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(3) any for-profit, or nonprofit, partnership that 
includes such a foreign entity of concern in the part-
nership. 
SEC. 2116. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
FOUNDATION. 
(a) FISCAL YEAR 2022.— 
(1) FOUNDATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation $10,800,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2022. 
(2) SPECIFIC NSF ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $9,000,000,000 shall be made available 
to carry out the activities of the Foundation out-
side of the Directorate, of which $1,000,000,000 
shall be for STEM education and related activi-
ties, including workforce activities under section 
2202; and 
(B) $1,800,000,000 shall be made available 
to the Directorate, of which— 
(i) $594,000,000 shall be for the inno-
vation centers under section 2104; 
(ii) $324,000,000 shall be for scholar-
ships, fellowships, and other activities under 
section 2106;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(iii) $252,000,000 shall be for aca-
demic technology transfer under section 
2109; 
(iv) $180,000,000 shall be for test beds 
under section 2108; 
(v) $270,000,000 shall be for research 
and development activities under section 
2107; and 
(vi) an amount equal to 10 percent of 
the total made available to the Directorate 
under this subparagraph shall be trans-
ferred to the Foundation for collaboration 
with directorates and offices of the Founda-
tion outside of the Directorate as described 
under section 2102(c)(7). 
(b) FISCAL YEAR 2023.— 
(1) FOUNDATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation $12,800,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2023. 
(2) SPECIFIC NSF ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $9,600,000,000 shall be made available 
to carry out the activities of the Foundation out-
side of the Directorate, of which $1,190,000,000 
shall be for STEM education and related activi-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ties, including workforce activities under section 
2202; and 
(B) $3,200,000,000 shall be made available 
to the Directorate, of which— 
(i) $1,056,000,000 shall be for the in-
novation centers under section 2104; 
(ii) $576,000,000 shall be for scholar-
ships, fellowships, and other activities under 
section 2106; 
(iii) $448,000,000 shall be for aca-
demic technology transfer under section 
2109; 
(iv) $320,000,000 shall be for test beds 
under section 2108; 
(v) $480,000,000 shall be for research 
and development activities under section 
2107; and 
(vi) an amount equal to 10 percent of 
the total made available to the Directorate 
under this subparagraph shall be trans-
ferred to the Foundation for collaboration 
with directorates and offices of the Founda-
tion outside of the Directorate as described 
under section 2102(c)(7). 
(c) FISCAL YEAR 2024.—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) FOUNDATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation $16,600,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2024. 
(2) SPECIFIC NSF ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $10,300,000,000 shall be made available 
to carry out the activities of the Foundation out-
side of the Directorate, of which $1,600,000,000 
shall be for STEM education and related activi-
ties, including workforce activities under section 
2202; and 
(B) $6,300,000,000 shall be made available 
to the Directorate, of which— 
(i) $2,079,000,000 shall be for the in-
novation centers under section 2104; 
(ii) $1,134,000,000 shall be for scholar-
ships, fellowships, and other activities under 
section 2106; 
(iii) $882,000,000 shall be for aca-
demic technology transfer under section 
2109; 
(iv) $630,000,000 shall be for test beds 
under section 2108;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(v) $945,000,000 shall be for research 
and development activities under section 
2107; and 
(vi) an amount equal to 10 percent of 
the total made available to the Directorate 
under this subparagraph shall be trans-
ferred to the Foundation for collaboration 
with directorates and offices of the Founda-
tion outside of the Directorate as described 
under section 2102(c)(7). 
(d) FISCAL YEAR 2025.— 
(1) FOUNDATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation $19,500,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2025. 
(2) SPECIFIC NSF ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $11,100,000,000 shall be made available 
to carry out the activities of the Foundation out-
side of the Directorate, of which $2,100,000,000 
shall be for STEM education and related activi-
ties, including workforce activities under section 
2202; and 
(B) $8,400,000,000 shall be made available 
to the Directorate, of which—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(i) $2,772,000,000 shall be for the in-
novation centers under section 2104; 
(ii) $1,512,000,000 shall be for scholar-
ships, fellowships, and other activities under 
section 2106; 
(iii) $1,176,000,000 shall be for aca-
demic technology transfer under section 
2109; 
(iv) $840,000,000 shall be for test beds 
under section 2108; 
(v) $1,260,000,000 shall be for research 
and development activities under section 
2107; and 
(vi) an amount equal to 10 percent of 
the total made available to the Directorate 
under this subparagraph shall be trans-
ferred to the Foundation for collaboration 
with directorates and offices of the Founda-
tion outside of the Directorate as described 
under section 2102(c)(7). 
(e) FISCAL YEAR 2026.— 
(1) FOUNDATION.—There is authorized to be ap-
propriated to the Foundation $21,300,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2026.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) SPECIFIC NSF ALLOCATIONS.—Of the amount 
authorized under paragraph (1)— 
(A) $12,000,000,000 shall be made available 
to carry out the activities of the Foundation out-
side of the Directorate, of which $2,540,000,000 
shall be for STEM education and related activi-
ties, including workforce activities under section 
2202; and 
(B) $9,300,000,000 shall be made available 
to the Directorate, of which— 
(i) $3,069,000,000 shall be for the in-
novation centers under section 2104; 
(ii) $1,674,000,000 shall be for scholar-
ships, fellowships, and other activities under 
section 2106; 
(iii) $1,302,000,000 shall be for aca-
demic technology transfer under section 
2109; 
(iv) $930,000,000 shall be for test beds 
under section 2108; 
(v) $1,395,000,000 shall be for research 
and development activities under section 
2107; and 
(vi) an amount equal to 10 percent of 
the total made available to the Directorate
135 
† HR 4521 EAS 
under this subparagraph shall be trans-
ferred to the Foundation for collaboration 
with directorates and offices of the Founda-
tion outside of the Directorate as described 
under section 2102(c)(7). 
(f) ALLOCATION AND LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) ALLOCATION FOR THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR 
GENERAL.—From any amounts appropriated for the 
Foundation for a fiscal year, the Director shall allo-
cate for necessary expenses of the Office of Inspector 
General of the Foundation an amount of not less than 
$33,000,000 in any fiscal year for oversight of the 
programs and activities funded under this section in 
accordance with the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 
U.S.C. App.). 
(2) SUPPLEMENT
AND
NOT
SUPPLANT.—The 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under this sec-
tion shall supplement, and not supplant, any other 
amounts previously appropriated to the Office of the 
Inspector General of the Foundation. 
(3) NO NEW AWARDS.—The Director shall not 
make any new awards for the activities under the Di-
rectorate for any fiscal year in which the total 
amount appropriated to the Foundation (not includ-
ing amounts appropriated for the Directorate) is less
136 
† HR 4521 EAS 
than the total amount appropriated to the Founda-
tion (not including such amounts), adjusted by the 
rate of inflation, for the previous fiscal year. 
(4) NO FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION.—No funds 
provided to the Directorate under this section shall be 
used for construction. 
SEC. 2117. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY. 
(a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) FISCAL YEAR 2022.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Energy 
$1,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2022 to carry out re-
search and development and address energy-related 
supply chain activities within the key technology 
focus areas. 
(2) FISCAL YEAR 2023.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Energy 
$1,800,000,000 for fiscal year 2023 to carry out re-
search and development and address energy-related 
supply chain activities within the key technology 
focus areas. 
(3) FISCAL YEAR 2024.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Energy 
$3,700,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 to carry out re-
search and development and address energy-related
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† HR 4521 EAS 
supply chain activities within the key technology 
focus areas. 
(4) FISCAL YEAR 2025.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Energy 
$4,900,000,000 for fiscal year 2025 to carry out re-
search and development and address energy-related 
supply chain activities within the key technology 
focus areas. 
(5) FISCAL YEAR 2026.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Energy 
$5,500,000,000 for fiscal year 2026 to carry out re-
search and development and address energy-related 
supply chain activities within the key technology 
focus areas. 
(b) SUPPLEMENT AND NOT SUPPLANT.—The amounts 
authorized to be appropriated under this section shall sup-
plement, and not supplant, any other amounts previously 
authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Energy. 
(c) NO FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION.—No funds pro-
vided to the Department of Energy under this section shall 
be used for construction.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2118. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS 
AGENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, there is authorized to be appropriated for the 
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to conduct re-
search and development in key technology focus areas 
$3,500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
(b) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Any amount ap-
propriated pursuant to the authorization in subsection (a) 
shall supplement and not supplant any amounts already 
appropriated for the Defense Advanced Research Projects 
Agency. 
TITLE II—NSF RESEARCH, STEM, 
AND GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY 
INITIATIVES 
SEC. 2201. CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER OF THE NSF. 
(a) CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The President shall appoint, 
by and with the consent of the Senate, a Chief Diver-
sity Officer of the Foundation. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—The Chief Diversity Offi-
cer shall have significant experience, within the Fed-
eral Government and the science community, with 
diversity- and inclusion-related matters, including— 
(A) civil rights compliance;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) harassment policy, reviews, and inves-
tigations; 
(C) equal employment opportunity; and 
(D) disability policy. 
(3) OVERSIGHT.—The Chief Diversity Officer 
shall direct the Office of Diversity and Inclusion of 
the Foundation and report directly to the Director in 
the performance of the duties of the Chief Diversity 
Officer under this section. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Chief Diversity Officer is respon-
sible for providing advice on policy, oversight, guidance, 
and coordination with respect to matters of the Foundation 
related to diversity and inclusion, including ensuring the 
geographic diversity of the Foundation programs. Other du-
ties may include— 
(1) establishing and maintaining a strategic 
plan that publicly states a diversity definition, vi-
sion, and goals for the Foundation; 
(2) defining a set of strategic metrics that are— 
(A) directly linked to key organizational 
priorities and goals; 
(B) actionable; and 
(C) actively used to implement the strategic 
plan under paragraph (1);
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(3) advising in the establishment of a strategic 
plan for diverse participation by individuals and in-
stitutions of higher education, including community 
colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, 
Tribal colleges or universities, minority-serving insti-
tutions, institutions of higher education with an es-
tablished STEM capacity building program focused 
on traditionally underrepresented populations in 
STEM, including Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, 
and Indians, and institutions from jurisdictions eligi-
ble to participate under section 113 of the National 
Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 
U.S.C. 1862g); 
(4) advising in the establishment of a strategic 
plan for outreach to, and recruiting from, untapped 
locations and underrepresented populations; 
(5) advising on the application of the Founda-
tion’s broader impacts review criterion; and 
(6) performing such additional duties and exer-
cise such powers as the Director may prescribe. 
(c) FUNDING.—From any amounts appropriated for 
the Foundation for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, 
the Director shall allocate $5,000,000 to carry out this sec-
tion for each such year.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2202. PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS THE STEM WORKFORCE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall issue under-
graduate scholarships, including at community colleges, 
graduate fellowships and traineeships, postdoctoral awards, 
and, as appropriate, other awards. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Director may carry out 
subsection (a) by making awards— 
(1) directly to students; or 
(2) to institutions of higher education or con-
sortia of institutions of higher education, including 
those institutions or consortia involved in operating 
university technology centers established under section 
2104(a). 
(c) BROADENING PARTICIPATION.—In carrying out 
this section, the Director shall take steps to increase the par-
ticipation of populations that are underrepresented in 
STEM, which may include— 
(1) establishing or augmenting programs tar-
geted at populations that are underrepresented in 
STEM; 
(2) supporting traineeships or other relevant 
programs at minority-serving institutions (or institu-
tions of higher education with an established STEM 
capacity building program focused on traditionally 
underrepresented populations in STEM, including 
Native Hawaiians, Alaska Natives, and Indians);
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(3) addressing current and expected gaps in the 
availability and skills of the STEM workforce, or ad-
dressing the needs of the STEM workforce, including 
by prioritizing awards to United States citizens, per-
manent residents, and individuals that will grow the 
domestic workforce; 
(4) addressing geographic diversity in the STEM 
workforce; and 
(5) awarding grants to institutions of higher 
education to address STEM workforce gaps, including 
for programs that recruit, retain, and progress stu-
dents to a bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline 
concurrent with a secondary school diploma, such as 
through existing and new partnerships with State 
educational agencies. 
(d) INNOVATION.— 
(1) GRADUATE
EDUCATION.—In carrying out 
this section, the Director shall encourage innovation 
in graduate education, and studying the impacts of 
such innovations, including through encouraging in-
stitutions of higher education to offer graduate stu-
dents opportunities to gain experience in industry or 
government as part of their graduate training, and 
through support for students in professional masters 
programs related to the key technology focus areas.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) POSTDOCTORAL
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOP-
MENT.—In carrying out this section, the Director 
shall encourage innovation in postdoctoral profes-
sional development, support the development and di-
versity of the STEM workforce, and study the impacts 
of such innovation and support. To do so, the Direc-
tor may use postdoctoral awards established under 
subsection (a) or leveraged under subsection (e)(1) for 
fellowships or other temporary rotational postings of 
not more than 2 years. Such fellowships or temporary 
rotational postings shall be awarded— 
(A) to qualified individuals who have a doc-
toral degree and received such degree not earlier 
than 5 years before the date that the fellowship 
or temporary rotational posting begins; and 
(B) to carry out research in the key tech-
nology focus areas at Federal, State, local, and 
Tribal government research facilities. 
(3) DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—During fiscal year 2021 
and any fiscal year thereafter, the head of any 
Federal agency may appoint, without regard to 
the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of 
title 5, United States Code, other than sections 
3303 and 3328 of that title, a qualified can-
144 
† HR 4521 EAS 
didate described in subparagraph (B) directly to 
a position in the competitive service with the 
Federal agency for which the candidate meets Of-
fice of Personnel Management qualification 
standards. 
(B) FELLOWSHIP
OR
TEMPORARY
ROTA-
TIONAL
POSTING.—Subparagraph (A) applies 
with respect to a former recipient of an award 
under this subsection who— 
(i) earned a doctoral degree in a 
STEM field from an institution of higher 
education; and 
(ii) successfully fulfilled the require-
ments of the fellowship or temporary rota-
tional posting within a Federal agency. 
(C) LIMITATION.—The direct hire authority 
under this paragraph shall be exercised with re-
spect to a specific qualified candidate not later 
than 2 years after the date that the candidate 
completed the requirements related to the fellow-
ship or temporary rotational posting described 
under this subsection. 
(e) EXISTING PROGRAMS.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Director may leverage existing programs, includ-
ing programs that issue—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) postdoctoral awards; 
(2) graduate fellowships and traineeships, inclu-
sive of the NSF Research Traineeships and fellow-
ships awarded under the Graduate Research Fellow-
ship Program; and 
(3) scholarships, research experiences, and in-
ternships, including— 
(A) scholarships to attend community col-
leges; and 
(B) research experiences and internships 
under sections 513, 514, and 515 of the America 
COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 
U.S.C. 1862p–5; 1862p–6; 42 U.S.C. 1862p–7); 
and 
(4) awards to institutions of higher education to 
enable the institutions to fund innovation in under-
graduate and graduate education, increased edu-
cational capacity, and the development and establish-
ment of new or specialized programs of study for 
graduate, undergraduate, or technical college students, 
and the evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs 
of study. 
