(1) a nonprofit organization; 
(2) an institution of higher education; or 
(3) a federally owned corporation. 
(g) METRICS.—The Secretary shall support the de-
velopment of short-term and long-term metrics to assess 
the effectiveness of programs receiving a grant under sub-
section (a) in achieving the purposes of the program in 
subsection (a). 
(h) EVALUATION.—In accordance with section 307(b) 
of this Act, not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate an evaluation of the effectiveness of the pro-
grams under subsection (a) based on the metrics developed 
pursuant to subsection (g). 
(i) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall oversee the 
planning and coordination of grants under subsection (a) 
and shall identify and disseminate best practices for 
achieving the purposes of subsection (a) to eligible entities 
that receive grants under this section. 
(j) INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION.—The Secretary 
shall collaborate with other executive branch agencies, in-
cluding the Department of Defense and other agencies 
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with Federal laboratories, regarding opportunities to part-
ner with programs receiving a grant under subsection (a). 
(k) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out the activities authorized in this section $25,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. 
SEC. 203. SMALL BUSINESS VOUCHER PROGRAM. 
Section 1003 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16393) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘, and may require the Director of 
a single-purpose research facility,’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘(as defined in section 2) and the Director 
of each single-purpose research facility’’; 
(B) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘increase’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘encourage’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘collaborative re-
search,’’ and inserting ‘‘research, develop-
ment, demonstration, and commercial ap-
plication activities, including product devel-
opment,’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘procure-
ment and collaborative research’’ and inserting 
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‘‘procurement and the activities described in 
paragraph (1)’’; 
(D) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘facilities,’’ before 
‘‘training’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘procurement and col-
laborative research activities’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘procurement and the activities de-
scribed in paragraph (1)’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘for the 
program under subsection (b)’’ and inserting 
‘‘and metrics for the programs under sub-
sections (b) and (c)’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsections (c) and (d) as 
subsections (d) and (e), respectively; 
(3) by inserting after subsection (b) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(c) SMALL BUSINESS VOUCHER PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘Director’ 
means— 
‘‘(i) the Director of each National 
Laboratory; and 
‘‘(ii) the Director of each single-pur-
pose research facility. 
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‘‘(B) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term 
‘National Laboratory’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 2. 
‘‘(C) 
PROGRAM.—The 
term 
‘program’ 
means the program established under para-
graph (2). 
‘‘(D) SMALL
BUSINESS
CONCERN.—The 
term ‘small business concern’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 3 of the Small Busi-
ness Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 
‘‘(2) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Technology Transfer Coordinator ap-
pointed under section 1001(a), and in consultation 
with the Directors, shall establish a program to pro-
vide small business concerns with vouchers under 
paragraph (3)— 
‘‘(A) to achieve the goal described in sub-
section (a)(1); and 
‘‘(B) to improve the products, services, and 
capabilities of small business concerns in the 
mission space of the Department. 
‘‘(3) VOUCHERS.—Under the program, the Di-
rectors are authorized to provide to small business 
concerns vouchers to be used at National Labora-
tories and single-purpose research facilities for— 
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‘‘(A) research, development, demonstra-
tion, technology transfer, or commercial appli-
cation activities; or 
‘‘(B) any other activities that the applica-
ble Director determines appropriate. 
‘‘(4) EXPEDITED
APPROVAL.—The Secretary, 
working with the Directors, shall establish a stream-
lined approval process for financial assistance agree-
ments signed between— 
‘‘(A) small business concerns selected to 
receive a voucher under the program; and 
‘‘(B) the National Laboratories and single- 
purpose research facilities. 
‘‘(5) COST-SHARING
REQUIREMENT.—In car-
rying out the program, the Secretary shall require 
cost-sharing in accordance with section 988. 
‘‘(6) REPORT.—In accordance with section 
307(a) of the Energizing Technology Transfer Act, 
the Secretary shall report annually on the progress 
and implementation of the small business voucher 
program established under this section, including the 
number and locations of small businesses that re-
ceived grants under this program.’’; and 
(4) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated), by 
striking ‘‘for activities under this section’’ and in-
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serting ‘‘for activities under subsection (b)’’ and in-
serting at the end ‘‘and for activities under sub-
section (c) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
through 2025’’. 
SEC. 204. ENTREPRENEURIAL LEAVE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall delegate to 
Directors the authority to carry out an entrepreneurial 
leave program (referred to in this section as the ‘‘pro-
gram’’) to allow National Laboratory employees to take 
a full leave of absence from their position, with the option 
to return to that or a comparable position up to 3 years 
later, or a partial leave of absence, to advance the commer-
cial application of energy and related technologies relevant 
to the mission of the Department. 
(b) TERMINATION AUTHORITY.—Directors shall re-
tain the authority to terminate National Laboratory em-
ployees that participate in the program if such employees 
are found to violate terms prescribed by the National Lab-
oratory at which such employee is employed. 
