[House Report 118-174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


118th Congress }                                               {   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 1st Session   }                                               {  118-174

======================================================================



 
           DOE AND NASA INTERAGENCY RESEARCH COORDINATION ACT

                                _______
                                

 September 1, 2023.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on 
            the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

   Mr. Lucas, from the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 
                        submitted the following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 2988]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to whom 
was referred the bill (H.R. 2988) to provide for Department of 
Energy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
research and development coordination, and for other purposes, 
having considered the same, reports favorably thereon with an 
amendment and recommends that the bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     3
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     3
Legislative History..............................................     4
Related Committee Hearings.......................................     4
Section-by-Section...............................................     4
Committee Views..................................................     5
Committee Consideration..........................................     5
Roll Call Votes..................................................     5
Application of Law to the Legislative Branch.....................     7
Statement of Oversight Findings and Recommendations of the 
  Committee......................................................     7
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     7
Duplication of Federal Programs..................................     7
Federal Advisory Committee Act...................................     7
Unfunded Mandate Statement.......................................     7
Earmark Identification...........................................     7
Committee Cost Estimate..........................................     7
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     8
Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate........................     8

    The amendment is as follows:
    Strike all that follows after the enacting clause and 
insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``DOE and NASA Interagency Research 
Coordination Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE 
                    ADMINISTRATION RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
                    COORDINATION.

  (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy (in this section referred to 
as the ``Secretary'') and the Administrator of the National Aeronautics 
and Space Administration (in this section referred to as the 
``Administrator'') may carry out, as practicable, cross-cutting and 
collaborative research and development activities to support the 
advancement of Department of Energy and National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration mission requirements and priorities. The Secretary and 
Administrator, in accordance with subsection (e), may make competitive 
awards to carry out such activities.
  (b) Memoranda of Understanding.--The Secretary and the Administrator 
shall coordinate the activities under subsection (a) through memoranda 
of understanding, or other appropriate interagency agreements.
  (c) Coordination.--In carrying out the activities under subsection 
(a), the Secretary and the Administrator may--
          (1) conduct collaborative research and development activities 
        in a variety of focus areas that may include--
                  (A) propulsion systems and components, including 
                nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion, 
                radioisotope power systems, thermoelectric generators, 
                advanced nuclear fuels, and heater units;
                  (B) modeling and simulation, machine learning, data 
                assimilation, large scale data analytics, and 
                predictive analysis in order to optimize algorithms for 
                mission-related purposes;
                  (C) fundamental high energy physics, astrophysics, 
                and cosmology, including the nature of dark energy and 
                dark matter, in accordance with section 305 of the 
                Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act (42 
                U.S.C. 18643);
                  (D) fundamental earth and environmental sciences, in 
                accordance with section 306 of the Department of Energy 
                Research and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18644) and 
                section 60501 of title 51, United States Code;
                  (E) quantum information sciences, including quantum 
                computing and quantum network infrastructure, in 
                accordance with sections 403 and 404 of the National 
                Quantum Initiative Act (15 U.S.C. 8853 and 8854);
                  (F) radiation health effects, in accordance with 
                section 306 of the Department of Energy Research and 
                Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18644);
                  (G) ground- and space-based technology necessary for 
                the transmission to the Earth's surface of solar energy 
                collected in space; and
                  (H) other areas of potential research and development 
                collaboration the Secretary and the Administrator 
                determine important to achieving agency missions and 
                objectives;
          (2) develop methods to accommodate large voluntary data sets 
        on space and aeronautical information on high-performance 
        computing systems with variable quality and scale;
          (3) promote collaboration and data and information sharing 
        between the Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and 
        Space Administration, the National Laboratories, and other 
        appropriate entities by providing the necessary access and 
        secure data and information transfer capabilities; and
          (4) support the Administration's access to the Department's 
        research infrastructure and capabilities, as practicable.
  (d) Agreements.--In carrying out the activities under subsection (a), 
the Secretary and the Administrator are authorized to--
          (1) carry out reimbursable and non-reimbursable agreements 
        between the Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics 
        and Space Administration; and
          (2) collaborate with other Federal agencies, as appropriate.
  (e) Merit Review Process.--The Secretary and the Administrator shall 
ensure any competitive awards made to carry out the activities under 
section (a) shall follow all appropriate laws and agency policies, 
including the following:
          (1) Selection by merit-review-based processes.
          (2) Consideration of applications from Federal agencies, 
        National Laboratories, institutions of higher education, non-
        profit institutions, and other appropriate entities.
  (f) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the enactment 
of this section, the Secretary and the Administrator shall submit to 
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a 
report detailing the following:
          (1) Interagency research and development coordination 
        activities between the Department of Energy and the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration carried out under this 
        section.
          (2) How such coordination activities expand the technical 
        capabilities of the Department and the Administration.
          (3) Collaborative research and development achievements.
          (4) Areas of future mutually beneficial activities, including 
        potential applications of clean energy technologies, such as 
        marine energy.
          (5) Continuation of coordination activities between the 
        Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration.
  (g) Research Security.--The activities authorized under this section 
shall be applied in a manner consistent with subtitle D of title VI of 
the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation Act (enacted 
as division B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 
19231 et seq.)).

