register notice.--The
Director shall announce each prize competition by publishing
a notice in the Federal Register. This notice shall include
the subject of the competition, the duration of the
competition, the eligibility requirements for participation
in the competition, the process for participants to register
for the competition, the amount of the prize, and the
criteria for awarding the prize, including the method by
which the prize winner or winners will be selected.
(3) Time to announcement.--The Director shall announce a
prize competition within 18 months after receipt of
appropriated funds.
(f) Funding.--
(1) Funding sources.--Prizes under this section shall
consist of Federal appropriated funds and any funds raised
pursuant to donations authorized under section 11(f) of the
National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1870(f))
for specific prize competitions.
(2) Announcement of prizes.--The Director may not issue a
notice as required by subsection (e)(2) until all of the
funds needed to pay out the announced amount of the prize
have been appropriated or committed in writing by another
entity pursuant to paragraph (1).
(g) Eligibility.--To be eligible to win a prize under this
section, an individual or entity--
(1) shall have complied with all of the requirements under
this section;
(2) in the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated
in and maintain a primary place of business in the United
States, and in the case of an individual, whether
participating singly or in a group, shall be a United States
citizen or national, or an alien lawfully admitted to the
United States for permanent residence;
(3) shall not be a Federal entity, a Federal employee
acting within the scope of his or her
[[Page H3374]]
employment, or a person employed at a Federal laboratory
acting within the scope of his or her employment; and
(4) shall not have utilized Federal funds to engage in the
research for which the prize is being awarded.
(h) Awards.--
(1) Number of competitions.--The Director may announce up
to 5 prize competitions through the end of fiscal year 2013.
(2) Size of award.--The Director may determine the amount
of each prize award based on the prize topic, but no award
shall be less than $1,000,000 or greater than $3,000,000.
(3) Selecting winners.--The Director may convene an expert
panel to select a winner of a prize competition. If the panel
is unable to select a winner, the Director shall determine
the winner of the prize.
(4) Public outreach.--The Director shall publicly award
prizes utilizing the Foundation's existing public affairs and
public outreach resources.
(i) Administering the Competition.--The Director may enter
into an agreement with a private, nonprofit entity to
administer the prize competition, subject to the provisions
of this section.
(j) Intellectual Property.--The Federal Government shall
not, by virtue of offering or awarding a prize under this
section, be entitled to any intellectual property rights
derived as a consequence of, or in direct relation to, the
participation by a registered participant in a competition
authorized by this section. This subsection shall not be
construed to prevent the Federal Government from negotiating
a license for the use of intellectual property developed for
a prize competition under this section.
(k) Liability.--The Director may require a registered
participant in a prize competition under this section to
waive liability against the Federal Government for injuries
and damages that result from participation in such
competition.
(l) Nonsubstitution.--Any programs created under this
section shall not be considered a substitute for Federal
research and development programs.
(m) Reporting Requirement.--Not later than 5 years after
the date of enactment of this Act, the National Science Board
shall transmit to Congress a report containing the results of
a review and assessment of the pilot program under this
section, including--
(1) a description of the nature and status of all completed
or ongoing prize competitions carried out under this section,
including any scientific achievements, publications,
intellectual property, or commercialized technology that
resulted from such competitions;
(2) any recommendations regarding changes to, the
termination of, or continuation of the pilot program;
(3) an analysis of whether the program is attracting
contestants more diverse than the Foundation's traditional
academic constituency;
(4) an analysis of whether public awareness of innovation
or of the goal of the particular prize or prizes is enhanced;
(5) an analysis of whether the Foundation's public image or
ability to increase public scientific literacy is enhanced
through the use of innovation inducement prizes; and
(6) an analysis of the extent to which private funds are
being used to support registered participants.
(n) Early Termination of Contests.--The Director shall
terminate a prize contest before any registered participant
wins if the Director determines that an unregistered entity
has produced an innovation that would otherwise have
qualified for the prize award.
(o) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Awards.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Director for the period encompassing fiscal years 2011
through 2013 $12,000,000 for carrying out this section.
(B) Administration.--Of the amounts authorized in
subparagraph (A), not more than 15 percent for each fiscal
year shall be available for the administrative costs of
carrying out this section.
(2) Carryover of funds.--Funds appropriated for prize
awards under this section shall remain available until
expended, and may be transferred, reprogrammed, or expended
for other purposes as authorized by law only after the
expiration of 7 fiscal years after the fiscal year for which
the funds were originally appropriated. No provision in this
section permits obligation or payment of funds in violation
of section 1341 of title 31 of the United States Code
(commonly referred to as the Anti-Deficiency Act).
Subtitle C--STEM Education and Workforce Training
SEC. 241. GRADUATE STUDENT SUPPORT.
(a) Finding.--The Congress finds that--
(1) the Integrative Graduate Education and Research
Traineeship program is an important program for training the
next generation of scientists and engineers in team-based
interdisciplinary research and problem solving, and for
providing them with the many additional skills, such as
communication skills, needed to thrive in diverse STEM
careers; and
(2) the Integrative Graduate Education and Research
Traineeship program is no less valuable to the preparation
and support of graduate students than the Foundation's
Graduate Research Fellowship program.
(b) Equal Treatment of IGERT and GRF.--Beginning in fiscal
year 2011, the Director shall increase or, if necessary,
decrease funding for the Foundation's Integrative Graduate
Education and Research Traineeship program (or any program by
which it is replaced) at least at the same rate as it
increases or decreases funding for the Graduate Research
Fellowship program.
(c) Support for Graduate Student Research From the Research
Account.--For each of the fiscal years 2011 through 2015, at
least 50 percent of the total Foundation funds allocated to
the Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
program and the Graduate Research Fellowship program shall
come from funds appropriated for Research and Related
Activities.
(d) Cost of Education Allowance for GRF Program.--Section
10 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C.
1869) is amended--
(1) by inserting ``(a)'' before ``The Foundation is
authorized''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(b) The Director shall establish for each year the amount
to be awarded for scholarships and fellowships under this
section for that year. Each such scholarship and fellowship
shall include a cost of education allowance of $12,000,
subject to any restrictions on the use of cost of education
allowance as determined by the Director.''.
SEC. 242. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP IN STEM EDUCATION RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Director shall establish postdoctoral
fellowships in STEM education research to provide recent
doctoral degree graduates in STEM fields with the necessary
skills to assume leadership roles in STEM education research,
program development, and evaluation in our Nation's diverse
educational institutions.
(b) Awards.--
(1) Duration.--Fellowships may be awarded under this
section for a period of up to 24 months in duration,
renewable for an additional 12 months. The Director shall
establish criteria for eligibility for renewal of the
fellowship.
(2) Stipend.--The Director shall determine the amount of
the award for a fellowship, which shall include a stipend and
a research allowance, and may include an educational
allowance.
(3) Location.--A fellowship shall be awarded for research
at any institution of higher education that offers degrees in
fields supported by the Foundation, or at any institution or
organization that the Director determines is eligible for
education research grants from the Foundation.
(4) Number of awards.--The Director may award up to 20 new
fellowships per year.
(c) Research.--Fellowships under this section shall be
awarded for research on STEM education at any educational
level, including grades pre-K-12, undergraduate, graduate,
and general public education, in both formal and informal
settings. Research topics may include--
(1) learning processes and progressions;
(2) knowledge transfer, including curriculum development;
(3) uses of technology as teaching and learning tools;
(4) integrating STEM fields; and
(5) assessment of student learning and program evaluation.
(d) Eligibility.--To be eligible for a fellowship under
this section, an individual must--
(1) be a United States citizen or national, or an alien
lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent
residence, at the time of application; and
(2) have received a doctoral degree in one of the STEM
fields supported by the Foundation within 3 years prior to
the fellowship application deadline.
SEC. 243. ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
Section 10A of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1a) is amended in
subsection (h)(1) by--
(1) striking ``50'' and inserting ``30''; and
(2) striking ``which may be provided in cash or in-kind''
and inserting ``which shall be provided in cash''.
SEC. 244. INSTITUTIONS SERVING PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
For the purposes of the activities and programs supported
by the Foundation, institutions of higher education chartered
to serve large numbers of students with disabilities,
including Gallaudet University, Landmark College, and the
National Technical Institute for the Deaf, shall have a
designation consistent with the designation for other
institutions that serve populations underrepresented in STEM
to ensure that institutions of higher education chartered to
serve persons with disabilities can benefit from STEM bridge
programs and from research partnerships with major research
universities. Nothing in this section shall be construed to
amend or otherwise affect any of the definitions for
minority-serving institutions under title III or title V of
the Higher Education Act of 1965.
SEC. 245. INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRATION.
(a) Innovation Through Institutional Integration.--The
Director shall award grants for the institutional integration
of projects funded by the Foundation with a focus on
education, or on broadening participation in STEM by
underrepresented groups, for the purpose of increasing
collaboration and coordination across funded projects and
institutions and expanding the impact of such projects within
and among institutions of higher education in an innovative
and sustainable manner.
(b) Program Activities.--The program under this section
shall support integrative activities that involve the
strategic and innovative combination of Foundation-funded
projects and that provide for--
(1) additional opportunities to increase the recruitment,
retention, and degree attainment of underrepresented groups
in STEM disciplines;
(2) the inclusion of programming, practices, and policies
that encourage the integration of education and research;
(3) seamless transitions from one educational level to
another; and
(4) other activities that expand and deepen the impact of
Foundation-funded projects with
[[Page H3375]]
a focus on education, or on broadening participation in STEM
by underrepresented groups, and enhance their sustainability.
(c) Review Criteria.--In selecting recipients of grants
under this section, the Director shall consider at a
minimum--
(1) the extent to which the proposed project addresses the
goals of project and program integration and adds value to
the existing funded projects;
(2) the extent to which there is a proven record of success
for the existing projects on which the proposed integration
project is based; and
(3) the extent to which the proposed project addresses the
modification of programming, practices, and policies
necessary to achieve the purpose described in subsection (a).
(d) Priority.--In selecting recipients of grants under this
section, the Director shall give priority to proposals for
which a senior institutional administrator, including a dean
or other administrator of equal or higher rank, serves as the
principal investigator.
SEC. 246. POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS.
(a) In General.--The Director shall establish a Foundation-
wide postdoctoral research fellowship program, to award
competitive, merit-based postdoctoral research fellowships in
any field of research supported by the Foundation.
(b) Duration and Amount.--Fellowships may be awarded under
this section for a period of up to 3 years in duration. The
Director shall determine the amount of the award for a
fellowship, which shall include a stipend and a research
allowance, and may include an educational allowance.
(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a fellowship
under this section, an individual--
(1) must be a United States citizen or national, or an
alien lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent
residence, at the time of application;
(2) must have received a doctoral degree in any field of
research supported by the Foundation within 3 years prior to
the fellowship application deadline, or will complete a
doctoral degree no more than 1 year after the application
deadline; and
(3) may not have previously received funding as the
principal investigator of a research grant from the
Foundation, unless such funding was received as a graduate
student.
(d) Priority.--In evaluating applications for fellowships
under this section, the Director shall give priority to
applications that include--
(1) proposals for interdisciplinary research; or
(2) proposals for high-risk, high-reward research.
(e) Additional Considerations.--In evaluating applications
for fellowships under this section, the Director shall give
consideration to the goal of promoting the participation of
individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and
Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or
1885b).
(f) Nonsubstitution.--The fellowship program authorized
under this section is not intended to replace or reduce
support for postdoctoral research through existing programs
at the Foundation.
SEC. 247. BROADENING PARTICIPATION TRAINING AND OUTREACH.
The Director shall provide education and training--
(1) to Foundation staff and grant proposal review panels on
effective mechanisms and tools for broadening participation
in STEM by underrepresented groups, including reviewer
selection and mitigation of implicit bias in the review
process; and
(2) to Foundation staff on related outreach approaches.
SEC. 248. TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN STEM.
Section 17 of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-6) is amended to read as
follows:
``SEC. 17. TRANSFORMING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION IN STEM.
``(a) In General.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher
education (or to consortia thereof) to reform undergraduate
STEM education for the purpose of increasing the number and
quality of students studying toward and completing
baccalaureate degrees in STEM and improving the STEM learning
outcomes for all undergraduate students, including through--
``(1) development, implementation, and assessment of
innovative, research-based approaches to transforming the
teaching and learning of disciplinary or interdisciplinary
STEM at the undergraduate level; and
``(2) expansion of successful STEM reform efforts beyond a
single course or group of courses to achieve reform within an
entire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform
efforts beyond a single academic unit to other STEM academic
units within an institution or to comparable academic units
at other institutions.
``(b) Uses of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under
this section may include--
``(1) creation of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary
courses or programs that formalize collaborations for the
purpose of improved student instruction and research in STEM;
``(2) expansion of undergraduate STEM research
opportunities to include interdisciplinary research
opportunities and research opportunities in industry, at
Federal labs, and at international research institutions or
research sites;
``(3) implementation or expansion of bridge programs,
including programs that address student transition from 2-
year to 4-year institutions, and cohort, tutoring, or
mentoring programs proven to enhance student recruitment or
persistence to degree completion in STEM, including
recruitment or persistence to degree completion of
individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and
Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or
1885b);
``(4) improvement of undergraduate STEM education for
nonmajors, including education majors;
``(5) implementation of evidence-based, technology-driven
reform efforts that directly impact undergraduate STEM
instruction or research experiences;
``(6) development and implementation of faculty and
graduate teaching assistant development programs focused on
improved instruction, mentoring, assessment of student
learning, and support of undergraduate STEM students;
``(7) support for graduate students and postdoctoral
fellows to participate in instructional or assessment
activities at primarily undergraduate institutions;
``(8) research on teaching and learning of STEM at the
undergraduate level related to the proposed reform effort,
including assessment and evaluation of the proposed reform
activities, research on scalability and sustainability of
approaches to reform, and development and implementation of
longitudinal studies of students included in the proposed
reform effort; and
``(9) support for initiatives that advance the integration
of global challenges such as sustainability into disciplinary
and interdisciplinary STEM education.
``(c) Partnership.--An institution of higher education may
partner with one or more other nonprofit education or
research organizations, including scientific and engineering
societies, for the purposes of carrying out the activities
authorized under this section.
``(d) Selection Process.--
``(1) Applications.--An institution of higher education
seeking a grant under this section shall submit an
application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director may require. The
application shall include, at a minimum--
``(A) a description of the proposed reform effort;
``(B) a description of the research findings that will
serve as the basis for the proposed reform effort or, in the
case of applications that propose an expansion of a
previously implemented reform effort, a description of the
previously implemented reform effort, including indicators of
success such as data on student recruitment, persistence to
degree completion, and academic achievement;
``(C) evidence of institutional support for, and commitment
to, the proposed reform effort, including long-term
commitment to implement successful strategies from the
current reform effort beyond the academic unit or units
included in the grant proposal or to disseminate successful
strategies to other institutions;
``(D) a description of existing or planned institutional
policies and practices regarding faculty hiring, promotion,
tenure, and teaching assignment that reward faculty
contributions to undergraduate STEM education; and
``(E) a description of the plans for assessment and
evaluation of the proposed reform activities, including
evidence of participation by individuals with experience in
assessment and evaluation of teaching and learning programs.
``(2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant
recipients under this section, the Director shall consider at
a minimum--
``(A) the likelihood of success in undertaking the proposed
effort at the institution submitting the application,
including the extent to which the faculty, staff, and
administrators of the institution are committed to making the
proposed institutional reform a priority of the participating
academic unit or units;
``(B) the degree to which the proposed reform will
contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such
that a greater value is placed on faculty engagement in
undergraduate education;
``(C) the likelihood that the institution will sustain or
expand the reform beyond the period of the grant; and
``(D) the degree to which scholarly assessment and
evaluation plans are included in the design of the reform
effort, including the degree to which such assessment and
evaluation contribute to the systematic accumulation of
knowledge on STEM education.
``(3) Priority.--For proposals that include an expansion of
existing reform efforts beyond a single academic unit, the
Director shall give priority to proposals for which a senior
institutional administrator, including a dean or other
administrator of equal or higher rank, serves as the
principal investigator or a coprincipal investigator.
``(4) Grant distribution.--The Director shall ensure, to
the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this
section are made to a variety of types of institutions of
higher education.''.
SEC. 249. 21ST CENTURY GRADUATE EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--The Director shall award grants, on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher
education to implement or expand research-based reforms in
master's and doctoral level STEM education that emphasize
preparation for diverse careers utilizing STEM degrees,
including at diverse types of institutions of higher
education, in industry, and at government agencies and
research laboratories.
(b) Uses of Funds.--Activities supported by grants under
this section may include--
(1) creation of multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary
courses or programs for the purpose of improved student
instruction and research in STEM;
(2) expansion of graduate STEM research opportunities to
include interdisciplinary research opportunities and research
opportunities in industry, at Federal laboratories, and at
international research institutions or research sites;
(3) development and implementation of future faculty
training programs focused on improved
[[Page H3376]]
instruction, mentoring, assessment of student learning, and
support of undergraduate STEM students;
(4) support and training for graduate students to
participate in instructional activities beyond the
traditional teaching assistantship, and especially as part of
ongoing educational reform efforts, including at pre-K-12
schools, informal science education institutions, and
primarily undergraduate institutions;
(5) creation, improvement, or expansion of innovative
graduate programs such as science master's degree programs;
(6) development and implementation of seminars, workshops,
and other professional development activities that increase
the ability of graduate students to engage in innovation,
technology transfer, and entrepreneurship;
(7) development and implementation of seminars, workshops,
and other professional development activities that increase
the ability of graduate students to effectively communicate
their research findings to technical audiences outside of
their own discipline and to nontechnical audiences;
(8) expansion of successful STEM reform efforts beyond a
single academic unit to other STEM academic units within an
institution or to comparable academic units at other
institutions; and
(9) research on teaching and learning of STEM at the
graduate level related to the proposed reform effort,
including assessment and evaluation of the proposed reform
activities and research on scalability and sustainability of
approaches to reform.
(c) Partnership.--An institution of higher education may
partner with one or more other nonprofit education or
research organizations, including scientific and engineering
societies, for the purposes of carrying out the activities
authorized under this section.
(d) Selection Process.--
(1) Applications.--An institution of higher education
seeking a grant under this section shall submit an
application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director may require. The
application shall include, at a minimum--
(A) a description of the proposed reform effort;
(B) in the case of applications that propose an expansion
of a previously implemented reform effort at the applicant's
institution or at other institutions, a description of the
previously implemented reform effort;
(C) evidence of institutional support for, and commitment
to, the proposed reform effort, including long-term
commitment to implement successful strategies from the
current reform effort beyond the academic unit or units
included in the grant proposal or to disseminate successful
strategies to other institutions; and
(D) a description of the plans for assessment and
evaluation of the grant proposed reform activities.
(2) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients
under this section, the Director shall consider at a
minimum--
(A) the likelihood of success in undertaking the proposed
effort at the institution submitting the application,
including the extent to which the faculty, staff, and
administrators of the institution are committed to making the
proposed institutional reform a priority of the participating
academic unit or units;
(B) the degree to which the proposed reform will contribute
to change in institutional culture and policy such that a
greater value is placed on preparing graduate students for
diverse careers utilizing STEM degrees;
(C) the likelihood that the institution will sustain or
expand the reform beyond the period of the grant; and
(D) the degree to which scholarly assessment and evaluation
plans are included in the design of the reform effort.
(e) Repeal.--Section 7034 of the America COMPETES Act (42
U.S.C. 1862o-13) is repealed.
SEC. 250. UNDERGRADUATE BROADENING PARTICIPATION PROGRAM.
(a) Undergraduate Broadening Participation Program.--The
Foundation shall continue to support the Historically Black
Colleges and Universities Undergraduate Program, the Louis
Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation program, and the
Tribal Colleges and Universities Program as separate programs
at least through September 30, 2011.
(b) Plan.--Prior to any realignment or consolidation of the
programs described in subsection (a), in addition to the
Hispanic-Serving Institutions Undergraduate Program required
by section 7033 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o-
12), the Director shall develop a plan clarifying the
objectives and rationale for such changes. The plan shall
include a description of how such changes would result in--
(1) meeting or strengthening the common goal of the
separate programs to increase the number of individuals from
underrepresented groups attaining undergraduate STEM degrees;
and
(2) addressing the unique needs of the different types of
minority serving institutions and underrepresented groups
currently provided for by the separate programs.
(c) Recommendations.--In the development of the plan
required under subsection (b), the Director shall at a
minimum--
(1) consider the recommendations and findings of the
National Academy of Sciences report required by section 7032
of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-69); and
(2) solicit recommendations and feedback from a wide range
of stakeholders, including representatives from minority
serving institutions, other institutions of higher education,
and other entities with expertise on effective mechanisms to
increase the recruitment and retention of members of
underrepresented groups in STEM fields, and the attainment of
STEM degrees by underrepresented groups.
(d) Approval by Congress.--The plan developed under this
section shall be transmitted to Congress at least 3 months
prior to the implementation of any realignment or
consolidation of the programs described in subsection (a).
SEC. 251. GRAND CHALLENGES IN EDUCATION RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Director and the Secretary of
Education shall collaborate, in consultation with the
Director of the National Institutes of Health, in--
(1) identifying, prioritizing, and developing strategies to
address grand challenges in research and development on the
teaching and learning of STEM at the pre-K-12 level, in
formal and informal settings, for diverse learning
populations, including individuals identified in section 33
or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act
(42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b), and students in rural schools;
(2) carrying out research and development to address the
grand challenges identified in paragraph (1); and
(3) ensuring the dissemination of the results of such
research and development.
(b) Stakeholder Input.--In identifying the grand challenges
required in subsection (a), the Director and the Secretary
shall--
(1) take into consideration critical research gaps
identified in existing reports, including reports by the
National Academies, on the teaching and learning of STEM at
the pre-K-12 level in formal and informal settings; and
(2) solicit input from a wide range of stakeholders,
including local and State education officials, STEM teachers,
STEM education researchers, scientific and engineering
societies, STEM faculty at institutions of higher education,
informal STEM education providers, businesses with a large
STEM workforce, and other stakeholders in the teaching and
learning of STEM at the pre-K-12 level, and may enter into an
arrangement with the National Research Council for these
purposes.
(c) Topics to Consider.--In identifying the grand
challenges required in subsection (a), the Director and the
Secretary, in order to provide students with increased access
to rigorous courses of study in STEM, increase the number of
students who are prepared for advanced study and careers in
STEM, and increase the effective teaching of STEM subjects,
shall at a minimum consider the following topics:
(1) Research on scalability, sustainability, and
replication of successful STEM activities, programs, and
models, in formal and informal environments.
(2) Research that utilizes a systems approach to
identifying challenges and opportunities to improve the
teaching and learning of STEM, including development and
evaluation of model systems that support improved teaching
and learning of STEM across entire school districts and
States, and encompassing and integrating the teaching and
learning of STEM in formal and informal venues, and in K-12
schools and institutions of higher education.
(3) Research to understand what makes a STEM teacher
effective and STEM teacher professional development
effective, including development of tools and methodologies
to measure STEM teacher effectiveness.
(4) Research and development on cyber-enabled tools and
programs and television based tools and programs for learning
and teaching STEM, including development of tools and
methodologies for assessing cyber and television enabled
teaching and learning.
(5) Research and development on STEM teaching and learning
in informal environments, including development of tools and
methodologies for assessing STEM teaching and learning in
informal environments.
(6) Research and development on how integrating engineering
with mathematics and science education may--
(A) improve student learning of mathematics and science;
(B) increase student interest and persistence in STEM; or
(C) improve student understanding of engineering design
principles and of the built world.
(7) Research to understand what makes hands-on, inquiry-
based classroom experiences effective, including development
of tools and methodologies for assessing such experiences.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director and the Secretary
shall report back to Congress with a description of--
(1) the grand challenges identified pursuant to this
section;
(2) the role of each agency in supporting research and
development activities to address the grand challenges;
(3) the common metrics that will be used to assess progress
toward meeting the grand challenges;
(4) plans for periodically updating the grand challenges;
(5) how the agencies will disseminate the results of
research and development activities carried out under this
section to STEM education practitioners, to other Federal
agencies that support STEM programs and activities, and to
non-Federal funders of STEM education; and
(6) how the agencies will support implementation of best
practices identified by the research and development
activities.
SEC. 252. RESEARCH EXPERIENCES FOR UNDERGRADUATES.
(a) Research Sites.--The Director shall award grants, on a
merit-reviewed, competitive basis, to institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, or consortia of such
institutions and organizations, for sites designated by the
Director to provide research experiences for 10 or more
undergraduate STEM students, with consideration given to the
goal of promoting the participation of individuals identified
in section 33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal
Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b). The Director
shall ensure that--
[[Page H3377]]
(1) at least half of the students participating in a
program funded by a grant under this subsection at each site
shall be recruited from institutions of higher education
where research opportunities in STEM are limited, including
2-year institutions;
(2) the awards provide undergraduate research experiences
in a wide range of STEM disciplines;
(3) the awards support a variety of projects, including
independent investigator-led projects, interdisciplinary
projects, and multi-institutional projects (including virtual
projects);
(4) students participating in each program funded have
mentors, including during the academic year to the extent
practicable, to help connect the students' research
experiences to the overall academic course of study and to
help students achieve success in courses of study leading to
a baccalaureate degree in a STEM field;
(5) mentors and students are supported with appropriate
salary or stipends; and
(6) student participants are tracked, for employment and
continued matriculation in STEM fields, through receipt of
the undergraduate degree and for at least 3 years thereafter.
(b) Inclusion of Undergraduates in Standard Research
Grants.--The Director shall require that every recipient of a
research grant from the Foundation proposing to include 1 or
more undergraduate students in carrying out the research
under the grant shall request support, including stipend
support, for such undergraduate students as part of the
research proposal itself rather than as a supplement to the
research proposal, unless such undergraduate participation
was not foreseeable at the time of the original proposal.
SEC. 253. LABORATORY SCIENCE PILOT PROGRAM.
Section 7026 of the America COMPETES Act (Public Law 110-
69) is amended by striking subsections (d) and (e).
SEC. 254. STEM INDUSTRY INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--The Director may award grants, on a
competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of higher
education, or consortia thereof, to establish or expand
partnerships with local or regional private sector entities,
for the purpose of providing undergraduate students with
integrated internship experiences that connect private sector
internship experiences with the students' STEM coursework.
Such partnerships may also include industry or professional
associations.
(b) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Director shall give priority to institutions of higher
education or consortia thereof that demonstrate significant
outreach to and coordination with local or regional private
sector entities in developing academic courses designed to
provide students with the skills necessary for employment in
local or regional companies.
(c) Cost-share.--The Director shall require a 50 percent
non-Federal cost-share from partnerships established or
expanded under this section.
(d) Restriction.--No Federal funds provided under this
section may be used--
(1) for the purpose of providing stipends or compensation
to students for private sector internships; or
(2) as payment or reimbursement to private sector entities.
(e) Report.--Not less than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to
Congress on the number and total value of awards made under
this section, the number of students affected by those
awards, and any evidence of the effect of those awards on
workforce preparation and jobs placement for participating
students.
SEC. 255. TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Director shall continue to support a
program to award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis to tribal colleges and universities (as defined in
section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c)), including institutions described in section 317 of
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1059d), to enhance the quality of
undergraduate STEM education at such institutions and to
increase the retention and graduation rates of Native
American students pursuing associate's or baccalaureate
degrees in STEM.
(b) Program Components.--Grants awarded under this section
shall support--
(1) activities to improve courses and curriculum in STEM;
(2) faculty development;
(3) stipends for undergraduate students participating in
research; and
(4) other activities consistent with subsection (a), as
determined by the Director.
(c) Instrumentation.--Funding provided under this section
may be used for instrumentation.
TITLE III--STEM EDUCATION
SEC. 301. COORDINATION OF FEDERAL STEM EDUCATION.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``STEM
Education Coordination Act of 2010''.
(b) Definition.--In this section, the term ``STEM'' means
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
(c) Establishment.--The Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall establish a committee under the
National Science and Technology Council with the
responsibility to coordinate Federal programs and activities
in support of STEM education, including at the National
Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Education,
and all other Federal agencies that have programs and
activities in support of STEM education.