(c) LICENSING.—To reduce barriers to participation 
in the program, the Secretary shall delegate to the Direc-
tors the requirement to establish streamlined mechanisms 
for facilitating the licensing of technology that is the focus 
of National Laboratory employees who participate in the 
program. 
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(d) REPORT.—In accordance with section 307(a) of 
this Act, the Secretary shall report annually on the utiliza-
tion of this authority at national laboratories, including 
the number of employees who participate in this program 
at each national laboratory and the number of employees 
who take a permanent leave from their positions at na-
tional laboratories as a result of participating in this pro-
gram. 
(e) FEDERAL ETHICS.—Nothing in this section shall 
affect existing Federal ethics rules applicable to Federal 
personnel. 
SEC. 205. NATIONAL LABORATORY EMPLOYEE OUTSIDE EM-
PLOYMENT AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall delegate to 
Directors of National Laboratories the authority to allow 
their employees— 
(1) to engage in outside employment, including 
start-up companies based on licensing technologies 
developed at National Laboratories and consulting in 
their areas of expertise, and receive compensation 
from such entities; and 
(2) to engage in outside activities related to 
their areas of expertise at the National Laboratory 
and may allow employees, in their employment ca-
pacity at such outside employment, to access the 
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National Laboratories under the same contracting 
mechanisms as non-laboratory employees and enti-
ties, in accordance with appropriate conflict of inter-
est protocols. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—If a Director elects to use the 
authority granted by subsection (a) of this section, the Di-
rector, or their designee, shall— 
(1) require employees to disclose to and obtain 
approval from the Director or their designee prior to 
engaging in any outside employment; 
(2) develop and require appropriate conflict of 
interest protocols for employees that engage in out-
side employment; and 
(3) maintain the authority to terminate employ-
ees engaging in outside employment if they are 
found to violate terms, including conflict of interest 
protocols, mandated by the Director. 
(c) ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS.—Employees engag-
ing in outside employment may not— 
(1) sacrifice, hamper, or impede their duties at 
the National Laboratory; 
(2) engage in activities related to outside em-
ployment using National Laboratory government 
equipment, property, or resources, unless such ac-
tivities are performed under National Laboratory 
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contracting mechanisms, such as Cooperative Re-
search and Development Agreement or Strategic 
Partnership Projects, whereby all conflicts of inter-
est requirements apply; or 
(3) use their position at a National Laboratory 
to provide an unfair competitive advantage to an 
outside employer or start-up activity. 
(d) FEDERAL ETHICS.—Nothing in this section shall 
affect existing Federal ethics rules applicable to Federal 
personnel. 
SEC. 206. TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION FUND. 
Section 1001(e) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 16391(e)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION FUND.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Technology Transfer Coordinator estab-
lished in section 1001(a) of the Energy Policy Act 
of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391(a)), shall establish a 
Technology Commercialization Fund (hereafter re-
ferred to as the ‘Fund’), using nine-tenths of one 
percent of the amount of appropriations made avail-
able to the Department for applied energy research, 
development, demonstration, and commercial appli-
cation for each fiscal year, to be used to provide, in 
accordance with the cost-sharing requirements under 
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section 988, funds to national laboratories to pro-
mote promising energy technologies for commercial 
purposes. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) CONSIDERATIONS.—The Secretary 
shall develop criteria for evaluating applications 
for funding under this section, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(i) the potential that a proposed 
technology will result in a commercially 
successful product within a reasonable 
timeframe; and 
‘‘(ii) the relative maturity of a pro-
posed technology for commercial applica-
tion. 
‘‘(B) SELECTIONS.—In awarding funds 
under this section, the Secretary may give spe-
cial consideration to applications that involve at 
least one applicant that has participated in an 
entrepreneurial or commercialization training 
program, such as Energy Innovation Corps. 
‘‘(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretary shall in-
clude in the annual report required under subsection 
(h)(2)— 
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‘‘(A) a description of the projects carried 
out with awards from the Fund for that fiscal 
year; 
‘‘(B) each project’s cost-share for that fis-
cal year; and 
‘‘(C) each project’s partners for that fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(4) EVALUATION.—In accordance with section 
307(b) of the Energizing Technology Transfer Act, 
the Secretary shall submit 3 years after the enact-
ment of that Act and every 3 years thereafter to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Com-
mittee of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
Senate an evaluation on the long-term commercial 
success of projects that received awards from the 
Fund. 
‘‘(5) TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZATION FUND 
REPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of the Energizing 
Technology Transfer Act, the Secretary shall 
submit to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology and Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives and the 
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Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
and Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
a report on the current and recommended im-
plementation of the Fund. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS.—The report under sub-
paragraph (A) shall include— 
‘‘(i) a summary, with supporting data, 
of how much Department program offices 
contribute to and use the Fund each year, 
including a list of current funding restric-
tions; 
‘‘(ii) recommendations on how to im-
prove implementation and administration 
of the Fund; and 
‘‘(iii) an analysis on how to spend 
funds optimally on technology areas that 
have the greatest need and opportunity for 
commercial application, rather than spend-
ing funds at the programmatic level or 
under current funding restrictions.’’. 
