89–006 

116TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 1st Session 116–132 

VERA RUBIN SURVEY TELESCOPE DESIGNATION ACT 

JUNE 27, 2019.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of 

the Union and ordered to be printed 

Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, from the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 3196] 

[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office] 

The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, to whom was 

referred the bill (H.R. 3196) to designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’, having considered the same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and 

recommends that the bill do pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

I. Purpose of the Bill ...................................................................................... 1 

II. Background and Need for the Legislation ................................................ 2 

III. Committee Hearings ................................................................................... 2 

IV. Committee Consideration and Votes ......................................................... 2 

V. Summary of Major Provisions of the Bill .................................................. 3 

VI. Section-By-Section Analysis (By Title and Section) ................................. 3 

VII. Committee Views ........................................................................................ 3 

VIII. Cost Estimate .............................................................................................. 3 

IX. Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate ............................................. 4 

X. Compliance with Public Law 104–4 (Unfunded Mandates) .................... 4 

XI. Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations ........................... 4 

XII. Statement on General Performance Goals and Objectives ...................... 4 

XIII. Federal Advisory Committee Statement ................................................... 4 

XIV. Duplication of Federal Programs ............................................................... 4 

XV. Earmark Identification ............................................................................... 5 

XVI. Applicability to the Legislative Branch ..................................................... 5 

XVII. Statement on Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law ........................ 5 

XVIII. Proceedings of Full Committee Markup .................................................... 5 

I. PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of the bill is to designate the Large Synoptic Survey 

Telescope (LSST) as the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

2 

II. BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR THE LEGISLATION

Dr. Vera Cooper Rubin was a renowned astronomer and an advocate for women in science. After graduating from Vassar College in 

1948 as the only woman astronomer in her class, Dr. Rubin hoped 

to pursue her doctoral studies at Princeton. However, the Princeton 

astrophysics graduate program did not admit women at the time 

and declined to send her a course catalog. Dr. Rubin persisted and 

earned her master’s degree at Cornell and her Ph.D. at Georgetown 

University before joining the Carnegie Institution’s Department of 

Terrestrial Magnetism. 

In 1970, Dr. Rubin published some of the best evidence of the existence of dark matter. This groundbreaking work changed the conventional view of the universe from one dominated by light-emitting matter to one dominated by dark matter. Dr. Rubin went on 

to become the second woman astronomer elected to the National 

Academy of Sciences in 1981. She received the National Medal of 

Science in 1993. 

Dr. Rubin worked throughout her career to encourage girls to 

pursue STEM studies and careers. She advocated for more women 

members of the National Academy of Sciences and for more women 

on review panels and academic search committees. 

Under construction in Chile, LSST is an 8.4-meter wide-field optical telescope that will begin operations in 2023 to survey the entire southern sky twice a week over the span of a decade. While 

LSST data can be used by scientists to conduct a wide range of 

studies, the project’s primary science goals are to (1) probe the nature of dark matter and dark energy, (2) catalogue asteroids and 

other objects in the solar system, (3) examine how objects in the 

sky vary over time, and (4) study the structure and formation of 

the Milky Way galaxy. LSST design and construction were jointly 

funded by NSF and DOE ($563 million) and private (non-federal) 

partners ($40 million). 

H.R. 3196 will honor Dr. Rubin’s legacy in the field of dark matter by designating the LSST facility—including the headquarters 

site, the base and summit facilities, and the data processing and 

access centers—as the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope. This is the 

first designation of a Federally-funded U.S. telescope in honor of a 

woman. This designation will cement Dr. Rubin’s legacy, and elevate her work and career as a source of inspiration for women and 

girls interested in pursuing STEM studies and careers. 

III. COMMITTEE HEARINGS

The Committee held no hearings on this bill. 

IV. COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION AND VOTES

On June 11, 2019, Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, for 

herself and Representative Jenniffer Gonza ́lez-Colo ́n of Puerto Rico 

introduced H.R. 3196, the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation 

Act, to designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the ‘‘Vera 

Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology met to consider H.R. 3196 on Thursday, June 20, 2019 and considered no 

amendments to the bill. Ms. Johnson moved that the Committee favorably report the bill, H.R. 3196, to the House with the recVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:52 Jul 02, 2019 Jkt 089006 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR132.XXX HR132
3 

ommendation that the bill be approved. The motion was agreed to 

by a voice vote. 

