NEWS Act of 2015

Summary: Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2015 or the NEWS Act of 2015  This bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either a Committee or a Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (NEWS) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). The Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior must serve as co-chairs. The term &quot;energy-water nexus&quot; means the links between: (1) the water needed to produce energy; and (2) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water and wastewater. The NEWS Committee or Subcommittee shall:   serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus research, development, and demonstration activities;  issue a strategic plan on the priorities and objectives of those activities; promote coordination of the related activities of federal departments and agencies;  coordinate and develop capabilities and methodologies for data collection, management, and dissemination of information related to those activities from and to other federal departments and agencies;  promote information exchange between federal departments and agencies; and  review its activities, relevance, and effectiveness 10 years after it is established and report on the results of the review.  The Office of Management and Budget must submit a report that displays for each agency that carries out or supports basic and applied research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy-water nexus-related science and technologies: (1) the budget proposed in the President's budget request for the upcoming fiscal year, (2) expenditures and obligations for the prior fiscal year, and (3) estimated expenditures and obligations for the current fiscal year.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Nexus of Energy and Water for 
Sustainability Act of 2015'' or the ``NEWS Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Committee or subcommittee.--The term ``Committee or 
        Subcommittee'' means the Committee on the Nexus of Energy and 
        Water for Sustainability (or the ``NEWS Committee'') or the 
        Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for 
        Sustainability (or the ``NEWS Subcommittee''), whichever is 
        established by section 3(a).
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (3) Energy-water nexus.--The term ``energy-water nexus'' 
        means the links between--
                    (A) the water needed to produce fuels, electricity, 
                and other forms of energy; and
                    (B) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, and 
                treat water and wastewater.
            (4) Grand challenges.--The term ``Grand Challenges'' means 
        the 21st Century Grand Challenges program coordinated by the 
        Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (5) NSTC.--The term ``NSTC'' means the National Science and 
        Technology Council.
            (6) RD&D activities.--The term ``RD&D activities'' means 
        research, development, and demonstration activities.

SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COORDINATION COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish either a committee 
or a subcommittee under the NSTC, to be known as either the Committee 
on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (or the ``NEWS 
Committee'') or the Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for 
Sustainability (or the ``NEWS Subcommittee''), to carry out the duties 
described in subsection (c).
    (b) Administration.--
            (1) Chairs.--The Secretary of Energy and Secretary of the 
        Interior shall serve as co-chairs of the Committee or 
        Subcommittee.
            (2) Membership; staffing.--Membership and staffing shall be 
        determined by the NSTC.
    (c) Duties.--The Committee or Subcommittee shall--
            (1) serve as a forum for developing common Federal goals 
        and plans on energy-water nexus RD&D activities;
            (2) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, and biannually thereafter, issue a strategic plan on 
        energy-water nexus RD&D activities priorities and objectives;
            (3) promote coordination of the activities of Federal 
        departments and agencies on energy-water nexus RD&D activities, 
        including the activities of--
                    (A) the Department of Energy;
                    (B) the Department of the Interior;
                    (C) the Corps of Engineers;
                    (D) the Department of Agriculture;
                    (E) the Department of Defense;
                    (F) the Department of State;
                    (G) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                    (H) the Council on Environmental Quality;
                    (I) the National Institute of Standards and 
                Technology;
                    (J) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
                Administration;
                    (K) the National Science Foundation;
                    (L) the Office of Management and Budget;
                    (M) the Office of Science and Technology Policy; 
                and
                    (N) such other Federal departments and agencies as 
                the Director or the Committee or Subcommittee consider 
                appropriate; and
            (4)(A) coordinate and develop capabilities and 
        methodologies for data collection, management, and 
        dissemination of information related to energy-water nexus RD&D 
        activities from and to other Federal departments and agencies; 
        and
            (B) promote information exchange between Federal 
        departments and agencies--
                    (i) to identify and document Federal and non-
                Federal programs and funding opportunities that support 
                basic and applied research, development, and 
                demonstration proposals to advance energy-water nexus 
                related science and technologies;
                    (ii) if practicable, to leverage existing programs 
                by encouraging joint solicitations, block grants, and 
                matching programs with non-Federal entities; and
                    (iii) to identify opportunities for domestic and 
                international public-private partnerships, innovative 
                financing mechanisms, information and data exchange, 
                and Grand Challenges.
    (d) No Regulation.--Nothing in this section grants to the Committee 
or Subcommittee (including the members of the Committee or 
Subcommittee) the authority to promulgate regulations or set standards.
    (e) Review; Report.--At the end of the 10-year period beginning on 
the date on which the Committee or Subcommittee is established, the 
Director--
            (1) shall review the activities, relevance, and 
        effectiveness of the Committee or Subcommittee; and
            (2) submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
        of the Senate and the Committees on Science, Space, and 
        Technology, Energy and Commerce, and Natural Resources of the 
        House of Representatives, a report describing the results of 
        the review conducted under paragraph (1) and a recommendation 
        on whether the Committee or Subcommittee should continue.

SEC. 4. CROSSCUT BUDGET.

    Not later than 30 days after the President submits the budget of 
the United States Government under section 1105 of title 31, United 
States Code, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall 
submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate 
and the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, Energy and 
Commerce, and Natural Resources of the House of Representatives, an 
interagency budget crosscut report that displays at the program-, 
project-, and activity-level for each of the Federal agencies that 
carry out or support (including through grants, contracts, interagency 
and intraagency transfers, multiyear and no-year funds) basic and 
applied RD&D activities to advance the energy-water nexus related 
science and technologies--
            (1) the budget proposed in the budget request of the 
        President for the upcoming fiscal year;
            (2) expenditures and obligations for the prior fiscal year; 
        and
            (3) estimated expenditures and obligations for the current 
        fiscal year.