49–006 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 114–149 

FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 

SUNSHINE ACT OF 2015 

JUNE 11, 2015.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. MCCAUL, from the Committee on Homeland Security, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 1637] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 1637) to require annual reports on the activities and accomplishments of federally funded research and development centers within the Department of Homeland Security, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 

without amendment and recommend that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 2 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 2 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 2 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 3 

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 3 

Congressional Budget Office Estimate ................................................................... 3 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives .................................... 3 

Duplicative Federal Programs ................................................................................ 4 

Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits ... 4 

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 4 

Preemption Clarification ......................................................................................... 4 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 4 

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 4 

Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 4 

Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 4 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 5 


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PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The purpose of H.R. 1637 is to require annual reports on the activities and accomplishments of federally funded research and development centers within the Department of Homeland Security, 

and for other purposes. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federally Funded 

Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) perform research and 

development for DHS and its components. The FFRDCs are tasked 

with these projects through the Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate at DHS. Currently, S&T is not required to share with 

Congress information on the projects assigned to FFRDCs. This 

measure requires the DHS Secretary to annually submit to the 

Committee a list of the ongoing and completed projects tasked to 

FFRDCs. Currently, the Committee does not receive such information. The Committee believes this information will provide a better 

picture of the size and scope of DHS FFRDC projects and allow the 

Committee to conduct better oversight of the projects and Department’s utilization of FFRDCs. 

HEARINGS

The Committee held no hearings on H.R. 1637, however the 

Committee held the following oversight hearing. 

The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, 

and Security Technologies held a hearing on May 19, 2015, entitled 

‘‘Examining the DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s Engagement with Academia and Industry.’’ The Subcommittee received 

testimony from Mr. Jake Parker, Director of Government Relations, Security Industry Association; Mr. Marc Pearl, President and 

CEO, Homeland Security and Defense Business Council; and Dr. 

Samuel H. Aronson, President of the American Physical Society 

and former Director of Brookhaven National Laboratory. This hearing examined perspectives on how DHS’ Science and Technology 

(S&T) Directorate collaborates with academia on relevant research 

topics and partners with industry on the development and acquisition of products for the Department of Homeland Security. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Committee met on May 20, 2015, to consider H.R. 1673, and 

ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a favorable 

recommendation, without amendment, by voice vote. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 

No recorded votes were requested during consideration of H.R. 

1637. 


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COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight hearings and 

made findings that are reflected in this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 1637, the 

Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 

2015, would result in no new or increased budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

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. 

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, June 4, 2015. 

Hon. MICHAEL MCCAUL, 

Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1637, the Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 2015. 

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased 

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. 

Sincerely, 

KEITH HALL. 

Enclosure. 

H.R. 1637—Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine 

Act of 2015 

H.R. 1637 would direct the Department of Homeland Security 

(DHS) to report annually to the Congress on the progress of 

projects funded through DHS research and development centers. 

The department already prepares annual reports on those projects, 

so CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1637 would not significantly affect spending by DHS. Because enacting the legislation 

would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

H.R. 1637 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The 

estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Assistant 

Director for Budget Analysis. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 1637 contains the following general performance goals and objectives, including outcome related goals and 

objectives authorized. 


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The goals of this bill are to allow the Committee to have proper 

oversight of projects that the DHS FFRDCs are tasked to complete, 

this allows for greater transparency on the part of DHS and provides the committee the opportunity for further oversight into specific projects. 

DUPLICATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAMS

Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII, the Committee finds that 

H.R. 1637 does not contain any provision that establishes or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another Federal program. 

CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED

TARIFF BENEFITS

In compliance with rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule XXI. 

FEDERAL MANDATES 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. 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

In compliance with section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act 

of 1974, requiring the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 

resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the bill or 

joint resolution is intended to preempt State, local, or Tribal law, 

the Committee finds that H.R. 1637 does not preempt any State, 

local, or Tribal law. 

DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

The Committee estimates that H.R. 1637 would require no directed rule makings. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation 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. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short title 

This section provides that bill may be cited as the ‘‘Federally 

Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 2015.’’ 


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Section 2. Annual reports on projects of federally funded research 

and development centers within the Department of Homeland 

Security 

This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to annually submit a list of ongoing and completed projects tasked by 

the Department of Homeland Security to federally funded research 

and development centers. 

Additionally, this section requires that the section be carried out 

with existing resources, as no additional funds are authorized to be 

appropriated to carry out this section. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

H.R. 1637, as reported, makes no changes to exisiting law. 

Æ 


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