(d) Responsibilities of the Committee.--The committee
established under subsection (c) shall--
(1) coordinate the STEM education activities and programs
of the Federal agencies;
(2) develop, implement through the participating agencies,
and update once every 5 years a 5-year STEM education
strategic plan, which shall--
(A) specify and prioritize annual and long-term objectives;
(B) specify the common metrics that will be used to assess
progress toward achieving the objectives;
(C) describe the approaches that will be taken by each
participating agency to assess the effectiveness of its STEM
education programs and activities; and
(D) with respect to subparagraph (A), describe the role of
each agency in supporting programs and activities designed to
achieve the objectives; and
(3) establish, periodically update, and maintain an
inventory of federally sponsored STEM education programs and
activities, including documentation of assessments of the
effectiveness of such programs and activities and rates of
participation by underrepresented minorities in such programs
and activities.
(e) Responsibilities of OSTP.--The Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy shall encourage and monitor
the efforts of the participating agencies to ensure that the
strategic plan under subsection (d)(2) is developed and
executed effectively and that the objectives of the strategic
plan are met.
(f) Report.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall transmit a report annually to
Congress at the time of the President's budget request
describing the plan required under subsection (d)(2). The
annual report shall include--
(1) a description of the STEM education programs and
activities for the previous and current fiscal years, and the
proposed programs and activities under the President's budget
request, of each participating Federal agency;
(2) the levels of funding for each participating Federal
agency for the programs and activities described under
paragraph (1) for the previous fiscal year and under the
President's budget request;
(3) except for the initial annual report, a description of
the progress made in carrying out the implementation plan,
including a description of the outcome of any program
assessments completed in the previous year, and any changes
made to that plan since the previous annual report; and
(4) a description of how the participating Federal agencies
will disseminate information about federally supported
resources for STEM education practitioners, including teacher
professional development programs, to States and to STEM
education practitioners, including to teachers and
administrators in high-need schools, as defined in section
200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1021).
SEC. 302. ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON STEM EDUCATION.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish or designate
an advisory committee on science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics (STEM) education.
(b) Membership.--The advisory committee established or
designated by the President under subsection (a) shall be
chaired by at least 2 members of the President's Council of
Advisors on Science and Technology, with the remaining
advisory committee membership consisting of non-Federal
members who are specially qualified to provide the President
with advice and information on STEM education. Membership of
the advisory committee, at a minimum, shall include
individuals from the following categories of individuals and
organizations:
(1) STEM educator professional associations.
(2) Organizations that provide informal STEM education
activities.
(3) Institutions of higher education.
(4) Scientific and engineering professional societies.
(5) Business and industry associations.
(6) Foundations that fund STEM education activities.
(c) Responsibilities.--The responsibilities of the advisory
committee shall include--
(1) soliciting input from teachers, administrators, local
education agencies, States, and other public and private STEM
education stakeholder groups for the purpose of informing the
Federal agencies that support STEM education programs on the
STEM education needs of States and school districts;
(2) soliciting input from all STEM education stakeholder
groups regarding STEM education programs, including STEM
education research programs, supported by Federal agencies;
(3) providing advice to the Federal agencies that support
STEM education programs on how their programs can be better
aligned with the needs of States and school districts as
identified in paragraph (1), consistent with the mission of
each agency; and
(4) offering guidance to the President on current STEM
education activities, research findings, and best practices,
with the purpose of increasing connectivity between public
and private STEM education efforts.
SEC. 303. STEM EDUCATION AT THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.
(a) Definitions.--Section 5002 of the America COMPETES Act
(42 U.S.C. 16531) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (2) through (4) as
paragraphs (3) through (5), respectively; and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) Energy systems science and engineering.--The term
`energy systems science and engineering' means--
[[Page H3378]]
``(A) nuclear science and engineering, including--
``(i) nuclear engineering;
``(ii) nuclear chemistry;
``(iii) radiochemistry; and
``(iv) health physics;
``(B) hydrocarbon system science and engineering,
including--
``(i) petroleum or reservoir engineering;
``(ii) environmental geoscience;
``(iii) petrophysics;
``(iv) geophysics;
``(v) geochemistry;
``(vi) petroleum geology;
``(vii) ocean engineering;
``(viii) environmental engineering; and
``(ix) carbon capture and sequestration science and
engineering;
``(C) energy efficiency and renewable energy technology
systems science and engineering, including with respect to--
``(i) solar technology systems;
``(ii) wind technology systems;
``(iii) buildings technology systems;
``(iv) transportation technology systems;
``(v) hydropower systems; and
``(vi) geothermal systems; and
``(D) energy storage and distribution systems science and
engineering, including with respect to--
``(i) energy storage; and
``(ii) energy delivery.''.
(b) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Education Programs.--Subpart B of the Department of Energy
Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381g et seq.)
is amended--
(1) in section 3170--
(A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows:
``(1) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of
STEM Education appointed or designated under section
3171(c)(1).'';
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3);
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the following new
paragraph:
``(2) Energy systems science and engineering.--The term
`energy systems science and engineering' means--
``(A) nuclear science and engineering, including--
``(i) nuclear engineering;
``(ii) nuclear chemistry;
``(iii) radiochemistry; and
``(iv) health physics;
``(B) hydrocarbon system science and engineering,
including--
``(i) petroleum or reservoir engineering;
``(ii) environmental geoscience;
``(iii) petrophysics;
``(iv) geophysics;
``(v) geochemistry;
``(vi) petroleum geology;
``(vii) ocean engineering; and
``(viii) environmental engineering;
``(C) energy efficiency and renewable energy technology
systems science and engineering, including with respect to--
``(i) solar technology systems;
``(ii) wind technology systems;
``(iii) buildings technology systems;
``(iv) transportation technology systems;
``(v) hydropower systems; and
``(vi) geothermal systems; and
``(D) energy storage and distribution systems science and
engineering, including with respect to--
``(i) energy storage; and
``(ii) energy delivery.''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) STEM.--The term `STEM' means science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics.'';
(2) by striking chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6;
(3) by inserting after section 3170 the following new
chapter:
``CHAPTER 1--STEM EDUCATION
``SEC. 3171. STEM EDUCATION.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall develop,
conduct, support, promote, and coordinate formal and informal
educational activities that leverage the Department's unique
content expertise and facilities to contribute to improving
STEM education at all levels in the United States, and to
enhance awareness and understanding of STEM, including energy
sciences, in order to create a diverse skilled scientific and
technical workforce essential to meeting the challenges
facing the Department and the Nation in the 21st century.
``(b) Programs.--The Secretary shall carry out evidence-
based programs designed to increase student interest and
participation, improve public literacy and support, and
improve the teaching and learning of energy systems science
and engineering and other STEM disciplines supported by the
Department. Programs authorized under this subsection may
include--
``(1) informal educational programming designed to excite
and inspire students and the general public about energy
systems science and engineering and other STEM disciplines
supported by the Department, while strengthening their
content knowledge in these fields;
``(2) teacher training and professional development
opportunities for pre-service and in-service elementary and
secondary teachers designed to increase the content knowledge
of teachers in energy systems science and engineering and
other STEM disciplines supported by the Department, including
through hands-on research experiences;
``(3) research opportunities for secondary school students,
including internships at the National Laboratories, that
provide secondary school students with hands-on research
experiences as well as exposure to working scientists;
``(4) research opportunities at the National Laboratories
for undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in
energy systems science and engineering and other STEM
disciplines supported by the Department; and
``(5) competitive scholarships, fellowships, and
traineeships for undergraduate and graduate students in
energy systems science and engineering and other STEM
disciplines supported by the Department.
``(c) Organization of STEM Education Programs.--
``(1) Director of stem education.--The Secretary shall
appoint or designate a Director of STEM Education, who shall
have the principal responsibility to oversee and coordinate
all programs and activities of the Department in support of
STEM education, including energy systems science and
engineering education, across all functions of the
Department.
``(2) Qualifications.--The Director shall be an individual,
who by reason of professional background and experience, is
specially qualified to advise the Secretary on all matters
pertaining to STEM education, including energy systems
science and engineering education, at the Department.
``(3) Duties.--The Director shall--
``(A) oversee and coordinate all programs in support of
STEM education, including energy systems science and
engineering education, across all functions of the
Department;
``(B) represent the Department as the principal interagency
liaison for all STEM education programs, unless otherwise
represented by the Secretary, the Under Secretary for
Science, or the Under Secretary for Energy;
``(C) prepare the annual budget and advise the Under
Secretary for Science and the Under Secretary for Energy on
all budgetary issues for STEM education, including energy
systems science and engineering education, relative to the
programs of the Department;
``(D) establish, periodically update, and maintain a
publicly accessible online inventory of STEM education
programs and activities, including energy systems science and
engineering education programs and activities;
``(E) develop, implement, and update the Department of
Energy STEM education strategic plan, as required by
subsection (d);
``(F) increase, to the maximum extent practicable, the
participation and advancement of women and underrepresented
minorities at every level of STEM education, including energy
systems science and engineering education; and
``(G) perform such other matters relating to STEM education
as are required by the Secretary, the Under Secretary for
Science, or the Under Secretary for Energy.
``(d) Department of Energy Stem Education Strategic Plan.--
The Director of STEM education appointed or designated under
subsection (c)(1) shall develop, implement, and update once
every 3 years a 3-year STEM education strategic plan for the
Department, which shall--
``(1) identify and prioritize annual and long-term STEM
education goals and objectives for the Department that are
aligned with the overall goals of the National Science and
Technology Council Committee on STEM Education Strategic plan
required under section 301(d)(2) of the STEM Education
Coordination Act of 2010;
``(2) describe the role of each program or activity of the
Department in contributing to the goals and objectives
identified under paragraph (1);
``(3) specify the metrics that will be used to assess
progress toward achieving those goals and objectives; and
``(4) describe the approaches that will be taken to assess
the effectiveness of each STEM education program and activity
supported by the Department.
``(e) Outreach to Students From Underrepresented Groups.--
In carrying out a program authorized under this section, the
Secretary shall give consideration to the goal of promoting
the participation of individuals identified in section 33 or
34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42
U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b).
``(f) Consultation and Partnership With Other Agencies.--In
carrying out the programs and activities authorized under
this section, the Secretary shall--
``(1) consult with the Secretary of Education and the
Director of the National Science Foundation regarding
activities designed to improve elementary and secondary STEM
education; and
``(2) consult and partner with the Director of the National
Science Foundation in carrying out programs under this
section designed to build capacity in STEM education at the
undergraduate and graduate level, including by supporting
excellent proposals in energy systems science and engineering
that are submitted for funding to the Foundation's Advanced
Technological Education Program.''; and
(4) in section 3191--
(A) in subsection (a)--
(i) by striking ``web-based'' and inserting ``, through a
publicly available website,'' ; and
(ii) by inserting ``and project-based learning
opportunities'' after ``laboratory experiments'';
(B) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``, including energy
systems science and engineering'' after ``the science of
energy''; and
(C) by striking subsection (d).
(c) Energy Applied Science Talent Expansion Program for
Institutions of Higher Education.--
(1) Amendment.--Strike sections 5004 and 5005 of the
America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16532 and 16533) and insert
the following new section:
``SEC. 5004. ENERGY APPLIED SCIENCE TALENT EXPANSION PROGRAM
FOR INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
``(a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
``(1) to address the decline in the number of and resources
available to energy systems science and engineering programs
at institutions of higher education, including community
colleges; and
[[Page H3379]]
``(2) to increase the number of graduates with degrees in
energy systems science and engineering, an area of strategic
importance to the economic competitiveness and energy
security of the United States.
``(b) Establishment.--The Secretary shall award grants, on
a competitive, merit-reviewed basis, to institutions of
higher education to implement or expand the energy systems
science and engineering educational and technical training
capabilities of the institution, and to provide merit-based
financial support for master's and doctoral level students
pursuing courses of study and research in energy systems
sciences and engineering.
``(c) Use of Funds.--An institution of higher education
that receives a grant under this section may use the grant
to--
``(1) provide traineeships, including stipends and cost of
education allowances, to master's and doctoral students;
``(2) develop or expand multidisciplinary or
interdisciplinary courses or programs;
``(3) recruit and retain new faculty;
``(4) develop or improve core and specialized course
content;
``(5) encourage interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary
research collaborations;
``(6) support outreach efforts to recruit students,
including individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C.
1885a or 1885b); and
``(7) pursue opportunities for collaboration with industry
and National Laboratories.
``(d) Criteria.--Criteria for awarding a grant under this
section shall be based on--
``(1) the potential to attract new students to the program;
``(2) academic rigor; and
``(3) the ability to offer hands-on education and training
opportunities for graduate students in the emerging areas of
energy systems science and engineering.
``(e) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority to
proposals that involve active partnerships with a National
Laboratory or other energy systems science and engineering
related entity, as determined by the Secretary.
``(f) Duration and Amount.--
``(1) Duration.--A grant under this section may be for up
to 5 years in duration.
``(2) Amount.--An institution of higher education that
receives a grant under this section shall be eligible for up
to $1,000,000 for each year of the grant period.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out
this section--
``(1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
``(2) $32,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
``(3) $36,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
``(4) $38,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
``(5) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.''.
(2) Conforming amendment.--The table of contents for the
America COMPETES Act is amended by striking the items
relating to sections 5004 and 5005 and inserting the
following:
Sec. 5004. Energy applied science talent expansion program for
institutions of higher education.
(d) Department of Energy Early Career Awards for Science,
Engineering, and Mathematics Researchers.--Section 5006 of
the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16534) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``Director of the
Office'' and all that follows through ``shall carry'' and
inserting ``Secretary shall carry'';
(2) in subsection (b)(1)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``per year'' after
``$80,000''; and
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``$125,000'' and
inserting ``$175,000 per year'';
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by striking ``, as determined by
the Director'';
(4) in subsections (c)(2), (e), (f), and (g), by striking
``Director'' each place it appears and inserting
``Secretary'';
(5) in subsection (d), by striking ``merit-reviewed'' and
inserting ``merit-based, peer reviewed''; and
(6) in subsection (h)--
(A) by striking ``, acting through the Director,''; and
(B) by striking ``$25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008
through 2010'' and inserting ``such sums as are necessary''.
(e) Protecting America's Competitive Edge (PACE) Graduate
Fellowship Program.--Section 5009 of the America COMPETES Act
(42 U.S.C. 16536) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``involving written and
oral interviews, that will result in a wide distribution of
awards throughout the United States,''; and
(B) in paragraph (2)(B)(iv), by striking ``verbal and'';
(2) in subsection (d)(1)(B)(i), by inserting ``partial or
full'' before ``graduate tuition''; and
(3) by striking subsection (f).
(f) Repeal.--Section 3164 of the Department of Energy
Science Education Enhancement Act (42 U.S.C. 7381a) is
repealed.
SEC. 304. GREEN ENERGY EDUCATION.
(a) Short Title.--This section may be cited as the ``Green
Energy Education Act of 2010''.
(b) Definition.--For the purposes of this section:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Science Foundation.
(2) High performance building.--The term ``high performance
building'' has the meaning given that term in section 914(a)
of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16194(a)).
(c) Graduate Training in Energy Research and Development.--
(1) Funding.--In carrying out research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application activities
authorized for the Department of Energy, the Secretary may
contribute funds to the National Science Foundation for the
Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
program to support projects that enable graduate education
related to such activities.
(2) Consultation.--The Director shall consult with the
Secretary when preparing solicitations and awarding grants
for projects described in paragraph (1).
(d) Curriculum Development for High Performance Building
Design.--
(1) Funding.--In carrying out advanced energy technology
research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application activities authorized for the Department of
Energy related to high performance buildings, the Secretary
may contribute funds to curriculum development activities at
the National Science Foundation for the purpose of improving
undergraduate or graduate interdisciplinary engineering and
architecture education related to the design and construction
of high performance buildings, including development of
curricula, of laboratory activities, of training practicums,
or of design projects. A primary goal of curriculum
development activities supported under this subsection shall
be to improve the ability of engineers, architects, landscape
architects, and planners to work together on the
incorporation of advanced energy technologies during the
design and construction of high performance buildings.
(2) Consultation.--The Director shall consult with the
Secretary when preparing solicitations and awarding grants
for projects described in paragraph (1).
(3) Priority.--In awarding grants with respect to which the
Secretary has contributed funds under this subsection, the
Director shall give priority to applications from
departments, programs, or centers of a school of engineering
that are partnered with schools, departments, or programs of
design, architecture, landscape architecture, and city,
regional, or urban planning.
TITLE IV--NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY
SEC. 401. SHORT TITLE.
This title may be cited as the ``National Institute of
Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2010''.
SEC. 402. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2011.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $991,100,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2011.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $620,000,000 shall be authorized for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities;
(B) $125,000,000 shall be authorized for the construction
and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $246,100,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $95,000,000 shall be authorized for the Technology
Innovation Program under section 28 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n);
(ii) $141,100,000 shall be authorized for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l); and
(iii) $10,000,000 shall be authorized for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award program under section 17 of
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3711a).
(b) Fiscal Year 2012.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $992,400,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2012.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $657,200,000 shall be authorized for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities;
(B) $85,000,000 shall be authorized for the construction
and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $250,200,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $89,000,000 shall be authorized for the Technology
Innovation Program under section 28 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n);
(ii) $150,900,000 shall be authorized for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l); and
(iii) $10,300,000 shall be authorized for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award program under section 17 of
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3711a).
(c) Fiscal Year 2013.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,079,809,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2013.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $696,700,000 shall be authorized for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities;
(B) $122,000,000 shall be authorized for the construction
and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $261,109,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $89,000,000 shall be authorized for the Technology
Innovation Program under section 28 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n);
(ii) $161,500,000 shall be authorized for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l); and
(iii) $10,609,000 shall be authorized for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award program under section 17 of
the Stevenson-Wydler
[[Page H3380]]
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711a).
(d) Fiscal Year 2014.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,126,227,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2014.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $738,500,000 shall be authorized for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities;
(B) $124,000,000 shall be authorized for the construction
and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $263,727,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $80,000,000 shall be authorized for the Technology
Innovation Program under section 28 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n);
(ii) $172,800,000 shall be authorized for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l); and
(iii) $10,927,000 shall be authorized for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award program under section 17 of
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3711a).
(e) Fiscal Year 2015.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,191,955,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2015.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized under
paragraph (1)--
(A) $782,800,000 shall be authorized for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities;
(B) $133,000,000 shall be authorized for the construction
and maintenance of facilities; and
(C) $276,155,000 shall be authorized for industrial
technology services activities, of which--
(i) $80,000,000 shall be authorized for the Technology
Innovation Program under section 28 of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n);
(ii) $184,900,000 shall be authorized for the Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of
such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l); and
(iii) $11,255,000 shall be authorized for the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Award program under section 17 of
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3711a).
SEC. 403. UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR STANDARDS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
(a) Establishment.--Section 4 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 4. UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR STANDARDS AND
TECHNOLOGY.
``(a) Establishment.--There shall be in the Department of
Commerce an Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and
Technology (in this section referred to as the `Under
Secretary').
``(b) Appointment.--The Under Secretary shall be appointed
by the President by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
``(c) Compensation.--The Under Secretary shall be
compensated at the rate in effect for level III of the
Executive Schedule under section 5314 of title 5, United
States Code.
``(d) Duties.--The Under Secretary shall serve as the
Director of the Institute and shall perform such duties as
required of the Director by the Secretary under this Act or
by law.
``(e) Applicability.--The individual serving as the
Director of the Institute on the date of enactment of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization
Act of 2010 shall also serve as the Under Secretary until
such time as a successor is appointed under subsection
(b).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Title 5, united states code.--
(A) Level iii.--Section 5314 of title 5, United States
Code, is amended by inserting before the item ``Associate
Attorney General'' the following:
``Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology,
who also serves as Director of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology.''.
(B) Level iv.--Section 5315 of title 5, United States Code,
is amended by striking ``Director, National Institute of
Standards and Technology, Department of Commerce.''.
(2) National institute of standards and technology act.--
Section 5 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 274) is amended by striking the
first, fifth, and sixth sentences.
SEC. 404. REORGANIZATION OF NIST LABORATORIES.
(a) Organization.--The Director shall reorganize the
scientific and technical research and services laboratory
program into the following operational units:
(1) The Physical Measurement Laboratory, whose mission is
to realize and disseminate the national standards for length,
mass, time and frequency, electricity, temperature, force,
and radiation by activities including fundamental research in
measurement science, the provision of measurement services
and standards, and the provision of testing facilities
resources for use by the Federal Government.
(2) The Information Technology Laboratory, whose mission is
to develop and disseminate standards, measurements, and
testing capabilities for interoperability, security,
usability, and reliability of information technologies,
including cyber security standards and guidelines for Federal
agencies, United States industry, and the public, through
fundamental and applied research in computer science,
mathematics, and statistics.
(3) The Engineering Laboratory, whose mission is to develop
and disseminate advanced manufacturing and construction
technologies to the United States manufacturing and
construction industries through activities including
measurement science research, performance metrics, tools for
engineering applications, and promotion of standards
adoption.
(4) The Material Measurement Laboratory, whose mission is
to serve as the national reference laboratory in biological,
chemical, and material sciences and engineering through
activities including fundamental research in the composition,
structure, and properties of biological and environmental
materials and processes, the development of certified
reference materials and critically evaluated data, and other
programs to assure measurement quality in materials and
biotechnology fields.
(5) The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology, a
national shared-use facility for nanoscale fabrication and
measurement, whose mission is to develop innovative nanoscale
measurement and fabrication capabilities to support
researchers from industry, institutions of higher education,
the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other
Federal agencies in nanoscale technology from discovery to
production.
(6) The NIST Center for Neutron Research, a national user
facility, whose mission is to provide neutron-based
measurement capabilities to researchers from industry,
institutions of higher education, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, and other Federal agencies in
support of materials research, nondestructive evaluation,
neutron imaging, chemical analysis, neutron standards,
dosimetry, and radiation metrology.
(b) Additional Duties.--The Director may assign additional
duties to the operational units listed in subsection (a) that
are consistent with the missions of such units.
(c) Revision.--
(1) In general.--Subsequent to the reorganization required
under subsection (a), the Director may revise the
organization of the scientific and technical research and
services laboratory program.
(2) Report to congress.--Any revision to the organization
of such program under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in a
report to the Committee on Science and Technology of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate at least 60 days
before the effective date of such revision.
SEC. 405. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT STANDARDS AND CONFORMITY
ASSESSMENT COORDINATION.
(a) Coordination.--Section 2(b) of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)) is
amended--
(1) in paragraph (12), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (13), by striking the period at the end
and inserting a semicolon; and
(3) by adding after paragraph (13) the following:
``(14) to promote collaboration among Federal departments
and agencies and private sector stakeholders in the
development and implementation of standards and conformity
assessment frameworks to address specific Federal Government
policy goals; and
``(15) to convene Federal departments and agencies, as
appropriate, to--
``(A) coordinate and determine Federal Government positions
on specific policy issues related to the development of
international technical standards and conformity assessment-
related activities; and
``(B) coordinate Federal department and agency engagement
in the development of international technical standards and
conformity assessment-related activities.''.
(b) Report.--The Director, in consultation with appropriate
Federal agencies, shall submit a report annually to Congress
addressing the Federal Government's technical standards and
conformity assessment-related activities. The report shall
identify--
(1) current and anticipated international standards and
conformity assessment-related issues that have the potential
to impact the competitiveness and innovation capabilities of
the United States;
(2) any action being taken by the Federal Government to
address these issues and the Federal agency taking that
action; and
(3) any action that the Director is taking or will take to
ensure effective Federal Government engagement on technical
standards and conformity assessment-related issues, as
appropriate, where the Federal Government is not effectively
engaged.
SEC. 406. MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
(a) Community College Support.--Section 25(a) of the
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
278k(a)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding after paragraph (5) the following:
``(6) providing to community colleges information about the
job skills needed in small- and medium-sized manufacturing
businesses in the regions they serve.''.
(b) Innovative Services Initiative.--Section 25 of such Act
(15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``(g) Innovative Services Initiative.--
``(1) Establishment.--The Director may establish, within
the Centers program under this section, an innovative
services initiative to assist small- and medium-sized
manufacturers in--
``(A) reducing their energy usage and environmental waste
to improve profitability; and
``(B) accelerating the domestic commercialization of new
product technologies, including components for renewable
energy systems.
[[Page H3381]]
``(2) Market demand.--The Director may not undertake any
activity to accelerate the domestic commercialization of a
new product technology under this subsection unless an
analysis of market demand for the new product technology has
been conducted.''.
(c) Reports.--Section 25 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is
further amended by adding after subsection (g), as added by
subsection (b), the following:
``(h) Reports.--
``(1) In general.--In submitting the 3-year programmatic
planning document and annual updates under section 23, the
Director shall include an assessment of the Director's
governance of the program established under this section.
``(2) Criteria.--In conducting such assessment, the
Director shall use the criteria established pursuant to the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award under section
17(d)(1)(C) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act
of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711a(d)(1)(C)).''.
(d) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program
Cost-Sharing.--Section 25(c) of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(c))
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(7) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1), (3), and (5), for
fiscal year 2011 through fiscal year 2015, the Secretary may
not provide to a Center more than 50 percent of the costs
incurred by such Center and may not require that a Center's
cost share exceed 50 percent.
``(8) Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Authorization Act of 2010, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the cost share requirements under the
program. The report shall--
``(A) discuss various cost share structures, including the
cost share structure in place prior to such date of enactment
and the cost share structure in place under paragraph (7),
and the effect of such cost share structures on individual
Centers and the overall program; and
``(B) include a recommendation for how best to structure
the cost share requirement after fiscal year 2015 to provide
for the long-term sustainability of the program.''.
(e) Advisory Board.--Section 25(e)(4) of such Act (15
U.S.C. 278k(e)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
``(4) Federal advisory committee act applicability.--
``(A) In general.--In discharging its duties under this
subsection, the MEP Advisory Board shall function solely in
an advisory capacity, in accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act.
``(B) Exception.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act shall not apply to the MEP Advisory Board.''.
(f) Definitions.--Section 25 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k)
is further amended by adding after subsection (h), as added
by subsection (c), the following:
``(i) Definition.--In this section, the term `community
college' means an institution of higher education (as defined
under section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001(a))) at which the highest degree that is
predominately awarded to students is an associate's
degree.''.
SEC. 408. EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES
RESEARCH INITIATIVE.
(a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a research
initiative to support the development of emergency
communication and tracking technologies for use in locating
trapped individuals in confined spaces, such as underground
mines, and other shielded environments, such as high-rise
buildings or collapsed structures, where conventional radio
communication is limited.
(b) Activities.--In order to carry out this section, the
Director shall work with the private sector and appropriate
Federal agencies to--
(1) perform a needs assessment to identify and evaluate the
measurement, technical standards, and conformity assessment
needs required to improve the operation and reliability of
such emergency communication and tracking technologies; and
(2) support the development of technical standards and
conformance architecture to improve the operation and
reliability of such emergency communication and tracking
technologies.
(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress
and make publicly available a report describing the
assessment performed under subsection (b)(1) and making
recommendations about research priorities to address gaps in
the measurement, technical standards, and conformity
assessment needs identified by such assessment.
SEC. 409. TIP ADVISORY BOARD.
Section 28(k)(4) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(k)(4)) is amended to read as
follows:
``(4) Federal advisory committee act applicability.--
``(A) In general.--In discharging its duties under this
subsection, the TIP Advisory Board shall function solely in
an advisory capacity, in accordance with the Federal Advisory
Committee Act.
``(B) Exception.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
Committee Act shall not apply to the TIP Advisory Board.''.
SEC. 410. UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES.
(a) Research Fellowships.--Section 18 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-1)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Underrepresented Minorities.--In evaluating
applications for fellowships under this section, the Director
shall give consideration to the goal of promoting the
participation of underrepresented minorities in research
areas supported by the Institute.''.
(b) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.--Section 19 of such
Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-2) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``In evaluating applications for fellowships under
this section, the Director shall give consideration to the
goal of promoting the participation of underrepresented
minorities in research areas supported by the Institute.''.
(c) Teacher Development.--Section 19A(c) of such Act (15
U.S.C. 278g-2a(c)) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``The Director shall give special consideration to
an application from a teacher from a high-need school, as
defined in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1021).''.
SEC. 411. CYBER SECURITY STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES.
Cyber security standards and guidelines developed by the
National Institute of Standards and Technology for use by
United States industry and the public shall be voluntary.
SEC. 412. DEFINITIONS.
In this title:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) Federal agency.--The term ``Federal agency'' has the
meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
TITLE V--INNOVATION
SEC. 501. OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following new section:
``SEC. 24. OFFICE OF INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish an Office
of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to foster innovation and
the commercialization of new technologies, products,
processes, and services with the goal of promoting
productivity and economic growth in the United States.