V. SUMMARY OF MAJOR PROVISIONS OF THE BILL

Designates the LSST as the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

VI. SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS (BY TITLE AND SECTION)

Section 1. Short title 

Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act 

Section 2. Findings 

This section presents Congress’s findings. 

Section 3. Designation 

This section designates the LSST as the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

Section 4. References. 

This section directs any reference to the LSST be deemed a reference to the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

VII. COMMITTEE VIEWS

The LSST was ranked the highest-priority large ground-based facility in the 2010 U.S. Decadal Survey, New Worlds, New Horizons 

in Astronomy and Astrophysics. This unique facility will provide an 

unprecedented data set for scientists to probe the nature of dark 

matter and explore the time-variable universe for decades to come. 

The Committee believes that Dr. Vera Rubin’s legacy, including 

her contributions to the field of dark matter and her efforts to expand opportunities for women in the sciences, is richly deserving 

of this designation. 

All current references to ‘‘Large Synoptic Survey Telescope’’ and 

‘‘LSST’’ on NSF’s and AURA’s websites and in budget documents 

and all other public-facing documents, media, and buildings should 

be replaced with ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’ or ‘‘VRST’’. Individual components of the facility may be otherwise named. 

VIII. COST ESTIMATE

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee adopts as its own the estimate 

of new budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures 

or revenues contained in the cost estimate prepared by the Director 

of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 

Congressional Budget Act of 1974. 

4 

IX. CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE COST ESTIMATE

U.S. CONGRESS, 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE, 

Washington, DC, June 25, 2019. 

Hon. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, 

Chairwoman, Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, 

House of Representatives, Washington, DC. 

DEAR MADAM CHAIRWOMAN: The Congressional Budget Office 

has reviewed H.R. 3196, the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Science, 

Space, and Technology on June 20, 2019. The bill would designate 

the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the Vera Rubin Survey 

Telescope. 

CBO estimates that enacting H.R. 3196 would have no significant effect on the federal budget and would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

CBO estimates that enacting the legislation would not increase onbudget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2030. 

H.R. 3196 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. 

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

to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Janani Shankaran. 

Sincerely, 

MARK P. HADLEY

(For Phillip L. Swagel). 

Enclosure. 

X. FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

H.R. 3196 contains no unfunded mandates. 

XI. COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Committee‘s oversight findings and recommendations are reflected in the body of this report. 

XII. STATEMENT ON GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of this legislation is to designate the LSST facility as 

the ‘‘Vera Rubin Survey Telescope’’. 

XIII. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

H.R. 3196 does not create any advisory committees. 

XIV. DUPLICATION OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(5) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee finds that no provision of H.R. 

3196 establishes or reauthorizes a program of the federal government known to be duplicative of another federal program, including 

any program that was included in a report to Congress pursuant 

to section 21 of Public Law 111–139 or the most recent Catalog of 

Federal Domestic Assistance. 

5 

XV. EARMARK IDENTIFICATION

Pursuant to clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI, the Committee 

finds that H.R. 3196 contains no earmarks, limited tax benefits, or 

limited tariff benefits. 

XVI. APPLICABILITY TO THE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that H.R. 3196 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 (Public Law 104–1). 

XVII. STATEMENT ON PREEMPTION OF STATE, LOCAL, OR TRIBAL LAW

This bill is not intended to preempt any state, local, or tribal law. 

