[House Report 110-99]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



110th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session                                                     110-99

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    PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL (H.R. 363) TO AUTHORIZE 
   APPROPRIATIONS FOR BASIC RESEARCH AND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE IN 
 SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, AND FOR SUPPORT OF GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS, AND 
                           FOR OTHER PURPOSES

                                _______
                                

   April 18, 2007.--Referred to the House Calendar and ordered to be 
                                printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Cardoza, from the Committee on Rules, submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                       [To accompany H. Res. 318]

    The Committee on Rules, having had under consideration 
House Resolution 318, by a nonrecord vote, report the same to 
the House with the recommendation that the resolution be 
adopted.

                SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS OF THE RESOLUTION

    The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 363, 
which authorizes appropriations for basic research and research 
infrastructure in science and engineering, and for support of 
graduate fellowships. The resolution provides for one hour of 
general debate equally divided and controlled by the Chairman 
and Ranking Minority Member of the Committee on Science and 
Technology.
    The resolution waives all points of order against 
consideration of the bill except those arising under clause 9 
or 10 of rule XXI. The resolution makes in order the amendment 
in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on 
Science and Technology as the original bill for the purpose of 
further amendment. The committee amendment in the nature of a 
substitute shall be considered as an original bill and shall be 
considered as read. All points of order against the committee 
amendment are waived except those arising under clauses 9 or 10 
of rule XXI.
    The resolution makes in order those amendments printed in 
this report and waives all points of order against such 
amendments except those arising under clauses 9 or 10 of rule 
XXI. The resolution provides one motion to recommit with or 
without instructions. Finally, notwithstanding the operation of 
the previous question, during consideration of the bill the 
Chair may postpone further consideration to a time designated 
by the Speaker.

                         EXPLANATION OF WAIVERS

    Although the rule waives all points of order against the 
bill's consideration (except for those arising under clauses 9 
or 10 of rule XXI), the Committee is not aware of any specific 
points of order. The waiver of all points of order against the 
bill and against its consideration is prophylactic in nature.

           SUMMARY OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER UNDER THE RULE

    (Summaries derived from information provided by sponsors.)
    1. Hall (TX): This amendment requires the Director of the 
National Science Foundation to allocate at least 3.5% of funds 
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for Research 
and Related Activities to the early career awards for science 
and engineering researchers except to the extent that a 
sufficient number of meritorious grant applications have not 
been received for a fiscal year. (20 minutes)
    2. Tauscher (CA): Under the NSF awards guidelines, the 
amendment recommends that the Director ``shall give special 
consideration to eligible early-career researchers who have 
followed alternative career paths such as working part-time or 
in non-academic settings, or who have taken a significant 
career break or other leave of absence.'' The amendment would 
also add to the Presidential Award section that an additional 
purpose of the award is that it helps foster innovation that 
enhances American competitiveness. (10 minutes)
    3. Gillibrand (NY): The National Science Foundation shall 
institute a program to award scholarships in science, 
technology, engineering, or mathematics to undergraduate 
scholars. Scholarships awarded shall provide for a student's 
full tuition during their last two years at an undergraduate 
institution. (10 minutes)

            TEXT OF AMENDMENTS MADE IN ORDER UNDER THE RULE

 1. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Hall of Texas, or His 
                   Designee, Debatable for 20 Minutes

  Page 4, line 15, insert ``, except to the extent that a 
sufficient number of meritorious grant applications have not 
been received for a fiscal year'' after ``under this section''.
                              ----------                              


2. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Tauscher of California, 
               or Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  Page 4, line 10, insert ``In awarding grants under this 
section, the Director shall give special consideration to 
eligible early-career researchers who have followed alternative 
career paths such as working part-time or in nonacademic 
settings, or who have taken a significant career break or other 
leave of absence.'' after ``(20 U.S.C. 1067k(3)).''.
  Page 10, line 9, strike ``needs; and'' and insert ``needs;''.
  Page 10, line 10, redesignate paragraph (3) as paragraph (4).
  Page 10, after line 9, insert the following new paragraph:
          (3) show the potential of such innovation to 
        substantively enhance the economic competitiveness of 
        the United States through development of 
        commercializable intellectual property; and
                              ----------                              


3. An Amendment To Be Offered by Representative Gillibrand of New York, 
               or Her Designee, Debatable for 10 Minutes

  At the end of the bill, add the following new section:

SEC. 10. UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, 
                    ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS.

  (a) Establishment.--The National Science Foundation shall 
establish a program, to be known as the Undergraduate 
Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering, and 
Mathematics, or US-STEM, program, for awarding scholarships to 
undergraduate scholars in science, technology, engineering, and 
mathematics.
  (b) Eligibility.--A student is eligible for a scholarship 
under this section only if the student--
          (1) is enrolled at a public, 4-year college or 
        university;
          (2) will have completed at least one-half of the 
        credit requirements for an undergraduate degree before 
        beginning studies to be funded by the scholarship;
          (3) has maintained a grade point average in 
        undergraduate studies of at least 3.0 on a scale of 
        4.0, or an equivalent level as calculated by the 
        National Science Foundation, except that if the 
        student's institution appeals this criterion on the 
        basis of undue hardship on the student, the National 
        Science Foundation may waive this paragraph;
          (4) has a total family income of less than $75,000 
        per year, with such amount to be adjusted annually by 
        the National Science Foundation for inflation;
          (5) has not been convicted of a felony; and
          (6) is a citizen or permanent resident alien of the 
        United States.
  (c) Selection Criteria.--Scholarship recipients shall be 
selected on the basis of merit and such other criteria as the 
National Science Foundation shall establish.
  (d) Awards.--The National Science Foundation shall announce 
awards before April 1 for each upcoming academic year, and may 
make up to 2,500 awards per year. Awards may be made for a 
maximum of 2 academic years for each student, and scholarship 
amounts shall be paid to the institution.
  (e) Advisory Board.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall establish an advisory board, which shall make 
recommendations to the Director for selection criteria for 
scholarship recipients, and provide guidance and oversight for 
the program.
  (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to 
be appropriated to the National Science Foundation for carrying 
out this section--
          (1) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;
          (2) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2010;
          (3) $61,800,000 for fiscal year 2011;
          (4) $63,600,000 for fiscal year 2012; and
          (5) $65,500,000 for fiscal year 2013.

                                  
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