(f) SET ASIDE.—The Director shall ensure that not less 
than 20 percent of the funds available to carry out this sec-
tion shall be used to support institutions of higher edu-
146 
† HR 4521 EAS 
cation, and other institutions, located in jurisdictions that 
participate in the program under section 113 of the Na-
tional Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 
U.S.C. 1862g). 
SEC. 2203. EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTION PILOT PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish a 5- 
year pilot program for awarding grants to eligible partner-
ships, led by 1 or more emerging research institutions, to 
build research and education capacity at emerging research 
institutions to enable such institutions to contribute to pro-
grams run by the Directorate. 
(b) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible partnership seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit an application to the 
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Director may reasonably require, in-
cluding a statement of how the partnership will use the 
funds awarded through the grant to achieve a lasting, sus-
tainable increase in the research and education capacity 
of each emerging research institution included in the eligi-
ble partnership. 
(c) ACTIVITIES.—An eligible partnership receiving a 
grant under this section may use the funds awarded through 
such grant for increasing research, education, and innova-
tion capacity, including for—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) faculty training and resources, including 
joint resources; 
(2) research experiences for undergraduate and 
graduate students; and 
(3) maintenance and repair of research equip-
ment and instrumentation. 
(d) DEFINITION OF ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘eligible partnership’’ means a partner-
ship of— 
(1) at least 1 emerging research institution; and 
(2) at least 1 institution that, on average for the 
3 years prior to an application for an award under 
this section, received more than $100,000,000 in Fed-
eral research funding. 
SEC. 2204. PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AUTHORITIES FOR 
THE FOUNDATION. 
(a) EXPERTS IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.— 
(1) PROGRAM
AUTHORIZED.—The Foundation 
may carry out a program of personnel management 
authority provided under paragraph (2) in order to 
facilitate recruitment of eminent experts in science or 
engineering for research and development projects and 
to enhance the administration and management of the 
Foundation.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) PERSONNEL
MANAGEMENT
AUTHORITY.— 
Under the program under paragraph (1), the Foun-
dation may— 
(A) without regard to any provision of title 
5, United States Code, governing the appoint-
ment of employees in the civil service, appoint 
individuals to a total of not more than 140 posi-
tions in the Foundation, of which not more than 
5 such positions may be positions of administra-
tion or management of the Foundation; 
(B) notwithstanding any provision of title 
5, United States Code, governing the rates of pay 
or classification of employees in the executive 
branch, prescribe the rates of basic pay for posi-
tions to which employees are appointed under 
subparagraph (A)— 
(i) in the case of employees appointed 
pursuant to subparagraph (A) to any of 5 
positions designated by the Foundation for 
purposes of this clause, at rates not in ex-
cess of a rate equal to 150 percent of the 
maximum rate of basic pay authorized for 
positions at level I of the Executive Sched-
ule under section 5312 of title 5, United 
States Code; and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(ii) in the case of any other employee 
appointed pursuant to subparagraph (A), 
at rates not in excess of the maximum rate 
of basic pay authorized for senior-level posi-
tions under section 5376 of title 5, United 
States Code; and 
(C) pay any employee appointed under sub-
paragraph (A), other than an employee ap-
pointed to a position designated as described in 
subparagraph (B)(i), payments in addition to 
basic pay within the limit applicable to the em-
ployee under paragraph (4). 
(3) LIMITATION ON TERM OF APPOINTMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the service of an employee 
under an appointment under paragraph (2)(A) 
may not exceed 4 years. 
(B) EXTENSION.—The Director may, in the 
case of a particular employee under the program 
under paragraph (1), extend the period to which 
service is limited under subparagraph (A) by up 
to 2 years if the Director determines that such 
action is necessary to promote the efficiency of 
the Foundation, as applicable.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(4) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
OF
ADDITIONAL
PAY-
MENTS PAYABLE.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of this subsection or section 5307 of title 5, 
United States Code, no additional payments may be 
paid to an employee under paragraph (2)(C) in any 
calendar year if, or to the extent that, the employee’s 
total annual compensation in such calendar year will 
exceed the maximum amount of total annual com-
pensation payable at the salary set in accordance 
with section 104 of title 3, United States Code. 
(b) HIGHLY QUALIFIED EXPERTS IN NEEDED OCCU-
PATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Foundation may carry 
out a program using the authority provided in para-
graph (2) in order to attract highly qualified experts 
in needed occupations, as determined by the Founda-
tion. Individuals hired by the Director through such 
authority may include individuals with expertise in 
business creativity, innovation management, design 
thinking, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and re-
lated fields. 
(2) AUTHORITY.—Under the program, the Foun-
dation may— 
(A) appoint personnel from outside the civil 
service and uniformed services (as such terms are
151 
† HR 4521 EAS 
defined in section 2101 of title 5, United States 
Code) to positions in the Foundation without re-
gard to any provision of title 5, United States 
Code, governing the appointment of employees to 
positions in the Foundation; 
(B) prescribe the rates of basic pay for posi-
tions to which employees are appointed under 
subparagraph (A) at rates not in excess of the 
maximum rate of basic pay authorized for sen-
ior-level positions under section 5376 of title 5, 
United States Code, as increased by locality- 
based comparability payments under section 
5304 of such title, notwithstanding any provi-
sion of such title governing the rates of pay or 
classification of employees in the executive 
branch; and 
(C) pay any employee appointed under sub-
paragraph (A) payments in addition to basic 
pay within the limits applicable to the employee 
under paragraph (4). 
(3) LIMITATION ON TERM OF APPOINTMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the service of an employee 
under an appointment made pursuant to this 
subsection may not exceed 5 years.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) EXTENSION.—The Foundation may, in 
the case of a particular employee, extend the pe-
riod to which service is limited under subpara-
graph (A) by up to 1 additional year if the 
Foundation determines that such action is nec-
essary to promote the Foundation’s national se-
curity missions. 
(4) LIMITATIONS ON ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS.— 
(A) TOTAL AMOUNT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The total amount of 
the additional payments paid to an em-
ployee under this subsection for any 12- 
month period may not exceed the lesser of 
the following amounts: 
(I) $50,000 in fiscal year 2021, 
which may be adjusted annually there-
after by the Foundation, with a per-
centage increase equal to one-half of 1 
percentage point less than the percent-
age by which the Employment Cost 
Index, published quarterly by the Bu-
reau of Labor Statistics, for the base 
quarter of the year before the preceding 
calendar year exceeds the Employment 
Cost Index for the base quarter of the
153 
† HR 4521 EAS 
second year before the preceding cal-
endar year. 
(II) The amount equal to 50 per-
cent of the employee’s annual rate of 
basic pay. 
(ii) DEFINITION OF BASE QUARTER.— 
For purposes of this subparagraph, the term 
‘‘base quarter’’ has the meaning given such 
term by section 5302(3) of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(B) ELIGIBILITY FOR PAYMENTS.—An em-
ployee appointed under this subsection is not eli-
gible for any bonus, monetary award, or other 
monetary incentive for service, except for pay-
ments authorized under this subsection. 
(C) 
ADDITIONAL
LIMITATION.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of this paragraph 
or of section 5307 of title 5, United States Code, 
no additional payments may be paid to an em-
ployee under this subsection in any calendar 
year if, or to the extent that, the employee’s total 
annual compensation will exceed the maximum 
amount of total annual compensation payable at 
the salary set in accordance with section 104 of 
title 3, United States Code.
154 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(5) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF HIGHLY QUALI-
FIED EXPERTS.—The number of highly qualified ex-
perts appointed and retained by the Foundation 
under paragraph (2)(A) shall not exceed 140 at any 
time. 
(6) SAVINGS PROVISIONS.—In the event that the 
Foundation terminates the program under this sub-
section, in the case of an employee who, on the day 
before the termination of the program, is serving in 
a position pursuant to an appointment under this 
subsection— 
(A) the termination of the program does not 
terminate the employee’s employment in that po-
sition before the expiration of the lesser of— 
(i) the period for which the employee 
was appointed; or 
(ii) the period to which the employee’s 
service is limited under paragraph (3), in-
cluding any extension made under this sub-
section before the termination of the pro-
gram; and 
(B) the rate of basic pay prescribed for the 
position under this subsection may not be re-
duced as long as the employee continues to serve 
in the position without a break in service.
155 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(c) ADDITIONAL HIRING AUTHORITY.—To the extent 
needed to carry out the duties under subsection (a)(1), the 
Director is authorized to utilize hiring authorities under 
section 3372 of title 5, United States Code, to staff the 
Foundation with employees from other Federal agencies, 
State and local governments, Indian Tribes and Tribal or-
ganizations, institutions of higher education, and other or-
ganizations, as described in that section, in the same man-
ner and subject to the same conditions, that apply to such 
individuals utilized to accomplish other missions of the 
Foundation. 
(d) NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRA-
TION.— 
(1) STUDY.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this division, the Director shall 
contract with the National Academy of Public Ad-
ministration to conduct a study on the organizational 
and management structure of the Foundation, to— 
(A) evaluate and make recommendations to 
efficiently and effectively implement the Direc-
torate for Technology and Innovation; 
(B) evaluate and make recommendations to 
ensure coordination of the Directorate for Tech-
nology and Innovation with other directorates
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and offices of the Foundation and other Federal 
agencies; and 
(C) make recommendations for the manage-
ment of the Foundation’s business and personnel 
practices, including implementation of the new 
hiring authorities and program director authori-
ties provided in this section and section 2103. 
(2) REVIEW.—Upon completion of the study 
under paragraph (1), the Foundation shall review the 
recommendations from the National Academy of Pub-
lic Administration and provide a briefing to Congress 
on the plans of the Foundation to implement any 
such recommendations. 
SEC. 2205. ADVANCED TECHNOLOGICAL MANUFACTURING 
ACT. 
(a) FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.—Section 2 of the Sci-
entific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
1862h) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘science, 
mathematics, and technology’’ and inserting 
‘‘science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics or STEM’’; 
(B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘edu-
cated’’ and before ‘‘trained’’; and
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(C) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘scientific 
and technical education and training’’ and in-
serting ‘‘STEM education and training’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘mathe-
matics and science’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM 
fields’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘mathe-
matics and science instruction’’ and inserting 
‘‘STEM instruction’’. 
(b) MODERNIZING REFERENCES TO STEM.—Section 
3 of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 
(42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended— 
(1) in the section heading, by striking ‘‘SCI-
ENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ’’ and in-
serting ‘‘STEM EDUCATION’’; 
(2) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION ’’ and 
inserting ‘‘STEM EDUCATION’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph 
(1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘and education to pre-
pare the skilled technical workforce to meet
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† HR 4521 EAS 
workforce demands’’ before ‘‘, and to im-
prove’’; 
(ii) by striking ‘‘core education courses 
in science and mathematics’’ and inserting 
‘‘core education courses in STEM fields’’; 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘veterans and indi-
viduals engaged in’’ before ‘‘work in the 
home’’; and 
(iv) by inserting ‘‘and on building a 
pathway from secondary schools, to asso-
ciate-degree-granting institutions, to careers 
that require technical training’’ before ‘‘, 
and shall be designed’’; 
(C) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by inserting ‘‘and study’’ after ‘‘de-
velopment’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘core science and 
mathematics courses’’ and inserting ‘‘core 
STEM courses’’; 
(D) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘science, 
mathematics, and advanced-technology fields’’ 
and inserting ‘‘STEM and advanced-technology 
fields’’; 
(E) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ‘‘to 
support the advanced-technology industries that
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† HR 4521 EAS 
drive the competitiveness of the United States in 
the global economy’’ before the semicolon at the 
end; 
(F) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘scientific 
and advanced-technology fields’’ and inserting 
‘‘STEM and advanced-technology fields’’; and 
(G) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘ad-
vanced scientific and technical education’’ and 
inserting ‘‘advanced STEM and advanced-tech-
nology’’; 
(3) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking the subsection heading and 
inserting the following: ‘‘CENTERS
OF
SCI-
ENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.—’’; 
(B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘not to exceed 12 in number’’ and 
inserting ‘‘in advanced-technology fields’’; 
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘edu-
cation in mathematics and science’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘STEM education’’; and 
(D) in the flush matter following paragraph 
(2), by striking ‘‘in the geographic region served 
by the center’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in the matter preceding clause 
(i), by striking ‘‘to encourage’’ and all 
that follows through ‘‘such means as— 
’’ and inserting ‘‘to encourage the de-
velopment of career and educational 
pathways with multiple entry and exit 
points leading to credentials and de-
grees, and to assist students pursuing 
pathways in STEM fields to transition 
from associate-degree-granting colleges 
to 
bachelor-degree-granting 
institu-
tions, through such means as—’’; 
(II) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘to 
ensure’’ and inserting ‘‘to develop ar-
ticulation agreements that ensure’’; 
and 
(III) in clause (ii), by striking 
‘‘courses at the bachelor-degree-grant-
ing institution’’ and inserting ‘‘the ca-
reer and educational pathways sup-
ported by the articulation agreements’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(I) in clause (i), by inserting 
‘‘veterans and individuals engaged in’’ 
before ‘‘work in the home’’; 
(II) in clause (iii)— 
(aa) by striking ‘‘bachelor’s- 
degree-granting institutions’’ and 
inserting ‘‘institutions or work 
sites’’; and 
(bb) by inserting ‘‘or indus-
try internships’’ after ‘‘summer 
programs’’; and 
(III) by striking the flush text fol-
lowing clause (iv); and 
(iii) by striking subparagraph (C); 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘mathematics and 
science programs’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM 
programs’’; 
(ii) by inserting ‘‘and, as appropriate, 
elementary schools,’’ after ‘‘with secondary 
schools’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘mathematics and 
science education’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM 
education’’;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(iv) by striking ‘‘secondary school stu-
dents’’ and inserting ‘‘students at these 
schools’’; 
(v) by striking ‘‘science and advanced- 
technology fields’’ and inserting ‘‘STEM 
and advanced-technology fields’’; and 
(vi) by striking ‘‘agreements with local 
educational agencies’’ and inserting ‘‘ar-
ticulation agreements or dual credit courses 
with local secondary schools, or other means 
as the Director determines appropriate,’’; 
and 
(C) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) by striking subparagraph (B); 
(ii) by striking ‘‘shall—’’and all that 
follows through ‘‘establish a’’ and inserting 
‘‘shall establish a’’; 
(iii) by striking ‘‘the fields of science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics’’ 
and inserting ‘‘STEM fields’’; and 
(iv) by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
‘‘, including jobs at Federal and academic 
laboratories.’’; 
(5) in subsection (d)(2)—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(F) as appropriate, applications that 
apply the best practices for STEM education and 
technical skills education through distance learn-
ing or in a simulated work environment, as de-
termined by research described in subsection (f); 
and’’; 
(6) in subsection (g), by striking the second sen-
tence; 
(7) in subsection (h)(1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘2022’’ and inserting ‘‘2026’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘2022’’ and inserting ‘‘2026’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘up to $2,500,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘not less than $3,000,000’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘2022’’ and inserting 
‘‘2026’’; 
(8) in subsection (i)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (3); and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and 
(5) as paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and 
(9) in subsection (j)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(1) the term advanced-technology includes tech-
nological fields such as advanced manufacturing, ag-
ricultural-, biological- and chemical-technologies, en-
ergy and environmental technologies, engineering 
technologies, information technologies, micro and 
nano-technologies, 
cybersecurity 
technologies, 
geospatial technologies, and new, emerging technology 
areas;’’; 
(B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘separate 
bachelor-degree-granting institutions’’ and in-
serting ‘‘other entities’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (7); 
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and 
(9) as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; 
(E) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(F) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by 
subparagraph (D)—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(i) by striking ‘‘mathematics, science, 
engineering, or technology’’ and inserting 
‘‘science, technology, engineering, or mathe-
matics’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(G) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) the term skilled technical workforce means 
workers— 
‘‘(A) in occupations that use significant lev-
els of science and engineering expertise and tech-
nical knowledge; and 
‘‘(B) whose level of educational attainment 
is less than a bachelor degree.’’. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 5 
of the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 
U.S.C. 1862j) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to the Direc-
tor (from sums otherwise authorized to be appropriated for 
the Foundation) for carrying out sections 2 through 4, 
$150,000,000 for fiscal years 2022 through 2026.’’.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2206. INTRAMURAL EMERGING INSTITUTIONS PILOT 
PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall conduct 
multiple pilot programs within the Foundation to expand 
the number of institutions of higher education (including 
such institutions that are community colleges), and other 
eligible entities that the Director determines appropriate, 
that are able to successfully compete for Foundation grants. 