XVIII. PROCEEDINGS OF THE FULL COMMITTEE MARKUP

U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 2019

MARKUPS: H.R. 2528, STEM 

Opportunities Act of 2019; 

H.R. 36, Combating Sexual Harassment 

in Science Act of 2019; 

H.R. 3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope 

Designation Act; and 

H.R. 3153, Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid 

Research and Treatment Act 

MARKUP 

BEFORE THE

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND 

TECHNOLOGY 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

ONE HUNDRED SIXTEENTH CONGRESS 

FIRST SESSION 

JUNE 20, 2019 

Serial No. CP 116–4 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 

( 

Available via the World Wide Web: http://science.house.gov 

(VIII) 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY 

HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON, Texas, Chairwoman 

ZOE LOFGREN, California 

DANIEL LIPINSKI, Illinois 

SUZANNE BONAMICI, Oregon 

AMI BERA, California, 

Vice Chair 

CONOR LAMB, Pennsylvania 

LIZZIE FLETCHER, Texas 

HALEY STEVENS, Michigan 

KENDRA HORN, Oklahoma 

MIKIE SHERRILL, New Jersey 

BRAD SHERMAN, California 

STEVE COHEN, Tennessee 

JERRY MCNERNEY, California 

ED PERLMUTTER, Colorado 

PAUL TONKO, New York 

BILL FOSTER, Illinois 

DON BEYER, Virginia 

CHARLIE CRIST, Florida 

SEAN CASTEN, Illinois 

KATIE HILL, California 

BEN MCADAMS, Utah 

JENNIFER WEXTON, Virginia 

FRANK D. LUCAS, Oklahoma, 

Ranking Member 

MO BROOKS, Alabama 

BILL PPOSEY, Florida 

RANDY WEBER, Texas 

BRIAN BABIN, Texas 

ANDY BIGGS, Arizona 

ROGER MARSHALL, Kansas 

RALPH NORMAN, South Carolina 

MICHAEL CLOUD, Texas 

TROY BALDERSON, Ohio 

PETE OLSON, Texas 

ANTHONY GONZALEZ, Ohio 

MICHAEL WALTZ, Florida 

JIM BAIRD, Indiana 

JAIME HERRERA BEUTLER, Washington 

JENNIFFER GONZA ́ LEZ-COLO ́ N, Puerto 

Rico 

VACANCY 

(IX) 

C O N T E N T S 

June 20, 2019 

Page 

H.R. 2528—STEM Opportunities Act of 2019 ....................................................... 11 

H.R. 36—Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019 ........................ 11 

H.R. 3196—Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act .................................. 11 

H.R. 3153—Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment 

Act .......................................................................................................................... 11 

(11) 

MARKUPS: H.R. 2528, STEM 

Opportunities Act of 2019; 

H.R. 36, Combating Sexual Harassment 

in Science Act of 2019; 

H.R. 3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope 

Designation Act; and 

H.R. 3153, Expanding Findings for Federal 

Opioid Research and Treatment Act 

THURSDAY, JUNE 20, 2019 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, 

COMMITTEE ON SCIENCE, SPACE, AND TECHNOLOGY, 

Washington, D.C. 

The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m., in room 

2318, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson 

[Chairwoman of the Committee] presiding. 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. Good morning. The Committee will come 

to order. And without objection, the Chair is authorizes to declare 

recess at any time. Pursuant to Committee rule 2(e) and House 

rule XI, the Chair announces that she may postpone roll call votes. 

Pursuant to notice, the Committee meets to consider the following measures: H.R. 2528, STEM Opportunities Act of 2019; H.R. 

36, Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019; H.R. 

3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act; and H.R. 3153, 

Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment 

Act. 

I want to welcome everyone to today’s markup. Today, we meet 

to mark up four good bipartisan bills. First, we will consider the 

STEM Opportunities Act, which has been a priority of mine of 

course for many years. This bill will help us address the disparity 

in the number of women and minorities in the STEM fields. 

Without including all of our Nation’s brain power in the fight for 

21st-century competitiveness, it is unlikely that our country will remain the world leader in science and innovation. It is therefore my 

hope that this bill will play a major role in ensuring our country’s 

competitiveness in the coming years. 

It is not enough to simply attract women to the STEM fields. We 

must also ensure they stay in these fields, and the second bill in 

our markup addresses one of the reasons women leave the STEM 

sciences in such high rates: Sexual harassment. The problem of 

sexual harassment in the STEM fields has not been addressed in 

a comprehensive fashion. I hope that the Combating Sexual HarVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:52 Jul 02, 2019 Jkt 089006 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 E:\HR\OC\HR132.XXX HR132
12 

assment in Science Act of 2019 can play an important role in focusing Federal efforts to stamp out sexual harassment in the sciences. 

