[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 23, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5240-S5242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2969. Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Rounds) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4638, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2025 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military 
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which 
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle C in title III, add the following:

     SEC. 324. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR ASSESSING PERFLUOROALKYL 
                   AND POLYFLUOROALKYL SUBSTANCES IN WATER SOURCES 
                   AND PERFLUOROALKYL AND POLYFLUOROALKYL 
                   SUBSTANCE REMEDIATION SOLUTIONS.

       (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to dedicate 
     resources to advancing, and expanding access to, 
     perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance detection and 
     remediation science, research, and technologies through the 
     establishment of Centers of Excellence for Assessing 
     Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water 
     Sources and Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance 
     Remediation Solutions.
       (b) Establishment of Centers.--
       (1) In general.--The Administrator shall--
       (A) select from among the applications submitted under 
     paragraph (2)(A) an eligible research university, an eligible 
     rural university, and a National Laboratory applying jointly 
     for the establishment of centers, to be known as the 
     ``Centers of Excellence for Assessing Perfluoroalkyl and 
     Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water Sources and 
     Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Remediation 
     Solutions'', which shall be a tri-institutional collaboration 
     between the eligible research university, eligible rural 
     university, and National Laboratory co-applicants (in this 
     section referred to as the ``Centers''); and

[[Page S5241]]

       (B) guide the eligible research university, eligible rural 
     university, and National Laboratory in the establishment of 
     the Centers.
       (2) Applications.--
       (A) In general.--An eligible research university, eligible 
     rural university, and National Laboratory desiring to 
     establish the Centers shall jointly submit to the 
     Administrator an application at such time, in such manner, 
     and containing such information as the Administrator may 
     require.
       (B) Criteria.--In evaluating applications submitted under 
     subparagraph (A), the Administrator shall only consider 
     applications that--
       (i) include evidence of an existing partnership between not 
     fewer than two of the co-applicants that is dedicated to 
     supporting and expanding shared scientific goals with a clear 
     pathway to collaborating on furthering science and research 
     relating to perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances;
       (ii) demonstrate a history of collaboration between not 
     fewer than two of the co-applicants on the advancement of 
     shared research capabilities, including instrumentation and 
     research infrastructure relating to perfluoroalkyl or 
     polyfluoroalkyl substances;
       (iii) indicate that the co-applicants have the capacity to 
     expand education and research opportunities for undergraduate 
     and graduate students to prepare a generation of experts in 
     sciences relating to perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 
     substances;
       (iv) demonstrate that the National Laboratory co-applicant 
     is equipped to scale up newly discovered materials and 
     methods for perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance 
     detection and perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance 
     removal processes for low-risk, cost-effective, and validated 
     commercialization; and
       (v) identify one or more staff members of each co-applicant 
     who--

       (I) have expertise in sciences relevant to perfluoroalkyl 
     or polyfluoroalkyl substance detection and remediation; and
       (II) have been jointly selected, and will be jointly 
     appointed, by the co-applicants to lead and carry out the 
     purposes of the Centers.

       (3) Timing.--
       (A) In general.--Subject to subparagraph (B), the Centers 
     shall be established not later than one year after the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.
       (B) Delay.--If the Administrator determines that a delay in 
     the establishment of the Centers is necessary, the 
     Administrator--
       (i) not later than the date specified in subparagraph (A), 
     shall submit a notification to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress explaining the necessity of the delay; and
       (ii) shall ensure that the Centers are established not 
     later than three years after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act.
       (4) Coordination.--The Administrator shall carry out 
     paragraph (1) in coordination with other relevant officials 
     of the Federal Government as the Administrator determines 
     appropriate.
       (c) Duties and Capabilities of the Centers.--
       (1) In general.--The Centers shall develop and maintain--
       (A) capabilities for measuring perfluoroalkyl or 
     polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in drinking water, 
     ground water, and any other relevant environmental, 
     municipal, industrial, or residential water samples using 
     methods certified by the Environmental Protection Agency; and
       (B) capabilities for--
       (i) evaluating emerging perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 
     substance removal and destruction technologies and methods; 
     and
       (ii) benchmarking those technologies and methods relative 
     to existing technologies and methods.
       (2) Requirements.--
       (A) In general.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the Centers 
     shall, at a minimum--
       (i) develop instruments and personnel capable of analyzing 
     perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination in 
     water using--