(b) COMPONENTS.—Each pilot program described in 
subsection (a) shall include at least 1 of the following ele-
ments: 
(1) A mentorship program. 
(2) Grant writing technical assistance. 
(3) Targeted outreach, including to a minority- 
serving institution (including a historically Black col-
lege or university, a Tribal college or university, or 
a Hispanic-serving institution or an institution of 
higher education with an established STEM capacity 
building program focused on traditionally underrep-
resented populations in STEM, including Native Ha-
waiians, Alaska Natives, and Indians). 
(4) Programmatic support or solutions for insti-
tutions or entities that do not have an experienced 
grant management office.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(5) An increase in the number of grant reviewers 
from institutions of higher education that have not 
traditionally received funds from the Foundation. 
(6) An increase of the term and funding, for a 
period of 3 years or less, as appropriate, to a prin-
cipal investigator that is a first-time grant awardee, 
when paired with regular mentoring on the adminis-
trative aspects of grant management. 
(c) LIMITATION.—As appropriate, each pilot program 
described in subsection (a) shall work to reduce administra-
tive burdens. 
(d) AGENCY-WIDE PROGRAMS.—Not later than 5 years 
after the date of enactment of this division, the Director 
shall— 
(1) review the results of the pilot programs de-
scribed in subsection (a); and 
(2) develop agency-wide best practices from the 
pilot programs for implementation across the Foun-
dation, in order to fulfill the requirement under sec-
tion 3(e) of the National Science Foundation Act of 
1950 (42 U.S.C. 1862(e)). 
SEC. 2207. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall pursue partner-
ships with private industry, private foundations, or other 
appropriate private entities to—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) enhance the impact of the Foundation’s in-
vestments and contributions to the United States eco-
nomic competitiveness and security; and 
(2) make available infrastructure, expertise, and 
financial resources to the United States scientific and 
engineering research and education enterprise. 
(b) MERIT REVIEW.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as altering any intellectual or broader impacts 
criteria at the Foundation for evaluating grant applica-
tions. 
SEC. 2208. AI SCHOLARSHIP-FOR-SERVICE ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.—The term ‘‘arti-
ficial intelligence’’ or ‘‘AI’’ has the meaning given the 
term ‘‘artificial intelligence’’ in section 238(g) of the 
John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note). 
(2) EXECUTIVE
AGENCY.—The term ‘‘executive 
agency’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘Executive 
agency’’ in section 105 of title 5, United States Code. 
(3) REGISTERED INTERNSHIP.—The term ‘‘reg-
istered internship’’ means a Federal Registered In-
ternship Program coordinated through the Depart-
ment of Labor.
169 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in coordination with 
the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, the Di-
rector of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, and the heads of other agencies with appropriate 
scientific knowledge, shall establish a Federal artificial in-
telligence scholarship-for-service program (referred to in 
this section as the Federal AI Scholarship-for-Service Pro-
gram) to recruit and train artificial intelligence profes-
sionals to lead and support the application of artificial in-
telligence to the missions of Federal, State, local, and Tribal 
governments. 
(c) QUALIFIED
INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The Director, in coordination with the heads of 
other agencies with appropriate scientific knowledge, shall 
establish criteria to designate qualified institutions of high-
er education that shall be eligible to participate in the Fed-
eral AI Scholarship-for-Service program. Such criteria 
shall include— 
(1) measures of the institution’s demonstrated 
excellence in the education of students in the field of 
artificial intelligence; and 
(2) measures of the institution’s ability to at-
tract and retain a diverse and non-traditional stu-
dent population in the fields of science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics, which may include the
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ability to attract women, minorities, and individuals 
with disabilities. 
(d) PROGRAM DESCRIPTION AND COMPONENTS.—The 
Federal AI Scholarship-for-Service Program shall— 
(1) provide scholarships through qualified insti-
tutions of higher education to students who are en-
rolled in programs of study at institutions of higher 
education leading to degrees or concentrations in or 
related to the artificial intelligence field; 
(2) provide the scholarship recipients with sum-
mer internship opportunities, registered internships, 
or other meaningful temporary appointments in the 
Federal workforce focusing on AI projects or research; 
(3) prioritize the employment placement of schol-
arship recipients in executive agencies; 
(4) identify opportunities to promote multi-dis-
ciplinary programs of study that integrate basic or 
advanced AI training with other fields of study, in-
cluding those that address the social, economic, legal, 
and ethical implications of human interaction with 
AI systems; and 
(5) support capacity-building education research 
programs that will enable postsecondary educational 
institutions to expand their ability to train the next-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
generation AI workforce, including AI researchers and 
practitioners. 
(e) SCHOLARSHIP AMOUNTS.—Each scholarship under 
subsection (d) shall be in an amount that covers the stu-
dent’s tuition and fees at the institution for not more than 
3 years and provides the student with an additional sti-
pend. 
(f) POST-AWARD EMPLOYMENT OBLIGATIONS.—Each 
scholarship recipient, as a condition of receiving a scholar-
ship under the program, shall enter into an agreement 
under which the recipient agrees to work for a period equal 
to the length of the scholarship, following receipt of the stu-
dent’s degree, in the AI mission of— 
(1) an executive agency; 
(2) Congress, including any agency, entity, of-
fice, or commission established in the legislative 
branch; 
(3) an interstate agency; 
(4) a State, local, or Tribal government, which 
may include instruction in AI-related skill sets in a 
public school system; or 
(5) a State, local, or Tribal government-affiliated 
nonprofit entity that is considered to be critical infra-
structure (as defined in section 1016(e) of the USA 
Patriot Act (42 U.S.C. 5195c(e))).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(g) HIRING AUTHORITY.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT IN EXCEPTED SERVICE.—Not-
withstanding any provision of chapter 33 of title 5, 
United States Code, governing appointments in the 
competitive service, an executive agency may appoint 
an individual who has completed the eligible degree 
program for which a scholarship was awarded to a 
position in the excepted service in the executive agen-
cy. 
(2) NONCOMPETITIVE
CONVERSION.—Except as 
provided in paragraph (4), upon fulfillment of the 
service term, an employee appointed under paragraph 
(1) may be converted noncompetitively to term, ca-
reer-conditional, or career appointment. 
(3) TIMING OF CONVERSION.—An executive agen-
cy may noncompetitively convert a term employee ap-
pointed under paragraph (2) to a career-conditional 
or career appointment before the term appointment 
expires. 
(4) AUTHORITY TO DECLINE CONVERSION.—An 
executive agency may decline to make the noncompeti-
tive conversion or appointment under paragraph (2) 
for cause. 
(h) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a scholar-
ship under this section, an individual shall—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of 
the United States; 
(2) demonstrate a commitment to a career in ad-
vancing the field of AI; 
(3) be— 
(A) a full-time student in an eligible degree 
program at a qualified institution of higher edu-
cation, as determined by the Director; 
(B) a student pursuing a degree on a less 
than full-time basis, but not less than half-time 
basis; or 
(C) an AI faculty member on sabbatical to 
advance knowledge in the field; and 
(4) accept the terms of a scholarship under this 
section. 
(i) CONDITIONS OF SUPPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving a 
scholarship under this section, a recipient shall agree 
to provide the qualified institution of higher edu-
cation with annual verifiable documentation of post- 
award employment and up-to-date contact informa-
tion. 
(2) TERMS.—A scholarship recipient under this 
section shall be liable to the United States as provided 
in subsection (k) if the individual—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(A) fails to maintain an acceptable level of 
academic standing at the applicable institution 
of higher education, as determined by the Direc-
tor; 
(B) is dismissed from the applicable institu-
tion of higher education for disciplinary reasons; 
(C) withdraws from the eligible degree pro-
gram before completing the program; 
(D) declares that the individual does not in-
tend to fulfill the post-award employment obliga-
tion under this section; or 
(E) fails to fulfill the post-award employ-
ment obligation of the individual under this sec-
tion. 
(j) MONITORING COMPLIANCE.—As a condition of par-
ticipating in the program, a qualified institution of higher 
education shall— 
(1) enter into an agreement with the Director to 
monitor the compliance of scholarship recipients with 
respect to their post-award employment obligations; 
and 
(2) provide to the Director, on an annual basis, 
the post-award employment documentation required 
under subsection (i) for scholarship recipients through
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† HR 4521 EAS 
the completion of their post-award employment obli-
gations. 
(k) AMOUNT OF REPAYMENT.— 
(1) LESS THAN 1 YEAR OF SERVICE.—If a cir-
cumstance described in subsection (i)(2) occurs before 
the completion of 1 year of a post-award employment 
obligation under this section, the total amount of 
scholarship awards received by the individual under 
this section shall— 
(A) be repaid; or 
(B) be treated as a loan to be repaid in ac-
cordance with subsection (l). 
(2) 1 OR MORE YEARS OF SERVICE.—If a cir-
cumstance described in subparagraph (D) or (E) of 
subsection (i)(2) occurs after the completion of 1 or 
more years of a post-award employment obligation 
under this section, the total amount of scholarship 
awards received by the individual under this section, 
reduced by the ratio of the number of years of service 
completed divided by the number of years of service 
required, shall— 
(A) be repaid; or 
(B) be treated as a loan to be repaid in ac-
cordance with subsection (l).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(l) REPAYMENTS.—A loan described in subsection (k) 
shall— 
(1) be treated as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized 
Stafford Loan under part D of title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.); and 
(2) be subject to repayment, together with inter-
est thereon accruing from the date of the scholarship 
award, in accordance with terms and conditions spec-
ified by the Director (in consultation with the Sec-
retary of Education). 
(m) COLLECTION OF REPAYMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In the event that a scholar-
ship recipient is required to repay the scholarship 
award under this section, the qualified institution of 
higher education providing the scholarship shall— 
(A) determine the repayment amounts and 
notify the recipient and the Director of the 
amounts owed; and 
(B) collect the repayment amounts within a 
period of time as determined by the Director, or 
the repayment amounts shall be treated as a loan 
in accordance with subsection (l). 
(2) RETURNED TO TREASURY.—Except as pro-
vided in paragraph (3), any repayment under this
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† HR 4521 EAS 
subsection shall be returned to the Treasury of the 
United States. 
(3) RETAIN PERCENTAGE.—A qualified institu-
tion of higher education may retain a percentage of 
any repayment the institution collects under this sub-
section to defray administrative costs associated with 
the collection. The Director shall establish a fixed per-
centage that will apply to all eligible entities, and 
may update this percentage as needed, in the deter-
mination of the Director. 
(n) EXCEPTIONS.—The Director may provide for the 
partial or total waiver or suspension of any service or pay-
ment obligation by an individual under this section when-
ever compliance by the individual with the obligation is im-
possible or would involve extreme hardship to the indi-
vidual, or if enforcement of such obligation with respect to 
the individual would be unconscionable. 
(o) PUBLIC INFORMATION.— 
(1) EVALUATION.—The Director, in coordination 
with the Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment, shall annually evaluate and make public, in a 
manner that protects the personally identifiable infor-
mation of scholarship recipients, information on the 
success of recruiting individuals for scholarships 
under this section and on hiring and retaining those
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† HR 4521 EAS 
individuals in the public sector AI workforce, includ-
ing information on— 
(A) placement rates; 
(B) where students are placed, including job 
titles and descriptions; 
(C) salary ranges for students not released 
from obligations under this section; 
(D) how long after graduation students are 
placed; 
(E) how long students stay in the positions 
they enter upon graduation; 
(F) how many students are released from 
obligations; and 
(G) what, if any, remedial training is re-
quired. 
(2) REPORTS.—The Director, in coordination 
with the Office of Personnel Management, shall sub-
mit, not less frequently than once every 3 years, to the 
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committee on 
Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives 
a report, including the results of the evaluation under
179 
† HR 4521 EAS 
paragraph (1) and any recent statistics regarding the 
size, composition, and educational requirements of the 
Federal AI workforce. 
(3) RESOURCES.—The Director, in coordination 
with the Director of the Office of Personnel Manage-
ment, shall provide consolidated and user-friendly on-
line resources for prospective scholarship recipients, 
including, to the extent practicable— 
(A) searchable, up-to-date, and accurate in-
formation about participating institutions of 
higher education and job opportunities related to 
the AI field; and 
(B) a modernized description of AI careers. 
(p) REFRESH.—Not less than once every 2 years, the 
Director, in coordination with the Director of the Office of 
Personnel Management, shall review and update the Fed-
eral AI Scholarship-for-Service Program to reflect advances 
in technology. 
SEC. 2209. GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY. 
(a) DIRECTORATE.—The Director shall use not less 
than 20 percent of the funds provided to the Directorate, 
for each fiscal year, to carry out the program under section 
113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act 
of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g) for the purposes of carrying out 
sections 2104, 2106, 2107, 2108, and 2109 of this Act.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(b) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—The Director 
shall use not less than 20 percent of the funds provided to 
the Foundation, for each fiscal year, to carry out the pro-
gram under section 113 of the National Science Foundation 
Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g). 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.—The Secretary of En-
ergy shall use not less than 20 percent of the funds provided 
to the Department of Energy under section 2117 for each 
fiscal year to carry out the program under section 
2203(b)(3) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
13503(b)(3)). 
(d) CONSORTIA.—In the case of an award to a consor-
tium under this division, the Director may count the entire 
award toward meeting the funding requirements of this sec-
tion if the lead entity of the consortium is located in a juris-
diction that is eligible to participate in the program under 
section 113 of the National Science Foundation Authoriza-
tion Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g). In the case of an award 
to a consortium under this division, the Secretary may 
count the entire award toward meeting the funding require-
ments of this section if the lead entity of the consortium 
is located in a jurisdiction that is eligible to participate 
in the program under section 2203(b)(3) of the Energy Pol-
icy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 13503(b)(3)).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2210. RURAL STEM EDUCATION ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) FEDERAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘Federal 
laboratory’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703). 