``(b) Duties.--The Office of Innovation and
Entrepreneurship shall be responsible for--
``(1) developing and advocating policies to accelerate
innovation and advance the commercialization of research and
development, including federally funded research and
development;
``(2) identifying existing barriers to innovation and
commercialization, including access to capital and other
resources, and ways to overcome those barriers;
``(3) providing access to relevant data, research, and
technical assistance on innovation and commercialization;
``(4) strengthening collaboration on and coordination of
policies relating to innovation and commercialization within
the Department of Commerce and between the Department of
Commerce and other Federal agencies, as appropriate; and
``(5) any other duties as determined by the Secretary.
``(c) Advisory Committee.--The Secretary shall establish an
Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship to
provide advice to the Secretary on carrying out subsection
(b).''.
SEC. 502. FEDERAL LOAN GUARANTEES FOR INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES
IN MANUFACTURING.
The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is further amended by adding after
section 24, as added by section 501 of this title, the
following new section:
``SEC. 25. FEDERAL LOAN GUARANTEES FOR INNOVATIVE
TECHNOLOGIES IN MANUFACTURING.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a
program to provide loan guarantees for obligations to small-
or medium-sized manufacturers for the use or production of
innovative technologies.
``(b) Eligible Projects.--A loan guarantee may be made
under such program only for a project that reequips, expands,
or establishes a manufacturing facility in the United States
to--
``(1) use an innovative technology or an innovative process
in manufacturing; or
``(2) manufacture an innovative technology product or an
integral component of such product.
``(c) Eligible Borrower.--A loan guarantee may be made
under such program only for a borrower who is a small- or
medium-sized manufacturer, as determined by the Secretary
under the criteria established pursuant to subsection (m).
``(d) Limitation on Amount.--A loan guarantee shall not
exceed an amount equal to 80 percent of the obligation, as
estimated at the time at which the loan guarantee is issued.
``(e) Limitations on Loan Guarantee.--No loan guarantee
shall be made unless the Secretary determines that--
``(1) there is a reasonable prospect of repayment of the
principal and interest on the obligation by the borrower;
``(2) the amount of the obligation (when combined with
amounts available to the borrower from other sources) is
sufficient to carry out the project;
``(3) the obligation is not subordinate to other financing;
``(4) the obligation bears interest at a rate that does not
exceed a level that the Secretary determines appropriate,
taking into account the prevailing rate of interest in the
private sector for similar loans and risks; and
``(5) the term of an obligation requires full repayment
over a period not to exceed the lesser of--
``(A) 30 years; or
``(B) 90 percent of the projected useful life, as
determined by the Secretary, of the physical asset to be
financed by the obligation.
``(f) Defaults.--
[[Page H3382]]
``(1) Payment by secretary.--
``(A) In general.--If a borrower defaults (as defined in
regulations promulgated by the Secretary and specified in the
loan guarantee) on the obligation, the holder of the loan
guarantee shall have the right to demand payment of the
unpaid amount from the Secretary.
``(B) Payment required.--Within such period as may be
specified in the loan guarantee or related agreements, the
Secretary shall pay to the holder of the loan guarantee the
unpaid interest on and unpaid principal of the obligation as
to which the borrower has defaulted, unless the Secretary
finds that there was no default by the borrower in the
payment of interest or principal or that the default has been
remedied.
``(C) Forbearance.--Nothing in this subsection precludes
any forbearance by the holder of the obligation for the
benefit of the borrower which may be agreed upon by the
parties to the obligation and approved by the Secretary.
``(2) Subrogation.--
``(A) In general.--If the Secretary makes a payment under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall be subrogated to the
rights, as specified in the loan guarantee, of the recipient
of the payment or related agreements including, if
appropriate, the authority (notwithstanding any other
provision of law) to--
``(i) complete, maintain, operate, lease, or otherwise
dispose of any property acquired pursuant to such loan
guarantee or related agreement; or
``(ii) permit the borrower, pursuant to an agreement with
the Secretary, to continue to pursue the purposes of the
project if the Secretary determines that such an agreement is
in the public interest.
``(B) Superiority of rights.--The rights of the Secretary,
with respect to any property acquired pursuant to a loan
guarantee or related agreements, shall be superior to the
rights of any other person with respect to the property.
``(3) Action by attorney general.--
``(A) Notification.--If the borrower defaults on an
obligation, the Secretary shall notify the Attorney General
of the default.
``(B) Recovery.--On notification, the Attorney General
shall take such action as is appropriate to recover the
unpaid principal and interest.
``(g) Payment of Principal and Interest by Secretary.--With
respect to any obligation guaranteed under this section, the
Secretary may enter into a contract to pay, and pay, holders
of the obligation for and on behalf of the borrower from
funds appropriated for that purpose the principal and
interest payments that become due and payable on the unpaid
balance of the obligation if the Secretary finds that--
``(1)(A) the borrower is unable to make the payments and is
not in default;
``(B) it is in the public interest to permit the borrower
to continue to pursue the project; and
``(C) the probable net benefit to the Federal Government in
paying the principal and interest will be greater than that
which would result in the event of a default;
``(2) the amount of the payment that the Secretary is
authorized to pay shall be no greater than the amount of
principal and interest that the borrower is obligated to pay
under the obligation being guaranteed; and
``(3) the borrower agrees to reimburse the Secretary for
the payment (including interest) on terms and conditions that
are satisfactory to the Secretary.
``(h) Terms and Conditions.--A loan guarantee under this
section shall include such detailed terms and conditions as
the Secretary determines appropriate to--
``(1) protect the interests of the United States in the
case of default; and
``(2) have available all the patents and technology
necessary for any person selected, including the Secretary,
to complete and operate the project.
``(i) Consultation.--In establishing the terms and
conditions of a loan guarantee under this section, the
Secretary shall consult with the Secretary of the Treasury.
``(j) Fees.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall charge and collect
fees for loan guarantees in amounts the Secretary determines
are sufficient to cover applicable administrative expenses.
``(2) Availability.--Fees collected under this subsection
shall--
``(A) be deposited by the Secretary into the Treasury of
the United States; and
``(B) remain available until expended, subject to such
other conditions as are contained in annual appropriations
Acts.
``(k) Records.--
``(1) In general.--With respect to a loan guarantee under
this section, the borrower, the lender, and any other
appropriate party shall keep such records and other pertinent
documents as the Secretary shall prescribe by regulation,
including such records as the Secretary may require to
facilitate an effective audit.
``(2) Access.--The Secretary and the Comptroller General of
the United States, or their duly authorized representatives,
shall have access to records and other pertinent documents
for the purpose of conducting an audit.
``(l) Full Faith and Credit.--The full faith and credit of
the United States is pledged to the payment of all loan
guarantees issued under this section with respect to
principal and interest.
``(m) Regulations.--The Secretary shall issue final
regulations before making any loan guarantees under the
program. Such regulations shall include--
``(1) criteria that the Secretary shall use to determine
eligibility for loan guarantees under this section,
including--
``(A) whether a borrower is a small- or medium-sized
manufacturer; and
``(B) whether a borrower demonstrates that a market exists
for the innovative technology product, or the integral
component of such product, to be manufactured, as evidenced
by written statements of interest from potential purchasers;
``(2) policies and procedures for selecting and monitoring
lenders and loan performance; and
``(3) any other policies, procedures, or information
necessary to implement this section.
``(n) Audit.--
``(1) Annual independent audits.--The Secretary shall enter
into an arrangement with an independent auditor for annual
evaluations of the program under this section.
``(2) Annual review.--The Comptroller General shall conduct
an annual review of the Secretary's execution of the program
under this section.
``(3) Report.--The results of the independent audit under
paragraph (1) and the Comptroller General's review under
paragraph (2) shall be provided directly to the Committee on
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives and
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate.
``(o) Report to Congress.--Concurrent with the submission
to Congress of the President's annual budget request in each
year after the date of enactment of this section, the
Secretary shall transmit to the Committee on Science and
Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a
report containing a summary of all activities carried out
under this section.
``(p) Coordination and Nonduplication.--To the maximum
extent practicable, the Secretary shall ensure that the
activities carried out under this section are coordinated
with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, other loan
guarantee programs within the Federal Government.
``(q) MEP Centers.--The Secretary may use centers
established under section 25 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) to provide
information about the program established under this section
and to conduct outreach to potential borrowers, as
appropriate.
``(r) Minimizing Risk.--The Secretary shall promulgate
regulations and policies to carry out this section in
accordance with Office of Management and Budget Circular No.
A-129, entitled `Policies for Federal Credit Programs and
Non-Tax Receivables', as in effect on the date of enactment
of this section.
``(s) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
no loan guarantee shall be made under this section unless the
borrower agrees to use a federally-approved electronic
employment eligibility verification system to verify the
employment eligibility of--
``(1) all persons hired during the contract term by the
borrower to perform employment duties within the United
States; and
``(2) all persons assigned by the borrower to perform work
within the United States on the project.
``(t) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Cost.--The term `cost' has the meaning given such
term under section 502 of the Federal Credit Reform Act of
1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a).
``(2) Innovative process.--The term `innovative process'
means a process that is significantly improved as compared to
the process in general use in the commercial marketplace in
the United States at the time the loan guarantee is issued.
``(3) Innovative technology.--The term `innovative
technology' means a technology that is significantly improved
as compared to the technology in general use in the
commercial marketplace in the United States at the time the
loan guarantee is issued.
``(4) Loan guarantee.--The term `loan guarantee' has the
meaning given such term in section 502 of the Federal Credit
Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a). The term includes a loan
guarantee commitment (as defined in section 502 of such Act
(2 U.S.C. 661a)).
``(5) Obligation.--The term `obligation' means the loan or
other debt obligation that is guaranteed under this section.
``(6) Program.--The term `program' means the loan guarantee
program established in subsection (a).
``(u) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) Cost of loan guarantees.--There are authorized to be
appropriated $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2011
through 2015 to provide the cost of loan guarantees under
this section.
``(2) Principal and interest.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out
subsection (g).''.
SEC. 503. REGIONAL INNOVATION PROGRAM.
The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15
U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is further amended by adding after
section 25, as added by section 502 of this title, the
following new section:
``SEC. 26. REGIONAL INNOVATION PROGRAM.
``(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a
regional innovation program to encourage and support the
development of regional innovation strategies, including
regional innovation clusters.
``(b) Regional Innovation Cluster Grants.--
``(1) In general.--As part of the program established under
subsection (a), the Secretary may award grants on a
competitive basis to eligible recipients for activities
relating to the formation and development of regional
innovation clusters.
``(2) Permissible activities.--Grants awarded under this
subsection may be used for activities determined appropriate
by the Secretary, including the following:
``(A) Feasibility studies.
``(B) Planning activities.
``(C) Technical assistance.
``(D) Developing or strengthening communication and
collaboration between and among participants of a regional
innovation cluster.
[[Page H3383]]
``(E) Attracting additional participants to a regional
innovation cluster.
``(F) Facilitating market development of products and
services developed by a regional innovation cluster,
including through demonstration, deployment, technology
transfer, and commercialization activities.
``(G) Developing relationships between a regional
innovation cluster and entities or clusters in other regions.
``(3) Eligible recipient.--For purposes of this subsection,
the term `eligible recipient' means any of the following:
``(A) A State.
``(B) An Indian tribe.
``(C) A city or other political subdivision of a State.
``(D) An entity that--
``(i) is a nonprofit organization, an institution of higher
education, a public-private partnership, or an economic
development organization or similar entity; and
``(ii) has an application that is supported by a State or a
political subdivision of a State.
``(E) A consortium of any of the entities listed in
subparagraphs (A) through (D).
``(4) Application.--
``(A) In general.--An eligible recipient shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner,
and containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary may require.
``(B) Components.--The application shall include, at a
minimum, a description of the regional innovation cluster
supported by the proposed activity, including a description
of the following:
``(i) Whether the regional innovation cluster is supported
by the private sector, State and local governments, and other
relevant stakeholders.
``(ii) How the existing participants in the regional
innovation cluster will encourage and solicit participation
by all types of entities that might benefit from
participation, including newly formed entities and those
rival to existing participants.
``(iii) The extent to which the regional innovation cluster
is likely to stimulate innovation and have a positive impact
on regional economic growth and development.
``(iv) Whether the participants in the regional innovation
cluster have access to, or contribute to, a well-trained
workforce.
``(v) Whether the participants in the regional innovation
cluster are capable of attracting additional funds from non-
Federal sources.
``(vi) The likelihood that the participants in the regional
innovation cluster will be able to sustain activities once
grant funds under this subsection have been expended.
``(5) Cost share.--The Secretary may not provide more than
50 percent of the total cost of any activity funded under
this subsection.
``(6) Use and application of research and information
program.--To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary
shall ensure that activities funded under this subsection use
and apply any relevant research, best practices, and metrics
developed under the program established in subsection (c).
``(c) Regional Innovation Research and Information
Program.--
``(1) In general.--As part of the program established under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish a regional
innovation research and information program to--
``(A) gather, analyze, and disseminate information on best
practices for regional innovation strategies (including
regional innovation clusters), including information relating
to how innovation, productivity, and economic development can
be maximized through such strategies;
``(B) provide technical assistance, including through the
development of technical assistance guides, for the
development and implementation of regional innovation
strategies (including regional innovation clusters);
``(C) support the development of relevant metrics and
measurement standards to evaluate regional innovation
strategies (including regional innovation clusters),
including the extent to which such strategies stimulate
innovation, productivity, and economic development; and
``(D) collect and make available data on regional
innovation cluster activity in the United States, including
data on--
``(i) the size, specialization, and competitiveness of
regional innovation clusters;
``(ii) the regional domestic product contribution, total
jobs and earnings by key occupations, establishment size,
nature of specialization, patents, Federal research and
development spending, and other relevant information for
regional innovation clusters; and
``(iii) supply chain product and service flows within and
between regional innovation clusters.
``(2) Research grants.--The Secretary may award research
grants on a competitive basis to support and further the
goals of the program established under this subsection.
``(3) Dissemination of information.--Data and analysis
compiled by the Secretary under the program established in
this subsection shall be made available to other Federal
agencies, State and local governments, and nonprofit and for-
profit entities.
``(4) Cluster grant program.--The Secretary shall
incorporate data and analysis relating to any regional
innovation cluster supported by a grant under subsection (b)
into the program established under this subsection.
``(d) Interagency Coordination.--
``(1) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, the
Secretary shall ensure that the activities carried out under
this section are coordinated with, and do not duplicate the
efforts of, other programs at the Department of Commerce or
other Federal agencies.
``(2) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall explore and
pursue collaboration with other Federal agencies, including
through multiagency funding opportunities, on regional
innovation strategies.
``(e) Evaluation.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 4 years after the date of
enactment of this section, the Secretary shall enter into a
contract with an independent entity, such as the National
Academy of Sciences, to conduct an evaluation of the program
established under subsection (a).
``(2) Requirements.--The evaluation shall include--
``(A) whether such program is achieving its goals;
``(B) any recommendations for how such program may be
improved; and
``(C) a recommendation as to whether such program should be
continued or terminated.
``(f) Regional Innovation Cluster Defined.--The term
`regional innovation cluster' means a geographically bounded
network of similar, synergistic, or complementary entities
that--
``(1) are engaged in or with a particular industry sector;
``(2) have active channels for business transactions and
communication;
``(3) share specialized infrastructure, labor markets, and
services; and
``(4) leverage the region's unique competitive strengths to
stimulate innovation and create jobs.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary for
each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015 to carry out this
section, including such sums as are necessary to carry out
the evaluation required under subsection (e).''.
TITLE VI--DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Subtitle A--Office of Science
SEC. 601. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Department of Energy
Office of Science Authorization Act of 2010''.
SEC. 602. DEFINITIONS.
Except as otherwise provided, in this subtitle:
(1) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Energy.
(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the Office of Science.
(3) Office of science.--The term ``Office of Science''
means the Department of Energy Office of Science.
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
SEC. 603. MISSION OF THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE.
(a) Mission.--The mission of the Office of Science shall be
the delivery of scientific discoveries, capabilities, and
major scientific tools to transform the understanding of
nature and to advance the energy, economic, and national
security of the United States.
(b) Duties.--In support of this mission, the Secretary
shall carry out, through the Office of Science, programs on
basic energy sciences, biological and environmental research,
advanced scientific computing research, fusion energy
sciences, high energy physics, and nuclear physics through
activities focused on--
(1) Science for Discovery to unravel nature's mysteries
through the study of subatomic particles, atoms, and
molecules that make up the materials of our everyday world to
DNA, proteins, cells, and entire biological systems;
(2) Science for National Need by--
(A) advancing a clean energy agenda through research on
energy production, storage, transmission, efficiency, and
use; and
(B) advancing our understanding of the Earth's climate
through research in atmospheric and environmental sciences
and climate change; and
(3) National Scientific User Facilities to deliver the 21st
century tools of science, engineering, and technology and
provide the Nation's researchers with the most advanced tools
of modern science including accelerators, colliders,
supercomputers, light sources and neutron sources, and
facilities for studying the nanoworld.
(c) Supporting Activities.--The activities described in
subsection (b) shall include providing for relevant
facilities and infrastructure, analysis, coordination, and
education and outreach activities.
(d) User Facilities.--The Director shall carry out the
construction, operation, and maintenance of user facilities
to support the activities described in subsection (b). As
practicable, these facilities shall serve the needs of the
Department, industry, the academic community, and other
relevant entities for the purposes of advancing the missions
of the Department.
(e) Other Authorized Activities.--In addition to the
activities authorized under this subtitle, the Office of
Science shall carry out such other activities it is
authorized or required to carry out by law.
(f) Coordination and Joint Activities.--The Department's
Under Secretary for Science shall ensure the coordination of
activities under this subtitle with the other activities of
the Department, and shall support joint activities among the
programs of the Department.
(g) Domestically Sourced Hardware.--
(1) Plan.--The Director shall develop a plan to increase
the percentage of domestically sourced hardware for planned
and ongoing projects of the Department of Energy. In
developing this plan, the Director shall--
(A) give consideration to technologies that the United
States does not currently have the capacity to manufacture
and to procurement activities that can strengthen United
States high-technology competitiveness broadly;
(B) seek opportunities to engage and partner with domestic
manufacturers; and
(C) annually assess levels of domestically available goods
relevant to planned and ongoing projects of the Office of
Science.
(2) International agreements.--This subsection shall be
applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations
under international agreements.
[[Page H3384]]
(3) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit
the plan developed under this subsection to the Committee on
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives,
and shall transmit any appropriate updates to those
committees.
(h) Merit-reviewed Study.--As part of the President's
annual budget request, the Secretary shall include a detailed
summary of the degree to which current research activities
are competitive and merit-reviewed, including a list of
activities that would have been undertaken in the absence of
Congressionally-directed projects and an analysis of the
effects of increasing the proportion of competitive, merit-
reviewed activities on the strategic objectives of the Office
of Science.
SEC. 604. BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, the Director shall carry out a program in basic
energy sciences, including materials sciences and
engineering, chemical sciences, physical biosciences, and
geosciences, for the purpose of providing the scientific
foundations for new energy technologies.
(b) Basic Energy Sciences User Facilities.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program for
the construction, operation, and maintenance of national user
facilities to support the program under this section. As
practicable, these facilities shall serve the needs of the
Department, industry, the academic community, and other
relevant entities to create and examine new materials and
chemical processes for the purposes of advancing new energy
technologies and improving the competitiveness of the United
States. These facilities shall include--
(A) x-ray light sources;
(B) neutron sources;
(C) electron beam microcharacterization centers;
(D) nanoscale science research centers; and
(E) other facilities the Director considers appropriate,
consistent with section 603(d).
(2) Facility construction and upgrades.--Consistent with
the Office of Science's project management practices, the
Director shall support construction of--
(A) the National Synchrotron Light Source II;
(B) a Second Target Station at the Spallation Neutron
Source; and
(C) an upgrade of the Advanced Photon Source to improve
brightness and performance.
(c) Energy Frontier Research Centers.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a grant
program to provide awards, on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis, to multi-institutional collaborations or other
appropriate entities to conduct fundamental and use-inspired
energy research to accelerate scientific breakthroughs
related to needs identified in--
(A) the Grand Challenges report of the Department's Basic
Energy Sciences Advisory Committee;
(B) the Basic Energy Sciences Basic Research Needs workshop
reports;
(C) energy-related Grand Challenges for Engineering, as
described by the National Academy of Engineering; or
(D) other relevant reports identified by the Director.
(2) Collaborations.--A collaboration receiving a grant
under this subsection may include multiple types of
institutions and private sector entities.
(3) Selection and duration.--
(A) In general.--A collaboration under this subsection
shall be selected for a period of 5 years.
(B) Reapplication.--After the end of the period described
in subparagraph (A), a grantee may reapply for selection for
a second period of 5 years on a competitive, merit-reviewed
basis.
(4) No funding for construction.--No funding provided
pursuant to this subsection may be used for the construction
of new buildings or facilities.
(d) Accelerator Research and Development.--The Director
shall carry out research and development on advanced
accelerator technologies relevant to the development of Basic
Energy Sciences user facilities, in consultation with the
Office of Science's High Energy Physics and Nuclear Physics
programs.
SEC. 605. BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, and coordinated with the activities authorized
in section 604, the Director shall carry out a program of
research, development, and demonstration in the areas of
biological systems science and climate and environmental
science to support the energy and environmental missions of
the Department.
(b) Biological Systems Science Activities.--
(1) Activities.--As part of the activities authorized under
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research,
development, and demonstration activities in fundamental,
structural, computational, and systems biology to increase
systems-level understanding of complex biological systems,
which shall include activities to--
(A) accelerate breakthroughs and new knowledge that will
enable cost-effective sustainable production of--
(i) biomass-based liquid transportation fuels, including
hydrogen;
(ii) bioenergy; and
(iii) biobased products,
that support the energy and environmental missions of the
Department;
(B) improve understanding of the global carbon cycle,
including processes for removing carbon dioxide from the
atmosphere, through photosynthesis and other biological
processes, for sequestration and storage; and
(C) understand the biological mechanisms used to destroy,
immobilize, or remove contaminants from subsurface
environments.
(2) Research plan.--
(A) Requirement.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall prepare and
transmit to Congress a research plan describing how the
activities authorized under this subsection will be
undertaken.
(B) Utilization of existing plan.--In developing the plan
in subparagraph (A), the Director may utilize an existing
research plan and update such plan to incorporate the
activities identified in paragraph (1).
(C) Updates.--Not later than 3 years after the initial
report under this paragraph, and at least once every 3 years
thereafter, the Director shall update the research plan and
transmit it to Congress.
(3) Bioenergy research centers.--
(A) In general.--In carrying out the activities under
paragraph (1), the Director shall support at least 3
bioenergy research centers to accelerate basic biological
research, development, demonstration, and commercial
application of biomass-based liquid transportation fuels,
bioenergy, and biobased products that support the energy and
environmental missions of the Department and are produced
from a variety of regionally diverse feedstocks.
(B) Geographic distribution.--The Director shall ensure
that the bioenergy research centers under this paragraph are
established in geographically diverse locations.
(C) Selection and duration.--A center established under
subparagraph (A) shall be selected on a competitive, merit-
reviewed basis for a period of 5 years beginning on the date
of establishment of that center. A center already in
existence on the date of enactment of this Act may continue
to receive support for a period of 5 years beginning on the
date of establishment of that center.
(4) Enabling synthetic biology plan.--
(A) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with other
relevant Federal agencies, the academic community, research-
based nonprofit entities, and the private sector, shall
develop a comprehensive plan for federally supported research
and development activities that will support the energy and
environmental missions of the Department and enable a
competitive synthetic biology industry in the United States.
(B) Plan.--The plan developed under subparagraph (A) shall
assess the need to create a database for synthetic biology
information, the need and process for developing standards
for biological parts, components and systems, and the need
for a federally funded facility that enables the discovery,
design, development, production, and systematic use of parts,
components, and systems created through synthetic biology.
The plan shall describe the role of the Federal Government in
meeting these needs.
(C) Submission to congress.--The Secretary shall transmit
the plan developed under subparagraph (A) to the Congress not
later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
(5) Computational biology and systems biology
knowledgebase.--As part of the activities described in
paragraph (1), the Director, in collaboration with the
Advanced Scientific Computing Research program described in
section 606, shall carry out research in computational
biology, acquire or otherwise ensure the availability of
hardware for biology-specific computation, and establish and
maintain an open virtual database and information management
system to centrally integrate systems biology data,
analytical software, and computational modeling tools that
will allow data sharing and free information exchange within
the scientific community.
(6) Prohibition on biomedical and human cell and human
subject research.--
(A) No biomedical research.--In carrying out activities
under subsection (b), the Secretary shall not conduct
biomedical research.
(B) Limitations.--Nothing in subsection (b) shall authorize
the Secretary to conduct any research or demonstrations--
(i) on human cells or human subjects; or
(ii) designed to have direct application with respect to
human cells or human subjects.
(C) Information sharing.--Nothing in this paragraph shall
restrict the Department from sharing information, including
research findings, research methodologies, models, or any
other information, with any Federal agency.
(7) Repeal.--Section 977 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005
(42 U.S.C. 16317) is repealed.
(c) Climate and Environmental Sciences Activities.--
(1) In general.--As part of the activities authorized under
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out climate and
environmental science research, which shall include
activities to--
(A) understand, observe, and model the response of the
Earth's atmosphere and biosphere, including oceans, to
increased concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions, and any
associated changes in climate;
(B) understand the processes for sequestration,
destruction, immobilization, or removal of, and understand
the movement of, contaminants and carbon in subsurface
environments, including at facilities of the Department; and
(C) inform potential mitigation and adaptation options for
increased concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions and any
associated changes in climate.
(2) Subsurface biogeochemistry research.--
(A) In general.--As part of the activities described in
paragraph (1), the Director shall carry out research to
advance a fundamental understanding of coupled physical,
chemical, and biological processes for controlling the
movement of sequestered carbon and subsurface environmental
contaminants, including field observations of subsurface
microorganisms and field-scale subsurface research.
[[Page H3385]]
(B) Coordination.--
(i) Director.--The Director shall carry out activities
under this paragraph in accordance with priorities
established by the Department's Under Secretary for Science
to support and accelerate the decontamination of relevant
facilities managed by the Department.
(ii) Under secretary for science.--The Department's Under
Secretary for Science shall ensure the coordination of the
activities of the Department, including activities under this
paragraph, to support and accelerate the decontamination of
relevant facilities managed by the Department.
(3) Next-generation ecosystem-climate experiment.--
(A) In general.--As part of the activities described in
paragraph (1), the Director, in collaboration with other
relevant agencies that are participants in the United States
Global Change Research Program, shall carry out the selection
and development of a next-generation ecosystem-climate change
experiment to understand the impact and feedbacks of
increased temperature and elevated carbon levels on
ecosystems.
(B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall transmit to the
Congress a report containing--
(i) an identification of the location or locations that
have been selected for the experiment described in
subparagraph (A);
(ii) a description of the need for additional experiments;
and
(iii) an associated research plan.
(4) Ameriflux network coordination and research.--As part
of the activities described in paragraph (1), the Director
shall carry out research and coordinate the AmeriFlux Network
to directly observe and understand the exchange of greenhouse
gases, water vapor, and heat energy within terrestrial
ecosystems and the response of those systems to climate
change and other dynamic terrestrial landscape changes. The
Director, in collaboration with other relevant Federal
agencies, shall--
(A) identify opportunities to incorporate innovative and
emerging observation technologies and practices into the
existing Network;
(B) conduct research to determine the need for increased
greenhouse gas observation Network facilities across North
America to meet future mitigation and adaptation needs of the
United States; and
(C) examine how the technologies and practices described in
subparagraph (A), and increased coordination among scientific
communities through the Network, have the potential to help
characterize terrestrial baseline greenhouse gas emission
sources and sinks in the United States and internationally.
(5) Climate and earth modeling.--As part of the activities
described in paragraph (1), the Director, in collaboration
with the Advanced Scientific Computing Research program
described in section 606, shall carry out research to
develop, evaluate, and use high-resolution regional climate,
global climate, Earth, and predictive models to inform
decisions on reducing the impacts of changing climate.
(6) Integrated assessment research.--As part of the
activities described in paragraph (1), the Director shall
carry out research into options for mitigation of and
adaptation to climate change through multiscale models of the
entire climate system. Such modeling shall include human
processes and greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and
interaction among human and Earth systems.