                          PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

    The purpose of this bill is to authorize the collaborative 
research partnership between the U.S. Department of Energy 
(DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
(NASA). H.R. 2988 authorizes DOE and NASA to conduct cross-
cutting and collaborative research and development activities 
supporting the advancement of DOE and NASA mission requirements 
and priorities. It also directs the Secretary and Administrator 
to submit reports to Congress on these activities.

                  BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

    DOE and NASA have an established history of working 
collaboratively to address many fundamental and applied 
research challenges. This partnership, which spans more than 60 
years, has led to a number of key scientific and technological 
breakthroughs, including the development of the Radioisotope 
Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) which powered several successful 
NASA missions including those within the Apollo program. Over 
the decades, this relationship has expanded to new areas. 
Today, DOE's Office of Science provides NASA with their 
expertise in variety of subjects such as astronomy, 
astrophysics, biology, materials science, plasma science, space 
weather, solar energy, microgrids, low dose radiation, and high 
energy science. In the early 2000s, both offices worked 
together to build the Large-Area Telescope, which is the 
primary instrument for the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope. 
This device detects gamma rays emitted by highly energized 
objects and phenomena across the universe and has greatly 
improved our understanding of black holes, supernovas, and the 
universe itself. In addition, NASA currently employs Frontier, 
the world's first exascale supercomputer at DOE's Oak Ridge 
National Laboratory to enhance its weather simulation 
activities and improve modeling of potential Mars landings.
    In 2020, DOE and NASA signed their most recent Memorandum 
of Understanding (MOU) renewing this research partnership, 
including in the areas of propulsion systems and components, 
modeling, and simulation, space weather, and scientific 
discovery, among other areas. As international competition 
grows and new opportunities for government-wide coordination 
and collaboration emerge, there is a need to strengthen these 
types of interagency research partnerships and preserve them 
for the next generation. While several DOE and NASA research 
collaboration initiatives have been formalized through various 
laws and agreements, this legislation would provide a more 
comprehensive authorization of this important research 
relationship.

                          LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

    On April 27, 2023, Representative Brandon Williams (R-NY) 
introduced H.R. 2988, with Representative Sorensen (D-IL) as 
the original cosponsor. Additional cosponsors include 
Representative Susie Lee (D-NV), Representative Chris Pappas 
(D-NH), and Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY).

                       RELATED COMMITTEE HEARINGS

    On March 8, 2023, Chairman Frank Lucas presiding, the House 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a hearing 
titled, ``Innovation through Collaboration: The Department of 
Energy's Role in the U.S. Research Ecosystem'' to examine the 
role of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in the federal 
research enterprise by exploring interagency research 
partnerships between DOE and the National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF), among 
others.
    Witnesses:
           Dr. Harriet Kung, Deputy Director for 
        Science Programs in the Office of Science, the U.S. 
        Department of Energy
           Mr. James L. Reuter, Associate Administrator 
        for the Space Technology Mission Directorate, the 
        National Aeronautics and Space Administration
           Dr. Michael C. Morgan, Assistant Secretary 
        of Commerce for Environmental Observation and 
        Prediction, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
        Administration
           Dr. Sean L. Jones, Assistant Director for 
        the Directorate of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 
        the National Science Foundation
    On June 15, 2023, the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology met to consider H.R. 2988. Chairman Lucas moved that 
Committee favorably report the bill, H.R. 2988, as amended, to 
the House of Representatives with the recommendation that the 
bill be approved. The motion was agreed to by a vote of 28-0.

                           SECTION-BY-SECTION

Section 1. Short title

    This section establishes that this legislation may be 
referred to as the ``DOE and NASA Interagency Research 
Coordination Act''.