(2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
(3) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 2 of the America COM-
PETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 
note). 
(4) STEM EDUCATION.—The term ‘‘STEM edu-
cation’’ has the meaning given the term in section 2 
of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 
note). 
(b) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RURAL STEM 
ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) PREPARING RURAL STEM EDUCATORS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall pro-
vide grants on a merit-reviewed, competitive 
basis to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or a consortium thereof) for 
research and development to advance innovative
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approaches to support and sustain high-quality 
STEM teaching in rural schools. 
(B) USE OF FUNDS.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—Grants awarded 
under this paragraph shall be used for the 
research and development activities referred 
to in subparagraph (A), which may in-
clude— 
(I) engaging rural educators of 
students in prekindergarten through 
grade 12 in professional learning op-
portunities to enhance STEM knowl-
edge, including computer science, and 
develop best practices; 
(II) supporting research on effec-
tive STEM teaching practices in rural 
settings, including the use of rubrics 
and mastery-based grading practices to 
assess student performance when em-
ploying the transdisciplinary teaching 
approach for STEM disciplines; 
(III) designing and developing 
pre-service and in-service training re-
sources to assist such rural educators
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† HR 4521 EAS 
in adopting transdisciplinary teaching 
practices across STEM courses; 
(IV) coordinating with local part-
ners to adapt STEM teaching practices 
to leverage local, natural, and commu-
nity assets in order to support in-place 
learning in rural areas; 
(V) providing hands-on training 
and research opportunities for rural 
educators described in subclause (I) at 
Federal laboratories or institutions of 
higher education, or in industry; 
(VI) developing training and best 
practices for educators who teach mul-
tiple grade levels within a STEM dis-
cipline; 
(VII) designing and implementing 
professional development courses and 
experiences, including mentoring, for 
rural educators described in subclause 
(I) that combine face-to-face and online 
experiences; and 
(VIII) any other activity the Di-
rector determines will accomplish the 
goals of this paragraph.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(ii) RURAL
STEM
COLLABORATIVE.— 
The Director shall establish a pilot program 
of regional cohorts in rural areas that will 
provide 
peer 
support, 
mentoring, 
and 
hands-on research experiences for rural 
STEM educators of students in prekinder-
garten through grade 12, in order to build 
an ecosystem of cooperation among edu-
cators, researchers, academia, and local in-
dustry. 
(2) BROADENING PARTICIPATION OF RURAL STU-
DENTS IN STEM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall pro-
vide grants on a merit-reviewed, competitive 
basis to institutions of higher education or non-
profit organizations (or a consortium thereof) 
for— 
(i) research and development of pro-
gramming to identify the barriers rural stu-
dents face in accessing high-quality STEM 
education; and 
(ii) development of innovative solutions 
to improve the participation and advance-
ment of rural students in prekindergarten 
through grade 12 in STEM studies.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(X) any other activity the Direc-
tor determines will accomplish the 
goals of this paragraph. 
(3) APPLICATION.—An applicant seeking a grant 
under paragraph (1) or (2) shall submit an applica-
tion at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Director may require. The 
application may include the following: 
(A) A description of the target population 
to be served by the research activity or activities 
for which such grant is sought. 
(B) A description of the process for recruit-
ment and selection of students, educators, or 
schools from rural areas to participate in such 
activity or activities. 
(C) A description of how such activity or 
activities may inform efforts to promote the en-
gagement and achievement of rural students in 
prekindergarten through grade 12 in STEM 
studies. 
(D) In the case of a proposal consisting of 
a partnership or partnerships with one or more 
rural schools and one or more researchers, a plan 
for establishing a sustained partnership that is 
jointly developed and managed, draws from the
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† HR 4521 EAS 
capacities of each partner, and is mutually bene-
ficial. 
(4) PARTNERSHIPS.—In awarding grants under 
paragraph (1) or (2), the Director shall— 
(A) encourage applicants which, for the 
purpose of the activity or activities funded 
through the grant, include or partner with a 
nonprofit organization or an institution of high-
er education (or a consortium thereof) that has 
extensive experience and expertise in increasing 
the participation of rural students in prekinder-
garten through grade 12 in STEM; and 
(B) encourage applicants which, for the 
purpose of the activity or activities funded 
through the grant, include or partner with a con-
sortium of rural schools or rural school districts. 
(5) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for grants 
under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall include an eval-
uation plan that includes the use of outcome-oriented 
measures to assess the impact and efficacy of the 
grant. Each recipient of a grant under this subsection 
shall include results from these evaluative activities in 
annual and final projects. 
(6) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(A) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Director 
shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded 
under paragraphs (1) and (2). Such evaluation 
shall— 
(i) assess the results of research con-
ducted under such grants and identify best 
practices; and 
(ii) to the extent practicable, integrate 
the findings of research resulting from the 
activity or activities funded through such 
grants with the findings of other research on 
rural students’ pursuit of degrees or careers 
in STEM. 
(B) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later 
than 180 days after the completion of the evalua-
tion under subparagraph (A), the Director shall 
submit to Congress and make widely available to 
the public a report that includes— 
(i) the results of the evaluation; and 
(ii) any recommendations for adminis-
trative and legislative action that could op-
timize the effectiveness of the grants award-
ed under this subsection. 
(7) REPORT BY COMMITTEE ON EQUAL OPPORTU-
NITIES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING.—As part of
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† HR 4521 EAS 
the first report required by section 36(e) of the 
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885c(e)) transmitted to Congress after the 
date of enactment of this division, the Committee on 
Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering 
shall include— 
(A) a description of past and present poli-
cies and activities of the Foundation to encour-
age full participation of students in rural com-
munities in science, mathematics, engineering, 
and computer science fields; and 
(B) an assessment of the policies and activi-
ties of the Foundation, along with proposals for 
new strategies or the broadening of existing suc-
cessful strategies towards facilitating the goal of 
increasing participation of rural students in 
prekindergarten through grade 12 in Foundation 
activities. 
(8) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Director shall, for purposes of enhancing 
program effectiveness and avoiding duplication of ac-
tivities, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the 
programs and policies of other relevant Federal agen-
cies. 
(c) OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE EDUCATION.—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Director shall award 
competitive grants to institutions of higher education 
or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof, 
which may include a private sector partner) to con-
duct research on online STEM education courses for 
rural communities. 
(2) RESEARCH AREAS.—The research areas eligi-
ble for funding under this subsection shall include— 
(A) evaluating the learning and achieve-
ment of rural students in prekindergarten 
through grade 12 in STEM subjects; 
(B) understanding how computer-based and 
online professional development courses and 
mentor experiences can be integrated to meet the 
needs of educators of rural students in prekinder-
garten through grade 12; 
(C) combining computer-based and online 
STEM education and training with apprentice-
ships, mentoring, or other applied learning ar-
rangements; 
(D) leveraging online programs to supple-
ment STEM studies for rural students that need 
physical and academic accommodation; and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(E) any other activity the Director deter-
mines will accomplish the goals of this sub-
section. 
(3) EVALUATIONS.—All proposals for grants 
under this subsection shall include an evaluation plan 
that includes the use of outcome-oriented measures to 
assess the impact and efficacy of the grant. Each re-
cipient of a grant under this subsection shall include 
results from these evaluative activities in annual and 
final projects. 
(4) ACCOUNTABILITY AND DISSEMINATION.— 
(A) EVALUATION REQUIRED.—The Director 
shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded 
under this subsection. Such evaluation shall— 
(i) use a common set of benchmarks 
and tools to assess the results of research 
conducted under such grants and identify 
best practices; and 
(ii) to the extent practicable, integrate 
findings from activities carried out pursu-
ant to research conducted under this sub-
section, with respect to the pursuit of ca-
reers and degrees in STEM, with those ac-
tivities carried out pursuant to other re-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
search on serving rural students and com-
munities. 
(B) REPORT ON EVALUATIONS.—Not later 
than 180 days after the completion of the evalua-
tion under subparagraph (A), the Director shall 
submit to Congress and make widely available to 
the public a report that includes— 
(i) the results of the evaluation; and 
(ii) any recommendations for adminis-
trative and legislative action that could op-
timize the effectiveness of the grants award-
ed under this subsection. 
(5) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Director shall, for purposes of enhancing 
program effectiveness and avoiding duplication of ac-
tivities, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the 
programs and policies of other relevant Federal agen-
cies. 
(d) NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEER-
ING, AND MEDICINE EVALUATION.— 
(1) STUDY.—Not later than 12 months after the 
date of enactment of this division, the Director shall 
enter into an agreement with the National Academies 
of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine under which
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† HR 4521 EAS 
the National Academies agree to conduct an evalua-
tion and assessment that— 
(A) evaluates the quality and quantity of 
current Federal programming and research di-
rected at examining STEM education for stu-
dents in prekindergarten through grade 12 and 
workforce development in rural areas; 
(B) in coordination with the Federal Com-
munications Commission, assesses the impact 
that the scarcity of broadband connectivity in 
rural communities, and the affordability of 
broadband connectivity, have on STEM and 
technical literacy for students in prekindergarten 
through grade 12 in rural areas; 
(C) assesses the core research and data need-
ed to understand the challenges rural areas are 
facing in providing quality STEM education 
and workforce development; 
(D) makes recommendations for action at 
the Federal, State, and local levels for improving 
STEM education, including online STEM edu-
cation, for students in prekindergarten through 
grade 12 and workforce development in rural 
areas; and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(E) makes recommendations to inform the 
implementation of programs in subsections (a), 
(b), and (c). 
(2) REPORT TO DIRECTOR.—The agreement en-
tered into under paragraph (1) shall require the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi-
cine, not later than 24 months after the date of enact-
ment of this division, to submit to the Director a re-
port on the study conducted under such paragraph, 
including the National Academies’ findings and rec-
ommendations. 
(e) GAO REVIEW.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of enactment of this division, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall conduct a study on the engage-
ment of rural populations in Federal STEM programs and 
submit to Congress a report that includes— 
(1) an assessment of how Federal STEM edu-
cation programs are serving rural populations; 
(2) a description of initiatives carried out by 
Federal agencies that are targeted at supporting 
STEM education in rural areas; 
(3) an assessment of what is known about the 
impact and effectiveness of Federal investments in 
STEM education programs that are targeted to rural 
areas; and
196 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(4) an assessment of challenges that State and 
Federal STEM education programs face in reaching 
rural population centers. 
(f) CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH EPSCOR.—Section 
517(f)(2) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act 
of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p–9(f)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) to increase the capacity of rural com-
munities to provide quality STEM education 
and STEM workforce development programming 
to students and teachers; and’’. 
(g) NIST ENGAGEMENT
WITH
RURAL
COMMU-
NITIES.— 
(1) MEP OUTREACH.—Section 25 of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
U.S.C. 278k) is amended— 
(A) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘com-
munity colleges and area career and tech-
nical education schools’’ and inserting the 
following: ‘‘secondary schools (as defined in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
197 
† HR 4521 EAS 
7801)), community colleges, and area career 
and technical education schools, including 
those in underserved and rural commu-
nities,’’; and 
(ii) in paragraph (7)— 
(I) by striking ‘‘and local col-
leges’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘local high schools and local colleges, 
including those in underserved and 
rural communities,’’; and 
(II) by inserting ‘‘or other applied 
learning opportunities’’ after ‘‘appren-
ticeships’’; and 
(B) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ‘‘, com-
munity colleges, and area career and technical 
education schools,’’ and inserting the following: 
‘‘and local high schools, community colleges, and 
area career and technical education schools, in-
cluding those in underserved and rural commu-
nities,’’. 
(2) RURAL
CONNECTIVITY
PRIZE
COMPETI-
TION.— 
(A) PRIZE COMPETITION.—Pursuant to sec-
tion 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology In-
novation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Sec-
198 
† HR 4521 EAS 
retary of Commerce shall carry out a program to 
award prizes competitively to stimulate research 
and development of creative technologies to sup-
port the deployment of affordable and reliable 
broadband connectivity in rural communities, 
including unserved rural communities. 
(B) PLAN FOR DEPLOYMENT IN RURAL COM-
MUNITIES.—Each proposal submitted pursuant 
to subparagraph (A) shall include a proposed 
plan for deployment of the technology that is the 
subject of such proposal. 
(C) PRIZE AMOUNT.—In carrying out the 
program under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 
may award not more than a total of $5,000,000 
to one or more winners of the prize competition. 
(D) REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date on which a prize is awarded under the 
prize competition, the Secretary shall submit to 
the relevant committees of Congress a report that 
describes the winning proposal of the prize com-
petition. 
(E) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the 
program under this paragraph, the Secretary 
shall consult with the Federal Communications
199 
† HR 4521 EAS 
Commission and the heads of relevant depart-
ments and agencies of the Federal Government. 
SEC. 2211. QUANTUM NETWORK INFRASTRUCTURE AND 
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) ESEA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘‘elementary 
school’’, ‘‘high school’’, ‘‘local educational agency’’, 
and ‘‘secondary school’’ have the meanings given those 
terms in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 
(2) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 
The term ‘‘appropriate committees of Congress’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Na-
tional Quantum Initiative Act (15 U.S.C. 8801). 
(3) INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.—The term 
‘‘Interagency Working Group’’ means the QIS Work-
force Working Group under the Subcommittee on 
Quantum Information Science of the National 
Science and Technology Council. 
(4) Q2WORK
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Q2Work 
Program’’ means the Q2Work Program supported by 
the Foundation. 
(5) QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE.—The term 
‘‘quantum information science’’ has the meaning
200 
† HR 4521 EAS 
given such term in section 2 of the National Quantum 
Initiative Act (15 U.S.C. 8801). 
(6) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 2 of the America COM-
PETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 
note). 
(b) QUANTUM NETWORKING WORKING GROUP REPORT 
ON QUANTUM NETWORKING AND COMMUNICATIONS.— 
(1) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the 
date of the enactment of this division, the Quantum 
Networking Working Group within the Subcommittee 
on Quantum Information Science of the National 
Science and Technology Council shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report detailing 
a plan for the advancement of quantum networking 
and communications technology in the United States, 
building on A Strategic Vision for America’s Quan-
tum Networks and A Coordinated Approach for 
Quantum Networking Research. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The report under para-
graph (1) shall include— 
(A) a framework for interagency collabora-
tion on the advancement of quantum networking 
and communications research;
201 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) a plan for interagency collaboration on 
the development and drafting of international 
standards for quantum communications tech-
nology, including standards relating to— 
(i) quantum cryptography and post- 
quantum classical cryptography; 
(ii) network security; 
(iii) quantum network infrastructure; 
(iv) transmission of quantum informa-
tion through optical fiber networks; and 
(v) any other technologies considered 
appropriate by the Working Group; 
(C) a proposal for the protection of national 
security interests relating to the advancement of 
quantum networking and communications tech-
nology; 
(D) recommendations to Congress for legis-
lative action relating to the framework, plan, 
and proposal set forth pursuant to subpara-
graphs (A), (B), and (C), respectively; and 
(E) such other matters as the Working 
Group considers necessary to advance the secu-
rity of communications and network infrastruc-
ture, remain at the forefront of scientific dis-
covery in the quantum information science do-
202 
† HR 4521 EAS 
main, and transition quantum information 
science research into the emerging quantum tech-
nology economy. 