(7) Coordination.--The Director shall coordinate activities
under this subsection with other Office of Science activities
and with the United States Global Change Research Program.
(d) User Facilities and Ancillary Equipment.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall carry out a program for
the construction, operation, and maintenance of user
facilities to support the program under this section. As
practicable, these facilities shall serve the needs of the
Department, industry, the academic community, and other
relevant entities.
(2) Included functions.--User facilities described in
paragraph (1) shall include facilities which carry out--
(A) genome sequencing and analysis of plants, microbes, and
microbial communities using high throughput tools,
technologies, and comparative analysis;
(B) molecular level research in biological, chemical,
environmental, and subsurface sciences, including synthesis,
dynamic properties, and interactions among natural and
engineered materials; and
(C) measurement of cloud and aerosol properties used for
examining atmospheric processes and evaluating climate model
performance, including ground stations at various locations,
mobile resources, and aerial vehicles.
SEC. 606. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, the Director shall carry out a research,
development, demonstration, and commercial application
program to advance computational and networking capabilities
to analyze, model, simulate, and predict complex phenomena
relevant to the development of new energy technologies and
the competitiveness of the United States.
(b) Coordination.--
(1) Director.--The Director shall carry out activities
under this section in accordance with priorities established
by the Department's Under Secretary for Science to determine
and meet the computational and networking research and
facility needs of the Office of Science and all other
relevant energy technology and energy efficiency programs
within the Department.
(2) Under secretary for science.--The Department's Under
Secretary for Science shall ensure the coordination of the
activities of the Department, including activities under this
section, to determine and meet the computational and
networking research and facility needs of the Office of
Science and all other relevant energy technology and energy
efficiency programs within the Department.
(c) Research To Support Energy Applications.--As part of
the activities authorized under subsection (a), the program
shall support research in high-performance computing and
networking relevant to energy applications, including both
basic and applied energy research programs carried out by the
Secretary.
(d) Reports.--
(1) Advanced computing for energy applications.--Not later
than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a plan to integrate
and leverage the expertise and capabilities of the program
described in subsection (a), as well as other relevant
computational and networking research programs and resources
supported by the Federal Government, to advance the missions
of the Department's applied energy and energy efficiency
programs.
(2) Exascale computing.--At least 18 months prior to the
initiation of construction or installation of any exascale-
class computing facility, the Secretary shall transmit a plan
to the Congress detailing--
(A) the proposed facility's cost projections and
capabilities to significantly accelerate the development of
new energy technologies;
(B) technical risks and challenges that must be overcome to
achieve successful completion and operation of the facility;
and
(C) an assessment of the scientific and technological
advances expected from such a facility relative to those
expected from a comparable investment in expanded research
and applications at terascale-class and petascale-class
computing facilities.
(e) Applied Mathematics and Software Development for High-
end Computing Systems.--The Director shall carry out
activities to develop, test, and support mathematics, models,
and algorithms for complex systems, as well as programming
environments, tools, languages, and operating systems for
high-end computing systems (as defined in section 2 of the
Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of
2004 (15 U.S.C. 5541)).
(f) High-end Computing Facilities.--The Director shall--
(1) provide for sustained access by the public and private
research community in the United States to high-end computing
systems, including access to the National Energy Research
Scientific Computing Center and to Leadership Systems (as
defined in section 2 of the Department of Energy High-End
Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 (15 U.S.C. 5541));
(2) provide technical support for users of such systems;
and
(3) conduct research and development on next-generation
computing architectures and platforms to support the missions
of the Department.
(g) Outreach.--The Secretary shall conduct outreach
programs and may form partnerships to increase the use of and
access to high-performance computing modeling and simulation
capabilities by industry, including manufacturers.
SEC. 607. FUSION ENERGY RESEARCH PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, the Director shall carry out a fusion energy
sciences research and enabling technology development program
to effectively address the scientific and engineering
challenges to building a cost-competitive fusion power plant
and a competitive fusion power industry in the United States.
As part of this program, the Director shall carry out
research activities to expand the fundamental understanding
of plasmas and matter at very high temperatures and
densities.
(b) ITER.--The Director shall coordinate and carry out the
responsibilities of the United States with respect to the
ITER international fusion project pursuant to the Agreement
on the Establishment of the ITER International Fusion Energy
Organization for the Joint Implementation of the ITER
Project.
(c) Identification of Priorities.--Not later than 18 months
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall
transmit to the Congress a report on the Department's
proposed research and development activities in magnetic
fusion over the 10 years following the date of enactment of
this Act under four realistic budget scenarios. The report
shall--
(1) identify specific areas of fusion energy research and
enabling technology development in which the United States
can and should establish or solidify a lead in the global
fusion energy development effort; and
(2) identify priorities for initiation of facility
construction and facility decommissioning under each of those
scenarios.
(d) Fusion Materials Research and Development.--The
Director, in coordination with the Assistant Secretary for
Nuclear Energy of the Department, shall carry out research
and development activities to identify, characterize, and
create materials that can endure the neutron, plasma, and
heat fluxes expected in a commercial fusion power plant. As
part of the activities authorized under subsection (c), the
Secretary shall--
(1) provide an assessment of the need for a facility or
facilities that can examine and test potential fusion and
next generation fission materials and other enabling
technologies relevant to the development of commercial fusion
power plants; and
(2) provide an assessment of whether a single new facility
that substantially addresses magnetic fusion, inertial
fusion, and next generation fission materials research needs
is feasible, in conjunction with the expected capabilities of
facilities operational as of the date of enactment of this
Act.
[[Page H3386]]
(e) Enabling Technology Development.--The Director shall
carry out activities to develop technologies necessary to
enable the reliable, sustainable, safe, and economically
competitive operation of a commercial fusion power plant.
(f) Fusion Simulation Project.--In collaboration with the
Office of Science's Advanced Scientific Computing Research
program described in section 606, the Director shall carry
out a computational project to advance the capability of
fusion researchers to accurately simulate an entire fusion
energy system.
(g) Inertial Fusion Energy Research and Development
Program.--The Secretary shall carry out a program of research
and technology development in inertial fusion for energy
applications, including ion beam and laser fusion. Not later
than 180 days after the release of a report from the National
Academies on inertial fusion energy research, the Secretary
shall transmit to Congress a report describing the
Department's plan to incorporate any relevant recommendations
from the National Academies' report into this program.
SEC. 608. HIGH ENERGY PHYSICS PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, the Director shall carry out a research program
on the elementary constituents of matter and energy and the
nature of space and time.
(b) Neutrino Research.--As part of the program described in
subsection (a), the Director shall carry out research
activities on rare decay processes and the nature of the
neutrino, which may--
(1) include collaborations with the National Science
Foundation on relevant projects; and
(2) utilize components of existing accelerator facilities
to produce neutrino beams of sufficient intensity to explore
research priorities identified by the High Energy Physics
Advisory Panel or the National Academy of Sciences.
(c) Dark Energy and Dark Matter Research.--As part of the
program described in subsection (a), the Director shall carry
out research activities on the nature of dark energy and dark
matter. These activities shall be consistent with research
priorities identified by the High Energy Physics Advisory
Panel or the National Academy of Sciences, and may include--
(1) the development of space-based and land-based
facilities and experiments; and
(2) collaborations with the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Science Foundation, or
international collaborations on relevant research projects.
(d) Accelerator Research and Development.--The Director
shall carry out research and development in advanced
accelerator concepts and technologies to reduce the necessary
scope and cost for the next generation of particle
accelerators.
(e) International Collaboration.--The Director, as
practicable and in coordination with other appropriate
Federal agencies as necessary, shall ensure the access of
United States researchers to the most advanced accelerator
facilities and research capabilities in the world, including
the Large Hadron Collider.
SEC. 609. NUCLEAR PHYSICS PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--As part of the activities authorized under
section 603, the Director shall carry out a research program,
and support relevant facilities, to discover and understand
various forms of nuclear matter.
(b) Facility Construction and Upgrades.--Consistent with
the Office of Science's project management practices, the
Director shall carry out--
(1) an upgrade of the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator
Facility to a 12 gigaelectronvolt beam of electrons; and
(2) construction of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams.
(c) Isotope Development and Production for Research
Applications.--The Director shall carry out a program for the
production of isotopes, including the development of
techniques to produce isotopes, that the Secretary determines
are needed for research, exluding medical research. In making
this determination, the Secretary shall consider any relevant
recommendations made by Federal advisory committees, the
National Academies, and interagency working groups in which
the Department participates.
SEC. 610. SCIENCE LABORATORIES INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM.
(a) Program.--The Director shall carry out a program to
improve the safety, efficiency, and mission readiness of
infrastructure at Office of Science laboratories. The program
shall include projects to--
(1) renovate or replace space that does not meet research
needs;
(2) replace facilities that are no longer cost effective to
renovate or operate;
(3) modernize utility systems to prevent failures and
ensure efficiency;
(4) remove excess facilities to allow safe and efficient
operations; and
(5) construct modern facilities to conduct advanced
research in controlled environmental conditions.
(b) Minor Construction Projects.--
(1) Authority.--Using operation and maintenance funds or
facilities and infrastructure funds authorized by law, the
Secretary may carry out minor construction projects with
respect to laboratories administered by the Office of
Science.
(2) Annual report.--The Secretary shall submit to Congress,
as part of the annual budget submission of the Department, a
report on each exercise of the authority under subsection (a)
during the preceding fiscal year. Each report shall include a
summary of maintenance and infrastructure needs and
associated funding requirements at each of the laboratories,
including the amount of both planned and deferred
infrastructure spending at each laboratory. Each report shall
provide a brief description of each minor construction
project covered by the report.
(3) Cost variation reports.--If, at any time during the
construction of any minor construction project, the estimated
cost of the project is revised and the revised cost of the
project exceeds the minor construction threshold, the
Secretary shall immediately submit to Congress a report
explaining the reasons for the cost variation.
(4) Definitions.--In this section--
(A) the term ``minor construction project'' means any plant
project not specifically authorized by law for which the
approved total estimated cost does not exceed the minor
construction threshold; and
(B) the term ``minor construction threshold'' means
$10,000,000, with such amount to be adjusted by the Secretary
in accordance with the Engineering News-Record Construction
Cost Index, or an appropriate alternative index as determined
by the Secretary, once every five years after the date of
enactment of this Act.
(5) Nonapplicability.--Sections 4703 and 4704 of the Atomic
Energy Defense Act (50 U.S.C. 2743 and 2744) shall not apply
to laboratories administered by the Office of Science.
SEC. 611. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary
for the activities of the Office of Science--
(1) $5,247,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, of which--
(A) $1,875,000,000 shall be for Basic Energy Sciences
activities under section 604;
(B) $667,000,000 shall be for Biological and Environmental
Research activities under section 605; and
(C) $466,000,000 shall be for Advanced Scientific Computing
Research activities under section 606;
(2) $5,614,000,000 for fiscal year 2012, of which--
(A) $2,025,000,000 shall be for Basic Energy Sciences
activities under section 604;
(B) $720,000,000 shall be for Biological and Environmental
Research activities under section 605; and
(C) $503,000,000 shall be for Advanced Scientific Computing
Research activities under section 606;
(3) $6,007,000,000 for fiscal year 2013, of which--
(A) $2,187,000,000 shall be for Basic Energy Sciences
activities under section 604;
(B) $778,000,000 shall be for Biological and Environmental
Research activities under section 605; and
(C) $544,000,000 shall be for Advanced Scientific Computing
Research activities under section 606;
(4) $6,428,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, of which--
(A) $2,362,000,000 shall be for Basic Energy Sciences
activities under section 604;
(B) $840,000,000 shall be for Biological and Environmental
Research activities under section 605; and
(C) $587,000,000 shall be for Advanced Scientific Computing
Research activities under section 606; and
(5) $6,878,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, of which--
(A) $2,551,000,000 shall be for Basic Energy Sciences
activities under section 604;
(B) $907,000,000 shall be for Biological and Environmental
Research activities under section 605; and
(C) $634,000,000 shall be for Advanced Scientific Computing
Research activities under section 606.
Subtitle B--Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy
SEC. 621. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``ARPA-E Reauthorization
Act of 2010''.
SEC. 622. ARPA-E AMENDMENTS.
Section 5012 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)(2)--
(A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and applied'' after
``advances in fundamental'';
(B) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
(C) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C)
and inserting ``; and''; and
(D) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(D) promoting the commercial application of advanced
energy technologies.'';
(2) in subsection (e)(3), by amending subparagraph (C) to
read as follows:
``(C) research and development of advanced manufacturing
process and technologies for the domestic manufacturing of
novel energy technologies; and'';
(3) in subsection (e)--
(A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (3)(D);
(B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (4) and
inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(5) pursuant to subsection (c)(2)(C)--
``(A) ensuring that applications for funding disclose the
extent of current and prior efforts, including monetary
investments as appropriate, in pursuit of the technology area
for which funding is being requested;
``(B) adopting measures to ensure that, in making awards,
program managers adhere to the objectives in subsection
(c)(2)(C); and
``(C) providing as part of the annual report required by
subsection (h)(1) a summary of the instances of and reasons
for ARPA-E funding projects in technology areas already being
undertaken by industry.'';
(4) by redesignating subsections (f) through (m) as
subsections (g), (h), (i), (j), (l), (m), (n), and (o),
respectively;
[[Page H3387]]
(5) by inserting after subsection (e) the following new
subsection:
``(f) Awards.--In carrying out this section, the Director
shall initiate and execute awards in the form of grants,
contracts, cooperative agreements, cash prizes, and other
transactions.'';
(6) in subsection (g), as so redesignated by paragraph (4)
of this section--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as paragraphs
(2) and (3), respectively;
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated
by subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, the following new
paragraph:
``(1) In general.--The Director shall establish and
maintain within ARPA-E a staff with sufficient qualifications
and expertise to enable ARPA-E to carry out its
responsibilities under this section in conjunction with the
operations of the rest of the Department.'';
(C) in paragraph (2)(A), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph--
(i) in the paragraph heading, by striking ``Program
managers'' and inserting ``Program directors'';
(ii) by striking ``program managers'' and inserting
``program directors''; and
(iii) by striking ``each of''.
(D) in paragraph (2)(B), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph--
(i) by striking ``program manager'' and inserting ``program
director'';
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking ``, with advice under
subsection (j) as appropriate,'';
(iii) by redesignating clauses (v) and (vi) as clauses (vi)
and (viii), respectively;
(iv) by inserting after clause (iv) the following new
clause:
``(v) identifying innovative cost-sharing arrangements for
ARPA-E projects, including through use of the authority under
section 988(b)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
16352(b)(3));'';
(v) in clause (vi), as so redesignated by clause (iii) of
this subparagraph, by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon; and
(vi) by inserting after clause (vi), as so redesignated by
clause (iii) of this subparagraph, the following new clause:
``(vii) identifying mechanisms for commercial application
of successful energy technology development projects,
including through establishment of partnerships between
awardees and commercial entities; and'';
(E) in paragraph (2)(C), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph, by inserting ``up to'' after ``shall
be'';
(F) in paragraph (3), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph, by striking subparagraph (B) and
redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs (B)
and (C), respectively; and
(G) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(4) Fellowships.--The Director is authorized to select
exceptional early-career and senior scientific, legal,
business, and technical personnel to serve as fellows to work
at ARPA-E for terms not to exceed two years. Responsibilities
of fellows may include--
``(A) supporting program managers in program creation,
design, implementation, and management;
``(B) exploring technical fields for future ARPA-E program
areas;
``(C) assisting the Director in the creation of the
strategic vision for ARPA-E referred to in subsection (h)(2);
``(D) preparing energy technology and economic analyses;
and
``(E) any other appropriate responsibilities identified by
the Director.'';
(7) in subsection (h)(2), as so redesignated by paragraph
(4) of this section--
(A) by striking ``2008'' and inserting ``2010''; and
(B) by striking ``2011'' and inserting ``2013'';
(8) by amending subsection (j), as so redesignated by
paragraph (4) of this section, to read as follows:
``(j) Federal Demonstration of Technologies.--The Director
shall seek opportunities to partner with purchasing and
procurement programs of Federal agencies to demonstrate
energy technologies resulting from activities funded through
ARPA-E.'';
(9) by inserting after such subsection (j) the following
new subsection:
``(k) Events.--
``(1) The Director is authorized to convene, organize, and
sponsor events that further the objectives of ARPA-E,
including events that assemble awardees, the most promising
applicants for ARPA-E funding, and a broad range of ARPA-E
stakeholders (which may include members of relevant
scientific research and academic communities, government
officials, financial institutions, private investors,
entrepreneurs, and other private entities), for the purposes
of--
``(A) demonstrating projects of ARPA-E awardees;
``(B) demonstrating projects of finalists for ARPA-E awards
and other energy technology projects;
``(C) facilitating discussion of the commercial application
of energy technologies developed under ARPA-E and other
government-sponsored research and development programs; or
``(D) such other purposes as the Director considers
appropriate.
``(2) Funding for activities described in paragraph (1)
shall be provided as part of the technology transfer and
outreach activities authorized under subsection (o)(4)(B).'
''';
(10) in subsection (m)(1), as so redesignated by paragraph
(4) of this section, by striking ``4 years'' and inserting
``6 years'';
(11) in subsection (m)(2)(B), as so redesignated by
paragraph (4) of this section, by inserting ``, and how those
lessons may apply to the operation of other programs within
the Department of Energy'' after ``ARPA-E'';
(12) by amending subsection (o)(2), as so redesignated by
paragraph (4) of this section, to read as follows:
``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Subject to
paragraph (4), there are authorized to be appropriated to the
Director for deposit in the Fund, without fiscal year
limitation--
``(A) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
``(B) $450,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
``(C) $600,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
``(D) $800,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
``(E) $1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.'';
(13) in subsection (o), as so redesignated by paragraph (4)
of this section, by--
(A) striking paragraph (4); and
(B) redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (4); and
(14) in subsection (o)(4)(B), as so redesignated by
paragraphs (4) and (13)(B) of this subsection--
(A) by striking ``2.5 percent'' and inserting ``5
percent''; and
(B) by inserting ``, consistent with the goal described in
subsection (c)(2)(D) and within the responsibilities of
program directors as specified in subsection (g)(2)(B)(vii)''
after ``outreach activities''.
Subtitle C--Energy Innovation Hubs
SEC. 631. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Energy Innovation Hubs
Authorization Act of 2010''.
SEC. 632. ENERGY INNOVATION HUBS.
(a) Establishment of Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Energy shall carry out a
program to enhance the Nation's economic, environmental, and
energy security by making grants to consortia for
establishing and operating Energy Innovation Hubs to conduct
and support, whenever practicable at one centralized
location, multidisciplinary, collaborative research,
development, demonstration, and commercial application of
advanced energy technologies in areas not being served by the
private sector.
(2) Technology development focus.--The Secretary shall
designate for each Hub a unique advanced energy technology
development focus.
(3) Coordination.--The Secretary shall ensure the
coordination of, and avoid unnecessary duplication of, the
activities of Hubs with those of other Department of Energy
research entities, including the National Laboratories, the
Advanced Research Projects Agency--Energy, and Energy
Frontier Research Centers, and within industry. Such
coordination shall include convening and consulting with
representatives of staff of the Department of Energy,
representatives from Hubs and the qualifying entities that
are members of the consortia operating the Hubs, and
representatives of such other entities as the Secretary
considers appropriate, to share research results, program
plans, and opportunities for collaboration.
(4) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer this
section with respect to each Hub through the Department
program office appropriate to administer the subject matter
of the technology development focus assigned under paragraph
(2) for the Hub.
(b) Consortia.--
(1) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
this section for the establishment and operation of a Hub, a
consortium shall--
(A) be composed of no fewer than 2 qualifying entities;
(B) operate subject to a binding agreement entered into by
its members that documents--
(i) the proposed partnership agreement, including the
governance and management structure of the Hub;
(ii) measures to enable cost-effective implementation of
the program under this section;
(iii) a proposed budget, including financial contributions
from non-Federal sources;
(iv) conflict of interest procedures consistent with
subsection (d)(3), all known material conflicts of interest,
and corresponding mitigation plans;
(v) an accounting structure that enables the Secretary to
ensure that the consortium has complied with the requirements
of this section; and
(vi) an external advisory committee consistent with
subsection (d)(2); and
(C) operate as a nonprofit organization.
(2) Application.--A consortium seeking to establish and
operate a Hub under this section, acting through a prime
applicant, shall transmit to the Secretary an application at
such time, in such form, and accompanied by such information
as the Secretary shall require, including a detailed
description of the elements of the consortium agreement
required under paragraph (1)(B). If the consortium members
will not be located at one centralized location, such
application shall include a communications plan that ensures
close coordination and integration of the Hub's activities.
(c) Selection and Schedule.--The Secretary shall select
consortia for grants for the establishment and operation of
Hubs through competitive selection processes. Grants made to
a Hub shall be for a period not to exceed 5 years, after
which the grant may be renewed, subject to a competitive
selection process.
(d) Hub Operations.--
(1) In general.--Hubs shall conduct or provide for
multidisciplinary, collaborative research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application of advanced energy
technologies within the technology development focus
designated for the Hub by the Secretary under subsection
(a)(2). Each Hub shall--
(A) encourage collaboration and communication among the
member qualifying entities of the consortium and awardees by
conducting activities whenever practicable at one centralized
location;
(B) develop and publish on the Department of Energy's
website proposed plans and programs;
(C) submit an annual report to the Secretary summarizing
the Hub's activities, including detailing organizational
expenditures, listing external advisory committee members,
and describing each project undertaken by the Hub; and
[[Page H3388]]
(D) monitor project implementation and coordination.
(2) External advisory committee.--Each Hub shall establish
an external advisory committee, the membership of which shall
have sufficient expertise to advise and provide guidance on
scientific, technical, industry, financial, and research
management matters.
(3) Conflicts of interest.--
(A) Procedures.--Hubs shall establish conflict of interest
procedures, consistent with those of the Department of
Energy, to ensure that employees and consortia designees for
Hub activities who are in decisionmaking capacities disclose
all material conflicts of interest, including financial,
organizational, and personal conflicts of interest.
(B) Disqualification and revocation.--The Secretary may
disqualify an application or revoke funds distributed to a
Hub if the Secretary discovers a failure to comply with
conflict of interest procedures established under
subparagraph (A).
(e) Prohibition on Construction.--
(1) In general.--No funds provided pursuant to this section
may be used for construction of new buildings or facilities
for Hubs. Construction of new buildings or facilities shall
not be considered as part of the non-Federal share of a Hub
cost-sharing agreement.
(2) Test bed and renovation exception.--Nothing in this
subsection shall prohibit the use of funds provided pursuant
to this section, or non-Federal cost share funds, for the
construction of a test bed or renovations to existing
buildings or facilities for the purposes of research if the
Oversight Board determines that the test bed or renovations
are limited to a scope and scale necessary for the research
to be conducted.
(f) Oversight Board.--The Secretary shall establish and
maintain within the Department an Oversight Board to oversee
the progress of Hubs.
(g) Priority Consideration.--The Secretary shall give
priority consideration to applications in which 1 or more of
the institutions under subsection (b)(1)(A) are 1890 Land
Grant Institutions (as defined in section 2 of the
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of
1998 (7 U.S.C. 7061)), Predominantly Black Institutions (as
defined in section 318 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059e)), Tribal Colleges or Universities (as
defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)), or Hispanic Serving Institutions (as
defined in section 318 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1059e)).
(h) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Advanced energy technology.--The term ``advanced energy
technology'' means an innovative technology--
(A) that produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal,
biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or other renewable energy
resources;
(B) that produces nuclear energy;
(C) for carbon capture and sequestration;
(D) that enables advanced vehicles, vehicle components, and
related technologies that result in significant energy
savings;
(E) that generates, transmits, distributes, utilizes, or
stores energy more efficiently than conventional
technologies; or
(F) that enhances the energy independence and security of
the United States by enabling improved or expanded supply and
production of domestic energy resources, including coal, oil,
and natural gas.
(2) Hub.--The term ``Hub'' means an Energy Innovation Hub
established in accordance with this section.
(3) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given
that term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
(4) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity''
means--
(A) an institution of higher education;
(B) an appropriate State or Federal entity, including the
Department of Energy Federally Funded Research and
Development Centers;
(C) a nongovernmental organization with expertise in
advanced energy technology research, development,
demonstration, or commercial application; or
(D) any other relevant entity the Secretary considers
appropriate.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
section--
(1) $110,000,000 for fiscal year 2011;
(2) $135,000,000 for fiscal year 2012;
(3) $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2013;
(4) $210,000,000 for fiscal year 2014; and
(5) $210,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.
Subtitle D--Cooperative Research and Development Fund
SEC. 641. SHORT TITLE.
This subtitle may be cited as the ``Cooperative Research
and Development Fund Authorization Act of 2010''.
SEC. 642. COOPERATIVE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FUND.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall make funds
available to Department of Energy National Laboratories for
the Federal share of cooperative research and development
agreements. The Secretary of Energy shall determine the
apportionment of such funds to each Department of Energy
National Laboratory and shall ensure that special
consideration is given to small business firms and consortia
involving small business firms in the selection process for
which cooperative research and development agreements will
receive such funds.
(b) Reporting.--Each year the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report that describes how funds were expended
under this subtitle.
(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized
to be appropriated to the Secretary such sums as are
necessary to carry out this section each fiscal year. No
funds allocated for this section shall come from funds
allocated for the Office of Science.
TITLE VII--MISCELLANEOUS
SEC. 701. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that, among the programs and
activities authorized in this Act, those that correspond to
the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences' 2005
report entitled ``Rising Above the Gathering Storm'' remain
critical to maintaining long-term United States economic
competitiveness, and accordingly shall receive funding
priority.
SEC. 702. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
For the purposes of the activities and programs supported
by this Act and the amendments made by this Act, institutions
of higher education chartered to serve large numbers of
students with disabilities, including Gallaudet University,
Landmark College, and the National Technical Institute for
the Deaf and those with programs serving or those serving
disabled veterans, shall receive special consideration and
have a designation consistent with the designation for other
institutions that serve populations underrepresented in STEM
to ensure that institutions of higher education chartered to
or serving persons with disabilities benefit from such
activities and programs.
SEC. 703. VETERANS AND SERVICE MEMBERS.
In awarding scholarships and fellowships under this Act, an
institution of higher education shall give preference to
applications from veterans and service members, including
those who have received or will receive the Afghanistan
Campaign Medal or the Iraq Campaign Medal as authorized by
Public Law 108-234 (10 U.S.C. 1121 note; 118 Stat. 655) and
Executive Order No. 13363.
The CHAIR. No amendment to the committee amendment in the nature of a
substitute is in order except those printed in part B of the report and
amendments en bloc described in section 3 of House Resolution 1344.
Each amendment may be offered only in the order printed in the report,
by a Member designated in the report, shall be considered read, shall
be debatable for the time specified in the report, equally divided and
controlled by the proponent and an opponent, shall not be subject to
amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for division of the
question.
It shall be in order at any time for the chair of the Committee on
Science and Technology or his designee to offer amendments en bloc
consisting of amendments printed in part B of the report not earlier
disposed of. Amendments en bloc shall be considered as read, shall be
debatable for 40 minutes equally divided and controlled by the chair
and ranking minority member of the committee or their designees, shall
not be subject to amendment, and shall not be subject to a demand for
division of the question. The original proponent of an amendment
included in such amendments en bloc may insert a statement in the
Congressional Record immediately before the disposition of the
amendments en bloc.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
The CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 1 printed in
part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the
desk.
The CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 1 offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee:
Page 94, line 10, strike ``in the research'' and insert
``in research on the topic''.
Page 102, lines 1 through 9, section 243 is amended to read
as follows:
SEC. 243. ROBERT NOYCE TEACHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM.
Section 10A(h)(1) of the National Science Foundation
Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n-1a(h)(1)) is
amended to read as follows:
``(1) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a grant
under this section shall provide, from non-Federal sources,
to carry out the activities supported by the grant--
``(A) in the case of grants in an amount of less than
$1,500,000, an amount equal to at least 30 percent of the
amount of the grant, at least one half of which shall be in
cash; and
``(B) in the case of grants in an amount of $1,500,000 or
more, an amount equal to at least 50 percent of the amount of
the grant, at least one half of which shall be in cash.''.
