Doe and Nasa Interagency Research Coordination Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass 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, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 2988
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``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 Public Law 117-167; 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.).
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Mr. LUCAS. 2988, the bill now under consideration.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2988, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act.
The Department of Energy and NASA have a long history of collaboration, which has enhanced our understanding of our universe and our ability to explore beyond our planet.
The Voyager spacecraft, which were launched more than 40 years ago and are now flying in interstellar space, continue to operate under DOE's propulsion systems.
The work DOE and NASA are doing on nuclear energy is critical to our ability to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon. That same technology can be used here on Earth, too, helping to improve this clean and reliable energy source.
The DOE-NASA partnership will also help us advance our high- performance computing systems, which help keep us at the forefront of research and development. This partnership will also help us with satellite development, space situational awareness, and even planetary defense from near-Earth objects.
In short, it allows two of our premier scientific agencies to better work by collaborating on some of our most challenging scientific issues.
I thank my colleague, Representative Williams, for introducing this legislation and Representative Sorensen for cosponsoring it.
This bipartisan bill earned unanimous support in the Science Committee, and I urge my colleagues to give it the same support on the floor today.
Mr. WILLIAMS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud sponsor along with my colleague across the aisle, Mr. Sorensen, for this bill, H.R. 2988, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act.
This legislation authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to carry out research and development activities focused on the advancement of shared DOE and NASA mission priorities.
Now, of course, the DOE and NASA have been cooperating for a very long time, but this allows it to be done in a more efficient, focused way, which includes research and development in critical technology areas like radiation health effects--something I know something about-- quantum information science, high-energy physics, and data analytics.
The DOE has a long and productive history of interagency collaboration with NASA, as I alluded to. Over the decades, this relationship has evolved to include new areas of research, such as Earth and environmental sciences. For example, NASA and DOE have established a joint lab known as the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to tell my colleagues that this joint effort is at the Brookhaven National Laboratory in my home State of New York, and I would be remiss in not bragging that the work that has gone on at Brookhaven has led to seven Nobel Prizes. I had the honor of touring this lab and seeing the amazing instruments that they have, such as an 800-meter-long track that is accelerating X-rays to near the speed of light. They are doing absolutely amazing science. Imagine what will grow out of this cooperation.
The Brookhaven booster synchrotron, which is what I was just referring to, can simulate cosmic radiation conditions in space and allows them to study its impact on astronaut health and spacecraft instrumentation.
In addition, H.R. 2988 requires the Secretary and the Administrator to conduct these activities in a manner consistent with the strong security provisions the Science Committee passed in the Chips and Science Act of 2022.
As the Energy Subcommittee chairman, one of my top priorities is research security, and the inclusion of this language will protect our Nation's investments from hostile foreign actors such as China and Russia.
I thank my colleague, Mr. Sorensen, for working with me on this important legislation and continuing the bipartisan tradition of the Science Committee.
H.R. 2988 is the kind of commonsense, good governance bill that we can all agree on. It shows that Republicans and Democrats are still capable of putting political differences aside to advance meaningful bills that strengthen U.S. leadership in science and maximize the return on investment for the American taxpayer.
On a personal note, I will take a moment to thank my mother for inspiring a lifelong love of science in me. I also thank Mr. Lucas for allowing me to be a part of science, space, and technology as it grows and shines in the United States.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
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Mr. LUCAS. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield myself the balance of my time.
H.R. 2988, the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act, is smart legislation that will help us stay competitive in the race to return humans to the Moon and send them to Mars.
Without key collaborations like this, we would be unable to make critical strides in our energy production and propulsion technologies. I thank Representatives Williams and Sorensen for their leadership in moving this bill forward.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
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