(c) QUANTUM NETWORKING
AND COMMUNICATIONS 
RESEARCH.— 
(1) RESEARCH.—The Under Secretary of Com-
merce for Standards and Technology shall carry out 
research to facilitate the development and standard-
ization of quantum networking and communications 
technologies and applications, including research on 
the following: 
(A) Quantum cryptography and post-quan-
tum classical cryptography. 
(B) Quantum repeater technology. 
(C) Quantum network traffic management. 
(D) Quantum transduction. 
(E) 
Long 
baseline 
entanglement 
and 
teleportation. 
(F) Such other technologies, processes, or 
applications as the Under Secretary considers 
appropriate. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Under Secretary 
shall carry out the research required by paragraph 
(1) through such divisions, laboratories, offices and 
programs of the National Institute of Standards and
203 
† HR 4521 EAS 
Technology as the Under Secretary considers appro-
priate and actively engaged in activities relating to 
quantum information science. 
(3) DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS.—For quan-
tum technologies deemed by the Under Secretary to be 
at a readiness level sufficient for standardization, the 
Under Secretary shall provide technical review and 
assistance to such other Federal agencies as the Under 
Secretary considers appropriate for the development 
of quantum network infrastructure standards. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to the Scientific and Technical Re-
search and Services account of the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology to carry out 
this subsection $10,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026. 
(B) SUPPLEMENT, 
NOT
SUPPLANT.—The 
amounts authorized to be appropriated under 
subparagraph (A) shall supplement and not sup-
plant amounts already appropriated to the ac-
count described in such subparagraph. 
(d) QUANTUM WORKFORCE EVALUATION AND ACCEL-
ERATION.—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) IDENTIFICATION OF GAPS.—The Foundation 
shall enter into an agreement with the National Acad-
emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to con-
duct a study of ways to support the next generation 
of quantum leaders. 
(2) SCOPE
OF
STUDY.—In carrying out the 
study described in paragraph (1), the National Acad-
emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall 
identify— 
(A) education gaps, including foundational 
courses in STEM and areas in need of standard-
ization, in elementary school, middle school, high 
school, and higher education curricula, that need 
to be rectified in order to prepare students to 
participate in the quantum workforce; 
(B) the skills and workforce needs of indus-
try, specifically identifying the cross-disciplinary 
academic degrees or academic courses nec-
essary— 
(i) to qualify students for multiple ca-
reer pathways in quantum information 
sciences and related fields; 
(ii) to ensure the United States is com-
petitive in the field of quantum information
205 
† HR 4521 EAS 
science while preserving national security; 
and 
(iii) to support the development of 
quantum applications; and 
(C) the resources and materials needed to 
train elementary, middle, and high school edu-
cators to effectively teach curricula relevant to 
the development of a quantum workforce. 
(3) REPORTS.— 
(A) EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.—Not later than 
2 years after the date of enactment of this divi-
sion, the National Academies of Science, Engi-
neering, and Medicine shall prepare and submit 
to the Foundation, and programs or projects 
funded by the Foundation, an executive sum-
mary of progress regarding the study conducted 
under paragraph (1) that outlines the findings of 
the Academies as of such date. 
(B) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after 
the date of enactment of this division, the Na-
tional Academies of Science, Engineering, and 
Medicine shall prepare and submit a report con-
taining the results of the study conducted under 
paragraph (1) to Congress, the Foundation, and 
programs or projects funded by the Foundation
206 
† HR 4521 EAS 
that are relevant to the acceleration of a quan-
tum workforce. 
(e) 
INCORPORATING
QISE 
INTO
STEM 
CUR-
RICULUM.— 
(1) 
IN
GENERAL.—The 
Foundation 
shall, 
through programs carried out or supported by the 
Foundation, prioritize the better integration of quan-
tum information science and engineering (referred to 
in this subsection as QISE) into the STEM cur-
riculum for each grade level from kindergarten 
through grade 12, and community colleges. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The curriculum integra-
tion under paragraph (1) shall include— 
(A) methods to conceptualize QISE for ele-
mentary, middle, and high school curricula; 
(B) methods for strengthening foundational 
mathematics and science curricula; 
(C) age-appropriate materials that apply 
the principles of quantum information science in 
STEM fields; 
(D) recommendations for the standardiza-
tion of key concepts, definitions, and curriculum 
criteria across government, academia, and in-
dustry; and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(E) materials that specifically address the 
findings and outcomes of the study conducted 
under subsection (d) and strategies to account for 
the skills and workforce needs identified through 
the study. 
(3) COORDINATION.—In carrying out this sub-
section, the Foundation, including the STEM Edu-
cation Advisory Panel and the Advancing Informal 
STEM Learning program and through the Founda-
tion’s role in the National Q–12 Education Partner-
ship and the programs such as the Q2Work Program, 
shall coordinate with the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy, EPSCoR eligible universities, and any 
Federal agencies or working groups determined nec-
essary by the Foundation. 
(4) REVIEW.—In implementing this subsection, 
the Foundation shall support the community expan-
sion of the related report entitled Key Concepts for 
Future QIS Learners (May 2020). 
(f) QUANTUM EDUCATION PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Foundation, through the 
Foundation’s role in the National Q–12 Education 
Partnership and programs such as Q2Work Program, 
and in coordination with the Directorate for Edu-
cation and Human Resources, shall carry out a pilot
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† HR 4521 EAS 
program, to be known as the Next Generation Quan-
tum Leaders Pilot Program, to provide funding for 
the education and training of the next generation of 
students in the fundamental principles of quantum 
mechanics. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pilot 
program required by paragraph (1), the Founda-
tion shall— 
(i) publish a call for applications 
through the National Q–12 Education Part-
nership website (or similar website) for par-
ticipation in the pilot program from ele-
mentary schools, secondary schools, and 
State educational agencies as determined 
appropriate by the Foundation; 
(ii) coordinate with educational service 
agencies, associations that support STEM 
educators or local educational agencies, and 
partnerships through the Q–12 Education 
Partnership, 
to 
encourage 
elementary 
schools, secondary schools, and State edu-
cational agencies to participate in the pro-
gram as determined appropriate by the 
Foundation;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(iii) accept applications in advance of 
the academic year in which the program 
shall begin; and 
(iv) select elementary schools, sec-
ondary schools, and State educational agen-
cies to participate in the program, as deter-
mined appropriate by the Foundation, in 
accordance with qualifications determined 
by the QIS Workforce Working Group, in 
coordination with the National Q–12 Edu-
cation Partnership. 
(B) PRIORITIZATION.—In selecting program 
participants under subparagraph (A)(iv), the 
Director of the Foundation shall give priority to 
elementary schools, secondary schools, and local 
educational agencies located in jurisdictions eli-
gible to participate in the Established Program 
to Stimulate Competitive Research (commonly 
known as EPSCoR), including Tribal and rural 
elementary, middle, and high schools in such ju-
risdictions. 
(3) 
CONSULTATION.—The 
Foundation 
shall 
carry out this subsection in consultation with the QIS 
Workforce Working Group and the Advancing Infor-
mal STEM Learning Program.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(4) REPORTING.— 
(A) REPORT
AND
SELECTED
PARTICI-
PANTS.—Not later than 90 days following the 
closing of the application period under para-
graph (2)(A)(iii), the Director of the Foundation 
shall submit to Congress a report on the edu-
cational institutions selected to participate in 
the pilot program required under paragraph (1), 
specifying the percentage from nontraditional ge-
ographies, including Tribal or rural school dis-
tricts. 
(B) REPORT ON IMPLEMENTATION OF CUR-
RICULUM.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this division, the Director of the 
Foundation shall submit to Congress a report on 
implementation of the curricula and materials 
under the pilot program, including the feasi-
bility and advisability of expanding such pilot 
program to include additional educational insti-
tutions beyond those originally selected to par-
ticipate in the pilot program. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated such funds as 
may be necessary to carry out this subsection.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(6) TERMINATION.—This subsection shall cease 
to have effect on the date that is 3 years after the date 
of the enactment of this division. 
(g) ENERGY SCIENCES NETWORK.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy (re-
ferred to in this subsection as the Secretary), in co-
ordination with the National Science Foundation and 
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 
shall supplement the Energy Sciences Network User 
Facility (referred to in this subsection as the Net-
work) with dedicated quantum network infrastructure 
to advance development of quantum networking and 
communications technology. 
(2) PURPOSE.—The purpose of paragraph (1) is 
to utilize the Network to advance a broad range of 
testing and research, including relating to— 
(A) the establishment of stable, long-baseline 
quantum entanglement and teleportation; 
(B) quantum repeater technologies for long- 
baseline communication purposes; 
(C) quantum transduction; 
(D) the coexistence of quantum and classical 
information;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(E) multiplexing, forward error correction, 
wavelength routing algorithms, and other quan-
tum networking infrastructure; and 
(F) any other technologies or applications 
determined necessary by the Secretary. 
(3) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary to carry out this subsection, $10,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
SEC. 2212. SUPPORTING EARLY-CAREER RESEARCHERS 
ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act’’. 
(b) IN GENERAL.—The Director may establish a 2- 
year pilot program to award grants to highly qualified 
early-career investigators to carry out an independent re-
search program at the institution of higher education or 
participating Federal research facility chosen by such in-
vestigator, to last for a period not greater than 2 years. 
(c) PRIORITY FOR BROADENING PARTICIPATION.—In 
awarding grants under this section, the Director shall give 
priority to— 
(1) early-career investigators who are from 
groups that are underrepresented in science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics research;
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SEC. 2213. ADVANCING PRECISION AGRICULTURE CAPA-
BILITIES ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture Act of 2021’’. 
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to pro-
mote scientific research and development opportunities for 
connected technologies that advance precision agriculture 
capabilities. 
(c) FOUNDATION DIRECTIVE ON AGRICULTURAL SEN-
SOR RESEARCH.—In awarding grants under the sensor sys-
tems and networked systems programs of the Foundation, 
the Director shall include in consideration of portfolio bal-
ance research and development on sensor connectivity in en-
vironments of intermittent connectivity and intermittent 
computation— 
(1) to improve the reliable use of advance sensing 
systems in rural and agricultural areas; and 
(2) that considers— 
(A) direct gateway access for locally stored 
data; 
(B) attenuation of signal transmission; 
(C) loss of signal transmission; and 
(D) at-scale performance for wireless power. 
(d) UPDATING CONSIDERATIONS FOR PRECISION AG-
RICULTURE TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE NSF ADVANCED 
TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.—Section 3 of the Sci-
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entific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
1862i), as amended by section 2205, is further amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)(2), by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(G) applications that incorporate distance 
learning tools and approaches.’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)(3)— 
(A) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) in subparagraph (D), by striking the 
period at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) applications that incorporate distance 
learning tools and approaches.’’. 
(e) GAO REVIEW.—Not later than 18 months after the 
date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall provide— 
(1) a technology assessment of precision agri-
culture technologies, such as the existing use of— 
(A) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency iden-
tification, and related technologies that can mon-
itor soil properties, irrigation conditions, and 
plant physiology;
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(B) sensors, scanners, radio-frequency iden-
tification, and related technologies that can mon-
itor livestock activity and health; 
(C) network connectivity and wireless com-
munications that can securely support digital 
agriculture technologies in rural and remote 
areas; 
(D) aerial imagery generated by satellites 
or unmanned aerial vehicles; 
(E) ground-based robotics; 
(F) control systems design and connectivity, 
such as smart irrigation control systems; and 
(G) data management software and ad-
vanced analytics that can assist decision making 
and improve agricultural outcomes; and 
(2) a review of Federal programs that provide 
support for precision agriculture research, develop-
ment, adoption, education, or training, in existence 
on the date of enactment of this section. 
SEC. 2214. CRITICAL MINERALS MINING RESEARCH. 
(a) CRITICAL MINERALS MINING RESEARCH AND DE-
VELOPMENT AT THE FOUNDATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to support supply 
chain resiliency, the Director shall issue awards, on 
a competitive basis, to institutions of higher edu-
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cation or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of 
such institutions or organizations) to support basic 
research that will accelerate innovation to advance 
critical minerals mining strategies and technologies 
for the purpose of making better use of domestic re-
sources and eliminating national reliance on min-
erals and mineral materials that are subject to supply 
disruptions. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Activities funded by an 
award under this section may include— 
(A) advancing mining research and devel-
opment activities to develop new mapping and 
mining technologies and techniques, including 
advanced critical mineral extraction and pro-
duction, to improve existing or to develop new 
supply chains of critical minerals, and to yield 
more efficient, economical, and environmentally 
benign mining practices; 
(B) advancing critical mineral processing 
research 
activities 
to 
improve 
separation, 
alloying, manufacturing, or recycling techniques 
and technologies that can decrease the energy in-
tensity, waste, potential environmental impact, 
and costs of those activities;
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(C) conducting long-term earth observation 
of reclaimed mine sites, including the study of 
the evolution of microbial diversity at such sites; 
(D) examining the application of artificial 
intelligence for geological exploration of critical 
minerals, including what size and diversity of 
data sets would be required; 
(E) examining the application of machine 
learning for detection and sorting of critical 
minerals, including what size and diversity of 
data sets would be required; 
(F) conducting detailed isotope studies of 
critical minerals and the development of more 
refined geologic models; or 
(G) providing training and research oppor-
tunities to undergraduate and graduate students 
to prepare the next generation of mining engi-
neers and researchers. 
(b) 
CRITICAL
MINERALS
INTERAGENCY
SUB-
COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to support supply 
chain resiliency, the Critical Minerals Subcommittee 
of the National Science and Technology Council (re-
ferred to in this subsection as the Subcommittee) shall 
coordinate Federal science and technology efforts to
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical min-
erals to the United States. 
(2) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Sub-
committee shall be— 
(A) to advise and assist the Committee on 
Homeland and National Security and the Na-
tional Science and Technology Council on 
United States policies, procedures, and plans as 
it relates to critical minerals, including— 
(i) Federal research, development, and 
deployment efforts to optimize methods for 
extractions, concentration, separation, and 
purification of conventional, secondary, and 
unconventional sources of critical minerals; 
(ii) efficient use and reuse of critical 
minerals; 
(iii) the critical minerals workforce of 
the United States; and 
(iv) United States private industry in-
vestments in innovation and technology 
transfer from federally funded science and 
technology; 
(B) to identify emerging opportunities, 
stimulate international cooperation, and foster
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the development of secure and reliable supply 
chains of critical minerals; 
(C) to ensure the transparency of informa-
tion and data related to critical minerals; and 
(D) to provide recommendations on coordi-
nation and collaboration among the research, de-
velopment, and deployment programs and activi-
ties of Federal agencies to promote a secure and 
reliable supply of critical minerals necessary to 
maintain national security, economic well-being, 
and industrial production. 