Page 123, line 13, strike ``10 or more undergraduate STEM
students'' and insert ``6 or more undergraduate STEM students
for sites designated at primarily undergraduate institutions
of higher education and 10 or more undergraduate STEM
students for all other sites''.
Page 126, line 9, insert ``, except for institutions of
higher education'' after ``private sector entities''.
Page 131, lines 17 and 18, strike ``teachers,
administrators, local education agencies''
[[Page H3389]]
and insert ``teachers and administrators in both public and
private schools, local educational agencies''.
Page 135, line 13, strike ``and''.
Page 135, line 14, insert ``and'' after the semicolon.
Page 135, after line 14, insert the following new clause:
``(ix) carbon capture and sequestration science and
engineering;''.
Page 174, after line 13, insert the following:
SEC. 412. REPORT ON THE USE OF MODELING AND SIMULATION.
(a) In General.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to Congress
examining the use of high-performance computational modeling
and simulation by small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
(b) Specific Requirements.--Such report shall include the
following:
(1) An assessment of the current utilization of high-
performance computational modeling and simulation by small-
and medium-sized manufacturers.
(2) An examination of any barriers or challenges to the use
of high-performance computational modeling and simulation by
small- and medium-sized manufacturers, including--
(A) access to high-performance computing facilities and
resources;
(B) the availability of software and other applications
tailored to meet the needs of such manufacturers;
(C) appropriate expertise and training; and
(D) the availability of tools and other methods to
understand and manage the costs and risks associated with
transitioning to the use of computational modeling and
simulation.
(3) Recommendations for addressing any barriers or
challenges identified in paragraph (2) and, if appropriate,
suggestions for action that the Federal Government may take
to foster the development and utilization of high-performance
computing resources by small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
(c) Consultation.--In carrying out this section, the
Director shall consult with the Office of Science and
Technology Policy and with other relevant Federal agencies.
Page 175, line 16, strike ``and advocating''.
Page 180, strike line 13 and all that follows through line
20 and insert the following:
``(3) Notification.--If the borrower defaults on an
obligation, the Secretary shall notify the Attorney General
of the default.''.
Page 184, line 8, strike ``Annual'' and insert
``Comptroller general''.
Page 184, line 8, strike ``The Comptroller General'' and
insert ``The Comptroller General of the United States''.
Page 184, line 9, strike ``an annual'' and insert ``a
biennial''.
Page 194, strike line 20 and all that follows through page
195, line 6, and insert the following:
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Regional innovation cluster.--The term `regional
innovation cluster' means a geographically bounded network of
similar, synergistic, or complementary entities that--
``(A) are engaged in or with a particular industry sector;
``(B) have active channels for business transactions and
communication;
``(C) share specialized infrastructure, labor markets, and
services; and
``(D) leverage the region's unique competitive strengths to
stimulate innovation and create jobs.
``(2) State.--The term `State' means one of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any other
territory or possession of the United States.
Page 198, lines 13 and 14, strike ``Department of Energy''
and insert ``Office of Science''.
Page 219, lines 7 and 8, strike ``Director'' and insert
``Secretary''.
Page 229, line 7, strike ``shall'' and insert ``may''.
Page 231, lines 13 through 17, amend subparagraph (F) to
read as follows:
(F) in paragraph (3)(B), as so redesignated by subparagraph
(A) of this paragraph, by striking ``not less than 70, and
not more than 120,'' and inserting ``not more than 120''; and
Page 232, line 1, strike ``managers'' and insert
``directors''.
Page 238, line 24, insert ``In selecting consortia, the
Secretary shall consider the information a consortium must
disclose according to subsection (b), as well as any existing
facilities a consortium will provide for Hub activities.''
after ``selection processes.''.
Page 245, lines 12 through 24, amend section 702 to read as
follows:
SEC. 702. PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
For the purposes of the activities and programs supported
by this Act and the amendments made by this Act--
(1) institutions of higher education chartered to serve
large numbers of students with disabilities, including
Gallaudet University, Landmark College, and the National
Technical Institute for the Deaf, and institutions of higher
education offering science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics research and education activities and programs
that serve veterans with disabilities, shall receive special
consideration in the review of any proposals by these
institutions for funding under the research and education
programs authorized in this Act to ensure that institutions
of higher education chartered to or serving persons with
disabilities benefit from such research and education
activities and programs; and
(2) agencies with respect to which appropriations are
authorized under this Act shall also conduct outreach to
veterans with disabilities pursuing studies in science,
technology, engineering, and mathematics to ensure that such
veterans are aware of and benefit from the research and
education activities and programs authorized by this Act.
Page 246, after line 8, insert the following new sections:
SEC. 704. BUDGETARY EFFECTS.
The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of
complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go-Act of 2010, shall
be determined by reference to the latest statement titled
``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act,
submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the
Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such
statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.
SEC. 705. LIMITATION.
No funds authorized under this Act shall be used for the
employment of, or shall be received by, any individual who
has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, a crime of child
molestation, rape, or any other form of sexual assault.
SEC. 706. PROHIBITION ON LOBBYING.
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to supercede section
1913 of title 18, United States Code.
The CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and a Member opposed each will control 20
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chairman, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
The amendment I am offering today makes a handful of technical and
clarifying changes and a few substantive additions to the underlying
bill. Most of the changes were the result of negotiations with our
Republican colleagues following our full committee markup. We had
agreed to work out several issues during the markup, so let me tell you
about those agreements first.
Mr. Neugebauer, who wished to ensure that we were leveraging as much
private funds as we could in implementing the Noyce Teacher Scholarship
Program, I agreed to split the match requirement into two categories.
The result is that small institutions are also able to participate in
this critical program to train STEM teachers, and the large
institutions can more easily raise match funds and stretch Federal
dollars even further.
There was agreement between Dr. Lipinski and Mr. Inglis on the prize
program in section 228. They found a good way to make sure that there
would not be double-dipping into Federal funds in order to carry out
the prize-winning research.
Mr. Olson requested some changes in the ARPA-E language, and we went
ahead, as agreed, and made those changes in this amendment.
Mrs. Biggert had some concerns about the Energy Innovation Hubs and
wanted to make sure that the consortia utilized existing facilities
when possible, so we made those constructive changes for her.
The amendment also included language to clarify the application of
existing law which prohibits the use of funding appropriated to
programs in the underlying bill for lobbying. I want to thank Dr. Broun
for his passion on this issue and for working with me to make this
clarification.
Finally, this amendment also includes a clarifying change requested
by Dr. Bartlett for one of his own amendments in committee on STEM
internships.
The amendment also adds one new section to the bill. This section
requires the Director of NIST to submit a report to Congress examining
the use of high-performance computation modeling and simulation by
small- and medium-sized manufacturers. There is great potential in the
use of high-performance computing resources by small- and medium-sized
manufacturers, but their use is relatively limited. This study would
look at the current utilization of these resources, examine the
existing barriers to their use, and make recommendations for addressing
these barriers. I want to thank Chairman Wu, Chairman Lipinski, and
Congressman Garamendi for their interest in this issue and for helping
to draft this provision.
Now let me talk about a part of the manager's amendment that I think
will be a topic of discussion on both sides of the aisle today. Mr.
Hall rightfully wanted to do something for veterans in this bill. He
offered an amendment to
[[Page H3390]]
the committee that gave veterans preference when applying for any
scholarships or fellowships authorized under this bill, and the
amendment was happily accepted unanimously in the committee.
He also offered an amendment to help disabled veterans who want to
pursue STEM studies. I know Mr. Hall was trying to do the right thing,
but when we read the language, we didn't think the amendment actually
helped disabled veterans in the way Mr. Hall intended. So we had some
discussion in the committee, and in the end we decided to accept the
amendment as is but continue to work together heading to the floor.
Staff traded several versions of language back and forth over the
next 10 days. I talked to my staff, Mr. Hall talked with his staff,
and, unfortunately, we could not come up with agreement on which
language would be most helpful to our common goal of helping disabled
veterans without causing other unintended consequences.
Our shared goal is to encourage and incentivize colleges and
universities to provide STEM programs to disabled veterans and to
recruit more disabled veterans into those programs by giving them
special consideration in the review of proposals when they do. However,
we have to be careful not to dilute the notion of special consideration
so far that every institution in the country can qualify. If everyone
is special, no one is special.
We also want to hold institutions accountable for serving their
disabled veterans in their STEM programs. If we give them special
consideration without holding them accountable, there is no incentive
to actually make sure that veterans get the benefits of the Federal
grant funds. Unfortunately, every sincere effort of pro-veteran
language that we made was rejected.
Once again, where is the accountability? How do we know that a single
disabled veteran student is benefiting from Federal STEM programs
because the institution has this designation? We don't. That is the
problem with the language.
It is unfortunate that we could not come to agreement. But in the
end, we took Mr. Hall's latest offer with only small changes and
included it in the manager's amendment. I still think we can do so much
better for disabled veterans. Our language may be improved from Mr.
Hall's language, but it still doesn't go nearly as far as I would like
it to go in holding institutions accountable. I hope to continue to
work with Mr. Hall to make sure that we have this accountability as we
move forward.
Finally, we borrowed language from our colleagues on the other side
of the aisle to ensure that no funds authorized under this bill can go
to child molesters. This is a straightforward amendment incorporating a
few suggestions from my colleagues and a small number of other changes
to make the bill better, and I urge its adoption.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Chair, I rise to claim the time in
opposition to the amendment, although I do not intend to oppose it.
The CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for 20
minutes.
There was no objection.
{time} 1600
Mr. HALL of Texas. The manager's amendment reflects many things, from
technical changes, recommendations from outside groups, agreements
reached between our side of the aisle and theirs, and items that as the
majority they're able to add unilaterally.
I want to thank the chairman for working with our Members on agreed-
upon changes between the full committee markup and now, including the
non-Federal matching requirements under the Noyce Scholarship Program,
clarifying language on STEM Industry Internships program and the NSF
Innovation Prize pilot program, reinstating the cap on the maximum
number of ARPA-E employees, and instituting a prohibition on lobbying
in the act. I only wish we could have continued the good, open dialogue
this past week, particularly with our concerns.
I remain disappointed that the veterans with disabilities language
that was agreed to unanimously by voice vote at the full committee
markup has been greatly modified in the manager's amendment. I believe
if the chairman is sincere he will continue to work with us on this
language as we move forward because I do strongly feel that the
language in this amendment greatly weakens the intent of the underlying
bill.
I also want to express my concern regarding the amendment's
modification of language to the new loan guarantee program created by
the bill. Specifically, the amendment strikes language in the
underlying bill directing the Attorney General to take appropriate
actions to recover unpaid principal and interest on loans that go into
default. Removal of that language is a major concern as it's key to
protecting taxpayers from bad loans. Given the events of the last
couple of years I'd hope that the government's beginning to learn
something about bad loans. But I'm concerned that with the removal of
this very standard provision that we could be setting the loan
guarantee program up for guaranteed failure.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Madam Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentlelady from California (Ms. Woolsey), a very active member of our
committee and a champion for women and minorities.
Ms. WOOLSEY. Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of H.R.
5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. I want to commend
Chairman Gordon for his hard work in bringing this bipartisan bill to
the floor, and I want to thank Ranking Member Hall for his help and his
cooperation.
I believe in science, and I believe that with enough support, our
scientists can solve almost any problem put in front of them. But,
Madam Chairwoman, at the end of the day, this bill is about jobs,
investments in basic and applied research, green manufacturing jobs,
high-risk, high-reward technologies that lay the groundwork for a clean
energy economy and create thousands of new jobs in the United States of
America, jobs that we will have a workforce prepared to fill because a
central piece of this effort encourages more girls and unrepresented
minorities to become involved in science, technology, engineering and
math--STEM--education at the K through 12, undergraduate, and graduate
levels. So then those students will be able to choose a STEM career.
I'm pleased that this bill includes STEM provisions because without
bringing women and minorities into the workforce with high tech
engineering and math education, we won't have the workforce we need to
compete worldwide.
So, Madam Chairman, H.R. 5116 supports these innovations that will
not only change the way we generate energy but will also leave a
cleaner and healthier world for our children and for our grandchildren.
So I urge my colleagues to join me and support Chairman Gordon and
Ranking Member Hall in green jobs by voting for H.R. 5116.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to a valued
member of the Science and Technology Committee from Michigan (Mr.
Peters).
Mr. PETERS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the America
COMPETES Act. This bill will enhance our Nation's competitiveness,
bolster research and science education, and support the needs of small
businesses and America's 21st century manufacturing sector.
Small businesses have created nearly two out of three new jobs in our
country in the past 15 years. Small businesses will fuel our economic
growth, and small and midsize manufacturers are particularly important
to creating substantial job growth. Manufacturing accounts for more
than half of total U.S. exports and provides millions of people with
well-paying jobs. A healthy manufacturing base is critical to the
security of the American middle class and must be a key component of
our economic security.
In order to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly competitive
global marketplace, U.S. manufacturers must adapt to new technological
developments and economic changes. The COMPETES Act does just that by
providing critical support to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership,
a highly
[[Page H3391]]
efficient initiative which has spurred 57,000 jobs and $10.5 billion in
sales per year. The MEP requires matching investments from states and
participating small businesses, but as a long and deep recession
continues to take its toll, states like Michigan and many businesses
have found it increasingly difficult to continue to meet the cost-share
requirements to participate in the program. The COMPETES Act reduces
this burden to allow struggling businesses to remain active in the
program. Reducing small business costs and continuing an effort proven
to create jobs make good sense. I'm grateful to my friend, Congressman
Ehlers, for working with me on this bipartisan idea, and to Chairman
Gordon and Ranking Member Hall, and Chairman Wu and Ranking Member
Smith on the subcommittee, who supported including MEP support in the
final bill. In addition to supporting MEP, COMPETES supports broad
manufacturing initiatives such as providing new loan guarantees to help
manufacturers access capital and supporting manufacturing R&D. I hope
my colleagues will join me in supporting this bipartisan legislation
that strengthens American manufacturing and competitiveness.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I continue to reserve the balance of
my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).
Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to
support H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Act.
Chairman Gordon, I commend you and the members of the House Science
and Technology Committee for bringing this legislation to the floor.
More than ever, our Nation must invest in the scientific and
technological building blocks that bolster American competitiveness in
the 21st Century global economy. The America COMPETES Reauthorization
Act of 2010 achieves this and more by fostering innovation, supporting
manufacturers and industry, preparing a STEM workforce, and creating
jobs.
I want to recognize Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson, Ben Ray
Lujan, Silvestre Reyes, co-chair of the Diversity and Innovation
Caucus, and other members of the Tri-Caucus for their outstanding
leadership in championing diversity issues in this bill. This bill
represents a great leap forward in broadening the participation of
underrepresented minorities and women in the STEM fields.
As subcommittee chairman for Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and
Competitiveness, I am pleased that America COMPETES will more fully
integrate our Nation's minority-serving institutions into research
partnerships and Federal programs.
This bill complements our work on the Student Aid and Fiscal
Responsibility Act known as SAFRA and our efforts to improve science
and math literacy in our Nation's public schools.
In 2007, I introduced the Partnerships for Access to Laboratory
Science Act, known as PALS, because our high schools needed to be
properly equipped to provide low-income and minority students with
laboratory experiences that will foster their talents and lifelong
interests in science.
There is no doubt that we must redouble our efforts to engage young
people in the STEM fields early on in their academic careers. I applaud
Chairman Gordon and the committee for including this program in H.R.
5116.
I urge my colleagues to support the America COMPETES Act. Our
Nation's future competitiveness depends on it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume. And I just want to briefly inform my friend, Mr. Hall,
that I share his interest in finding a way to run down any defaults and
collect those. We were told that our committee didn't have jurisdiction
to require the Attorney General to do that. Let us continue to work
together to find ways to accomplish what we both want to do.
I have no further requests for time, Mr. Chairman, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Capuano). The question is on the amendment
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
will be postponed.
Amendments En Bloc No. 1 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I have amendments en bloc at the
desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 1 offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
consisting of amendments numbered 3, 4, 5, 11, 18, 19, 20, 25, 27, 39
and 47 printed in part B of House Report 111-479:
Amendment No. 3 offered by Ms. Matsui of California
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 242, line 17, insert ``, including through Smart Grid
technologies'' after ``conventional technologies''.
Amendment No. 4 offered by Ms. Matsui of California
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 215, line 11, insert ``, including the development of
smart grid technologies'' after ``efficiency programs''.
Amendment No. 5 offered by Mr. Wu of Oregon
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 229, line 9, after ``other transactions.'' insert
``The Director shall make awards designed to overcome the
long-term and high-risk barriers relating to the goals and
means set forth in subsection (c) and facilitate submissions,
where possible by small businesses and entrepreneurs,
pursuant to announcements published not less frequently than
annually, of funding opportunities for--
``(1) specific areas of technological innovation; and
``(2) broadly defined areas of science and technology,
to remain open for periods of one year.''.
Amendment No. 11 offered by Mrs. McCarthy of New York
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 172, line 10, strike ``and'' after the semicolon.
Page 172, line 14, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 172, after line 14, insert the following:
(3) incorporate and build upon existing reports and studies
on improving emergency communications.
Amendment No. 18 offered by Ms. Clarke of New York
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 137, line 3, insert ``including by women and
underrepresented minority students,'' after ``and
participation,''.
Amendment No. 19 offered by Mr. Cohen of Tennessee
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 149, after line 21, insert the following new section:
SEC. 305. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the Sense of Congress that--
(1) in order to maintain our Nation's competitiveness, we
must improve the quality of STEM education in the Nation;
(2) the incorporation of engineering education at the
elementary and secondary levels has the potential to improve
student learning and achievement in science and mathematics,
and to increase the technological literacy of all students;
(3) formal and informal educational providers, including K-
12 schools, should integrate engineering design principles
into their curriculum; and
(4) exposing elementary and secondary students to
engineering education can expand students' understanding of
engineering and their awareness of career opportunities in
these fields.
Amendment No. 20 offered by Mr. Cuellar of Texas
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 101, after line 2,1 insert the following new
subsection:
(e) Outreach.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Director shall conduct outreach efforts to
encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
Page 106, after line 12, insert the following new
subsection:
(g) Outreach.--In carrying out the program under this
section, the Director shall conduct outreach efforts to
encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
Amendment No. 25 offered by Mr. Honda of California
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 132, line 7, strike ``and''.
Page 132, line 12, strike the period at the end and insert
``; and''.
[[Page H3392]]
Page 132, after line 12, insert the following:
(5) facilitating improved coordination between federally
supported STEM education programs and activities and State
level activities, including the efforts of P-16 and P-20
councils in the States.
(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) P-16.--The term ``P-16'' refers to a system of
education that encompasses preschool through undergraduate
level education.
(2) P-20.--The term ``P-20'' refers to a system of
education that encompasses preschool through graduate level
education.
Amendment No. 27 offered by Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 126, line 14, strike ``and''.
Page 126, line 16, strike the period and insert the
following: ``, and an economic and ethnic breakdown of the
participating students.''
Amendment No. 39 offered by Mr. Hare of Illinois
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 149, after line 21, insert the following new section:
SEC. 305. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
For science, technology, engineering, and mathematics
(STEM) education programs or activities authorized under this
Act or amendments made by this Act, it is the sense of
Congress that when more than 1 applicant is competing for the
same grant and the applications from each applicant are
considered equal in merit by the grant-awarding authority,
the grant-awarding authority shall give additional
consideration to any of the following:
(1) An applicant that has not previously received funding.
(2) An applicant that is an institution of higher education
in a rural area.
Amendment No. 47 offered by Ms. Moore of Wisconsin
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 208, line 13, insert ``and the Great Lakes'' after
``including oceans''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, let me say that this is a
block of amendments that have been well scrutinized by I think the
minority and the majority. We feel they are all good amendments.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the en bloc
amendments before us, although I do not intend to oppose them. All 11
of the amendments are noncontroversial, and we're generally supportive.
I will not oppose these.
Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Mr. Chair, I thank you and Ranking Member
Hall for bringing forward this important bill, the America COMPETES
Act.
Thanks to the passage of several pieces of legislation, namely the
Recovery Act, rising unemployment rates have been curbed and economic
indicators have shown signs of modest progress.
Make no mistake though we, as a nation, have a long ways to go to
ensure both short and long-term economic stability and prosperity.
The America COMPETES Act represents an important step in that
direction.
Research and innovation across various disciplines is an economic
model our nation should live by.
I am proud to offer an amendment to the America COMPETES Act. My
amendment ensures that a needs assessment required to improve the
operation and reliability of emergency communication devices build upon
conclusions and assessments of prior reports on the matter.
Events like the recent West Virginia mining tragedy and September
11th remind us all of the barriers we must cross technologically to
ensure that emergency communication systems are able to perform in
times of distress.
Most famously, the 9/11 Commission Report made explicit
recommendations on the subject of emergency communication enhancement.
As a New Yorker, not a day goes by that I do not think of the September
11th attacks and the barriers that stood in our way from potentially
saving more lives.
It is imperative that research conducted on emergency communication
build upon prior conclusions so that we, as a society, are better
prepared to face the challenges any crisis may pose. Furthermore,
avoiding duplicate work is pivotal to a properly directed innovation
and research agenda.
My amendment is straightforward. It ensures that assessment in the
field of emergency communications take into consideration apt reports
and studies that have already been conducted on this matter of
importance. With my amendment, we, as a nation, can ensure that
mistakes and shortcomings in the field of emergency communication are
learned from thus poising our nation's brave first-responders to save
more lives.
I urge all my colleagues to support the amendment.
Mr. CUELLAR. Mr. Chair, I rise today to encourage my colleagues to
support my amendment to the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of
2010.
Many very qualified students can compete for the fellowships and
scholarships if they are only made aware of them. This amendment would
require the Director of the National Science Foundation to conduct
outreach efforts to encourage increased applications from
underrepresented groups. It is of utmost importance to give all
individuals an opportunity at these programs.
The simple--but crucial--effort to make underrepresented groups a
part of the process will serve to create a more diverse and
representative workforce in the National Science Foundation's
Postdoctoral Research Fellowships.
The challenges our nation faces in this century require that we have
a highly-skilled and creative workforce trained in the areas of STEM
(science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
In the 21st century human advancement is closely linked in STEM
fields. It is imperative that we create a broad pipeline of STEM
professionals.
Our future leaders will need STEM skills to craft innovative policies
on issues of national concern such as transportation, sustainability,
healthcare, and national security.
Hispanic enrollment in colleges and universities has more than
doubled over the past two decades (2010 University of Southern
California study).
Hispanic participation in STEM fields at the higher education level
has grown but it has not kept pace with their growth within the general
population (USC).
Among Hispanics who enroll in four-year institutions, 36% indicate an
intention to major in a STEM field.
I thank the distinguished Chairman for his work on this legislation,
and consideration of this amendment.
We can harness this 21st century technology to bring these areas out
of 19th century conditions.
Mr. Chairman, I applaud you on this important legislation, and I urge
all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment.
Mr. HONDA. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 5116, the
America COMPETES Reauthorization Act. I commend Chairman Bart Gordon
and the other members of the Science and Technology Committee, on which
I am proud to have once served, for the hard work and thoughtful
consideration that went into this bill.
The America COMPETES Act of 2007 significantly bolstered American
innovation, the most fundamental hope for sustainable economic growth
and competitiveness in the United States and a critical driver of the
economy of my Silicon Valley district. It helped drive new research and
its commercialization, and encouraged the creation of a more dynamic
business environment, and made improvements to science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) education that are important for our
nation's long term economic health.
It is critical that we provide sustained support for scientific
research and STEM education, or our ability to compete in the global
economy will be put in jeopardy. As the Joint Economic Committee noted
in a new report released today, basic research plays a critical role in
sparking innovation, and it is prudent for the federal government to
increase its basic research expenditures now. That is why I am proud to
support H.R. 5116, which authorizes those much needed investments.
I am pleased that the bill includes provisions to ensure coordination
of federal science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
education activities by establishing a committee under the National
Science and Technology (NSTC) to handle these activities. Providing
this coordinating mechanism for the federal STEM education programs,
along with requiring the development of a STEM education strategic plan
and the submission of an annual report about the budget and activities
of federal STEM education programs, is critical to strengthening these
programs and ensuring America remains innovative and competitive in the
21st century the global economy.
For too long we have failed to ensure that the various agencies
involved in STEM education efforts are aware of what is being done and
what has already been done elsewhere. According to the Academic
Competitiveness Council's (ACC) report, in 2006 the U.S. sponsored 105
STEM education programs at more
[[Page H3393]]
than a dozen different Federal Agencies. These programs devoted
approximately $3.12 billion to STEM education activities spanning pre-
kindergarten through postgraduate education and outreach. The report
notes that many of these Agencies do not share information or work
collaboratively on similar programs, demonstrating a need for better
coordination.
The STEM education coordination provisions of this bill are similar
to those included in my own bill, the Enchancing Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics Education (E-STEM) Act, H.R. 2710. To
incorporate another element from H.R. 2710 into America COMPETES,
stimulating collaboration between the federal and state levels
throughout the nation, I have offered an amendment to the bill to make
it the responsibility of the STEM Education Advisory Committee created
in the bill to facilitate improved coordination between federally
supported STEM education programs and state level activities, including
P-16 and P-20 councils.
I am also pleased that H.R. 5116 contains a reauthorization of the
National Nanotechnology Initiative that incorporates numerous
provisions that I originally proposed in my own legislation, the
Nanotechnology Advancement and New Opportunities (NANO) Act, H.R. 820.
Both bills seek to focus America's nanotechnology research and
development programs on areas of national need such as energy, health
care, and the environment, and have provisions to help assist in the
commercialization of nanotechnology. They also require the development
of a nanotechnology research plan that will ensure the development and
responsible stewardship of nanotechnology by addressing uncertainty
about the health and safety risks it might pose and support the
development of educational tools and partnerships to help prepare
students to pursue postsecondary education in nanotechnology.
Again, I congratulate the Science and Technology Committee and
Chairman Gordon for their work on this bill and thank them for
incorporating so many of the provisions from my bills and for accepting
my amendment. I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation to ensure that our nation leads the world in innovation and
science and technology.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of my
amendment to H.R. 5116--``To invest in innovation through research and
development, to improve the competitiveness of the United States, and
for other purposes.''
My amendment amends Section 345(e) to mandate the Director of the
National Science Foundation (NSF) to report on the economic and ethnic
breakdown of ``Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics'' (STEM)
industry internship program recipients.
At present, this section mandates the Director of the NSF to submit a
report to Congress on the number and total value of awards made under
this section, the number of students affected by those awards, and any
evidence of the effect of those awards on workforce preparation and
jobs placement for participating students. In my opinion, requirements
for assessing participation of minority and economically-disadvantaged
backgrounds are conspicuously absent from these reporting requirements,
and my amendment seeks to rectify this problem.
Mr. Chair, facilitating links between institutes of higher education
and the private sector is vital to ensuring that education enables a
skilled and relevant workforce. Such links are especially important for
minorities and under-served communities because these students often
lack alternative avenues to connect their education with an industry.
Internship experience is an increasingly vital component of a
successful resume, yet the unpaid nature of internships is cost-
prohibitive for many people.
As I mentioned, this amendment would mandate that the Director of the
National Science Foundation (the organization that oversees this
program) report on the economic and ethnic breakdown of this program's
recipients. Such data will be useful to ensure that minorities and
economically-disadvantaged students have adequate access to internships
that bridge STEM academia and industry. Indeed, I trust that this data
will provide evidence of robust participation by minority and
economically-disadvantaged students; however, if such students are not
participating, these reporting requirements will provide Congress with
the data it needs to facilitate broad participation.
Thank you again. I urge my colleagues to support this simple but
important resolution.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I have no further requests for
time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendments en bloc offered
by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).
The amendments en bloc were agreed to.
Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Hall of Texas
The Acting CHAIR. The Chair understands that amendment No. 2 will not
be offered at this time.
It is now in order to consider amendment No. 6 printed in part B of
House Report 111-479.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr Chairman, acting as the designee of Mr. Broun
of Georgia, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 6 offered by Mr. Hall of Texas:
Strike title V.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Hall) and a Member opposed each will control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to support this amendment.
The amendment would simply strike title V of this bill, which creates
bigger government and calls for more spending in areas that go well
beyond research and development and authorize potentially inappropriate
and duplicative programs.
In particular, I want to note our strong objection to the Regional
Innovation Clusters program that's created by title V. Not only does it
fund activity well beyond R&D, the language is so loosely written that
virtually any type of industry would be eligible to undertake virtually
any type of activity. The bill would reduce funding available for high
priority R&D programs at the Department of Commerce, such as those at
NIST.