SEC. 207. SIGNATURE AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subsections (b) and (c), 
the Secretary shall delegate to Directors of the National 
Laboratories signature authority with respect to any 
agreement described in subsection (b) the total cost of 
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which, including the National Laboratory contributions 
and project recipient cost share, is less than $1,000,000, 
if such an agreement falls within the scope of— 
(1) the strategic plan for the National Labora-
tory or a master scope of work that has been ap-
proved by the Department; or 
(2) the most recent budget approved by Con-
gress for Department activities to be carried out by 
the National Laboratory. 
(b) AGREEMENTS.—Subsection (a) applies to— 
(1) a cooperative research and development 
agreement; 
(2) a strategic partnership project; 
(3) prize competitions; 
(4) an agreement for commercializing tech-
nology; or 
(5) any other agreement determined to be ap-
propriate by the Secretary, in collaboration with the 
Directors. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) ACCOUNTABILITY.—The Director of the af-
fected National Laboratory and the affected con-
tractor shall carry out an agreement under this sec-
tion in accordance with applicable policies of the De-
partment, including by ensuring that the agreement 
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does not compromise any national security, eco-
nomic, or environmental interest of the United 
States. 
(2) CERTIFICATION.—The Director of the af-
fected National Laboratory and the affected con-
tractor shall certify that each activity carried out 
under a project for which an agreement is entered 
into under this section does not present, or mini-
mizes, any apparent conflict of interest, and avoids 
or neutralizes any actual conflict of interest, as a re-
sult of the agreement under this section. 
(3) AVAILABILITY
OF
RECORDS.—Not later 
than 30 days after the date on which a Director en-
ters an agreement under this section, such Director 
shall submit to the Secretary for monitoring and re-
view all records of the National Laboratory relating 
to the agreement. 
(d) APPROVAL.—Upon granting the signature au-
thority under in subsection (a), the Secretary may not re-
quire any additional reviews or approvals of draft agree-
ments, statements of work, or other documents for agree-
ments that meet the criteria under subsection (a). 
(e) EXCEPTION.—This section does not apply to any 
agreement with a foreign-controlled entity or entity under 
the majority control of any foreign entity. 
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(f) REPORT.—In accordance with section 307(a) of 
this Act, the Secretary shall submit annually information 
on the number and types of agreements signed using the 
authorities granted under this section. 
(g) EVALUATION.—Not later than 3 years after the 
enactment of this Act the Secretary shall submit to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources of the Senate an evaluation of the 
efficacy of reducing administrative burden for agreements 
signed using the authorities granted under this section. 
(h) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 12 of the 
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 
U.S.C. 3710a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, 
and indenting the subparagraphs appropriately; 
(B) by striking ‘‘Each Federal agency’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), each Federal agency’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding paragraph 
(1), in accordance with section 207 of the Ener-
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gizing Technology Transfer Act, approval by the 
Secretary of Energy shall not be required for any 
agreement proposed to be entered into by a National 
Laboratory of the Department of Energy, the total 
cost of which, including the National Laboratory 
contributions and project recipient cost share, is less 
than $1,000,000.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(a)(1)’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘sub-
section (a)(1)(A)’’. 
TITLE III—DEPARTMENT OF 
ENERGY MODERNIZATION 
SEC. 301. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM. 
Title X of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 
16391 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘SEC. 1012. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall carry 
out a program, to be led by the Technology Transfer Coor-
dinator appointed in section 1001(a) who shall report di-
rectly to, and be appointed by, the Secretary, and shall 
be the principal advisor to the Secretary on all matters 
relating to technology transfer and commercial applica-
tion. 
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‘‘(b) MISSION.—The mission of the program shall 
be— 
‘‘(1) to expand the commercial impact of the re-
search investments of the Department; and 
‘‘(2) to advance the commercial application of 
technologies that reduce energy use, reduce green-
house gas emissions and other pollutants, improve 
energy efficiency, mitigate other negative environ-
mental consequences, or support other missions of 
the Department. 
‘‘(c) GOALS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pro-
gram, the Technology Transfer Coordinator shall, 
with respect to commercial application activities, 
meet all of the goals described in paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) GOALS DESCRIBED.—The goals referred to 
in paragraph (1) are the following: 
‘‘(A) Reduction of greenhouse gas emis-
sions or other pollutants. 
‘‘(B) Improvement of energy efficiency. 
‘‘(C) Improvement of economic competi-
tiveness. 
‘‘(D) Enhancement of domestic energy se-
curity and national security. 
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