International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015

To authorize the establishment of a body under the National Science and Technology Council to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation opportunities. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 2. Coordination of international science and technology partnerships (a) Establishment The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish a body under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to identify and coordinate international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen the United States science and technology enterprise, improve economic and national security, and support United States foreign policy goals. (b) NSTC body leadership The body established under subsection (a) shall be co-chaired by senior level officials from the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of State. (c) Responsibilities The body established under subsection (a) shall— (1) plan and coordinate interagency international science and technology cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by Federal agencies and work with other National Science and Technology Council committees to help plan and coordinate the international component of national science and technology priorities; (2) establish Federal priorities and policies for aligning, as appropriate, international science and technology cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by Federal agencies with the foreign policy goals of the United States; (3) identify opportunities for new international science and technology cooperative research and training partnerships that advance both the science and technology and the foreign policy priorities of the United States; (4) in carrying out paragraph (3), solicit input and recommendations from non-Federal science and technology stakeholders, including universities, scientific and professional societies, industry, and relevant organizations and institutions; and (5) identify broad issues that influence the ability of United States scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign counterparts, including barriers to collaboration and access to scientific information. (d) Report to congress The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall transmit a report, to be updated every 2 years, to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, and to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. The report shall also be made available to the public on the reporting agency’s website. The report shall contain a description of— (1) the priorities and policies established under subsection (c)(2); (2) the ongoing and new partnerships established since the last update to the report; (3) the means by which stakeholder input was received, as well as summary views of stakeholder input; and (4) the issues influencing the ability of United States scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign counterparts. May 19, 2015 Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed

Summary: International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish or designate a working group under the National Science and Technology Council that has the responsibility of identifying and coordinating international science and technology cooperation that can strengthen U.S. science and technology enterprise, improve economic and national security, and support U.S. foreign policy goals. Requires the working group to be co-chaired by officials from OSTP and the Department of State. Requires the working group to: (1) coordinate interagency international science and technology cooperative research and training activities and partnerships supported or managed by federal agencies; (2) establish federal priorities and policies for aligning such international research, training, and partnerships with U.S. foreign policy goals; (3) identify opportunities for new international research and training partnerships that advance science and technology and U.S. foreign policy priorities; (4) solicit recommendations from non-federal science and technology stakeholders; and (5) identify broad issues that influence the ability of U.S. scientists and engineers to collaborate with foreign counterparts. Requires the Director to report every two years on the working group's activities.