I strongly support this amendment and urge its adoption.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the
amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, Dr. Broun is a valued member of
our committee. We've had a number of discussions, as he's been very
active. We agree on some things, we don't agree on others. We
compromise on some. This is one that we were not able to come to
agreement on.
All the provisions, and what this would do is this would strike the
title V of this bill. All provisions in title V are aimed at looking at
creating real world economic value for research and development.
{time} 1615
Title V includes three important provisions to help spur innovation
in this country. It creates a loan guarantee program at the Department
of Commerce for small- and medium-sized manufacturers seeking to
innovate and retool for the 21st century to remain globally
competitive. It establishes an Office of Innovation and Enterprise at
the Department of Commerce to help turn the good ideas into new
businesses, leading to economic growth and job creation. And, finally,
it establishes a Regional Innovation Program at the Department of
Commerce to empower local communities to leverage regional strengths to
promote innovation.
This is a good bill, but this amendment would take away from the
bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I would like to support this
amendment. The amendment would simply strike title V of this bill,
which creates bigger government and calls for more spending.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the noes
appeared to have it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.
Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 7
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I rise as the designee for Mr.
Boswell and Mr. Michaud and have an amendment at the desk.
[[Page H3394]]
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 7 offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee:
Page 133, line 25, strike ``and''.
Page 134, after line 1, insert the following new clause:
``(vii) biomass technology systems; and''.
Page 135, line 23, strike ``and''.
Page 135, after line 25, insert the following new clause:
``(vii) biomass technology systems; and''.
The ACTING CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Chairman, this amendment once again has been before the public,
well scrutinized. It would ensure that the biomass technology systems
and related courses are included in the list of fields that would be
encompassed by the energy systems science and engineering education
programs at the Department of Energy.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to this amendment, although I do not intend to oppose it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for
5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I have no objection to the amendment. I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Boswell), the author of this
very good amendment.
(Mr. BOSWELL asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. BOSWELL. Mr. Chairman, I hope I convinced the ranking member. I
appreciate your hard work. You have been doing some excellent work for
all of us, for our country, for our future.
The COMPETES reauthorization provides for important investments in
STEM education that I believe will move our students and Nation
forward. I have always held that education and innovation are two of
the best investments we can make, for they guarantee a turnaround and
are proven to enhance the quality of life for all Americans. This
legislation will bring greater innovation and stability to our
institutions of education at all levels and to our Nation's economic
vitality.
This amendment, which I am proud to offer with Mr. Michaud, makes a
very simple and very important modification to the COMPETES
reauthorization. This amendment ensures that when the Department of
Energy assists in the expansion of energy-related courses or degree
programs that biomass technology systems education can be utilized. It
will guarantee that the grants, scholarships, and training programs
offered under this program can be used by students and schools that are
moving us forward in the study and business of biomass technology
systems.
Biomass production is an important component of our economy and
energy security that we must foster. We all know very well the
importance of biofuels and its benefits to our environment and our
national security by ending our dependence on foreign oil. My
constituents in Iowa have experienced the successes of ethanol
biodiesel. However, corn-based ethanol is just one piece of the larger
puzzle. We're seeing great advances in alternative fuels and increased
production of native plants that can be reaped for maximum energy use.
My home State of Iowa continues to play a critical role in the
development of the biomass industry in the United States. As leaders in
agriculture, we have access to the resources and expertise to produce
advanced biofuels, biopower, and bioproducts. Many young minds at
various schools in Iowa are moving forward to study the production of
biomass, how to maximize the use of alternative fuels and produce
plants that maximize the best return possible when harnessed for their
energy.
Supporting this amendment will ensure that this technology can expand
across our great Nation, and it will affirm for our researchers,
students, teachers, and scientists that they can move forward with this
innovation and bring us closer to a Nation that is reliant on its own
resources and not on OPEC. So I encourage my colleagues to support this
amendment and vote on behalf of students, innovation, and energy
dependence.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, it is a good amendment, and I
suggest its approval. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 8 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 8
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chair, I rise as designee for Mr. Davis
of Illinois, and I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 8 offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee:
Page 69, line 18, insert ``, disaggregated and cross-
tabulated by race, ethnicity, and gender,'' after
``subparagraph (B)''.
Page 80, line 19, insert ``, disaggregated and cross-
tabulated by race, ethnicity, and gender'' after ``United
States''.
Page 86, after line 5, insert the following new subsection:
(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director shall provide a report to
Congress on institutional research partnerships identified in
subsection (a) funded in the previous fiscal year.
Page 124, line 21, strike ``undergraduate students'' and
insert ``students enrolled in certificate, associate, or
baccalaureate degree programs''.
Page 128, line 21, strike ``; and'' and insert a semicolon.
Page 128, after line 25, insert the following new
subparagraph:
(E) describe the approaches that will be taken by each
agency to increase the participation of underrepresented
minority groups in STEM studies and careers both for programs
specifically designed to broaden participation and for all
programs in general, including by providing for programs and
activities that increase participation by individuals in
these groups at all institutions, and by increasing the
engagement of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
and minority-serving institutions in the STEM education and
outreach activities supported by the agencies; and
Page 149, after line 21, insert the following new section:
SEC. 305. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES REPORT ON
STRENGTHENING THE CAPACITY OF 2-YEAR
INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO PROVIDE
STEM OPPORTUNITIES.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall enter
into a contract with the National Academy of Sciences to
carry out a study evaluating the role of 2-year institutions
of higher education as STEM educators, including in the
preparation of students for direct entry into the STEM
workforce and in preparation of students for transition into
4-year STEM degree programs, as well as the role of the
Federal Government in helping 2-year institutions of higher
education build their capacity to be effective STEM
educators. At a minimum, the report shall include--
(1) an evaluation of the current capacity of 2-year
institutions of higher education to be effective STEM
educators, including in the preparation of students for
direct entry into the STEM workforce and for transition into
4-year STEM degree programs;
(2) a description of existing challenges to expanding
opportunities for 2-year institutions of higher education to
provide and enhance STEM learning and provide STEM degrees
that prepare students well for direct entry into the STEM
workforce or for transition into 4-year degree programs;
(3) identification and description of Federal programs that
have successfully strengthened the capacity of 2-year
institutions of higher education to provide and enhance STEM
opportunities;
(4) a recommendation or recommendations regarding how
Federal agencies should set priorities for supporting STEM
education at 2-year institutions of higher education;
(5) a recommendation or recommendations regarding ways
Federal agencies can provide increased opportunities for 2-
year institutions of higher education to participate across
their portfolios of STEM education and research programs,
including--
(A) ways to engage 2-year institution of higher education
faculty and students with research experiences;
(B) strategies for improving the curriculum and teaching of
developmental mathematics given that many 2-year institutions
of higher education provide remediation in mathematics and
other STEM coursework; and
[[Page H3395]]
(C) enhancing the basic scientific laboratory
infrastructure; and
(6) a recommendation or recommendations regarding the need
for and appropriateness of new Federal programs in support of
STEM education at 2-year institutions of higher education.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Danny Davis' amendment will ensure that the students enrolled in
2-year, certificate, associate, or baccalaureate programs are eligible
for STEM programs. It would also call for a report of agency approaches
to increase minority participation in STEM careers.
Once again, Mr. Chairman, this has been well reviewed. This is a good
amendment, and I would recommend it for passage.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I am not sure that we really and truly need to
fund yet another study, this one to look at 2-year colleges. But I have
a bigger concern with the difficulty of requiring NSF to organize data
that it's merely reported. The universities collect this data, and it's
my understanding that there would be various issues with even having
them do what this amendment proposes.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may
consume to the author of this amendment, Mr. Davis of Illinois.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Chairman, first of all I want to thank
Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall of the Science and Technology
Committee for their work to develop and promote policies to strengthen
our Nation's competitiveness in STEM. In particular, I applaud the
chairman for his leadership in broadening the participation of
individuals and institutions that are underrepresented in STEM. You and
your staff actively engaged with me and other members of the
Congressional Black Caucus to listen to and address our concerns, and
we appreciate that. I also want to recognize and thank Dahlia Sokolov
on your staff for sharing her expertise and for being so responsive.
H.R. 5116 includes multiple provisions that respond to concerns
raised by multiple reports, STEM experts, and Members of the Congress
that stronger efforts to broaden participation are critical to meeting
the growing demand for U.S. workers with STEM skills and to improve
American competitiveness globally. The amendment that I offer, along
with my colleagues Congressman Grijalva, Congressman Honda, and
Congressman Kildee, builds upon the existing provisions of the bill to
further increase the access of minority students to, and the capacity
of, minority institutions to provide STEM opportunities.
I am pleased that this amendment is supported by multiple higher
education organizations, including the American Association of
Community Colleges, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities, the Institute for Higher Education Policy, the National
Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, the Presidents
and Chancellors of the 1890 Universities, the Thurgood Marshall College
Fund, and the United Negro College Fund.
Again, I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for
their cooperative responsiveness and the tremendous work that they have
done on behalf of all Americans to make us the most competitive Nation
that we can possibly be.
I want to thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall of the
Science and Technology Committee for their work to develop and promote
policies to strengthen our nation's competitiveness in science,
technology, engineering and mathematics. In particular, I applaud the
Chairman for his leadership in broadening the participation of
individuals and institutions that are underrepresented in STEM. You and
your staff actively engaged with me and other Members of the
Congressional Black Caucus to listen to and address our concerns. I
want to recognize and thank Dahlia Sokolov on your staff for sharing
her expertise and for being so responsive.
According to the Census Bureau, 39 percent of the population under
the age of 18 is a racial or ethnic minority. Yet, in 2003, only 4.4
percent of U.S. science and engineering jobs were held by African
Americans and only 3.4 percent by Hispanics. Further, women represent
only a little more than one quarter of our science and technology
workforce. Although Historically Black Colleges and Universities
represent only 3 percent of our nation's colleges, they graduate 40
percent of African Americans with degrees in STEM areas and 60 percent
of African Americans with degrees in engineering; yet, they receive
only about 1 percent of all federal R&D support. Many experts maintain
that the ability of the US to produce enough scientists will fall far
short unless we take strong action to develop the potential of women
and minorities. Thus, broadening participation efforts are critical to
meeting the growing demand for U.S. workers with STEM skills and to
improving American competitiveness globally.
H.R. 5116 includes multiple provisions that respond to concerns
raised by multiple reports, STEM experts, and Members of the Congress
about the need to broaden participation of individuals and institutions
that are underrepresented in STEM fields. The amendment that I offer
along with my colleagues Congressman Grijalva, Congressman Honda, and
Congressman Kildee builds upon the existing provisions in the bill to
further increase the access of minority students to and the capacity of
minority institutions to provide STEM opportunities.
I am pleased that this amendment is supported by multiple higher
education organizations, including: The American Association of
Community Colleges; The Hispanic Association of Colleges and
Universities; The Institute for Higher Education Policy; The National
Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; The Presidents
and Chancellors of the 1890 Universities; The Thurgood Marshall College
Fund; and The United Negro College Fund.
Our amendment does five things.
First, it clarifies that the new STEM Education Strategic Plan will
include a specific focus on broadening participation of individuals and
institutions that are underrepresented in STEM. H.R. 5116 recognizes
the need to coordinate STEM education efforts within the Executive
Branch. Consistent with experts in STEM education, our amendment simply
clarifies that the strategic plan for coordinating STEM education
across the Executive Branch should have each agency identify steps it
takes to broaden the participation.
Second, it includes a National Academy of Sciences report on
strengthening the capacity of two-year institutions to provide STEM
opportunities. The majority of Latino and African American students
attend two-year colleges. Moreover, two-year institutions play an
integral role in training STEM professionals through terminal and
certification degrees as well as in preparing students to transfer to
four-year institutions to complete STEM baccalaureate degrees. Thus,
two-year institutions are a critical component of the STEM pipeline.
Although a few reports have examined the role of these institutions
in a particular STEM discipline, no study has looked at comprehensively
at two-year institutions with regard to STEM. A comprehensive analysis
of how Federal agencies can provide increased opportunities for two-
year institutions to participate across the portfolios of STEM
education and research will do much to improve success of low income
and minority students in STEM fields.
Third, our amendment strengthens the data collections related to STEM
faculty and Federal research grants by ensuring the data are examined
by race/ethnicity and gender. These data are important to assessing
progress in broadening participation. Consistent with NSF data
collections on students in STEM fields, the amendment simply ensures
that these important data collections will be examined by race,
ethnicity, and gender.
Fourth, the amendment strengthens the institutional research
partnerships provision by including a reporting requirement on
partnership grants. In order to ensure that partnerships among
institutions are collaborative and equitable, H.R. 5116 requires NSF to
award funds directly to institutional partners involved in a research
collaboration funded at a level greater than $2 million. The amendment
simply includes a report requirement so that we have a fuller
understanding of the number and nature of such partnerships.
Finally, our amendment clarifies that undergraduates in two-year
programs are eligible for the Undergraduates In Standard Research
Grants. The amendment simply clarifies that students in certificate,
associate, or baccalaureate degree programs qualify for research
grants.
As I close, I thank the Chairman and Ranking Member again for their
leadership. I
[[Page H3396]]
strongly encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of this amendment
that will strengthen the bill's provisions to broaden participation.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Markey of Massachusetts
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 10
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 10 offered by Mr. Markey of Massachusetts:
Page 195, after line 11, insert the following new section:
SEC. 504. CLEAN ENERGY CONSORTIUM.
(a) Purpose.--The Secretary shall carry out a program to
establish a Clean Energy Consortium to enhance the Nation's
economic, environmental, and energy security by promoting
commercial application of clean energy technology and
ensuring that the United States maintains a technological
lead in the development and commercial application of state-
of-the-art energy technologies. To achieve these purposes the
program shall leverage the expertise and resources of the
university and private research communities, industry,
venture capital, national laboratories, and other
participants in energy innovation to support collaborative,
cross-disciplinary research and development in areas not
being served by the private sector in order to develop and
accelerate the commercial application of innovative clean
energy technologies.
(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) Clean energy technology.--The term ``clean energy
technology'' means a technology that--
(A) produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass,
tidal, wave, ocean, and other renewable energy resources (as
such term is defined in section 610 of the Public Utility
Regulatory Policies Act of 1978);
(B) more efficiently transmits, distributes, or stores
energy;
(C) enhances energy efficiency for buildings and industry,
including combined heat and power;
(D) enables the development of a Smart Grid (as described
in section 1301 of the Energy Independence and Security Act
of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17381)), including integration of
renewable energy resources and distributed generation, demand
response, demand side management, and systems analysis;
(E) produces an advanced or sustainable material with
energy or energy efficiency applications; or
(F) improves energy efficiency for transportation,
including electric vehicles.
(2) Cluster.--The term ``cluster'' means a network of
entities directly involved in the research, development,
finance, and commercial application of clean energy
technologies whose geographic proximity facilitates
utilization and sharing of skilled human resources,
infrastructure, research facilities, educational and training
institutions, venture capital, and input suppliers.
(3) Consortium.--The term ``Consortium'' means a Clean
Energy Consortium established in accordance with this
section.
(4) Project.--The term ``project'' means an activity with
respect to which a Consortium provides support under
subsection (e).
(5) Qualifying entity.--The term ``qualifying entity''
means each of the following:
(A) A research university.
(B) A State or Federal institution with a focus on the
advancement of clean energy technologies.
(C) A nongovernmental organization with research or
technology transfer expertise in clean energy technology
development.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(7) Technology development focus.--The term ``technology
development focus'' means the unique clean energy technology
or technologies in which a Consortium specializes.
(8) Translational research.--The term ``translational
research'' means coordination of basic or applied research
with technical applications to enable promising discoveries
or inventions to achieve commercial application of energy
technology.
(c) Role of the Secretary.--The Secretary shall--
(1) have ultimate responsibility for, and oversight of, all
aspects of the program under this section;
(2) select a recipient of a grant for the establishment and
operation of a Consortium through a competitive selection
process;
(3) coordinate the innovation activities of the Consortium
with those occurring through other Department of Energy
entities, including the National Laboratories, the Advanced
Research Projects Agency--Energy, Energy Innovation Hubs, and
Energy Frontier Research Collaborations, and within industry,
including by annually--
(A) issuing guidance regarding national energy research and
development priorities and strategic objectives; and
(B) convening a conference of staff of the Department of
Energy and representatives from such other entities to share
research results, program plans, and opportunities for
collaboration.
(d) Entities Eligible for Support.--A consortium shall be
eligible to receive support under this section if--
(1) it is composed of--
(A) 2 research universities with a combined annual research
budget of $500,000,000; and
(B) 1 or more additional qualifying entities;
(2) its members have established a binding agreement that
documents--
(A) the structure of the partnership agreement;
(B) a governance and management structure to enable cost-
effective implementation of the program;
(C) a conflicts of interest policy consistent with
subsection (e)(1)(B);
(D) an accounting structure that meets the requirements of
the Department of Energy and can be audited under subsection
(f)(4); and
(E) that it has an External Advisory Committee consistent
with subsection (e)(3);
(3) it receives funding from States, consortium
participants, or other non-Federal sources, to be used to
support project awards pursuant to subsection (e);
(4) it is part of an existing cluster or demonstrates high
potential to develop a new cluster; and
(5) it operates as a nonprofit organization.
(e) Clean Energy Consortium.--
(1) Role.--The Consortium shall support translational
research activities leading to commercial application of
clean energy technologies, in accordance with the purposes of
this section, through issuance of awards to projects managed
by qualifying entities and other entities meeting the
Consortium's project criteria, including national
laboratories. The Consortium shall--
(A) develop and make available to the public through the
Department of Energy's Web site proposed plans, programs,
project selection criteria, and terms for individual project
awards under this subsection;
(B) establish conflict of interest procedures, consistent
with those of the Department of Energy, to ensure that
employees and designees for Consortium activities who are in
decisionmaking capacities disclose all material conflicts of
interest, including financial, organizational, and personal
conflicts of interest;
(C) establish policies--
(i) to prevent resources provided to the Consortium from
being used to displace private sector investment otherwise
likely to occur, including investment from private sector
entities that are members of the Consortium;
(ii) to facilitate the participation of private entities
that invest in clean energy technologies to perform due
diligence on award proposals, to participate in the award
review process, and to provide guidance to projects supported
by the Consortium; and
(iii) to facilitate the participation of parties with a
demonstrated history of commercial application of clean
energy technologies in the development of Consortium
projects;
(D) oversee project solicitations, review proposed
projects, and select projects for awards; and
(E) monitor project implementation.
(2) Distribution of awards.--The Consortium, with prior
approval of the Secretary, shall distribute awards under this
subsection to support clean energy technology projects
conducting translational research, provided that at least 50
percent of such support shall be provided to projects related
to the Consortium's clean energy technology development
focus. Upon approval by the Secretary, all remaining funds
shall be available to support any clean energy technology
projects conducting translational research.
(3) External advisory committee.--
(A) In general.--The Consortium shall establish an External
Advisory Committee, the members of which shall have extensive
and relevant scientific, technical, industry, financial, or
research management expertise. The External Advisory
Committee shall review the Consortium's proposed plans,
programs, project selection criteria, and projects and shall
ensure that projects selected for awards meet the conflict of
interest policies of the Consortium. External Advisory
Committee members other than those representing Consortium
members shall serve for no more than 3 years. All External
Advisory Committee members shall comply with the Consortium's
conflict of interest policies and procedures.
(B) Members.--The External Advisory Committee shall consist
of--
(i) 5 members selected by the Consortium's research
universities;
(ii) 2 members selected by the Consortium's other
qualifying entities;
(iii) 2 members selected at large by other External
Advisory Committee members to represent the entrepreneur and
venture capital communities; and
(iv) 1 member appointed by the Secretary.
(4) Conflict of interest.--The Secretary may disqualify an
application or revoke funds distributed to the Consortium if
the Secretary discovers a failure to comply with conflict of
interest procedures established under paragraph (1)(B).
(f) Grant.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall make a grant under
this section in accordance with section 989 of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16353). The Secretary shall
[[Page H3397]]
award the grant, on a competitive basis, to 1 regional
Consortium, for a term of 3 years.
(2) Amount.--A grant under this subsection shall be in an
amount not greater than $10,000,000 per fiscal year over the
3 years of the term of the grant.
(3) Use.--The grant distributed under this section shall be
used exclusively to support project awards pursuant to
subsection (e)(1) and (2), provided that the Consortium may
use not more than 10 percent of the amount of such grant for
its administrative expenses related to making such awards.
The grant made under this section shall not be used for
construction of new buildings or facilities, and construction
of new buildings or facilities shall not be considered as
part of the non-Federal share of a cost sharing agreement
under this section.
(4) Audit.--The Consortium shall conduct, in accordance
with such requirements as the Secretary may prescribe, an
annual audit to determine the extent to which a grant
distributed to the Consortium under this subsection, and
awards under subsection (e), have been utilized in a manner
consistent with this section. The auditor shall transmit a
report of the results of the audit to the Secretary and to
the Government Accountability Office. The Secretary shall
include such report in an annual report to Congress, along
with a plan to remedy any deficiencies cited in the report.
The Government Accountability Office may review such audits
as appropriate and shall have full access to the books,
records, and personnel of the Consortium to ensure that the
grant distributed to the Consortium under this subsection,
and awards made under subsection (e), have been utilized in a
manner consistent with this section.
(5) Revocation of awards.--The Secretary shall have
authority to review awards made under this subsection and to
revoke such awards if the Secretary determines that the
Consortium has used the award in a manner not consistent with
the requirements of this section.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and a Member opposed each will control
5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Massachusetts.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, the amendment I am
offering today, along with the gentlelady from California (Mrs. Capps),
would add a new R&D program specifically focused on increasing our
Nation's capacity to turn new innovations into new jobs. A clean energy
consortium would be regionally based, selected by the Secretary of
Energy through a competitive process, and include research
universities, national labs, industry, and other State and
nongovernmental organizations with expertise in clean energy
development.
Moving to commercialize innovations in the clean energy sector is
critical to our ability to compete for jobs with China and India. The
faster we bring clean energy technologies to market, the faster we end
our addiction to foreign oil from the Middle East. Our amendment will
connect professors with producers, inventors with investors to move
energy innovations out of the lab and into the factory.
Unlike research in biotech and defense, technology developed through
energy R&D must break into a deeply entrenched market at a competitive
cost in order to be successful. We need policies that can help overcome
the valley of death where great ideas frequently stall before they have
reached the critical proof-of-concept stage. That's what we do in this
amendment.
We have worked with business, universities, and venture capital
groups in developing this legislation. It has received endorsements
from TechNet. The National Venture Capital Association has endorsed
this amendment. The Clean Economy Networks, the companies across this
country that want to focus on this energy sector, create millions of
new jobs want this as part of the plan that we put together to make
sure that it's not just research; it's research that turns into jobs
rapidly in our country.
{time} 1630
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to this amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. HALL of Texas. This amendment creates a new program, as Mr.
Markey has said, to pursue commercialization of clean energy
technologies. This is not necessarily the problem.
We all agree that clean energy technologies are worth pursuing. The
problem, however, is that the clean energy technology program created
by this amendment is duplicative of another new program already in the
bill, the Energy Innovation Hubs program, and I am opposed to the Hubs
program because it is largely duplicative of existing DOE and R&D
activities. So the amendment duplicates a program that's already
duplicative itself.
Further, these programs are expensive and expand the bureaucracy
within the Department of Energy, which is already too large. We need to
be consolidating and streamlining DOE's many R&D programs, not creating
new ones on top of new ones.
I strongly oppose this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. May I inquire of the Chair, how much
time is remaining?
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 3 minutes
remaining. The gentleman from Texas has 4 minutes remaining.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. At this point, I will yield to myself
for 30 additional seconds.
This commercialization focus program complements existing R&D
initiatives. Strong, long-term support for basic and applied research
is critical to developing the scientific breakthroughs needed to meet
our energy challenges, but additional focus on commercialization will
help ensure that existing innovations and those further down the
pipeline find a pathway to the market. It creates the link between R&D
and economic development and job creation. Without it, I do not believe
America can win in this sector.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I yield 1 minute to the gentlelady from
California (Mrs. Capps).
Mrs. CAPPS. First of all, thank you, Chairman Gordon, for your great
work on this bill. I want to thank my colleague, Mr. Markey, for your
leadership on clean energy issues.
Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Markey-Capps
amendment, which is included in our legislation.
The Markey-Capps amendment would complement the clean energy
advancement goals of the America COMPETES Act by creating a regional
clean energy consortia program. This program will bring together
regional networks of research universities, of national labs, of
businesses and investors in the clean energy sector to accelerate the
commercialization of new clean energy technologies.
They will also stimulate regional economic development and create
jobs in places like the central coast of California, which I represent.
The Green Coast Innovation Zone, GCIZ, in my district is built on this
model and is eager to expand further into the clean energy sector. This
provision will support their efforts to create high-quality green jobs
that pay well and cannot be outsourced.
So I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Markey-Capps
amendment.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Could the Chair please inform us of how
much time is left.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Massachusetts has 1\1/2\
minutes. The gentleman from Texas has 4 minutes.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Would it be possible for me to ask for
the gentleman from Texas to draw down his time a little bit more before
we come to the end of the speakers on the Democratic side?
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, the clean energy consortia language,
``support collaborative cross-disciplinary research and development
areas not being served by the private sector in order to develop and
accelerate the commercial application of innovative clean energy
technology,'' that's clearly duplicative. I've stated that in my
opening remarks.
``Support multidisciplinary collaborative research development
demonstration and commercial application of advanced energy
technologies in areas not being served by the private sector.''
I think this is probably the most operative language for the two
programs, and I do detect a difference.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the
[[Page H3398]]
chairman of the Science Committee, Mr. Gordon.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, as I said earlier in the day,
I don't want to trade Americans' dependency on foreign oil for
Americans' dependency on foreign technology.
For us to get energy independence, there's going to be a variety of
ways to go about it. Just like there's a variety of ways to skin a cat,
this is one more way to get energy independence, and I support Mr.
Markey's amendment.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I yield 30 seconds to the gentlelady
from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Chairman, I am in wholehearted support of this amendment and this
bill.
I just wanted to speak briefly on the previous amendment that passed
en bloc, which included a provision for which I am responsible. It
included the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes are not just mere lakes; they
are inland seas, and they contain the greatest source of freshwater on
Earth. And despite their size, they are extremely vulnerable to
stresses from environmental pollution, ecological alterations, and
climate changes. In addition to that, they are a great source of
economic development.
There are many unanswered research questions regarding the lakes'
ecological stability. But there is already significant evidence that
the climate of the Great Lakes region is changing: for example, water
temperatures have been higher, and the duration of winter ice cover has
declined.
These changes have a serious impact on the Great Lakes ecosystem--and
the goods and services linked to the Lakes. To name just a few of the
myriad potential effects:
Water temperatures are already rising, and almost all of the climate
change scenarios predict further changes in temperature and
precipitation. Lakes are very sensitive to climate in terms of the
amount of precipitation and evaporation.
Precipitation changes are causing variation in water levels; most
predictions are for lower levels but some predict higher levels.
Precipitation is predicted to increase but is predicted to come in
fewer and more intense effects--in effect, a higher number of more
intense rainstorms--which has a big impact on runoff from the lake,
soil erosion, non-point pollution, and more.
Climate change is already affecting the population and distribution
of fish and many other organisms; water level and temperature changes
may also accelerate the accumulation of mercury and other contaminants.
When lake levels change, costs of shipping in the Great lakes
increase, as do the costs of dredging harbors and channels, and
adjusting docks and other infrastructure.
Climate change disrupts Great Lakes regional agricultural
productivity (largely because of changes in the distribution of rain).
There is a dire need for comprehensive research on the impact of the
environment on the Great Lakes region--now, not later. Waiting to begin
managing the potential effects of climate change on the lakes only
increases the ultimate expense, and the potential for irreversible
damages.
If we act fast, we can take action to prevent some of the most
damaging effects of climate change, and we an provide immediate relief
in the form of cost savings, cleaner air and water, improved
recreational opportunities, safeguarded environmental habitat, and
improved quality of life for communities in the Great Lakes region.
We also must safeguard Lake Michigan--and in fact, all the Great
Lakes--because of the Lakes' vital role these play in the region's
economy. Lake Michigan is the lifeblood of the Milwaukee regional
economy.