I want to take a moment to recognize my colleague Ranking 

Member Lucas, who is an original co-sponsor of both of these bills. 

Both he and his staff have provided very constructive input into 

these bills and the hearings we held on these topics. I think the 

bills before us today are better off because of these efforts, and I 

want to sincerely thank him and his staff for their work. 

The third bill before us today is the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope 

Designation Act. I’ll speak more about this bill in a minute, but I 

think it is appropriate that on the same day our Committee tries 

to address the issues facing women in the STEM fields, we also 

take a moment to recognize a woman who overcame the hurdles 

she faced to provide significant contributions to the field of astronomy. 

Finally, we will consider the Expanding Findings for Federal 

Opioid Research and Treatment Act, which is offered by Ms. 

Wexton. The scourge of opioid addiction is one of the most serious 

problems facing our Nation right now. It only makes sense to bring 

all of our resources to bear on this issue, and I think the National 

Science Foundation (NSF) can bring unique capabilities to the fight 

to better understand and deal with this critical issue. 

I look forward to a productive markup and moving these bills 

very quickly to the House floor. 

[The prepared statement of Chairwoman Johnson follows:] 

I want to welcome everyone to today’s markup. Today we meet to markup four 

good bipartisan bills. 

First, we will consider the STEM Opportunities Act, which has been a priority of 

mine for many years. This bill will help us address the disparity in the number of 

women and minorities in the STEM fields. 

Without including all of our Nation’s brain power in the fight for 21st century 

competitiveness, it is unlikely that our country will remain the world leader in 

science and innovation. It is therefore my hope that this bill will play a major role 

in ensuring our country’s competitiveness in the coming years. 

It is not enough to simply attract women to the STEM fields. We must also ensure 

they stay in those fields, and the second bill in our markup addresses one of the 

reasons women leave the sciences in such high rates: sexual harassment. 

The problem of sexual harassment in the STEM fields has not been addressed in 

a comprehensive fashion. I hope that the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science 

Act of 2019 can play an important role in focusing federal efforts to stamp out sexual harassment in the sciences. 

I want to take a moment to recognize my friend and colleague, Ranking Member 

Lucas, who is an original cosponsor of both of these bills. Both he and his staff have 

provided very constructive input into these bills and the hearings we have held on 

these topics. I think the bills before us today are better off because of these efforts, 

and I want to sincerely thank him and his staff for their work. 

The third bill before us today is the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act. 

I’ll speak more about this bill in a minute, but I think it is appropriate that on the 

same day our Committee tries to address the issues facing women in the STEM 

fields, we also take a moment to recognize a woman who overcame the hurdles she 

faced to provide significant contributions to the field of astronomy. 

Finally, we will consider the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and 

Treatment Act, which is offered by Ms. Wexton. The scourge of opioid addiction is 

one of the most serious problems facing our nation right now. 

It only makes sense to bring all of our resources to bear on this issue, and I think 

the National Science Foundation can bring unique capabilities to the fight to better 

understand and deal with this critical issue. 

I look forward to a productive markup and moving these bills very quickly to the 

House floor. 

13 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. I now recognize the Ranking Member to 

present an opening statement. 

Mr. LUCAS. Thank you, Chairwoman Johnson, for holding this 

markup. 

Today, we’ll consider four bipartisan bills. The first is H.R. 2528, 

STEM Opportunities Act of 2019. H.R. 2528 continues this Committee’s long bipartisan history of supporting and expanding STEM 

education for all. The only way we’ll achieve our potential is by utilizing America’s most valuable resource: Our people. That means 

developing a diverse STEM-capable workforce at every education 

level and from every background. 

One of the key provisions of H.R. 2528 is a requirement for more 

comprehensive data collection and analysis on the students, researchers, and faculty receiving Federal science grants. This data 

will help us identify and reduce the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from entering and advancing in STEM. It will also 

help us measure the success of Federal STEM programs. 