(3) RESPONSIBILITIES.—In carrying out para-
graphs (1) and (2), the Subcommittee may, taking 
into account the findings and recommendations of rel-
evant advisory committees— 
(A) provide recommendations on how Fed-
eral agencies may improve the topographic, geo-
logic, and geophysical mapping of the United 
States and improve the discoverability, accessi-
bility, and usability of the resulting and existing 
data, to the extent permitted by law and subject 
to appropriate limitation for purposes of privacy 
and security; 
(B) assess the progress toward developing 
critical minerals recycling and reprocessing tech-
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nologies, and technological alternatives to critical 
minerals; 
(C) examine options for accessing and de-
veloping critical minerals through investment 
and trade with allies and partners of the United 
States and provide recommendations; 
(D) evaluate and provide recommendations 
to incentivize the development and use of ad-
vances in science and technology in the private 
industry; 
(E) assess the need for and make rec-
ommendations to address the challenges the 
United States critical minerals supply chain 
workforce faces, including— 
(i) aging and retiring personnel and 
faculty; 
(ii) public perceptions about the nature 
of mining and mineral processing; and 
(iii) foreign competition for United 
States talent; 
(F) develop, and update as necessary, a 
strategic plan to guide Federal programs and ac-
tivities to enhance— 
(i) scientific and technical capabilities 
across critical mineral supply chains, in-
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cluding a roadmap that identifies key re-
search and development needs and coordi-
nates ongoing activities for source diver-
sification, more efficient use, recycling, and 
substitution for critical minerals; and 
(ii) cross-cutting mining science, data 
science techniques, materials science, manu-
facturing science and engineering, computa-
tional modeling, and environmental health 
and safety research and development; and 
(G) report to the appropriate committees of 
Congress on activities and findings under this 
subsection. 
(4) MANDATORY
RESPONSIBILITIES.—In car-
rying out paragraphs (1) and (2), the Subcommittee 
shall, taking into account the findings and rec-
ommendations of the relevant advisory committees, 
identify and evaluate Federal policies and regulations 
that restrict the mining of critical minerals. 
(c) GRANT PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPMENT OF CRITICAL 
MINERALS AND METALS.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Com-
merce, in consultation with the Director and the Sec-
retary of the Interior, shall establish a grant program
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† HR 4521 EAS 
to finance pilot projects for the development of critical 
minerals and metals in the United States. 
(2) LIMITATION ON GRANT AWARDS.—A grant 
awarded under paragraph (1) may not exceed 
$10,000,000. 
(3) ECONOMIC VIABILITY.—In awarding grants 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Commerce shall 
give priority to projects that the Secretary of Com-
merce determines are likely to be economically viable 
over the long term. 
(4) SECONDARY RECOVERY.—In awarding grants 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Commerce shall 
seek to award not less than 30 percent of the total 
amount of grants awarded during the fiscal year for 
projects relating to secondary recovery of critical min-
erals and metals. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Sec-
retary of Commerce $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2021 through 2024 to carry out the grant pro-
gram established under paragraph (1). 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) CRITICAL MINERAL; CRITICAL MINERAL OR 
METAL.—The terms ‘‘critical mineral’’ and ‘‘critical 
mineral or metal’’ include any host mineral of a crit-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ical mineral (within the meaning of those terms in 
section 7002 of title VII of division Z of the Consoli-
dated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116– 
260)). 
(2) SECONDARY
RECOVERY.—The term ‘‘sec-
ondary recovery’’ means the recovery of critical min-
erals and metals from discarded end-use products or 
from waste products produced during the metal refin-
ing and manufacturing process, including from mine 
waste piles, acid mine drainage sludge, or byproducts 
produced through legacy mining and metallurgy ac-
tivities. 
SEC. 2215. CAREGIVER POLICIES. 
(a) OSTP GUIDANCE.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this division, the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, in consultation 
with relevant agencies, shall provide guidance to each Fed-
eral science agency to establish policies that— 
(1) apply to all— 
(A) research awards granted by such agen-
cy; and 
(B) principal investigators of such research 
who have caregiving responsibilities, including 
care for a newborn or newly adopted child and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
care for an immediate family member with a se-
rious health condition; and 
(2) offer, to the extent feasible— 
(A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of 
approved research awards granted by such agen-
cy; 
(B) no-cost extensions of such research 
awards; and 
(C) grant supplements, as appropriate, to 
research awards to sustain research activities 
conducted under such awards. 
(b) UNIFORMITY OF GUIDANCE.—In providing guid-
ance under subsection (a), the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall encourage, to the extent 
practicable, uniformity and consistency in the policies es-
tablished pursuant to such guidance across all Federal 
science agencies. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT
OF POLICIES.—To the extent 
practicable and consistent with guidance issued under sub-
section (a), Federal science agencies shall— 
(1) maintain or develop and implement policies 
for individuals described in paragraph (1)(B) of such 
subsection; and 
(2) broadly disseminate such policies to current 
and potential awardees.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(d) DATA ON USAGE.—Federal science agencies shall 
consider— 
(1) collecting data on the usage of the policies 
under subsection (c), at both institutions of higher 
education and Federal laboratories; and 
(2) reporting such data on an annual basis to 
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy in such form as required by the Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy. 
(e) SAVINGS.— 
(1) PRIVACY.—This section shall be carried out 
in accordance with all relevant privacy laws. 
(2) INSTITUTIONS.—This section shall not affect 
the grantee institution’s institutional policies. 
(f) DEFINITION OF FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘Federal science agency’’ means any 
Federal agency with an annual extramural research ex-
penditure of over $100,000,000. 
SEC. 2216. PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President is authorized to 
make Presidential Awards for Excellence in Technology and 
Science Research to researchers in underrepresented popu-
lations, including women and underrepresented minorities, 
who have demonstrated outstanding achievements in tech-
nology or science research.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(b) NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION OF AWARD RECIPI-
ENTS.—If the President elects to make Presidential Awards 
for Excellence in Technology and Science Research under 
subsection (a), the President shall make no fewer than 104 
Awards. In selecting researchers for the Awards, the Presi-
dent shall select at least 2 researchers— 
(1) from each of the States; 
(2) from the District of Columbia; and 
(3) from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
(c) SELECTION PROCEDURES.—The President shall 
carry out this section, including the establishment of the 
selection procedures, after consultation with the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy and other ap-
propriate officials of Federal agencies. 
SEC. 2217. BIOECONOMY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
ACT OF 2021. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This section may be cited as the 
‘‘Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following 
findings: 
(1) Cellular and molecular processes may be 
used, mimicked, or redesigned to develop new prod-
ucts, processes, and systems that improve societal 
well-being, strengthen national security, and con-
tribute to the economy.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) Engineering biology relies on a workforce 
with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the 
biological, 
physical, 
chemical, 
and 
information 
sciences and engineering. 
(3) Long-term research and development is nec-
essary to create breakthroughs in engineering biology. 
Such research and development requires government 
investment, as many of the benefits are too distant or 
uncertain for industry to support alone. 
(4) Research is necessary to inform evidence- 
based governance of engineering biology and to sup-
port the growth of the engineering biology industry. 
(5) The Federal Government has an obligation to 
ensure that ethical, legal, environmental, safety, secu-
rity, and societal implications of its science and tech-
nology research and investment follows policies of re-
sponsible innovation and fosters public transparency. 
(6) The Federal Government can play an impor-
tant role by facilitating the development of tools and 
technologies to further advance engineering biology, 
including user facilities, by facilitating public-private 
partnerships, by supporting risk research, and by fa-
cilitating the commercial application in the United 
States of research funded by the Federal Government.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(7) The United States led the development of the 
science and engineering techniques that created the 
field of engineering biology, but due to increasing 
international competition, the United States is at risk 
of losing its competitive advantage if it does not stra-
tegically invest the necessary resources. 
(8) A National Engineering Biology Initiative 
can serve to establish new research directions and 
technology goals, improve interagency coordination 
and planning processes, drive technology transfer to 
the private sector, and help ensure optimal returns on 
the Federal investment. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) BIOMANUFACTURING.—The term ‘‘biomanu-
facturing’’ means the utilization of biological systems 
to develop new and advance existing products, tools, 
and processes at commercial scale. 
(2) ENGINEERING
BIOLOGY.—The term ‘‘engi-
neering biology’’ means the application of engineering 
design principles and practices to biological systems, 
including molecular and cellular systems, to advance 
fundamental understanding of complex natural sys-
tems and to enable novel or optimize functions and 
capabilities.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(3) INITIATIVE.—The term ‘‘Initiative’’ means 
the National Engineering Biology Research and De-
velopment Initiative established under subsection (d). 
(4) OMICS.—The term ‘‘omics’’ refers to the col-
lective technologies used to explore the roles, relation-
ships, and actions of the various types of molecules 
that make up the cells of an organism. 
(d) NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall im-
plement a National Engineering Biology Research 
and Development Initiative to advance societal well- 
being, national security, sustainability, and economic 
productivity and competitiveness through— 
(A) advancing areas of research at the 
intersection of the biological, physical, chemical, 
data, and computational sciences and engineer-
ing to accelerate scientific understanding and 
technological innovation in engineering biology; 
(B) advancing areas of biomanufacturing 
research to optimize, standardize, scale, and de-
liver new products and solutions; 
(C) 
supporting 
social 
and 
behavioral 
sciences and economics research that advances
231 
† HR 4521 EAS 
the field of engineering biology and contributes 
to the development and public understanding of 
new products, processes, and technologies; 
(D) improving the understanding of engi-
neering biology of the scientific and lay public 
and supporting greater evidence-based public 
discourse about its benefits and risks; 
(E) supporting research relating to the risks 
and benefits of engineering biology, including 
under paragraph (4); 
(F) supporting the development of novel 
tools and technologies to accelerate scientific un-
derstanding and technological innovation in en-
gineering biology; 
(G) expanding the number of researchers, 
educators, and students and a retooled workforce 
with engineering biology training, including 
from traditionally underrepresented and under-
served populations; 
(H) accelerating the translation and com-
mercialization of engineering biology research 
and development by the private sector; and 
(I) improving the interagency planning and 
coordination of Federal Government activities 
related to engineering biology.
232 
† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) INITIATIVE ACTIVITIES.—The activities of the 
Initiative shall include— 
(A) sustained support for engineering biol-
ogy research and development through— 
(i) grants to fund the work of indi-
vidual investigators and teams of investiga-
tors, including interdisciplinary teams; 
(ii) projects funded under joint solici-
tations by a collaboration of no fewer than 
two agencies participating in the Initiative; 
and 
(iii) interdisciplinary research centers 
that are organized to investigate basic re-
search questions, carry out technology devel-
opment and demonstration activities, and 
increase understanding of how to scale up 
engineering biology processes, including bio-
manufacturing; 
(B) sustained support for databases and re-
lated tools, including— 
(i) support for curated genomics, 
epigenomics, and other relevant omics data-
bases, including plant and microbial data-
bases, that are available to researchers to 
carry out engineering biology research in a
233 
† HR 4521 EAS 
manner that does not compromise national 
security or the privacy or security of infor-
mation within such databases; 
(ii) development of standards for such 
databases, including for curation, interoper-
ability, and protection of privacy and secu-
rity; 
(iii) support for the development of 
computational tools, including artificial in-
telligence tools, that can accelerate research 
and innovation using such databases; and 
(iv) an inventory and assessment of all 
Federal government omics databases to 
identify opportunities to improve the utility 
of such databases, as appropriate and in a 
manner that does not compromise national 
security or the privacy and security of in-
formation within such databases, and in-
form investment in such databases as crit-
ical infrastructure for the engineering biol-
ogy research enterprise; 
(C) sustained support for the development, 
optimization, and validation of novel tools and 
technologies to enable the dynamic study of mo-
lecular processes in situ, including through—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(i) research conducted at Federal lab-
oratories; 
(ii) grants to fund the work of inves-
tigators at institutions of higher education 
and other nonprofit research institutions; 
(iii) incentivized development of re-
tooled industrial sites across the country 
that foster a pivot to modernized engineer-
ing biology initiatives; and 
(iv) awards under the Small Business 
Innovation Research Program and the 
Small Business Technology Transfer Pro-
gram, as described in section 9 of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638); 
(D) support for education and training of 
undergraduate and graduate students in engi-
neering biology, biomanufacturing, bioprocess en-
gineering, and computational science applied to 
engineering biology and in the related ethical, 
legal, environmental, safety, security, and other 
societal domains; 
(E) activities to develop robust mechanisms 
for documenting and quantifying the outputs 
and economic benefits of engineering biology; 
and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(F) activities to accelerate the translation 
and commercialization of new products, proc-
esses, and technologies by— 
(i) identifying precompetitive research 
opportunities; 
(ii) facilitating public-private partner-
ships in engineering biology research and 
development; 
(iii) connecting researchers, graduate 
students, and postdoctoral fellows with en-
trepreneurship education and training op-
portunities; and 
(iv) supporting proof of concept activi-
ties and the formation of startup companies 
including through programs such as the 
Small Business Innovation Research Pro-
gram and the Small Business Technology 
Transfer Program. 
(3) EXPANDING PARTICIPATION.—The Initiative 
shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, out-
reach to primarily undergraduate and minority-serv-
ing institutions (and institutions of higher education 
with an established STEM capacity building program 
focused on traditionally underrepresented populations 
in STEM, including Native Hawaiians, Alaska Na-
236 
† HR 4521 EAS 
tives, and Indians) about Initiative opportunities, 
and shall encourage the development of research col-
laborations between research-intensive universities 
and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving 
institutions (and institutions of higher education 
with an established STEM capacity building program 
focused on traditionally underrepresented populations 
in STEM, including Native Hawaiians, Alaska Na-
tives, and Indians). 
(4) ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, SAFETY, 
SECURITY, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES.—Initiative activi-
ties shall take into account ethical, legal, environ-
mental, safety, security, and other appropriate soci-
etal issues by— 
(A) supporting research, including in the 
social sciences, and other activities addressing 
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appro-
priate societal issues related to engineering biol-
ogy, including integrating research on such top-
ics with the research and development in engi-
neering biology, and encouraging the dissemina-
tion of the results of such research, including 
through interdisciplinary engineering biology re-
search centers described in paragraph (2)(A)(iii);
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) supporting research and other activities 
related to the safety and security implications of 
engineering biology, including outreach to in-
crease awareness among Federal researchers and 
Federally-funded researchers at institutions of 
higher education about potential safety and secu-
rity implications of engineering biology research, 
as appropriate; 
(C) ensuring that input from Federal and 
non-Federal experts on the ethical, legal, envi-
ronmental, safety, security, and other appro-
priate societal issues related to engineering biol-
ogy is integrated into the Initiative; 
(D) ensuring, through the agencies and de-
partments that participate in the Initiative, that 
public input and outreach are integrated into 
the Initiative by the convening of regular and 
ongoing public discussions through mechanisms 
such as workshops, consensus conferences, and 
educational events, as appropriate; and 
(E) complying with all applicable provi-
sions of Federal law. 
(e) INITIATIVE COORDINATION.— 
(1) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.—The President, 
acting through the Office of Science and Technology
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† HR 4521 EAS 
Policy, shall designate an interagency committee to 
coordinate activities of the Initiative as appropriate, 
which shall be co-chaired by the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, and include representatives from 
the Foundation, the Department of Energy, the De-
partment of Defense, the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration, the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration, the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the 
Department of Health and Human Services, the Bu-
reau of Economic Analysis, and any other agency 
that the President considers appropriate (in this sec-
tion referred to as the Interagency Committee). The 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Pol-
icy shall select an additional co-chairperson from 
among the members of the Interagency Committee. 