We have to use every tool in our toolbelt to ensure Lake Michigan's
ecological stability--not only for the sake of environmental
protection, but for the sake of our economic security--from tourism to
manufacturing to fishing to shipping.
Southeastern Wisconsin is home to over more than 120 water-related
businesses and five of the largest 11 water technology companies have
significant presence in the area. UWM is home to the Great Lakes Water
Institute, which is the largest research center of its kind on the
Great Lakes. The Water Institute represents the only major aquatic
research institution located on Lake Michigan and the largest U.S.
institution of its kind in the Great Lakes region.
According to the EPA, today, there are approximately 37 million
people living in the Great Lakes basin and more than 26 million of
these people rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water.
Shipping has been responsible for the development of the entire Great
a Lakes Region.
Many manufacturing industries are attracted to the Great Lakes area
because of the advantages of being near a water source which provides
inexpensive electricity and convenient transportation routes.
The Journal Sentinel reports that there are 44,000 jobs directly tied
to Great Lakes shipping, and nearly 200,000 jobs in the mining and
steel industries that depend on the lakes' cargo.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I would inquire of Mr. Markey if he
has other speakers.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I am now the last speaker, and I am
going to reserve the balance of my time pending the completion.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has the right to close.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. So how much time is remaining?
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Texas has 3 minutes, and the
gentleman from Massachusetts has 45 seconds.
Mr. MARKEY of Massachusetts. I yield myself the balance of my time.
Again, it is just to make this point that we must find a way in our
country to have a plan. In China, on Monday they decide to do
something, on Friday it starts to happen.
We need a plan. We need a plan to put together our inventors and our
investors. We need a plan that puts together our professors with our
producers. We need to find a way in which we telescope the timeframe it
takes to create jobs in solar and wind and all of these new industries
that have the potential of creating 2 million new jobs in our country
or millions of jobs in China. That's our choice.
And if we don't take this opportunity, then young Americans are going
to wonder in a few more years why we didn't put together a plan. That's
what this amendment is. It's a pilot project, but it is one that will
then have to be modeled in area after area around this country to
ensure that we move fast to capture this renewable energy revolution
that is very rapidly going to overtake this planet in the same way that
the dot-com revolution did so in the 1990s.
Vote ``yes'' on the Markey-Capps amendment.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I continue to oppose the amendment.
It is duplicative of several other programs, and I urge my colleagues
to oppose it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from
Massachusetts will be postponed.
Amendment No. 12 Offered by Mr. George Miller of California
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 12
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 12 offered by Mr. George Miller of
California:
Page 246, after line 8, add the following new section:
SEC. 704. INFORMATION REQUESTS BY LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) Eligibility for Funds.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Act, a public institution of higher
education that employs employees who are represented by a
labor organization and perform work on an activity or program
supported by this Act or an amendment made by this Act shall
be eligible to receive funding for facilities and
administrative costs for any activity or program supported by
this Act or the amendments made by this Act only if the
institution maintains a policy that meets the requirements
set forth in subsection (b).
(b) Requirements.--A policy described under subsection (a)
shall require that the institution provide, within 15 days of
receipt of a request by a labor organization representing the
employees of the institution described in subsection (a), any
information which the labor organization has a lawful right
to obtain under applicable labor laws. Such a policy shall
provide that, on a case-by-case basis, such 15 days may be
extended to a longer time period by mutual agreement of the
labor organization and the institution.
[[Page H3399]]
(c) Failure to Comply With Policy.--
(1) Complaint of noncompliance.--In the case of an
institution of higher education that does not provide
information requested by a labor organization in compliance
with the requirements of a policy described in subsections
(a) and (b), the labor organization may file a complaint of
noncompliance with the head of the agency overseeing any
activity or program supported by this Act or the amendments
made by this Act for which the institution is receiving
funds.
(2) Notification to institution.--Upon receiving such a
complaint, the head of such agency shall notify the
institution of the complaint and provide the institution an
additional 30 days to provide the requested information to
the labor organization or otherwise explain why the complaint
of non-compliance is not valid.
(3) Agency action.--If the information has not been
provided by the institution at the conclusion of such 30 day
period and the head of such agency determines the complaint
to be valid, the head of such agency shall suspend payment of
any funds for facilities and administrative costs that would
otherwise be available to such institution for all activities
and programs supported by this Act and the amendments made by
this Act until such time as the requested information has
been provided by the institution.
(d) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
(1) the term ``institution of higher education'' has the
meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)), except that such
term does not include a private institution of higher
education; and
(2) the term ``facilities and administrative costs'' means
facilities and administrative (F&A) costs as defined in the
Office of Management and Budget Revised Circular A-21 (Cost
Principles for Educational Institutions, published in the
Federal Register on May 10, 2004).
(e) Effective Date.--This section shall take effect on
January 1, 2011.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from California (Mr. George Miller) and a Member opposed each will
control 5 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Chairman, in much of the history of the United States, and
certainly in the most recent history of the United States, we have made
a decision to build much of our economy on the backs of the best and
the brightest that this country has to offer; to go to the research
universities and to other universities and develop grants from Federal
agencies to the National Science Foundation, from NIH and from the
other agencies to do the research necessary to drive basic discovery,
and to drive from that discovery innovation, and from that innovation
economic growth. And its served this economy and it's served this
Nation very, very well over the last 50 years.
But we have a problem here. We have a situation where the best and
the brightest people, among the most talented, a select group of
people, the postdoctoral individuals, people who've had their master's
degrees and their Ph.D.'s in sciences and engineering and mathematics
and a whole range of fields participate in that research. They, in many
instances, write the grants for that research. The grants are awarded
to the universities based upon their work. Those grants provide for
escalators so that the principal investigator and the postdocs that he
hires, those very bright graduates of our university system to run the
labs, to do the research, to assist that individual, that they be
provided for.
And yet we find out that in many instances, universities are
withholding information that these students have an absolute right
under State law to have. And that right is to understand how they are
paid and the availability of money in these grants for their increases.
In most of these grants, the Federal institutions and others require
that escalators be built into. The universities require when the
postdocs and the principal investigators write these grants to submit
to the Federal Government and to the agencies that they include an
escalator.
And what are the universities doing? In the case of University of
California, Berkeley, they withhold. They then take 53 percent in
overhead charges. So in a $1 million grant, they get an additional over
$500,000 to administer that grant. They take that share of the
escalators for themselves, but they don't pass it on to these brilliant
young people who are also now--because they've postponed, in many
instances, having a family and buying a home, they now become among the
lowest-paid people in the region.
All this amendment says is, if they are entitled to the information
under the law, that the university should have to provide it. The
University of California has been telling these postdocs and telling
the Congress of the United States for over a year that they would
provide this information, and they have failed to do that.
So what we're saying is that these students are entitled to the law,
to that information. It creates no new right. It creates nothing new in
collective bargaining. This is not the purpose. The purpose is to--the
information that they are entitled to under the law they have.
This is really about the very contracts that the university is
administering. And yet a year later after the request by both Members
of Congress and the postdoc graduates, they're told that the
information is not available. If the information isn't available, it
raises questions about the overhead, the $850 million that the
University of California took for the purposes of administering these
grants.
I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1645
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Under the Miller amendment, any public university
receiving funds in this bill would be required to maintain an
``information policy,'' wherein they would have to produce any
documents or information that a union requests within 15 days or face
the threat of losing Federal funding.
Additionally, it would place a bureaucrat at a grant-awarding agency,
say the National Science Foundation, in charge of determining whether a
union was entitled under State or local labor law to the information it
requested, and whether the university should lose Federal dollars
because it has not given to the union every bit of information which it
asked for.
Should NSF be determining whether a university is fulfilling its
obligation under State and local labor law? I ask that question.
Also, although the amendment applies to all schools receiving grants
under this bill, the bottom line, Mr. Chairman, is that this is a
political issue specific to one university, the University of
California. It is my understanding that the University of California
has been negotiating a contract with the United Auto Workers for some
time. These negotiations are completely a function of California State
law and have nothing to do with the Federal Government. Rather than
attempting to exercise any right or remedy under State law, the UAW has
chosen to involve my friends on the other side in threatening the
university with Federal dollars to buckle to the union's demands.
This is all I have to say about this. I find this amendment
troubling, and urge its defeat.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Chairman, this has really
nothing to do with labor law. The question is whether the postdoctorate
employees of the university who are involved in running these very
sophisticated labs and experiments and research, whether or not they
get the information that they are entitled to under the law. It only
applies in those areas where there is an agreement. Many universities
don't have this, some do.
But the point of the matter is that if these young people are not
able to provide for themselves, we are going to take talented people
and they are going to leave the scientific field. They were given these
grants because they are among the best grants in the country. They were
peer-reviewed. A decision was made that this is the science that is
worth pursuing in the interest of this country in a whole range of
fields, whether it is in space or energy or food, whatever it is. That
is the point. Yet these people are among the lowest-paid people in the
country, with the most education, with the most talent.
All we are saying is give them the information so they can see if
there is any restrictions on passing through a
[[Page H3400]]
portion of, or whatever they can agree to, of the escalators that are
built into these agreements. The university is taking its cut off the
top without asking anybody, but somehow the postdocs aren't even
entitled to that information or the graduate students aren't entitled
to that information under the current policy.
It is simply not fair, and it is going to be very discouraging to
extremely talented people that we have placed a bet on. This
legislation places a bet on the intellectual talent and the curiosity
and the skills of these individuals to drive the next generation of
innovation, to drive the next generation of economic growth, to drive
the next generation of discovery. That is what this is about. That is
what it should be about. But we can't do that by mistreating the very
talent pool that is so critical to our success.
This is just a simple request for information. It does not provide
any additional rights to anyone that don't exist today. And I think it
is time that we recognize the needs of these individuals, of their
families, if we are going to retain them in the scientific endeavor of
which they have spent most of their life pursuing, and they are
obviously very accomplished at this and they are a vital, vital asset
to this Nation.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I want to thank
the chairman of the committee for his support of this legislation.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman's time has expired.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California
will be postponed.
Amendment No. 13 Offered by Mr. Reyes
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 13
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 13 offered by Mr. Reyes:
Page 128, line 21, strike ``; and'' and insert a semicolon.
Page 128, after line 25, insert the following new
subparagraph:
(E) describe the approaches that will be taken by each
participating agency to conduct outreach designed to promote
widespread public understanding of career opportunities in
the STEM fields specific to the workforce needs of each
agency, including outreach to women, Latinos, African-
Americans, Native Americans, and other students from groups
underrepresented in STEM;
Page 129, line 6, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 129, after line 6, insert the following new paragraph:
(4) establish and maintain a publically accessible online
database of all federally sponsored STEM education programs
and activities at all levels and for all audiences, including
students, teachers, and the general public.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Texas (Mr. Reyes) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to urge my colleagues to
support the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 and, with it,
the Reyes-Connolly amendment.
In fact, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Virginia
(Mr. Connolly) for cosponsoring this amendment with me. I also want to
thank Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall and their staffs on the
Science and Technology Committee for their hard work on the America
COMPETES legislation. This legislation is vital to our Nation's long-
term competitiveness.
This noncontroversial amendment for this legislation would accomplish
two goals:
First, it would require the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Coordinating Committee under the Office of Science and Technology
policy to describe in their 5-year strategic plan the approaches that
each STEM agency will take to conduct outreach designed to promote
widespread public understanding of career opportunities in STEM fields.
Second, the amendment requires the establishment and the maintenance
of a publicly accessible online database, or a STEM.gov, if you will,
of all federally-sponsored STEM education programs. STEM.gov would be a
one-stop shop where teachers, students, and researchers would be able
to access information on all of the opportunities available in STEM
fields. Currently, all STEM programs are listed in different places
online with different programs, and this amendment would simply
consolidate the information for easier access in one location.
Mr. Chairman, it is important that we increase awareness of all the
available opportunities in STEM fields, and that is exactly what this
amendment does. To that end, I would urge all my colleagues to vote
``yes'' for the Reyes-Connolly amendment, and also ``yes'' on the final
passage of this legislation.
Your vote will go a long way in showing Americans that Congress is
serious about making America more competitive now and in the future.
Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to the amendment, although I do not intend to oppose it.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for
5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I have no opposition or objection to this
amendment.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to Mr.
Connolly of Virginia, the cosponsor of this amendment.
Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. I thank my friend from Texas.
Mr. Chair, let me start by thanking my colleagues for their
leadership on this important legislation, both the chairman and the
ranking member.
As the co-chair of the Diversity and Innovation Caucus, my colleague
from Texas has been a true champion for STEM education, particularly in
our underrepresented communities. Chairman Gordon and the members of
the Science and Technology Committee have certainly shown leadership on
this issue as well.
Our amendment builds upon that work by requiring the new STEM
coordinating committee created in this legislation to work with each
agency under its jurisdiction to promote more public awareness of
career opportunities in the STEM fields, particularly within the
Federal workforce. We have a hard time filling positions in the
science, technology, and engineering and math fields, and I believe
part of the trouble is that, one, people don't know that they are out
there and, two, they don't realize that careers like this are available
in public service. So clearly we can do better.
Our amendment also calls for new outreach strategies to women,
Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, and other students from
underrepresented communities in the Federal workforce. Even in minority
majority school systems like Prince William County, and Fairfax County
in my district, we are working especially hard to make sure enrollment
in STEM programs reflects the diversity of our student body.
Another key component of our amendment would require the STEM
coordinating committee to create and maintain an online, searchable
database of all federally funded STEM education programs that benefit
students, teachers, and the general public.
We are providing tremendous opportunity in the STEM fields, but more
people need to know about them and be excited about them for it to be
successful.
Mr. Chairman, my experience in local government showed me that
investments in education of our children attract families and jobs. The
school and business communities in my district have made significant
investments in our local STEM programs, whether it is Thomas Jefferson
High School in Fairfax, whose tie I am wearing today, or the new
Governor's School at Innovation Park in Prince William County.
Those efforts are just one reason why at least nine Fortune 500
companies
[[Page H3401]]
have brought their headquarters to Northern Virginia and why the
Commonwealth of Virginia has the highest concentration of technology-
related jobs in the United States, half of them in northern Virginia.
This bill will further support those local efforts and better
position our region and our Nation to be a leader in the global
economy.
I join my colleague from Texas in urging our colleagues to support
this important amendment.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Reyes).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas will
be postponed.
Amendments En Bloc No. 2 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I have amendments en bloc at
the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendments en bloc.
Amendments en bloc No. 2 offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
consisting of amendments numbered 14, 15, 16, 17, 22, 35, 42, 43, 49,
23, 24, 46, 48, and 9 printed in part B of House Report 111-479:
Amendment No. 14 Offered by Ms. Loretta Sanchez of California
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 131, line 6, redesignate paragraph (1) as paragraph
(2).
Page 131, line 7, redesignate paragraph (2) as paragraph
(3).
Page 131, line 9, redesignate paragraph (3) as paragraph
(4).
Page 131, line 10, redesignate paragraph (4) as paragraph
(5).
Page 131, line 12, redesignate paragraph (5) as paragraph
(6).
Page 131, line 13, redesignate paragraph (6) as paragraph
(7).
Page 131, after line 5, insert the following:
(1) Elementary school and secondary school administrator
associations.
Amendment No. 15 Offered by Mr. Bishop of New York
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 174, after line 13, insert the following:
SEC. 412. NANOMATERIAL INITIATIVE.
The Director shall carry out a nanomaterial research
initiative to--
(1) develop reference materials for nanomaterials and
derived products to be used in benchmarking toxicity,
calibrating instruments, and facilitating laboratory
comparisons;
(2) assist in the development of international documentary
standards relating to nanomaterials;
(3) develop instruments and measurement methods to
determine the physical and chemical properties of
nanomaterials; and
(4) gather and develop data to support the correlation of
physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials to any
environmental, safety, or other risks.
Amendment No. 16 Offered by Mr. Barrow of Georgia
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 58, line 16, strike ``and''.
Page 58, line 22, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 58, after line 22, insert the following new
subparagraph:
(D) describe how the Federal agencies supporting
manufacturing research and development will strengthen all
levels of manufacturing education and training programs to
ensure an adequate, well-trained workforce.
Amendment No. 17 Offered by Mr. Carney of Pennsylvania
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 125, after line 23, insert the following new
subsection (and redesignate the subsequent subsections
accordingly):
(c) Outreach to Rural Communities.--The Foundation shall
conduct outreach to institutions of higher education and
private sector entities in rural areas to encourage those
entities to participate in partnerships under this section.
Amendment No. 22 Offered by Ms. Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 98, after line 4, insert the following new section:
SEC. 229. COLLABORATION IN PLANNING FOR STEWARDSHIP OF LARGE-
SCALE FACILITIES.
It is the sense of Congress that the Foundation should,
in its planning for construction and stewardship of large
facilities, coordinate and collaborate with other Federal
agencies, including the Department of Energy's Office of
Science, to ensure that joint investments may be made when
practicable. In particular, the Foundation should ensure that
it responds to recommendations by the National Academy of
Sciences and working groups convened by the National Science
and Technology Council regarding such facilities and
opportunities for partnership with other agencies in the
design and construction of such facilities. For facilities in
which research in multiple disciplines will be possible, the
Director should include multiple units within the Foundation
during the planning process.
Amendment No. 35 Offered by Mr. Childers of Mississippi
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 174, after line 13, insert the following:
SEC. 412. DISASTER RESILIENT BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
(a) Establishment.--The Director shall carry out a disaster
resilient buildings and infrastructure program.
(b) Real-scale Structures.--As part of the program, the
Director shall--
(1) develop the capability to test real-scale structures
under realistic fire and structural loading conditions; and
(2) assist in the validation of predictive models by
developing a database on the performance of large-scale
structures under realistic fire and structural loading
conditions.
(c) Database.--As part of the program, the Director shall
develop a database on the performance of the built
environment during natural and man-made hazard events.
Amendment No. 42 Offered by Mr. Kissell of North Carolina
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 182, after line 18, insert the following:
``(3) Limitation.--In charging and collecting fees under
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall take into consideration
the amount of the obligation.
Page 183, after line 22, insert the following (and
redesignate subsequent paragraphs accordingly):
``(2) criteria that the Secretary shall use to determine
the amount of any fees charged under subsection (j),
including criteria related to the amount of the obligation;
Amendment No. 43 Offered by Mr. Klein of Florida
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 166, after line 9, insert the following new
subsection:
(g) Evaluation of Obstacles Unique to Small
Manufacturers.--Section 25 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is
further amended by adding after subsection (i), as added by
subsection (f), the following:
``(j) Evaluation of Obstacles Unique to Small
Manufacturers.--The Director shall--
``(1) evaluate obstacles that are unique to small
manufacturers that prevent such manufacturers from
effectively competing in the global market;
``(2) implement a comprehensive plan to train the Centers
to address such obstacles; and
``(3) facilitate improved communication between the Centers
to assist such manufacturers in implementing appropriate,
targeted solutions to such obstacles.''.
Amendment No. 49 Offered by Mr. Perriello of Virginia
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 132, line 3, insert ``, including through the
interagency committee established under section 301,'' after
``Federal agencies''.
Amendment No. 23 Offered by Mr. Holt of New Jersey
The text of the amendment is as follows:
At the end of subtitle C of title I, insert the following:
SEC. 125. NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATION STRATEGY.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Director of the White House Office of Science
and Technology Policy shall submit to Congress and the
President a national competitiveness and innovation strategy
for strengthening the innovative and competitive capacity of
the Federal Government, State and local governments,
institutions of higher education, and the private sector that
includes--
(1) proposed legislative changes and action;
(2) proposed actions to be taken collectively by executive
agencies, including White House offices;
(3) proposed actions to be taken by individual executive
agencies, including White House offices; and
(4) a proposal for metrics-based monitoring and oversight
of the progress of the Federal Government with respect to
improving conditions for the innovation occuring in and the
competitiveness of the United States.
Amendment No. 24 Offered by Mr. Holt of New Jersey
The text of the amendment is as follows:
[[Page H3402]]
Page 62, after line 2, insert the following new subsection:
(f) Sense of Congress Regarding Peer Review.--It is the
sense of Congress that peer review is an important part of
the process of ensuring the integrity of the record of
scientific research, and that the National Science and
Technology Council working group established under this
section should take into account the role that scientific
publishers play in the peer review process.
Amendment No. 46 Offered by Mr. Minnick of Idaho
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 132, line 7, strike ``and''.
Page 132, line 12, strike the period and insert ``; and''.
Page 132, after line 12, insert the following new
paragraph:
(5) providing advice to Federal agencies on how their STEM
technical training and education programs can be better
aligned with the workforce needs of States and regions.
Amendment No. 48 Offered by Mr. Patrick J. Murphy of Pennsylvania
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 138, line 5, strike ``and''.
Page 138, line 9, strike the period at the end and insert
``; and''.
Page 138, after line 9, insert the following:
(6) competitive grants for institutions of higher education
(as defined under section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act
of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), including 2-year institutions
of higher education, to establish or expand degree programs
or courses in energy systems science and engineering.
Amendment No. 9 Offered by Mr. Kanjorski of Pennsylvania
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Page 188, after line 25, insert the following:
``(H) Interacting with the public and State and local
governments to meet the goals of the cluster.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, this is a well-vetted and good
amendment.
I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from California (Ms. Loretta
Sanchez).
Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of California. Mr. Chairman, I thank the chairman
for the time allotted. And what a wonderful bill, and I believe it is
just going to really bring our whole Nation up.
Today, we face so many mounting global challenges--international
security, reviving the global economy, health, environment, wars going
on--and American leadership in response to these challenges depends on
national policies such as the legislation that we are debating today.
The America COMPETES Act strengthens STEM education in order to
prepare our future workforce to excel and to exceed in an international
economy. Future generations' ability to address 21st century global
matters efficiently and effectively will depend on their preparation
and their responsiveness to international affairs.
Today, our schools lack some of the tools necessary to enhance United
States' competitiveness, essential to our economy and, really, to our
international success. And so I firmly believe that our Nation's
leadership role in innovation depends on the education we provide in
today's classrooms. In fact, one of my top legislative priorities is
H.R. 3359, the U.S. and World Education Act, that has many of the types
of things that this bill has.
To this end, the amendment that I am offering today would include the
membership of elementary school and secondary school administrative
associations to be part of the President's Advisory Committee on STEM
Education. My amendment would add language to include the expertise of
kindergarten through 12th grade school principals and administrators to
the President's advisory committee created under section 302. The
amendment will strengthen section 302 by ensuring the valuable
contributions of those who are in our kindergarten through 12th grade
system, those administering that, so they can bring back their ideas
and tell us what is going on, because evidence suggests that kids lose
interest in STEM in those grade levels. So I urge my colleagues to
support this amendment.
{time} 1700
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the en bloc
amendments before us, although I do not intend to oppose them. All 14
of the amendments are noncontroversial and are generally supported.
I do have some concern with the Carney amendment. I think while I'm
supportive of trying to get students in rural areas more engaged in
STEM activities, I just don't believe it's the role of NSF to perform
outreach for an industry intern program, period. This amendment is part
of a new and duplicative STEM Industry Internship program intended to
marry local industry workforce educational needs with local college
programing. There's a match associated with this grant, and I think
almost any outreach to prospective students or interns should be
performed by the participating industry and school with non-Federal
money, not with taxpayer money. Therefore, while I will be opposing the
Carney amendment, I do not plan to oppose the others in this group.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to a former
administrator at Long Island College, the gentleman from New York (Mr.
Bishop).
Mr. BISHOP of New York. I thank the chairman for yielding.
My amendment directs the National Institute of Standards and
Technology to develop reference materials, standards, instruments, and
measurement methods for nanomaterials and derived products. My
amendment also calls on the NIST to compile data to help us understand
how the properties of nanomaterials correlate with environmental,
health, and safety risks. We stand on the precipice of a new wave of
scientific and technological advancement through the development of
nanotechnology or controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale.
Advancements in this field have the potential to create new materials
and devices with a vast range of applications, such as medicine,
electronics, and energy production. I am proud to represent Brookhaven
National Laboratory, where many of these breakthroughs have been
discovered. However, nanotechnology raises many of the same issues as
with any introduction of new technology, including concerns about the
toxicity and environmental impact of nanomaterials. My amendment would
ensure that we closely monitor how this new technology affects our
health and safety.
Mr. Chairman, while we must do all we can to incentivize and nurture
innovation and competitiveness, we must also balance and make
consistent the commercialization of new technologies with our duty to
protect and inform the public. My amendment, therefore, helps establish
a commonsense roadmap for the development of nanotechnology standards.
I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and the underlying bill.
Let me also close by taking this opportunity to commend Chairman
Gordon for his leadership on this issue and for a very distinguished
career in Congress--a career that has reflected a firm commitment to
American competitiveness.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Barrow).
Mr. BARROW. Mr. Chairman, I've spent a lot of time visiting
businesses in my district, many of which are large manufacturers. I've
been struck that even as our economy becomes more sophisticated, we
still rely a great deal on our manufacturing base. That base is
threatened by competition from abroad and by financial crisis at home.
What has sustained us through the hard times lately has always been
American innovation. The America COMPETES Act fosters that tradition
and I'm proud to support it.
I'm pleased to offer an amendment that I think makes this good bill a
little bit better. In the 12th District of Georgia, we make everything
from lawnmower blades to jet airplanes. But the fundamentals of both
industries are very similar. It all starts with education in science,
math, and engineering. My amendment simply requires that we include
manufacturing education in our long-term strategic plan for
manufacturing research and development. I think that makes good common
sense, and good business sense,
[[Page H3403]]
and I thank the chairman for his support.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire).
Mr. ALTMIRE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the America COMPETES
Reauthorization Act of 2010, and I'm a proud cosponsor of this
legislation to strengthen our Nation's global competitiveness.
Foremost, this bill will create jobs. For example, it will give small-
and medium-sized manufacturing companies pursuing cutting-edge
technology access to capital. It will prepare the next generation of
Americans for the jobs of tomorrow by improving science, technology,
engineering, and math education. It will also keep our Nation on a path
to doubling funding for scientific research in the next decade. I'm
pleased to note that this bill also includes provisions to help women
enter science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Mr. Chairman, I have offered an amendment to this legislation with my
good friend from Pennsylvania, Congressman Patrick Murphy, that is in
the en bloc amendment before us. Our amendment would authorize
competitive grants at the Department of Energy for colleges to provide
degrees in energy-related fields. Colleges and universities would be
able to use the funding for degrees and courses in engineering and
energy systems science. Schools could also put the funding toward
expanding current programs. And I'd like to point out that community
colleges, of which my district has three, would also be eligible to
compete for these grants.
Finally, authorizing these grants will not cost the taxpayers one
penny. Our amendment simply allows the Department of Energy to redirect
some of its existing education funding towards this valuable new
program.
I urge support for the Murphy-Altmire provision and for the overall
COMPETES Reauthorization Act.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).
Mr. HOLT. Mr. Chair, I strongly support the robust investment in
education, research, innovation, manufacturing, and other programs in
the COMPETES Act. The amendment I'm offering would help stitch together
these important initiatives by directing the White House Office of
Science and Technology Policy to prepare a comprehensive national
competitiveness and innovation strategy within 1 year.
We know that half or perhaps more of the growth in our GDP over the
past half century is attributable to our investments in research and
technology. For decades, United States leadership in science,
engineering, and innovation was unquestionable. But we can't pretend
any more that this is a given. A year ago, the Information Technology
and Innovation Foundation, using good methodology, found that among 40
major nations or regions, the United States ranks not first, but sixth,
in overall innovation and competitiveness. More importantly, over the
last decade, every one of those 40 has improved their innovation
capacity at a greater rate than we.
The five nations ranked by ITIF as ``out-competing'' the United
States already have national competitiveness or innovation strategies
in place. Altogether, at least 30 countries with whom we might compare
ourselves have implemented plans to boost their competitiveness. The
United States has yet to put forward a similarly comprehensive roadmap
for success. Of course, it's not a panacea. But we have the tools and
resources to lead the world in science and technology. We can't remain
complacent as other nations race to the top. We need to know what is
working and what needs improvement. We need to understand how we can
reallocate our resources to improve efficiency and productivity. We
need to be able to measure whether our actions are having a positive
effect. Businesses, schools, and governments need to know where we
stand and need to be clear on where we're going.
My amendment requires a comprehensive, coordinated national strategy
for improving our economic competitiveness through innovation, and it
ensures that we will continuously evaluate our progress in this area.
Our competitors are doing it already. We should, too.