The bill also includes a provision directing NSF to support computer science education through the existing Tribal Colleges and 

Universities program. Access to computer science resources and the 

development of computing skills is critical in today’s economy. I am 

pleased to join Chairwoman Johnson in cosponsoring this legislation. I want to thank her and her entire staff for working with us 

to refine the bill for reintroduction and incorporating our feedback 

and ideas. I look forward to continuing to work with the Chairwoman and Members of the Committee to advance more STEM 

education efforts for this Congress to support, encourage, and develop the next generation of STEM students. 

Our second bill this morning is H.R. 36, Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019. Chairwoman Johnson and I made 

this one of our highest priorities, introducing it on the first day of 

the 116th Congress. This bill has a foundation of more than a year 

of investigation, analysis, and recommendations to the Science 

Committee. Engaging more women in STEM studies and careers is 

essential to American competitiveness. Women make up half the 

workforce but account for less than 25 percent of America’s STEM 

workforce. 

Unfortunately, too many women have been driven out of STEM 

careers due to a culture of harassment and abuse. H.R. 36 takes 

the first steps to addressing this problem. The bill supports the 

adoption of uniform guidance across the Federal science agencies to 

reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment involving grant personnel. The bill also directs the NSF to conduct further research 

into the causes and consequences of harassment, as well as interventions to mitigate the problem. 

There is an established legal process in place within higher education and in the workplace for handling claims of sexual harassment. This bill does not alter that process. What this bill does do 

is create a uniform policy for universities and research institutions 

to report to Federal science agencies when an administrative action 

is taken that impacts the ability of a researcher to carry out a 

grant. We want to ensure the safety of all grant personnel supported by taxpayer funding. I’ll be offering an amendment later in 

the markup that we hope makes this requirement even more clear. 

14 

Again, thank you, Chairwoman Johnson, for working in a bipartisan and collaborative way to move this legislation forward. 

Next, we will consider H.R. 3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope 

Designation Act, sponsored by Chairwoman Johnson and Representative Jenniffer Gonza ́lez-Colo ́n. This bill honors the contributions of the late Dr. Vera Rubin, an astronomer who made 

groundbreaking discoveries in the field of dark matter and was a 

pioneer and life-long advocate for women in astronomy. 

This new LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope), under construction in Chile, funded by the National Science Foundation and 

the Department of Energy, will photograph the entire sky every 

few nights. One of the goals of the project is to study the nature 

of dark matter and dark energy. Naming the observatory in her 

honor is a fitting tribute to the contributions to the field, and I— 

her contributions to the field, I should note, and I hope will inspire 

future generations of women in astronomy. 

Finally, the Committee will consider H.R. 3153, Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act. This legislation identifies current gaps that exist in research on the prevention 

and treatment of opioid addiction and authorizes the NSF to support research grants in those areas. 

I want to thank Representative Jennifer Wexton and Representative Jim Baird for their bipartisan work on this bill. Opioid addiction affects too many in our communities, and I applaud this effort 

to support more basic research on the science of addiction. 

Once again, thank you, Chairwoman Johnson, for holding today’s 

markup, and I encourage the Members of the Committee to support 

all these bills. 

I yield back the balance of my time. 

[The prepared statement of Mr. Lucas follows:] 

Thank you, Chairwoman Johnson, for holding this mark-up. Today we will consider four bipartisan bills. 

The first is H.R. 2528, STEM Opportunities Act of 2019. H.R. 2528 continues this 

Committee’s long bipartisan history of supporting and expanding STEM education 

for all. 

The only way we’ll achieve our potential is by utilizing America’s most valuable 

resource: our people. That means developing a diverse STEM-capable workforce at 

every education level and from every background. 

One of the key provisions of H.R. 2528 is a requirement for more comprehensive 

data collection and analysis on the students, researchers, and faculty receiving federal science grants. This data will help us identify and reduce the barriers that prevent underrepresented groups from entering and advancing in STEM. It will also 

help us measure the success of federal STEM programs. 

The bill also includes a provision directing NSF to support computer science education through the existing Tribal Colleges and Universities program. Access to computer science resources and the development of computing skills is critical in today’s 

economy. 

I was pleased to join Chairwoman Johnson in co-sponsoring this legislation. I 

want to thank her and her staff for working with us to refine the bill for reintroduction and incorporating our feedback and ideas. 