       (I) the method described by the Environmental Protection 
     Agency in the document entitled ``Method 533: Determination 
     of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Drinking Water by 
     Isotope Dilution Anion Exchange Solid Phase Extraction and 
     Liquid Chromatography/Tandem mass Spectrometry'' (commonly 
     known as ``EPA Method 533'');
       (II) the method described by the Environmental Protection 
     Agency in the document entitled ``Method 537.1: Determination 
     of Selected Per- and Polyfluorinated Alkyl Substances in 
     Drinking Water by Solid Phase Extraction and Liquid 
     Chromatography/Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS/MS)'' 
     (commonly known as ``EPA Method 537.1'');
       (III) any updated or future method developed by the 
     Environmental Protection Agency; and
       (IV) any other method the Administrator considers relevant;

       (ii) develop and maintain capabilities for evaluating the 
     removal of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances from 
     water using newly developed adsorbents or membranes;
       (iii) develop and maintain capabilities to evaluate the 
     degradation of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances 
     in water or other media;
       (iv) make the capabilities and instruments developed under 
     clauses (i) through (iii) available to researchers throughout 
     the regions in which the Centers are located; and
       (v) make reliable perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl 
     substance measurement capabilities and instruments available 
     to municipalities and individuals in the regions in which the 
     Centers are located at reasonable cost.
       (B) Open-access research.--The Centers shall provide open 
     access to the research findings of the Centers.
       (d) Coordination With Other Federal Agencies.--The 
     Administrator may, as the Administrator determines to be 
     necessary, use staff and other resources from other Federal 
     agencies in carrying out this section.
       (e) Reports.--
       (1) Report on establishment of centers.--Not later than one 
     year after the date of the establishment of the Centers under 
     subsection (b), the Administrator, in coordination with the 
     Centers, shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
     Congress a report describing--
       (A) the establishment of the Centers; and
       (B) the activities of the Centers since the date on which 
     the Centers were established.
       (2) Annual reports.--Not later than one year after the date 
     on which the report under paragraph (1) is submitted, and 
     annually thereafter until the date on which the Centers are 
     terminated under subsection (f), the Administrator, in 
     coordination with the Centers, shall submit to the 
     appropriate committees of Congress a report describing--
       (A) the activities of the Centers during the year covered 
     by the report; and
       (B) any policy, research, or funding recommendations 
     relating to the purposes or activities of the Centers.
       (f) Termination.--
       (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Centers 
     shall terminate on October 1, 2034.
       (2) Extension.--If the Administrator, in consultation with 
     the Centers, determines that the continued operation of the 
     Centers beyond the date described in paragraph (1) is 
     necessary to advance science and technologies to address 
     perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance contamination--
       (A) the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate 
     committees of Congress--
       (i) a notification of that determination; and
       (ii) a description of the funding necessary for the Centers 
     to continue in operation and fulfill their purpose; and
       (B) subject to the availability of funds, may extend the 
     duration of the Centers for such time as the Administrator 
     determines to be appropriate.
       (g) Funding.--
       (1) In general.--Of the amounts authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Department of Defense for fiscal year 
     2025 for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development 
     Program and the Environmental Security Technology 
     Certification Program of the Department of Defense, 
     $25,000,000 shall be made available to the Administrator to 
     carry out this section.
       (2) Availability of amounts.--Amounts made available under 
     paragraph (1) shall remain available to the Administrator for 
     the purposes specified in that paragraph until September 30, 
     2033.
       (3) Administrative costs.--Not more than four percent of 
     the amounts made available to the Administrator under 
     paragraph (1) shall be used for the administrative costs of 
     carrying out this section.
       (h) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term the 
     ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
       (A) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Environment and Public Works of the Senate; and
       (B) the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on 
     Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives.
       (2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
       (3) Eligible research university.--The term ``eligible 
     research university'' means an institution of higher 
     education that--
       (A) has annual research expenditures of not less than 
     $750,000,000; and
       (B) is located near a population center of not fewer than 
     5,000,000 individuals.
       (4) Eligible rural university.--The term ``eligible rural 
     university'' means an institution of higher education that 
     is--
       (A) located in one of the five States with the lowest 
     population density as determined by data from the most recent 
     census;
       (B) a member of the National Security Innovation Network in 
     the Rocky Mountain Region; and
       (C) in proximity to the geographic center of the United 
     States, as determined by the Administrator.
       (5) 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)).
       (6) National laboratory.--The term ``National Laboratory'' 
     has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy 
     Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
       (7) Perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance.--The term 
     ``perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance'' means a 
     substance that is a perfluoroalkyl substance or a 
     polyfluoroalkyl substance (as those terms are defined in 
     section 7331(2)(B) of the PFAS Act of 2019 (15 U.S.C. 
     8931(2)(B))), including a mixture of those substances.

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