NEWS Act of 2015

To establish an interagency coordination committee or subcommittee with the leadership of the Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior, focused on the nexus between energy and water production, use, and efficiency, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2015 NEWS Act of 2015 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Committee or Subcommittee The term Committee or Subcommittee NEWS Committee NEWS Subcommittee (2) Director The term Director (3) Energy-water nexus The term energy-water nexus (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 (5) NSTC The term NSTC (6) RD&D activities The term RD&D activities 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 NEWS Subcommittee (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. 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.

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 "energy-water nexus" 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.