I look forward to continuing to work with the Chairwoman and members of the 

Committee to advance more STEM education efforts this Congress to support, encourage and develop the next generation of STEM students. 

Our second bill this morning is H.R. 36, Combating Sexual Harassment in Science 

Act of 2019. Chairwoman Johnson and I made this one of our highest priorities, introducing it on the first day of the 116th Congress. This bill has a foundation of 

more than a year of investigation, analysis, and recommendations to the Science 

Committee. 

15 

Engaging more women in STEM studies and careers is essential to American competitiveness. Women make up half of the workforce, but account for less than 25 

percent of America’s STEM workforce. 

Unfortunately, too many women have been driven out of STEM careers due to a 

culture of harassment and abuse. H.R. 36 takes the first steps to addressing this 

problem. The bill supports the adoption of uniform guidance across the federal 

science agencies to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment involving grant personnel. The bill also directs NSF to conduct further research into the causes and 

consequences of harassment, as well as interventions to mitigate the problem. 

There is an established legal process in place within higher education and in the 

workplace for handling claims of sexual harassment. This bill does not alter that 

process. What this bill does do, is create a new uniform policy that universities and 

research institutions report to federal science agencies when an administrative action is taken that impacts the ability of a researcher to carry out a grant. 

We want to ensure the safety of all grant personnel supported by taxpayer funding. I’ll be offering an amendment later in the mark-up that we hope makes this 

requirement even more clear. 

Again, thank you Chairwoman Johnson for working in a bipartisan and collaborative way to move this legislation forward. 

Next we will consider H.R. 3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act, 

sponsored by Chairwoman Johnson and Representative Jenniffer Gonza ́lez-Colo ́n. 

This bill honors the contributions of the late Dr. Vera Rubin, an astronomer who 

made groundbreaking discoveries in the field of dark matter and was a pioneer and 

life-long advocate for women in astronomy. 

The new LSST Telescope under construction in Chile, funded by the National 

Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, will photograph the entire sky 

every few nights. One of the goals of the project is to study the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Naming the observatory in her honor is a fitting tribute to her 

contributions to the field and I hope will inspire future generations of women in astronomy. 

Finally, the Committee will consider H.R. 3153, Expanding Findings for Federal 

Opioid Research and Treatment Act. The legislation identifies current gaps that 

exist in research on the prevention and treatment of opioid addiction and authorizes 

NSF to support research grants in these areas. 

I thank Rep. Jennifer Wexton and Rep. Jim Baird for their bipartisan work on 

this bill. Opioid addiction affects too many in our communities, and I applaud this 

effort to support more basic research on the science of addiction. 

Once again, thank you Chairwoman Johnson for holding today’s mark-up, and I 

encourage the Members of this Committee to support these bills. I yield back the 

balance of my time. 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. Thank you, Mr. Lucas. 

H.R. 2528 

10:13 a.m. 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. We will now consider H.R. 2528, STEM 

Opportunities Act of 2019. The clerk will report the bill. 

The CLERK. H.R. 2528, a bill to direct the Director—— 

[The bill follows:] 

16 


Insert offset folio 18 here HR132.001

116TII COKGRESS 

1ST SES8TO~ 

137 

H.R. 

(Original Siguaturc of :Mmnherl 

To desig·nate the Large Synoptie Survey Telcscow• as the "Vera Rubin Survey 

Telescope''. 

I~ THE HOUSE OJ:.., REPRESE~TATIVES 

:.\Is. Johnsou (for herself nud :\Is. Gouziilez Colon} introrlueed the followingbill; which was referred to the Committee on 

·------·-----·---~-

A BILL 

'fo designate the J..arge Synoptic Survey Telescope as the 

''Vera Rubin Survey 'l'elescope''. 

1 Be it enacted by the Renate and Hou ... •w of Representa2 tives of the Un,ited States ofArnerica in Congress assent bled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 'l'his Act may be cited as the "Vera Rubin Survey 

5 Telescope Designation Act". 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 
17 


Insert offset folio 19 here HR132.002

138 

2 

1 (1) Dr. Vera Rubin was born .July 23, 1928, to 

2 Philip and Rose Applebaum Cooper. 

3 (2) Dr. Rubin pursued her wadnate studies at 

4 Cornell University and Georgetmvn University, earn5 ing her Ph.D. in Physics in 1H54. 

6 (3) Dr. Rubin's Ph.D. thesis on galaxy motions 

7 provided supporting evidence that galaxies arc not 

8 uniformly distributed, but exist in clusters. 

