House Passes Several Science Committee Bills

Press Release

Today, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 874, H.R. 1162, H.R. 1119, H.R. 1156, H.R. 1561, and H.R. 1158 by voice vote under suspension of the rules. The bills had strong bipartisan support from members of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Most of these bills passed the House last Congress and were not taken up by the Senate.

Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) said, "The passage of these bills shows what can be accomplished when we work together. There are many legislative issues related to research and innovation where we can find bipartisan agreement. The investments and progress we make today on our nation's research and development will have a major impact on our economic prosperity in the future. I hope these efforts can pave the way for the Science Committee to go back and try to redraft bills such as the America Competes Act and the NASA Authorization Act in a bipartisan manner."

H.R. 874 -- American Super Computing Leadership Act -- amends the Department of Energy High-End Computing Revitalization Act of 2004 to improve the high-end computing research and development program of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1162 -- Science Prize Competitions Act -- would increase transparency and incentives for science prize competitions.

"It is thrilling to pass my first bill, especially with support from both sides of the aisle. Prize competitions can be the catalyst for the new and unorthodox solutions that have always been at the heart of our greatest American achievements," said Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA). One hundred years ago, the Orteig Prize spurred Charles Lindbergh's first transatlantic flight. I cannot help but wonder how different the world one hundred years from now might be because of a prize offered today. I truly hope this bill will help our federal agencies facilitate future successes in ways we cannot possibly imagine."

H.R. 1119 -- Research and Development Efficiency Act -- requires that the Office of Science and Technology Policy establish a working group of federal research agencies to figure out how to better standardize and streamline the administrative requirements on their grantees.

Ranking Member of the Research and Technology Subcommittee, Dan Lipinski (D-IL) said, "We all agree that administrative requirements serve an important purpose. They ensure transparency, protection of human and animal subjects, and the wise use of federal resources. That said, we need to find a much better balance than we currently have. The statistic often cited is that federally funded researchers spend an average of 42 percent of their time on administrative tasks. The vitality of our nation's research universities and our overall competitiveness will suffer if we do not reduce the administrative workload on our nation's scientific talent. H.R. 1119 is an important step in the right direction."

H.R. 1156 -- International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 -- would provide for the establishment of a body to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the domestic science and technology enterprise and support United States foreign policy goals.

Congressman Lipinski said of his legislation. "International collaborations make possible research endeavors on a grander scale than the U.S. can accomplish on its own… [And they] can produce benefits to society beyond just the knowledge about the natural world we gain."

H.R. 1561 -- Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2015 -- directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to prioritize weather-related activities for the protection of lives and property.

Ranking Member Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) of the Subcommittee on Environment said of her legislation, "The changes in this bill will make NOAA more forward looking in developing and deploying forecast innovations and technology," Congresswoman Bonamici said. "Importantly, most of these changes are coming at little or no cost-- the bill is focused on changes to internal processes rather than simply spending more money. To the degree that the bill does expand the agency's authorization for weather research, it is done in line with anticipated needs in this area."

H.R. 1158 -- Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and Technology Transfer Act of 2015 -- improves management of the National Laboratories, enhances technology commercialization, and facilitates public-private partnerships.

"The Department of Energy's national laboratories and research programs have been the birthplace to some of our most revolutionary technologies. When this research is harnessed by entrepreneurs and business leaders, start-ups with one or two employees can grow into companies that create hundreds of quality jobs. I've seen this time and again at the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, Colorado," said Rep. Ed Perlmutter (D-CO). "We want to make sure that our federally-funded institutions and initiatives remain an important foundation of our knowledge-based economy. That's why I was proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation to give scientists and researchers in both the public and private sector the tools and freedom they need to unlock a new wave of innovation."

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