The Interagency Committee shall oversee the plan-
ning, management, and coordination of the Initiative. 
The Interagency Committee shall— 
(A) provide for interagency coordination of 
Federal engineering biology research, develop-
ment, and other activities undertaken pursuant 
to the Initiative;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(IV) how the Initiative will con-
tribute to moving results out of the lab-
oratory and into application for the 
benefit of society and United States 
competitiveness; and 
(V) how the Initiative will meas-
ure and track the contributions of engi-
neering biology to United States eco-
nomic growth and other societal indi-
cators; 
(D) develop a national genomic sequencing 
strategy to ensure engineering biology research 
fully leverages plant, animal, and microbe bio-
diversity, as appropriate and in a manner that 
does not compromise national security or the 
privacy or security of human genetic informa-
tion, to enhance long-term innovation and com-
petitiveness in engineering biology in the United 
States; 
(E) develop a plan to utilize Federal pro-
grams, such as the Small Business Innovation 
Research Program and the Small Business Tech-
nology Transfer Program as described in section 
9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), in
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† HR 4521 EAS 
support of the activities described in subsection 
(d)(2)(C); and 
(F) in carrying out this subsection, take 
into consideration the recommendations of the 
advisory committee established under subsection 
(f), the results of the workshop convened under 
subsection (d)(4)(D), existing reports on related 
topics, and the views of academic, State, indus-
try, and other appropriate groups. 
(2) TRIENNIAL REPORT.—Beginning with fiscal 
year 2022 and ending in fiscal year 2028, not later 
than 90 days after submission of the President’s an-
nual budget request and every third fiscal year there-
after, the Interagency Committee shall prepare and 
submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate a report that includes— 
(A) a summarized agency budget in support 
of the Initiative for the fiscal year to which such 
budget request applies, for the following 2 fiscal 
years, for the then current fiscal year, including 
a breakout of spending for each agency partici-
pating in the Program, and for the development
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† HR 4521 EAS 
and acquisition of any research facilities and in-
strumentation; and 
(B) an assessment of how Federal agencies 
are implementing the plan described in para-
graph (1)(C), including— 
(i) a description of the amount and 
number of awards made under the Small 
Business Innovation Research Program and 
the Small Business Technology Transfer 
Program (as described in section 9 of the 
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) in 
support of the Initiative; 
(ii) a description of the amount and 
number of projects funded under joint so-
licitations by a collaboration of no fewer 
than 2 agencies participating in the Initia-
tive; and 
(iii) a description of the effect of the 
newly funded projects by the Initiative. 
(3) INITIATIVE OFFICE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The President shall es-
tablish an Initiative Coordination Office, with a 
Director and full-time staff, which shall— 
(i) provide technical and administra-
tive support to the interagency committee
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and the advisory committee established 
under subsection (f); 
(ii) serve as the point of contact on 
Federal engineering biology activities for 
government organizations, academia, indus-
try, professional societies, State govern-
ments, interested citizen groups, and others 
to exchange technical and programmatic in-
formation; 
(iii) oversee interagency coordination 
of the Initiative, including by encouraging 
and supporting joint agency solicitation 
and selection of applications for funding of 
activities under the Initiative, as appro-
priate; 
(iv) conduct public outreach, including 
dissemination of findings and recommenda-
tions of the advisory committee established 
under subsection (f), as appropriate; 
(v) serve as the coordinator of ethical, 
legal, environmental, safety, security, and 
other appropriate societal input; and 
(vi) promote access to, and early appli-
cation of, the technologies, innovations, and 
expertise derived from Initiative activities
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to agency missions and systems across the 
Federal Government, and to United States 
industry, including startup companies. 
(B) FUNDING.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, in coordination 
with each participating Federal department and 
agency, as appropriate, shall develop and annu-
ally update an estimate of the funds necessary to 
carry out the activities of the Initiative Coordi-
nation Office and submit such estimate with an 
agreed summary of contributions from each 
agency to Congress as part of the President’s an-
nual budget request to Congress. 
(C) TERMINATION.—The Initiative Coordi-
nation Office established under this paragraph 
shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(4) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this 
subsection shall be construed to alter the policies, 
processes, or practices of individual Federal agencies 
in effect on the day before the date of the enactment 
of this division relating to the conduct of biomedical 
research and advanced development, including the so-
licitation and review of extramural research pro-
posals.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(f) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The agency co-chair of the 
interagency committee established in subsection (e) 
shall, in consultation with the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy, designate or establish an advisory 
committee on engineering biology research and devel-
opment (in this subsection referred to as the advisory 
committee) to be composed of not fewer than 12 mem-
bers, including representatives of research and aca-
demic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental 
entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the 
Initiative. 
(2) ASSESSMENT.—The advisory committee shall 
assess— 
(A) the current state of United States com-
petitiveness in engineering biology, including the 
scope and scale of United States investments in 
engineering biology research and development in 
the international context; 
(B) current market barriers to commer-
cialization of engineering biology products, proc-
esses, and tools in the United States; 
(C) progress made in implementing the Ini-
tiative; 
(D) the need to revise the Initiative;
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(E) the balance of activities and funding 
across the Initiative; 
(F) whether the strategic plan developed or 
updated by the interagency committee established 
under subsection (e) is helping to maintain 
United States leadership in engineering biology; 
(G) the management, coordination, imple-
mentation, and activities of the Initiative; and 
(H) whether ethical, legal, environmental, 
safety, security, and other appropriate societal 
issues are adequately addressed by the Initiative. 
(3) REPORTS.—Beginning not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this division, and not 
less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the 
advisory committee shall submit to the President, the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives, and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a 
report on— 
(A) the findings of the advisory committee’s 
assessment under paragraph (2); and 
(B) the advisory committee’s recommenda-
tions for ways to improve the Initiative. 
(4) APPLICATION OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE
ACT.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory
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Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
advisory committee. 
(5) TERMINATION.—The advisory committee es-
tablished under paragraph (1) shall terminate on the 
date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act. 
(g) EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVI-
RONMENTAL, SAFETY, SECURITY, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after 
the date of enactment of this division, the Director 
shall seek to enter into an agreement with the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi-
cine to conduct a review, and make recommendations 
with respect to, the ethical, legal, environmental, safe-
ty, security, and other appropriate societal issues re-
lated to engineering biology research and develop-
ment. The review shall include— 
(A) an assessment of the current research on 
such issues; 
(B) a description of the research gaps relat-
ing to such issues; 
(C) recommendations on how the Initiative 
can address the research needs identified pursu-
ant to subparagraph (B); and
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(D) recommendations on how researchers 
engaged in engineering biology can best incor-
porate considerations of ethical, legal, environ-
mental, safety, security, and other societal issues 
into the development of research proposals and 
the conduct of research. 
(2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The agreement en-
tered into under paragraph (1) shall require the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi-
cine to, not later than 2 years after the date of the 
enactment of this division— 
(A) submit to the Committee on Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate a re-
port containing the findings and recommenda-
tions of the review conducted under paragraph 
(1); and 
(B) make a copy of such report available on 
a publicly accessible website. 
(h) AGENCY ACTIVITIES.— 
(1) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—As part 
of the Initiative, the Foundation shall— 
(A) support basic research in engineering 
biology through individual grants, collaborative
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grants, and through interdisciplinary research 
centers; 
(B) support research on the environmental, 
legal, ethical, and social implications of engi-
neering biology; 
(C) provide support for research instrumen-
tation for engineering biology disciplines, includ-
ing support for research, development, optimiza-
tion and validation of novel technologies to en-
able the dynamic study of molecular processes in 
situ; 
(D) support curriculum development and 
research 
experiences 
for 
secondary, 
under-
graduate, and graduate students in engineering 
biology and biomanufacturing; and 
(E) award grants, on a competitive basis, to 
enable institutions to support graduate students 
and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of 
their engineering biology research in an industry 
setting. 
(2) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.— 
(A) NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS 
AND TECHNOLOGY.—As part of the Initiative, the 
Director of the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology shall—
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(i) establish a bioscience research pro-
gram to advance the development of stand-
ard reference materials and measurements 
and to create new data tools, techniques, 
and processes necessary to advance engi-
neering biology and biomanufacturing; 
(ii) provide access to user facilities 
with advanced or unique equipment, serv-
ices, materials, and other resources to in-
dustry, institutions of higher education, 
nonprofit organizations, and government 
agencies to perform research and testing; 
and 
(iii) provide technical expertise to in-
form the potential development of guidelines 
or safeguards for new products, processes, 
and systems of engineering biology. 
(B) NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC 
ADMINISTRATION.—As part of the initiative, the 
Administrator of the National Oceanic and At-
mospheric Administration shall— 
(i) establish a program to conduct and 
support omics research and associated 
bioinformatic sciences to increase efficiency 
and promote a sustainable bioeconomy (blue
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economy) to develop the next generation of 
tools and products to improve ecosystem 
stewardship, monitoring, management, as-
sessments, and forecasts; and 
(ii) collaborate with other agencies to 
understand potential environmental threats 
and safeguards relating to engineering biol-
ogy. 
(3) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.—As part of the 
Initiative, the Secretary of Energy shall— 
(A) conduct and support research, develop-
ment, demonstration, and commercial applica-
tion activities in engineering biology, including 
in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced 
biofuel development, biobased materials, and en-
vironmental remediation; 
(B) support the development, optimization 
and validation of novel, scalable tools and tech-
nologies to enable the dynamic study of molec-
ular processes in situ; and 
(C) provide access to user facilities with ad-
vanced or unique equipment, services, materials, 
and other resources, including secure access to 
high-performance computing, as appropriate, to 
industry, institutions of higher education, non-
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the priorities established in the National Acad-
emies’ decadal surveys; and 
(B) award grants, on a competitive basis, 
that enable institutions to support graduate stu-
dents and postdoctoral fellows who perform some 
of their engineering biology research in an in-
dustry setting. 
(6) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—As part of 
the Initiative, the Secretary of Agriculture shall— 
(A) support research and development in 
engineering biology, including in synthetic biol-
ogy and biomaterials; 
(B) award grants through the National In-
stitute of Food and Agriculture; and 
(C) support development conducted by the 
Agricultural Research Service. 
(7) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY.—As 
part of the Initiative, the Environmental Protection 
Agency shall support research on how products, proc-
esses, and systems of engineering biology will affect or 
can protect the environment. 
(8) DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERV-
ICES.—As part of the Initiative, the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, as appropriate and con-
sistent with activities of the Department of Health
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† HR 4521 EAS 
and Human Services in effect on the day before the 
date of the enactment of this division, shall— 
(A) support research and development to 
advance the understanding and application of 
engineering biology for human health; 
(B) support relevant interdisciplinary re-
search and coordination; and 
(C) support activities necessary to facilitate 
oversight of relevant emerging biotechnologies. 
(i) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to require public disclosure of informa-
tion that is exempt from mandatory disclosure under sec-
tion 552 of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 2218. MICROGRAVITY UTILIZATION POLICY. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that space technology and the utilization of the micro-
gravity environment for science, engineering, and tech-
nology development is critical to long-term competitiveness 
with near-peer competitors, including China. 
(b) POLICY.—To the greatest extent appropriate, the 
Foundation shall facilitate access to the microgravity envi-
ronment for awardees of funding from the Foundation, in-
cluding in private sector platforms, for the development of 
science, engineering, and technology.
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(c) REPORT.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this division, the Director shall provide to 
the appropriate committees of Congress a report on the 
Foundation’s plan for facilitating awardee access to the 
microgravity environment. 
TITLE III—RESEARCH SECURITY 
SEC. 2301. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RESEARCH SE-
CURITY. 
(a) RESEARCH SECURITY AND POLICY OFFICE.—The 
Director shall establish and maintain a research security 
and policy office within the Office of the Director. The func-
tions of the research security and policy office shall be to 
coordinate all research security policy issues across the 
Foundation, including by— 
(1) serving as a resource at the Foundation for 
all policy issues related to the security and integrity 
of the conduct of research supported by the Founda-
tion; 
(2) conducting outreach and education activities 
for awardees on research policies and potential secu-
rity risks; 
(3) educating Foundation program managers 
and other staff on evaluating Foundation awards and 
awardees for potential security risks;
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(4) communicating reporting and disclosure re-
quirements to awardees and applicants for funding; 
(5) consulting and coordinating with the Foun-
dation Office of Inspector General and with other 
Federal science agencies, as appropriate, and through 
the National Science and Technology Council in ac-
cordance with the authority provided under section 
1746 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 42 U.S.C. 
6601 note), to identify and address potential security 
risks that threaten research integrity and other risks 
to the research enterprise and to develop research se-
curity policy and best practices; 
(6) performing risk assessments, in consultation, 
as appropriate, with other Federal agencies, of Foun-
dation proposals and awards using analytical tools to 
assess nondisclosures of required information that 
could indicate breaches of research integrity or poten-
tially fraudulent activity that would be referred to the 
Foundation Office of Inspector General; 
(7) establishing policies and procedures for safe-
guarding sensitive research information and tech-
nology, working in consultation, as appropriate, with 
other Federal agencies, to ensure compliance with Na-
tional Security Presidential Memorandum–33 (relat-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ing to strengthening protections of United States Gov-
ernment-supported research and development against 
foreign government interference and exploitation) or a 
successor policy document; and 
(8) in accordance with relevant policies of the 
agency, conducting due diligence with regard to ap-
plicants for grant funding from the Foundation prior 
to awarding such funding. 
(b) CHIEF OF RESEARCH SECURITY.—The Director 
shall appoint a senior agency official within the Office of 
the Director as a Chief of Research Security, whose primary 
responsibility is to manage the office established in sub-
section (a). 
(c) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of enactment of this division, the Director 
shall provide a report on the resources and the number of 
full-time employees needed to carry out the functions of the 
office established in subsection (a) to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the 
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
(d) ONLINE RESOURCE.—The Director shall develop 
an online resource hosted on the Foundation’s publicly ac-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
cessible website containing up-to-date information, tailored 
for institutions of higher education and individual re-
searchers, including— 
(1) an explanation of Foundation research secu-
rity policies; 
(2) unclassified guidance on potential security 
risks that threaten research integrity and other risks 
to the research enterprise; 
(3) examples of beneficial international collabo-
rations and how such collaborations differ from for-
eign government interference efforts that threaten re-
search integrity; 
(4) best practices for mitigating security risks 
that threaten research integrity; and 
(5) additional reference materials, including 
tools that assist organizations seeking Foundation 
funding and awardees in information disclosure to 
the Foundation. 
(e) RESEARCH GRANTS.—The Director shall continue 
to award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of 
higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia 
of such institutions or organizations) to support research 
on the conduct of research and the research environment, 
including research on research misconduct, breaches of re-
search integrity, and detrimental research practices.