9 ( 4) Dr. Rubin continued to study the motions 

10 of gala.xies, first as research associate and assistant 

11 professor at Georgetown University, and then as a 

12 member of the staff at the Carnegie Institution of 

13 \Vashington Department of Terrestriall\Iagnetism. 

14 (5) Dr. Rubin f~1ced harriers throughout her ca15 recr beeause of her gender. 

16 (6) I<'or instance, one of the world's leading as17 tronomy facilities at the time, the Palomar Observ18 atory, did not permit women. Dr. Rubin persisted 

19 and was finally allowed to observe at Palomar m 

20 1965, the first woman officially allowed to do so. 

21 (7) In 1970, Dr. Rubin published measure22 mcnts of' the Andromeda galaxy showing stars and 

23 gas orbiting the gaJa.x")·'s center too fast to be ex24 plained by the amount of mass associated with the 

25 light output of the stars. 
18 


Insert offset folio 20 here HR132.003

139 

3 

1 (8) In the years that followed, Dr. Rubin and 

2 her collaborators used their observations, in conjunc3 tion ·with the work by earlier astronomers on the ro4 tation of stars in spiral galaxies, to provide some of 

5 the best evidence for the existence of dark matter. 

6 (9) This work contributed to a major shift in 

7 the conventional view of the universe, from one 

8 dominated by ordinary matter such as \vhat pro9 duces the light of stars, to one dominated by dark 

10 matter. 

11 (10) Dr. Rubin was elected to the Xational 

12 Academy of Sciences in 1981, the sccowl woman as13 tronomer to he so honored. 

14 (11) Dr. Rubin was a\varded the Pr·esident's 

15 ~ational Medal of Science in 1993 "for her pio16 ncering research programs in observational cos17 mology which demonstrated that much of the matter 

18 in the nnivcrse is dark, and for significant contrihu19 tions to the realization that the universe is more 

20 complex and more mysterious than had been imag21 incd". 

22 (12) Dr. Hubin was an outspoken advocate for 

23 the equal treatment and representation of women in 

24 science, and she served as a mentor, supporter, and 
19 


Insert offset folio 21 here HR132.004

140 

4 

1 role model to many women astronomers throughout 

2 her life. 

3 (13) The l;arge Synoptic Survey Telescope, 

4 funded jointly by the ~ational Seiencc Foundation 

5 and the Department of Energy, will honor the legacy 

6 of Dr. Rubin and her colleagues to probe the nature 

7 of dark matter hy mapping and cataloguing billions 

8 of galaxies through space and time. 

9 SEC. 3. DESIGNATION. 

10 The l;arge S.vnoptic Survey Telescope shall he known 

11 and designated as the "Vera Rubin Survey Telescope". 

12 SEC. 4. REFERENCES. 

13 .. 1\ .ny rcfcrcnec in a law, map, regulation, document, 

14 paper, or other record of the U nitcd States to the facility 

15 described in section 8 shall be deemed to be a reference 

16 to the "Vera Rubin Survey Telescope". 
20 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. Without objection, the bill is considered 

as read and open to amendment at any point. 

I recognize myself for comments. 

Dr. Vera Rubin was a renowned astronomer and a staunch advocate for women in science. Captivated by the sight of stars drifting 

across the night sky outside her bedroom window, her excitement 

for science was sparked at a young age. Dr. Rubin persisted despite 

facing barriers because of her gender throughout her career. She 

was also a fierce advocate for expanding opportunities for girls in 

STEM. She advocated for more women members of the National 

Academy of Sciences and more women on the review panels and 

academic research committees. 

In 1970, Dr. Rubin published some of the best evidence of the existence of dark matter. This groundbreaking work helped to change 

the conventional view of the universe from one dominated by lightemitting matter to one dominated by dark matter. 

