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# Legislative Bulletin.............................................\............May 2, 2007

**Contents:**

> **H.R. 1867 ---** National Science Foundation Authorization Act of
> 2007

H.R. 1867, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2007
(sponsored by Rep. Baird, D-WA), is scheduled to be considered on the
House floor today, May 2, 2007, subject to a structured rule ([**H.Res.
350**](http://www.rules.house.gov/SpecialRules_details.aspx?NewsID=2628)),
allowing one motion to recommit with instructions. Below is a summary of
amendments preprinted in the Congressional Record. Amendments are
debatable for 10 minutes, unless otherwise noted. [Note]{.underline}:
Summaries are based on RSC staff's review of *actual amendment text*.
For a summary of the underlying bill, see a separate RSC document
released earlier in the week.

**RSC Contact**: Joelle Cannon; <joelle.cannon@mail.house.gov>;
202.226.0718

Andy Koenig; <andy.koenig@mail.house.gov>; 202.226.9717

***Honda (D-CA).*** Requires NSF to, as part of Informal Science
Education activities, "support activities to create informal educational
materials, exhibits, and multimedia presentations relevant to global
warming, climate science, and greenhouse gas reduction strategies." In
addition, the amendment would require NSF, as part of Discovery Research
K-12 activities, to "support the development of educational materials
relevant to global warming, climate science, and greenhouse gas
reduction strategies."

**Price (R-GA).** Applies PAYGO to the provisions in H.R. 1867,
requiring all spending in the bill to be offset by decreasing spending
elsewhere. Specifically, the amendment states, "No authorization of
appropriations made by this Act or other provision of this Act that
results in costs to the Federal Government shall be effective except to
the extent that this Act provides for offsetting decreases in spending
of the Federal Government, such that the net effect of this Act does not
either increase the Federal deficit or reduce the Federal surplus."

***McNerney (D-CA).*** Directs NSF **to create a new program to give
grants** to Hispanic-serving institutions to enhance the quality of
undergraduate science, math, engineering, and technology education at
these institutions. **Some conservatives may be concerned that this
amendment would create a new program, and is duplicative of current
efforts**. An October 2005 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study
reported that in FY04, 13 federal agencies reported **[spending roughly
\$2.8 billion on 207 different education programs]{.underline}**
directly related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM).

**Campbell (R-CA).** Reduces the overall authorizations for the bill by
1% (from \$20.97 billion to \$20.76 billion).

**Campbell (R-CA).** Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to fund
the following types of research projects related to:

-   The archives of Andean Knotted- String Records

-   the accuracy in the cross-cultural understanding of others' emotions

-   bison hunting on the late prehistoric Great Plains

-   team verses individual play

-   sexual politics of waste in Dakar, Senegal

-   social relationships and reproductive strategies of Phayre's Leaf
    Monkeys

-   cognitive model of superstitious belief

According to NSF's website, these research projects each received
federal NSF grants. According to the sponsor's office, "these types of
research projects are not central to the mission of NSF, and are
research activities that should not be funded by the American
taxpayers."

**Ehlers (R-MI).** Inserts the following sense of Congress regarding the
math and science partnership programs of the Department of Education and
the National Science Foundation:

-   "although the mathematics and science education partnership program
    at the National Science Foundation and the mathematics and science
    partnership program at the Department of Education practically share
    the same name, the 2 programs are intended to be complementary, not
    duplicative;

-   "the National Science Foundation partnership programs are
    innovative, model reform initiatives that move promising ideas in
    education from research into practice to improve teacher quality,
    develop challenging curricula, and increase student achievement in
    mathematics and science, and Congress intends that the National
    Science Foundation peer-reviewed partnership programs found to be
    effective should be put into wider practice by dissemination through
    the Department of Education partnership programs; and

-   "the Director of the National Science Foundation and the Secretary
    of Education should have ongoing collaboration to ensure that the 2
    components of this priority effort for mathematics and science
    education continue to work in concert for the benefit of States and
    local practitioners nationwide."

**Flake (R-AZ).** Strikes section 6 of the bill, which creates a new
demonstration program, which would award one year grants to individuals
to assist them in improving research proposals previously submitted, but
rejected, by NSF. According to the sponsor\'s office, "regardless of
whether or not you believe it is the proper role of the federal
government to fund scientific research, it is wasteful to spend taxpayer
money on a program that helps individuals qualify for more taxpayer
money."

**Matsui (D-CA).** Directs NSF to provide **"grant supplements** to
institutions receiving grants under the Integrative Graduate Education
and Research Traineeship program, to be used to train graduate students
in the communication of the substance and importance of their research
to nonscientist audience, including policymakers." Also directs NSF to
report to Congress on how the communication activities have been
implemented, including the number of students trained and the number and
size of grant supplements awarded. **Some conservatives may be concerned
that this amendment would create a new grant program.**

**Weldon (R-FL).** Inserts provisions into the authorization section
that would require that the total amount authorized under each section
could not exceed the amount actually appropriated for NSF for FY 2007
if:

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA for FY 2008 is less than
    \$17.3 billion;

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA Exploration Systems for FY
    2008 is less than \$3.9 billion; or

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA Space Operations for FY 2008
    is less than \$6.8 billion.

Also would require that the total amount authorized under each section
could not exceed the amount actually appropriated for NSF for FY 2009
if:

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA for FY 2008 is less than
    \$17.6 billion;

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA Exploration Systems for FY
    2008 is less than \$4.3 billion; or

-   the total amount appropriated for NASA Space Operations for FY 2008
    is less than \$6.7 billion.

**Garrett (R-NJ).** Reduces the overall authorizations for the bill by
0.5%.

**Garrett (R-NJ).** Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to fund
the following types of research projects:

-   the reproductive aging and symptom experience at midlife among
    Bangladeshi Immigrants, Sedentees, and White London Neighbors; and

-   the diet and social stratification in ancient Puerto Rico.

According to the sponsor's office, the amendment is designed to prevent
"overly-specific research that is of little benefit to Americans in
general."

**Kirk (R-IL).** Requires NSF to solicit proposals for annual research
on mercury levels in each of the Great Lakes, with details on the trend
and source of mercury in the water levels and aquatic life.

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