I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying
bill. This bill is a real testament to the good work of the fine chair
of the Science Committee, Mr. Gordon. I thank him for the good work.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, we have no further speakers,
so let me just conclude by saying that this is a good series of
amendments. This makes a good bill even better.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR (Mr. Driehaus). The question is on the amendments en
bloc offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon).
The amendments en bloc were agreed to.
Amendment No. 21 Offered by Mr. Gingrey of Georgia
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 21
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk made in
order by the rule.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 21 offered by Mr. Gingrey of Georgia:
Page 98, after line 4, insert the following new section:
SEC. 229. GREEN CHEMISTRY BASIC RESEARCH.
The Director shall establish a Green Chemistry Basic
Research program to award competitive, merit-based grants to
support research into green and sustainable chemistry which
will lead to clean, safe, and economical alternatives to
traditional chemical products and practices. The research
program shall provide sustained support for green chemistry
research, education, and technology transfer through--
(1) merit-reviewed competitive grants to individual
investigators and teams of investigators, including, to the
extent practicable, young investigators, for research;
(2) grants to fund collaborative research partnerships
among universities, industry, and nonprofit organizations;
(3) symposia, forums, and conferences to increase outreach,
collaboration, and dissemination of green chemistry advances
and practices; and
(4) education, training, and retraining of undergraduate
and graduate students and professional chemists and chemical
engineers, including through partnerships with industry, in
green chemistry science and engineering.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Georgia.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes.
Mr. Chairman, the amendment that I am offering today stems from
legislation, the Green Chemistry Research and Development Act, that has
passed out of the House in each of the 108th, 109th, and 110th
Congresses. Unfortunately, despite the strong bipartisan support that
this legislation has garnered under suspension of the rules, this
legislation has been stalled by our colleagues in the Senate.
Therefore, in order to move this initiative forward, I am offering it
as an amendment with my colleague from Vermont (Mr. Welch) to the
National Science Foundation title of H.R. 5116. This amendment would
establish a Green Chemistry Basic Research program to encourage
universities and academic institutions around the country to train
future workers in green chemistry technology.
Mr. Chairman, as a graduate of Georgia Tech with a bachelor of
science in chemistry, I know that chemists can design chemicals to be
safe, just as they can design them to have other properties, like color
and texture. As chemists design products and the processes by which
these products are manufactured, they can and they should factor in the
possible creation of any hazardous byproducts.
This technique of considering not only the process in which chemicals
are produced but also the environment in which they are created is the
basic definition of what we call green chemistry. It is the method of
designing chemical products and processes that
[[Page H3404]]
at the very least reduce, and at the very best, eliminate the use or
generation of hazardous substances.
Mr. Chairman, the basic idea is this. Preventing pollution and
hazardous waste from the start of a design process is far preferable to
cleaning up that pollution and waste at a later date. Green chemistry
does not just help protect our environment, it also helps protect our
workers. The conditions under which chemicals are created and used can
present many risks to those who work on their production. I would urge
all my colleagues to support this amendment.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I claim time in opposition to the amendment,
even though I am not in opposition to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, the gentleman is recognized for
5 minutes.
There was no objection.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the
amendment from my friend, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
This amendment establishes a Green Chemistry Research program at the
National Science Foundation. Dr. Gingrey has been an advocate for this
both on the committee as well as now. I commend him for that. The
emerging field of green chemistry will contribute significantly to our
environmental sustainability while also driving innovation in the
chemical industry sector. Green chemistry research will be instrumental
in meeting the challenges of protecting human health and the
environment, meeting our energy needs, enhancing the national security,
and strengthening the economy. I urge my colleagues to support this
amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
{time} 1715
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, may I ask how much time I have
remaining.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman from Georgia has 3 minutes remaining.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I would now like to yield 2
minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall), the ranking member.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Dr. Gingrey's
amendment. This amendment would establish a green chemistry basic
research and development program at the National Science Foundation,
aimed at identifying scientific breakthroughs that could lead to clean,
safe, and economical alternatives to chemical products. The Science and
Technology Committee has supported funding for green chemistry research
in a bipartisan manner for many years, and Dr. Gingrey has been the
leader on this from day one. His amendment simply builds on those
efforts. I thank him for offering this amendment and urge my colleagues
to support it.
Mr. GINGREY of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of
my time.
Mr. Chairman, ultimately, I believe this amendment will help promote
education through collaborative research partnerships among
universities, and it will provide training tools for undergraduate and
graduate students in green chemistry technology. I want to thank my
colleague from the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Welch, for his
support and leadership on the issue, and I would also like to thank the
American Chemical Society for its endorsement of this amendment.
Last, but certainly not least, I would like to commend both Science
Committee Chairman Bart Gordon and Ranking Member Hall on their
leadership on green chemistry and their willingness to work with us on
this particular amendment. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
cure, and green chemistry promises a ton of pollution prevention.
Again, Mr. Chairman, I urge all my colleagues to support this important
amendment.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).
The amendment was agreed to.
Amendment No. 34 Offered by Mr. Boccieri
The Acting CHAIR. It is now in order to consider amendment No. 34
printed in part B of House Report 111-479.
Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.
The Acting CHAIR. The Clerk will designate the amendment.
The text of the amendment is as follows:
Amendment No. 34 offered by Mr. Boccieri:
Page 187, line 8, strike ``$50,000,000'' and insert
``$100,000,000''.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to House Resolution 1344, the gentleman
from Ohio (Mr. Boccieri) and a Member opposed each will control 5
minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Ohio.
Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Chair, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Mr. Chair, if you believe like I do that we need to be the producers
of wealth, not just the movers of wealth, then you're going to like
this amendment. If you believe, like I do, that we need to invest in
the innovative spirit of America, then you're going to like this
amendment. If you believe, like I do, that we need to be investing in
our national defense and manufacturing in Ohio and across the Midwest,
then you're going to like the amendment we have to offer.
I rise today in support of the Boccieri-Schauer-Davis-Donnelly amend-
ment which will expand the Federal loan guarantees for innovative
technologies in manufacturing from $50 million to $100 million. This
amendment is an investment in our Nation's manufacturing base, the
backbone of our economic recovery that will give additional funding for
loans to embrace advances in technology, innovation and retool and
rebuild so that we can compete on a global scale.
Ninety-six percent of Ohio's exports come from the manufacturing of
more than $84 billion worth of goods, yet manufacturers in my
northeastern Ohio district have been hit disproportionately hard by
this economic recession, and we need to do more to expand. Companies
like Sandridge Food Corporation in Medina, Barbasol Shaving Cream plant
in Ashland, and the new jobs at NuEarth Corporation in Alliance all
need the resources and innovative spirit to move our economy down the
field. We need to grow and create jobs not only in Ohio but across our
country. This will be the impetus for leading us out of this recession.
This amendment nearly authorizes $100 million to rebuild and retool our
economy.
At this time, Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim time in opposition
to the amendment.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. HALL of Texas. This amendment would double to $100 million
annually the authorization levels of the new never-done-before loan
guarantee program created in the bill. I have major concerns with this
program as it stands, particularly because it's heavily redundant with
existing loan guarantee programs, such as those at the Small Business
Administration where small manufacturers can and do apply for support.
Doubling the amount and doubling this spending on an unnecessary and
redundant program is not good policy. Accordingly, I oppose the
amendment.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Chair, I would inquire how much time I have left.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman has 3\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. BOCCIERI. Thank you. I would like to yield 1 minute to the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Donnelly).
Mr. DONNELLY of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, manufacturing provides almost
20 percent of Indiana's jobs, more than any other sector in the State.
When I am back in my district, Hoosier manufacturers tell me they want
to retool and reinvest in their facilities so that we can better
compete in America, so we can be the best in the world so that we can
compete with our overseas competition, so that we can grow and put
people back to work.
However, I often hear from our manufacturers that the credit markets,
which have been so tight, have made it very, very difficult to get a
loan. This amendment helps those manufacturers to achieve that goal.
CBO estimates that for every $1 we provide in loan guarantees, we can
generate $6 in loans to manufacturers, meaning this amendment enables
the Department of Commerce to generate $600 million in much-needed
guaranteed loans to manufacturers who are seeking to innovate and put
people back to work. That is why I support this.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.
[[Page H3405]]
Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Chair, I yield myself 1 minute.
I understand that the gentleman from Texas is rising in opposition to
this amendment because he believes that it is unnecessary. But let me
tell you what we're doing in Ohio. We have a community college that has
worked closely with the local economy, making a bridge between the
local innovation and investments and the research and development to
create pipelines for jobs. Rolls-Royce Corporation just announced that
they're moving their research for their fuel cells from Singapore to
Stark County, Ohio. And they have a pipeline there. They're creating a
curriculum based on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
They need the resources, they need the tools to help innovate and move
us out of this recession so we can end our dependence on foreign oil.
This is a small example of how successful a program like this could be
in our great State of Ohio.
Mr. Chair, I yield 30 seconds to the distinguished gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon), the Chair of the committee.
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. First, let me compliment Mr. Boccieri and
his partners for introducing this good amendment. I want to clear up a
matter concerning the duplication, title 5, section 502, page 185 under
``coordination and duplication'': ``To the maximum extent practical,
the Secretary shall ensure that the activities carried out under this
section are coordinated with and do not duplicate the efforts of other
loan guarantee programs within the Federal Government.''
This is a good amendment that will label more small- and medium-sized
manufacturers to take advantage of loan guarantee programs for
innovation, technologies at the Department of Commerce which, in turn,
will mean more jobs for Americans.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BOCCIERI. I would like to inquire how much time we have
remaining, Mr. Chair.
The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman has 1\1/4\ minutes remaining.
Mr. BOCCIERI. I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr.
Schauer).
Mr. SCHAUER. Mr. Chair, in Michigan, gaining access to needed capital
is hard to come by, and many Michigan businesses continue to be
redlined for loans. In my district, there's a need for loan programs to
help manufacturers, such as production engineering in Jackson,
Michigan, to help them have the opportunity to gain access to capital,
to help them move forward to retool their current manufacturing process
with the newest technologies, to help make the high-quality components
for the military, heavy truck, construction equipment and material
handling equipment, industries that they are known for, and to help put
them in a better position to be able to capture their share in the
global economy.
This amendment is about jobs that we need now. I ask for your support
of the Boccieri-Schauer amendment.
Mr. BOCCIERI. Mr. Chair, at this time I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield back the balance of my time.
The Acting CHAIR. The question is on the amendment offered by the
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boccieri).
The question was taken; and the Acting Chair announced that the ayes
appeared to have it.
Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, further
proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Ohio will be
postponed.
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR. Pursuant to clause 6 of rule XVIII, proceedings
will now resume on those amendments printed in part B of House Report
111-479 on which further proceedings were postponed, in the following
order:
Amendment No. 1 by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee;
Amendment No. 6 by Mr. Hall of Texas;
Amendment No. 10 by Mr. Markey of Massachusetts;
Amendment No. 12 by Mr. George Miller of California;
Amendment No. 13 by Mr. Reyes of Texas.
The Chair will reduce to 5 minutes the time for any electronic vote
after the first vote in this series.
Amendment No. 1 Offered by Mr. Gordon of Tennessee
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Tennessee
(Mr. Gordon) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which
the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 417,
noes 6, not voting 13, as follows:
[Roll No. 262]
AYES--417
Ackerman
Aderholt
Adler (NJ)
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Austria
Baca
Bachmann
Bachus
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boccieri
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Bordallo
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson (IN)
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Castor (FL)
Chaffetz
Chandler
Childers
Christensen
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cohen
Conaway
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Deutch
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Dreier
Driehaus
Duncan
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Faleomavaega
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frank (MA)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gallegly
Garamendi
Gerlach
Giffords
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gordon (TN)
Granger
Graves
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith
Grijalva
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hall (TX)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Harper
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Heinrich
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Hunter
Inglis
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Jackson (IL)
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (CA)
Lee (NY)
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Maffei
Maloney
Manzullo
Marchant
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul
McCollum
McCotter
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McMahon
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, Gary
Miller, George
Minnick
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Norton
Nunes
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olson
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paulsen
Payne
Pence
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Petri
Pierluisi
Pingree (ME)
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Posey
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Putnam
Quigley
Radanovich
Rahall
Rangel
Rehberg
Reichert
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Royce
Ruppersberger
Rush
[[Page H3406]]
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sablan
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schmidt
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sessions
Sestak
Shadegg
Shea-Porter
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sullivan
Sutton
Tanner
Taylor
Teague
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walden
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Weiner
Welch
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOES--6
Burgess
Flake
Lummis
McClintock
Nadler (NY)
Paul
NOT VOTING--13
Barrett (SC)
Carney
Cole
Davis (AL)
Garrett (NJ)
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Moore (WI)
Sherman
Souder
Stearns
Wamp
Waxman
{time} 1756
Mr. RYAN of Wisconsin changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Stated for:
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 262 I was unavoidably
detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''
Amendment No. 6 Offered by Mr. Hall of Texas
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Hall) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the noes
prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 163,
noes 258, not voting 15, as follows:
[Roll No. 263]
AYES--163
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Conaway
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dreier
Duncan
Emerson
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Gerlach
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Griffith
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Hastings (WA)
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline (MN)
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lewis (CA)
Linder
LoBiondo
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Olson
Paul
Paulsen
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Posey
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rehberg
Richardson
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Schock
Sensenbrenner
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Stearns
Sullivan
Taylor
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Upton
Walden
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOES--258
Ackerman
Adler (NJ)
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bartlett
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Bordallo
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Cao
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson (IN)
Castle
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Childers
Christensen
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Deutch
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Faleomavaega
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Fortenberry
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Giffords
Gonzalez
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Lee (NY)
Levin
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McIntyre
McMahon
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Norton
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Pierluisi
Pingree (ME)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reichert
Reyes
Rodriguez
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sablan
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Shuler
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Teague
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wilson (OH)
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
NOT VOTING--15
Barrett (SC)
Carney
Cole
Davis (AL)
Garrett (NJ)
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Lewis (GA)
Lummis
Moore (WI)
Sessions
Sherman
Souder
Wamp
Watt
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). Members have 2 minutes remaining
in this vote.
{time} 1804
Mr. CLEAVER and Ms. WATERS changed their voted from ``aye'' to
``no.''
So the amendment was rejected.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
(By unanimous consent, Mr. Reichert was allowed to speak out of
order.)
Moment of Silence Honoring Fallen Law Enforcement Officers
Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Chairman, if I could have everyone's solemn
attention, please.
As many of you know, this week is Law Enforcement Memorial Week. As I
said earlier in the year when we lost four police officers in one
shooting in Washington State, it's a time when all of us should stop
and recognize and realize what our law enforcement family does for us
each and every day.
Those Capitol Hill Police that are around us here in this building,
outside these doors, the Washington, D.C., police officers who protect
us to and from our place of work and to our homes and other places that
we travel, we have a safe community as a result of men and women
wanting to put themselves in harm's way and sometimes sacrificing their
lives.
I was one of those for 33 years. I am proud to say that. As a
sheriff's deputy in 1972, finally as the sheriff before coming here to
Congress, I am proud to be a part of the law enforcement family. We are
brothers and sisters. And being a police officer, as my friend, the
[[Page H3407]]
sheriff from Indiana, Sheriff Ellsworth, knows, it transcends
everything. The cop world doesn't mean being Democrat or Republican.
Being a cop doesn't mean I am a Catholic, I am a Lutheran, I am a
Mormon. It doesn't mean any of those things. It means that we are men
and women together as a family and a team, putting our lives on the
line for people in this Nation every day.
In this year, 126 police officers were killed in the line of duty.
And in Washington State alone we lost seven. So I would join with my
friend Sheriff Ellsworth, the two sheriffs in the House, in a moment of
silence, and I would yield time to Sheriff Ellsworth.
Mr. ELLSWORTH. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank my friend Sheriff
Reichert, and it's appropriate today to call him by the original title
at this time, for yielding me that time. I would echo his comments.
Everyone in this room interacts with the Capitol Police every day. I
know I made a friend in one. He gave me a t-shirt that on the back
says, ``You Elect Them, We Protect Them.'' And I wear that shirt
proudly at home.
But on this serious day during National Police Week, it's important
to know in this House we talk a lot about our brave men and women in
uniform that protect our country, and we normally talk about the
members of the armed services, and that's absolutely appropriate. But
during this week I think we need to also think about the men and women
in uniform who are out patrolling our streets, not just the Capitol
Police, but at home in all of our districts that are working right now
directing traffic, taking drug dealers off the streets, protecting our
wives, protecting our families, protecting our husbands, protecting our
citizens, the people we represent. We should never forget them for
their constant service, 24-7 service to us and all of our constituents.
So today if we could honor them with a moment of silence, for those
who did pay the ultimate price, that did give their lives in the line
of duty, I would ask for that moment of silence from the House of
Representatives.
The Acting CHAIR. Members are asked to rise for a moment of silence
in honor of our fallen law enforcement officers.
Amendment No. 10 Offered by Mr. Markey of Massachusetts
The Acting CHAIR. Without objection, 5-minute voting will continue.
There was no objection.
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from
Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) on which further proceedings were postponed
and on which the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 254,
noes 173, not voting 9, as follows:
[Roll No. 264]
AYES--254
Ackerman
Adler (NJ)
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Bordallo
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Carnahan
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Childers
Christensen
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costello
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Deutch
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Faleomavaega
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Giffords
Gonzalez
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McDermott
McGovern
McIntyre
McMahon
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Norton
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peterson
Pierluisi
Pingree (ME)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sablan
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shuler
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Taylor
Teague
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
NOES--173
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Cardoza
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Chaffetz
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Conaway
Costa
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Dent
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dreier
Duncan
Ehlers
Emerson
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Gerlach
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Griffith
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Hastings (WA)
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline (MN)
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
Linder
LoBiondo
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McCotter
McHenry
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller, Gary
Moran (KS)
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Olson
Paul
Paulsen
Pence
Peters
Petri
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Posey
Price (GA)
Putnam
Radanovich
Rehberg
Reichert
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Schock
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Stearns
Sullivan
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Turner
Upton
Walden
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOT VOTING--9
Barrett (SC)
Carney
Cole
Davis (AL)
Garrett (NJ)
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Souder
Wamp
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). There are 2 minutes remaining.
{time} 1817
Mr. FORTENBERRY changed his vote from ``aye'' to ``no.''
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 12 Offered by Mr. George Miller of California
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from California
(Mr. George Miller) on which further proceedings were postponed and on
which the ayes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
[[Page H3408]]
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 250,
noes 174, not voting 12, as follows:
[Roll No. 265]
AYES--250
Ackerman
Adler (NJ)
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Baca
Baldwin
Barrow
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Blumenauer
Boccieri
Bordallo
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Braley (IA)
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson (IN)
Castor (FL)
Chandler
Christensen
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cohen
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Costello
Courtney
Crowley
Cuellar
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Deutch
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Driehaus
Edwards (MD)
Ellison
Ellsworth
Engel
Eshoo
Faleomavaega
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Foster
Frank (MA)
Fudge
Garamendi
Giffords
Gonzalez
Gordon (TN)
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Heinrich
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Inslee
Israel
Jackson (IL)
Johnson (GA)
Johnson, E. B.
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
LaTourette
Lee (CA)
Levin
Lewis (GA)
Lipinski
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lujan
Lynch
Maffei
Maloney
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (NY)
McCollum
McCotter
McDermott
McGovern
McMahon
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Michaud
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Norton
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olver
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Payne
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Pierluisi
Pingree (ME)
Platts
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Sablan
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sarbanes
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Serrano
Sestak
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (WA)
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stupak
Sutton
Tanner
Teague
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Tiberi
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Turner
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Wilson (OH)
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
NOES--174
Aderholt
Akin
Alexander
Austria
Bachmann
Bachus
Baird
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blunt
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Boustany
Brady (TX)
Bright
Broun (GA)
Brown (SC)
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burgess
Burton (IN)
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Chaffetz
Childers
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Conaway
Cooper
Costa
Crenshaw
Culberson
Davis (KY)
Dent
Dreier
Duncan
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Emerson
Etheridge
Fallin
Flake
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foxx
Frelinghuysen
Gallegly
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Gingrey (GA)
Gohmert
Goodlatte
Granger
Graves
Griffith
Guthrie
Hall (TX)
Harper
Hastings (WA)
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Hunter
Inglis
Issa
Jenkins
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, Sam
Jones
Jordan (OH)
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kline (MN)
Lamborn
Lance
Latham
Latta
Lee (NY)
Lewis (CA)
Linder
LoBiondo
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Mack
Manzullo
Marchant
McCarthy (CA)
McCaul
McClintock
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McMorris Rodgers
Mica
Miller (FL)
Miller, Gary
Mitchell
Moran (KS)
Myrick
Neugebauer
Nunes
Olson
Paul
Paulsen
Pence
Petri
Pitts
Poe (TX)
Posey
Price (GA)
Putnam
Rehberg
Reichert
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rohrabacher
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Royce
Ryan (WI)
Scalise
Schmidt
Schock
Sensenbrenner
Sessions
Shadegg
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Smith (NE)
Smith (NJ)
Smith (TX)
Snyder
Stearns
Sullivan
Taylor
Terry
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Upton
Walden
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Young (AK)
Young (FL)
NOT VOTING--12
Barrett (SC)
Carney
Cole
Davis (AL)
Franks (AZ)
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Radanovich
Sanchez, Loretta
Souder
Wamp
Waters
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). Members have 2 minutes remaining
in this vote.
{time} 1823
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
Amendment No. 13 Offered by Mr. Reyes
The Acting CHAIR. The unfinished business is the demand for a
recorded vote on the amendment offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Reyes) on which further proceedings were postponed and on which the
ayes prevailed by voice vote.
The Clerk will redesignate the amendment.
The Clerk redesignated the amendment.
Recorded Vote
The Acting CHAIR. A recorded vote has been demanded.
A recorded vote was ordered.
The Acting CHAIR. This is a 5-minute vote.
The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--ayes 413,
noes 10, not voting 13, as follows:
[Roll No. 266]
AYES--413
Ackerman
Aderholt
Adler (NJ)
Akin
Alexander
Altmire
Andrews
Arcuri
Austria
Baca
Bachmann
Bachus
Baird
Baldwin
Barrow
Bartlett
Barton (TX)
Bean
Becerra
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Biggert
Bilbray
Bilirakis
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Bishop (UT)
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Blunt
Boccieri
Boehner
Bonner
Bono Mack
Boozman
Bordallo
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boustany
Boyd
Brady (PA)
Brady (TX)
Braley (IA)
Bright
Brown (SC)
Brown, Corrine
Brown-Waite, Ginny
Buchanan
Burton (IN)
Butterfield
Buyer
Calvert
Camp
Campbell
Cantor
Cao
Capito
Capps
Capuano
Cardoza
Carnahan
Carson (IN)
Carter
Cassidy
Castle
Castor (FL)
Chaffetz
Chandler
Childers
Christensen
Chu
Clarke
Clay
Cleaver
Clyburn
Coble
Coffman (CO)
Cohen
Conaway
Connolly (VA)
Conyers
Cooper
Costa
Costello
Courtney
Crenshaw
Crowley
Cuellar
Culberson
Cummings
Dahlkemper
Davis (CA)
Davis (IL)
Davis (KY)
Davis (TN)
DeFazio
DeGette
Delahunt
DeLauro
Dent
Deutch
Diaz-Balart, L.
Diaz-Balart, M.
Dicks
Dingell
Doggett
Donnelly (IN)
Doyle
Dreier
Driehaus
Duncan
Edwards (MD)
Edwards (TX)
Ehlers
Ellison
Ellsworth
Emerson
Engel
Eshoo
Etheridge
Faleomavaega
Fallin
Farr
Fattah
Filner
Fleming
Forbes
Fortenberry
Foster
Foxx
Frank (MA)
Franks (AZ)
Frelinghuysen
Fudge
Gallegly
Garamendi
Garrett (NJ)
Gerlach
Giffords
Gohmert
Gonzalez
Goodlatte
Gordon (TN)
Granger
Graves
Grayson
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Griffith
Grijalva
Guthrie
Gutierrez
Hall (NY)
Hall (TX)
Halvorson
Hare
Harman
Harper
Hastings (FL)
Hastings (WA)
Heinrich
Heller
Hensarling
Herger
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hill
Himes
Hinchey
Hinojosa
Hirono
Hodes
Holden
Holt
Honda
Hoyer
Hunter
Inglis
Inslee
Israel
Issa
Jackson (IL)
Jenkins
Johnson (GA)
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones
Jordan (OH)
Kagen
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kennedy
Kildee
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kilroy
Kind
King (IA)
King (NY)
Kingston
Kirk
Kirkpatrick (AZ)
Kissell
Klein (FL)
Kline (MN)
Kosmas
Kratovil
Kucinich
Lamborn
Lance
Langevin
Larsen (WA)
Larson (CT)
Latham
LaTourette
Latta
Lee (CA)
Lee (NY)
Levin
Lewis (CA)
Lewis (GA)
Linder
Lipinski
LoBiondo
Loebsack
Lofgren, Zoe
Lowey
Lucas
Luetkemeyer
Lujan
Lummis
Lungren, Daniel E.
Lynch
Mack
Maffei
Maloney
Manzullo
Marchant
Markey (CO)
Markey (MA)
Marshall
Matheson
Matsui
McCarthy (CA)
McCarthy (NY)
McCaul
McCollum
McCotter
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McIntyre
McKeon
McMahon
McMorris Rodgers
McNerney
Meek (FL)
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mica
Michaud
Miller (FL)
Miller (MI)
Miller (NC)
Miller, George
Minnick
[[Page H3409]]
Mitchell
Mollohan
Moore (KS)
Moore (WI)
Moran (KS)
Moran (VA)
Murphy (CT)
Murphy (NY)
Murphy, Patrick
Murphy, Tim
Myrick
Nadler (NY)
Napolitano
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Norton
Nunes
Nye
Oberstar
Obey
Olson
Ortiz
Owens
Pallone
Pascrell
Pastor (AZ)
Paul
Paulsen
Payne
Pence
Perlmutter
Perriello
Peters
Peterson
Petri
Pierluisi
Pingree (ME)
Pitts
Platts
Poe (TX)
Polis (CO)
Pomeroy
Posey
Price (GA)
Price (NC)
Putnam
Quigley
Rahall
Rangel
Rehberg
Reichert
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Roe (TN)
Rogers (AL)
Rogers (KY)
Rogers (MI)
Rooney
Ros-Lehtinen
Roskam
Ross
Rothman (NJ)
Roybal-Allard
Ruppersberger
Rush
Ryan (OH)
Ryan (WI)
Sablan
Salazar
Sanchez, Linda T.
Sanchez, Loretta
Sarbanes
Scalise
Schakowsky
Schauer
Schiff
Schmidt
Schock
Schrader
Schwartz
Scott (GA)
Scott (VA)
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Sestak
Shadegg
Shea-Porter
Sherman
Shimkus
Shuler
Shuster
Simpson
Sires
Skelton
Slaughter
Smith (NE)
Smith (TX)
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Speier
Spratt
Stark
Stearns
Stupak
Sullivan
Sutton
Tanner
Taylor
Teague
Terry
Thompson (CA)
Thompson (MS)
Thompson (PA)
Thornberry
Tiahrt
Tiberi
Tierney
Titus
Tonko
Towns
Tsongas
Turner
Upton
Van Hollen
Velazquez
Visclosky
Walden
Walz
Wasserman Schultz
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Welch
Westmoreland
Whitfield
Wilson (OH)
Wilson (SC)
Wittman
Wolf
Woolsey
Wu
Yarmuth
Young (FL)
NOES--10
Broun (GA)
Burgess
Flake
Johnson, Sam
McClintock
Miller, Gary
Rohrabacher
Royce
Sessions
Young (AK)
NOT VOTING--13
Barrett (SC)
Carney
Cole
Davis (AL)
Gingrey (GA)
Hoekstra
Jackson Lee (TX)
Olver
Radanovich
Smith (NJ)
Souder
Wamp
Waters
Announcement by the Acting Chair
The Acting CHAIR (during the vote). Members have 2 minutes remaining
on this vote.
{time} 1831
Mr. GRIFFITH changed his vote from ``no'' to ``aye.''
So the amendment was agreed to.
The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.
{time} 1830
Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do
now rise.
The motion was agreed to.
Accordingly, the Committee rose; and the Speaker pro tempore (Mr.
Garamendi) having assumed the chair, Mr. Driehaus, Acting Chair of the
Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, reported that
that Committee, having had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5116) to
invest in innovation through research and development, to improve the
competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes, had come
to no resolution thereon.
____________________