Dr. Rubin went on to become the second woman astronomer 

elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1981. She received 

the National Medal of Science in 1983. 

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, LSST, set to begin operations in 2023, will build on Dr. Rubin’s legacy in advancing our 

understanding of dark matter. Funded jointly by the National 

Science Foundation and Department of Energy, LSST will survey 

the entire southern sky every 3 days. Among other scientific goals, 

this data will enable astronomers to probe the nature of dark matter. 

I cannot think of a more fitting tribute to Vera Rubin’s legacy 

than to designate the LSST as the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope. 

I want to thank my colleague from Puerto Rico, Ms. Gonza ́lezColo ́n for joining me in introducing H.R. 3196, and I urge my colleagues to support it. 

Is there anyone wishing to make—be recognized? The Chair recognizes—yes, I recognize Ms. Gonza ́lez-Colo ́n. 

Ms. GONZA ́LEZ-COLO ́ N. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman. I really 

thank you for allowing this bill to go to markup today and for allowing me to be a co-lead on this bill. I think it’s important. 

I want to thank also Ranking Member Lucas for holding this 

markup today with very important bills. 

I’m a proud co-lead, as I just said, of H.R. 3196, Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act, alongside Chairwoman Johnson. 

As the Chair just stated, Dr. Rubin encountered many obstacles 

during her academic and professional career. As a student, her application to Princeton University was denied because, at the time, 

women were not allowed to enroll in the astrophysics graduate program of this institution. Similarly, years later, she had problems 

accessing the Palomar Observatory in California, one of the most 

iconic scientific facilities in the world, also because she was a 

woman. 

Experiences such as this would be enough to discourage anyone 

from pursuing studies in STEM and to discourage a young student 

and a scientist. Still, Dr. Rubin persevered, demonstrating exceptional intellectual capabilities and character. 

Dr. Vera Rubin changed the way we understand the universe 

today. Her groundbreaking work on dark matter and galaxy rotaVerDate Sep 11 2014 06:52 Jul 02, 2019 Jkt 089006 PO 00000 Frm 00020 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR132.XXX HR132
21 

tions remain at the forefront of STEM research in the field of astronomy. Her legacy will undoubtedly continue to influence future 

generations of scientists and will hopefully be memorialized in the 

new Large Synoptic Survey Telescope in Chile. This telescope, it’s 

currently on track to begin operations in 2023, jointly funded by 

the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and 

private funding raised for the telescope. This telescope will soon be 

utilized by scientists to conduct a wide range of studies, including 

the nature of dark matter and dark energy, the fields of Dr. Vera 

Rubin. I’m very much looking forward to the great work that this 

facility will produce by research actually like Dr. Rubin. 

I would like to conclude by saying how grateful I am to be part 

of this legislation and this Committee. We need to find bipartisan 

solutions to encourage women and minorities to become and remain interested in careers in STEM. I believe highlighting the sacrifice of their contributions is one of the many ways we can do— 

we can continue to do so. 

I would like to thank Chairman Johnson once more and commend the leadership of this Committee. As someone with a STEM 

background, I’ve represented many young girls and women who are 

either pursuing or interested in pursuing a career in STEM. I 

think this will encourage their work to be noticed. 

With that, I yield back. 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. Thank you very much. 

Are there others who wish to be recognized? 

If not, a reporting quorum being present, I move that the Com 

mittee on Science, Space, and Technology report H.R. 3196 to the 

House with the recommendation that the bill be approved. 

Those in favor of the motion will signify by saying aye. 

Those opposed, no. 

The ayes have it, and the bill is favorably reported. 

Without objection, a motion to reconsider is laid on the table, and 

I ask unanimous consent that staff be authorized to make any necessary technical and conforming changes to the bill. Without objection, so ordered. 

Members will have 2 subsequent calendar days in which to submit supplementary, minority, or additional views on the measure. 

H.R. 3153 

10:45 a.m. 

Chairwoman JOHNSON. Now, we’ll take up H.R. 3153 for consideration, the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and 

Treatment Act. And the clerk will report the bill. 

The CLERK. H.R. 3153, a bill—— 

[The bill follows:] 

Æ