Section 2. Department of Energy and National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration Research and Development Coordination

    This section authorizes the Secretary of Energy and the 
NASA Administrator to carry out collaborative research and 
development activities, as practicable, to support the 
advancement of DOE and NASA mission requirements and priorities 
through memoranda of understanding or other appropriate 
interagency agreements and requires a report on these 
activities. Under this authorization, collaborative research 
and development activities may include propulsion systems and 
components, modeling and simulation, machine learning, data 
assimilation large-scale data analytics, and predictive 
analysis in order to optimize algorithms, fundamental high 
energy physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, fundamental earth 
and environment sciences in accordance with section 306 of the 
Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act, quantum 
informational sciences in accordance with section 403 and 404 
of the National Quantum Initiative Act, radiation health 
effects in accordance with section 306 of the Department of 
Energy Research and Innovation Act and other areas the 
Secretary and Administrator determine important to achieving 
agency missions and objectives.
    In addition, the Secretary and Administrator may also 
develop methods to accommodate large voluntary data sets on 
space and aeronautical information on DOE's high-performance 
computing systems, promote collaboration and data and 
information sharing between DOE, NASA, the National 
Laboratories, and other appropriate entities by providing 
necessary access, secure data, and information transfer 
capabilities, and support the Administration's access to the 
Department's research infrastructure and capabilities.
    This section also requires that the activities authorized 
under this section shall be applied in a manner consistent with 
the research security provisions under subtitle D of title VI 
of the Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation 
Act (enacted as division B of the CHIPS Act of 2022 (Public Law 
117-167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.)).

                            COMMITTEE VIEWS

    The Committee recognizes the partnership between DOE and 
NASA as critical to U.S. competitiveness in science, space, and 
technology. The Committee intends that the activities 
authorized in this legislation be cross-cutting in nature, 
involving all relevant program offices at DOE and NASA. The 
Committee also intends for the research and development 
activities authorized in this legislation to build from 
existing activities at both agencies and make use of the DOE's 
unique computing capabilities and user facilities.

                        COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

    On June 15, 2023, the Committee met in open session and 
ordered reported favorably the bill, H.R. 2988, as amended, by 
a recorded vote of 28 yeas to 0 nays, a quorum being present.

                            ROLL CALL VOTES

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII requires the Committee to list the 
record votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments 
thereto. The following reflects the record votes taken during 
the Committee consideration:


              APPLICATION OF LAW TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

    The Committee finds that H.R. 2988 does not relate to the 
terms and conditions of employment or access to public services 
or accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of 
the Congressional Accountability Act (Public Law 104-1).

  STATEMENT OF OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE COMMITTEE

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII and clause 
(2)(b)(1) of rule X, the Committee's oversight findings and 
recommendations are reflected in the descriptive portions of 
this report.

         STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

    Pursuant to clause (3)(c)(4) of rule XIII, the goal of H.R. 
2988 is to authorize a collaborative research partnership 
between the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National 
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). H.R. 2988 
authorizes DOE and NASA to conduct cross-cutting and 
collaborative research and development activities supporting 
the advancement of DOE and NASA mission requirements and 
priorities.

                    DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII, the Committee 
finds that no provision of H.R. 2988 establishes or 
reauthorizes a program of the Federal Government known to be 
duplicative of another Federal program, including any program 
that was included in a report to Congress pursuant to section 
21 of Public Law 111-139 or identified in the most recent 
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance.

                     FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not establish 
or authorize the establishment of an advisory committee within 
the definition of section 5(b) of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act.

                       UNFUNDED MANDATE STATEMENT

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                         EARMARK IDENTIFICATION

    Pursuant to clauses 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the 
Committee finds that H.R. 2988 does not include any 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits.

                        COMMITTEE COST ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(d)(1) of rule XIII, the Committee 
adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

   NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII, the Committee 
finds that H.R. 2988 would result in no new or increased budget 
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or 
revenues.

               CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of rule XII and section 402 of 
the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the Committee has 
received the following cost estimate for H.R. 2988 from the 
Director of the Congressional budget Office:




    H.R. 2988 would authorize the Department of Energy (DOE) 
and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to 
collaborate on research and development activities that focus 
on a variety of topics, including propulsion systems, data 
analytics, high energy physics, and earth and environmental 
sciences. Within two years of enactment, the bill would require 
the agencies to report to the Congress on those efforts.
    Using information from DOE and NASA, CBO expects that the 
bill would largely codify current practice. As a result, CBO 
estimates that implementing H.R. 2988 would have an 
insignificant cost, mostly for the report. Any spending would 
be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Willow Latham-
Proenca. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, 
Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.
                                         Phillip L. Swagel,
                             Director, Congressional Budget Office.