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(f) RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT
IN RESEARCH TRAIN-
ING.—Section 7009 of the America Creating Opportunities 
to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Edu-
cation, and Science Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o–1) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘and postdoctoral researchers’’ 
and inserting ‘‘postdoctoral researchers, faculty, and 
other senior personnel’’; and 
(2) by inserting before the period at the end the 
following: ‘‘, including training and mentorship to 
raise awareness of potential security threats and of 
Federal export control, disclosure, and reporting re-
quirements’’. 
(g) FUNDING.—From any amounts appropriated for 
the Foundation for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026, 
the Director shall allocate $5,000,000 to carry out this sec-
tion for each such year. 
SEC. 2302. RESEARCH SECURITY AND INTEGRITY INFORMA-
TION SHARING ANALYSIS ORGANIZATION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall enter into an agree-
ment with a qualified independent organization to establish 
a research security and integrity information sharing anal-
ysis organization (referred to in this section as the ‘‘RSI– 
ISAO’’), which shall include members described in sub-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
section (d) and carry out the duties described in subsection 
(b). 
(b) DUTIES.—The RSI–ISAO shall— 
(1) serve as a clearinghouse for information to 
help enable the members and other entities in the re-
search community to understand the context of their 
research and identify improper or illegal efforts by 
foreign entities to obtain research results, know how, 
materials, and intellectual property; 
(2) develop a set of standard risk assessment 
frameworks and best practices, relevant to the re-
search community, to assess research security risks in 
different contexts; 
(3) share information concerning security threats 
and lessons learned from protection and response ef-
forts through forums and other forms of communica-
tion; 
(4) provide timely reports on research security 
risks to provide situational awareness tailored to the 
research and education community; 
(5) provide training and support, including 
through webinars, for relevant faculty and staff em-
ployed by institutions of higher education on topics 
relevant to research security risks and response;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(6) enable standardized information gathering 
and data compilation, storage, and analysis for com-
piled incident reports; 
(7) support analysis of patterns of risk and iden-
tification of bad actors and enhance the ability of 
members to prevent and respond to research security 
risks; and 
(8) take other appropriate steps to enhance re-
search security. 
(c) FUNDING.—The Foundation may provide initial 
funds toward the RSI–ISAO, but shall seek to have the fees 
authorized in subsection (d)(2) cover the costs of operations 
at the earliest practicable time. 
(d) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The RSI–ISAO shall serve 
and include members representing institutions of 
higher education, nonprofit research institutions, and 
small and medium-sized businesses. 
(2) FEES.—As soon as practicable, members of 
the RSI–ISAO shall be charged an annual rate to en-
able the RSI–ISAO to cover its costs. Rates shall be 
set on a sliding scale based on research and develop-
ment spent to ensure that membership is accessible to 
a diverse community of stakeholders and ensure broad 
participation. The RSI–ISAO shall develop a plan to
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† HR 4521 EAS 
sustain the RSI–ISAO without Federal funding, as 
practicable. 
(e) BOARD OF DIRECTORS.—The RSI–ISAO may es-
tablish a board of directors to provide guidance for policies, 
legal issues, and plans and strategies of the entity’s oper-
ations. The board shall include a diverse group of stake-
holders representing the research community, including 
academia, industry, and experienced research security ad-
ministrators. 
(f) DEFINITION OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDU-
CATION .—The term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 
SEC. 2303. FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TALENT RECRUITMENT 
PROGRAM PROHIBITION. 
(a) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of this division, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall, in coordination with 
the interagency working group established under section 
1746 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92; 42 U.S.C. 6601 note), pub-
lish and widely distribute a uniform set of policy guidelines 
for Federal science agencies regarding foreign government 
talent recruitment programs. These policy guidelines 
shall—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) prohibit all personnel of each Federal science 
agency, including Federal employees, contract em-
ployees, independent contractors, individuals serving 
under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970 
(42 U.S.C. 4701 et seq.), Visiting Scientist Engineer 
and Educator appointments, and special government 
employees, from participating in a foreign govern-
ment talent recruitment program; 
(2) prohibit awards from being made for any 
proposal in which the principal investigator, any in-
dividual listed on the application for the award with 
direct involvement in the proposal, or co-principal in-
vestigator is participating in a foreign government 
talent recruitment program of the People’s Republic 
of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, 
the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Republic of 
Iran; and 
(3) to the extent practicable, require institutions 
receiving funding to prohibit awards from being used 
by any individuals participating in a foreign govern-
ment talent recruitment program of the People’s Re-
public of China, the Democratic People’s Republic of 
Korea, the Russian Federation, or the Islamic Repub-
lic of Iran.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(b) PROHIBITION.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this division, each Federal science agency 
shall issue a policy, utilizing the policy guidelines developed 
under subsection (a). 
(c) EXEMPTION.—The policy developed under sub-
section (b) may include an exemption for participation in 
international conferences or other international exchanges, 
partnerships, or programs, as sanctioned or approved by 
the Federal science agency. When such participation is au-
thorized, the Federal science agency shall ensure training 
is provided to the participant on how to respond to over-
tures from individuals associated with foreign government 
talent recruitment programs. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 
of enactment of this division, each Federal science agency 
shall report to Congress on the steps it has taken to imple-
ment this section. 
(e) FOREIGN GOVERNMENT TALENT RECRUITMENT 
PROGRAMS.—In addition to existing authorities for pre-
venting waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement of Federal 
funds, each Federal science agency shall require, as a condi-
tion of an award, that the senior personnel designated by 
the United States institution applying for Federal funding 
submit foreign government talent recruitment program con-
tracts to the agency if the principal investigator or a co-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
principal investigator discloses membership in a foreign 
government talent recruitment program other than a pro-
gram of the People’s Republic of China, the Democratic Peo-
ple’s Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, or the Is-
lamic Republic of Iran. The United States institution, as 
the award applicant, shall ensure, to the maximum extent 
practicable, that the contract conforms with the Federal 
science agency’s guidance on conflicts of interest, including 
those contained in relevant contract proposal and award 
policies and procedures. Each Federal science agency shall 
review the contract and may prohibit funding to the award-
ee if the obligations in the contract interfere with the capac-
ity for activities receiving support to be carried out, or cre-
ate duplication with Federally supported activities. 
(f) CONSISTENCY.—The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that the policies 
issued by Federal science agencies under subsection (b) are 
consistent to the greatest extent practicable. 
(g) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section and sec-
tion 2304, the term ‘‘foreign government talent recruitment 
program’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘foreign govern-
ment-sponsored talent recruitment program’’ in National 
Security 
Presidential 
Memorandum–33 
(relating 
to 
strengthening protections of United States Government-sup-
ported research and development against foreign govern-
267 
† HR 4521 EAS 
ment interference and exploitation) or a successor policy 
document. 
SEC. 2304. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DIRECTORATE 
RESEARCH SECURITY. 
(a) INITIATIVE REQUIRED.—The Director shall, in 
consultation with other appropriate Federal agencies, estab-
lish an initiative to work with institutions of higher edu-
cation that perform research and technology development 
activities under the Directorate— 
(1) to support protection of intellectual property, 
consistent with the controls relevant to the grant or 
award, key personnel, and information about critical 
technologies relevant to national security; 
(2) to limit undue influence, including through 
foreign government talent recruitment programs, by 
countries to exploit United States technology within 
the Foundation research, science and technology, and 
innovation enterprise, including research funded by 
the Directorate; and 
(3) to support efforts toward development of do-
mestic talent in relevant scientific and engineering 
fields. 
(b) COORDINATION.—The initiative established under 
subsection (a) shall be developed and executed to the max-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
imum extent practicable with academic research institu-
tions and other educational and research organizations. 
(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The initiative established under 
subsection (a) shall include development of the following: 
(1) Training developed and delivered in con-
sultation with institutions of higher education and 
appropriate Federal agencies, and other support to 
institutions of higher education, to promote security 
of controlled information, as appropriate, including 
best practices for protection of controlled information. 
(2) The capacity of institutions of higher edu-
cation to assess whether individuals affiliated with 
Directorate programs have participated in or are cur-
rently participating in foreign government talent re-
cruitment program programs. 
(3) Opportunities to collaborate with Directorate 
awardees to promote protection of controlled informa-
tion as appropriate and strengthen defense against 
foreign intelligence services. 
(4) As appropriate, regulations and proce-
dures— 
(A) for government and academic organiza-
tions and personnel to support the goals of the 
initiative; and
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(B) that are consistent with policies that 
protect open and scientific exchange in funda-
mental research. 
(5) Policies to limit or prohibit funding provided 
by the Foundation for individual researchers who 
knowingly violate regulations developed under the ini-
tiative, including policies relating to foreign govern-
ment talent recruitment programs. 
(6) Policies to limit or prohibit funding provided 
by the Foundation for institutions that knowingly 
violate regulations developed under the initiative, in-
cluding policies relating to foreign government talent 
recruitment programs. 
(d) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EFFORTS.—In car-
rying out this section, the Foundation shall consider the 
efforts undertaken by the Department of Defense to secure 
defense research, including as provided under section 1286 
of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act 
for Fiscal Year 2019 (10 U.S.C. 2358 note). 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
date of enactment of this division, and annually 
thereafter, the Director, shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the activities carried out under the initiative 
established under subsection (a).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(2) CONTENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description of the activities conducted 
and the progress made under the initiative. 
(B) The findings of the Director with re-
spect to the initiative. 
(C) Such recommendations as the Director 
may have for legislative or administrative action 
relating to the matters described in subsection 
(a). 
(D) Identification and discussion of the 
gaps in legal authorities that need to be im-
proved to enhance the security of research insti-
tutions of higher education performing Direc-
torate research. 
(E) Information on Foundation Inspector 
General cases, as appropriate, relating to undue 
influence to security threats to academic research 
activities funded by the Foundation, including 
theft of property or intellectual property relating 
to a project funded by the Department at an in-
stitution of higher education. 
(3) FORM.—The report submitted under para-
graph (1) shall be submitted in both unclassified and 
classified formats, as appropriate.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2305. PROTECTING RESEARCH FROM CYBER THEFT. 
(a) IMPROVING CYBERSECURITY OF INSTITUTIONS OF 
HIGHER EDUCATION.—Section 2(e)(1)(A) of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
272(e)(1)(A)) is amended— 
(1) in clause (viii), by striking ‘‘and’’ after the 
semicolon; 
(2) by redesignating clause (ix) as clause (x); 
and 
(3) by inserting after clause (viii) the following: 
‘‘(ix) consider institutions of higher 
education (as defined in section 101 of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001)); and’’. 
(b) DISSEMINATION OF RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH 
INSTITUTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of enactment of this division, the Director 
shall, using the authorities of the Director under sub-
section (e)(1)(A)(ix) of section 2 of the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
272), as amended by subsection (a), disseminate and 
make publicly available resources to help research in-
stitutions and institutions of higher education iden-
tify, protect the institution involved from, detect, re-
spond to, and recover to manage the cybersecurity
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† HR 4521 EAS 
risk of the institution involved related to conducting 
research. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The Director shall ensure 
that the resources disseminated pursuant to para-
graph (1)— 
(A) are generally applicable and usable by 
a wide range of research institutions and insti-
tutions of higher education; 
(B) vary with the nature and size of the im-
plementing research institutions or institutions 
of higher education, and the nature and sensi-
tivity of the data collected or stored on the infor-
mation systems or devices of the implementing 
research institutions or institutions of higher 
education; 
(C) include elements that promote aware-
ness of simple, basic controls, a workplace cyber-
security culture, and third-party stakeholder re-
lationships, to assist research institutions or in-
stitutions of higher education in mitigating com-
mon cybersecurity risks; 
(D) include case studies of practical appli-
cation;
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(E) are technology-neutral and can be im-
plemented using technologies that are commercial 
and off-the-shelf; and 
(F) to the extent practicable, are based on 
international standards. 
(3) NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS AND 
EDUCATION
PROGRAM.—The Director shall ensure 
that the resources disseminated under paragraph (1) 
are consistent with the efforts of the Director under 
section 303 of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 
2014 (15 U.S.C. 7443). 
(4) UPDATES.—The Director shall review peri-
odically and update the resources under paragraph 
(1) as the Director determines appropriate. 
(5) VOLUNTARY RESOURCES.—The use of the re-
sources disseminated under paragraph (1) shall be 
considered voluntary. 
(6) OTHER FEDERAL CYBERSECURITY REQUIRE-
MENTS.—Nothing in this section may be construed to 
supersede, alter, or otherwise affect any cybersecurity 
requirements applicable to Federal agencies. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means the 
Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology.
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(2) RESOURCES.—The term ‘‘resources’’ means 
guidelines, tools, best practices, standards, methodolo-
gies, and other ways of providing information. 
(3) RESEARCH
INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘re-
search institution’’— 
(A) means a nonprofit institution (as de-
fined in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Tech-
nology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
3703)); and 
(B) includes Federally funded research and 
development centers, as identified by the Na-
tional Science Foundation in accordance with 
the Federal Acquisition Regulation issued in ac-
cordance with section 1303(a)(1) of title 41 (or 
any successor regulation). 
SEC. 2306. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
(1) Widespread use of standards facilitates tech-
nology advancement by defining and establishing 
common foundations for interoperability, product dif-
ferentiation, technological innovation, and other 
value-added services. 
(2) Standards also promote an expanded, more 
interoperable, and efficient marketplace.
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(3) Global cooperation and coordination on 
standards for emerging technologies will be critical for 
having a consistent set of approaches to enable market 
competition, preclude barriers to trade, and allow in-
novation to flourish. 
(4) The People’s Republic of China’s Standard-
ization Reform Plan and Five-Year Plan for Stand-
ardization highlight its high-level goals to establish 
China as a standards power by 2020, participate in 
at least half of all standards drafting and revision ef-
forts in recognized international standards setting or-
ganizations, and strengthen China’s participation in 
the governance of international standards setting or-
ganizations. 
(5) As emerging technologies develop for global 
deployment, it is critical that the United States and 
its allies continue to participate in the development 
of standards that underpin the technologies them-
selves, and the future international governance of 
these technologies. 
(6) The United States position on standardiza-
tion in emerging technologies will be critical to 
United States economic competitiveness. 
(7) The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology is in a unique position to strengthen
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United States leadership in standards development, 
particularly for emerging technologies, to ensure con-
tinuing United States economic competitiveness and 
national security. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) the principles of openness, transparency, due 
process, and consensus in the development of inter-
national standards are critical; 
(2) voluntary consensus standards, developed 
through an industry-led process, serve as the corner-
stone of the United States standardization system and 
have become the basis of a sound national economy 
and the key to global market access; 
(3) strengthening the unique United States pub-
lic-private partnerships approach to standards devel-
opment is critical to United States economic competi-
tiveness; and 
(4) the United States Government should ensure 
cooperation and coordination across Federal agencies 
to partner with and support private sector stake-
holders to continue to shape international dialogues 
in regard to standards development for emerging tech-
nologies.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(c) ACTIVITIES AND ENGAGEMENT.—The Secretary of 
Commerce, acting through the Director, and in consultation 
with the Secretary of Energy as relevant, shall— 
(1) build capacity and training opportunities to 
help create a pipeline of talent and leadership in key 
standards development positions; 
(2) partner with private sector entities to sup-
port strategic engagement and leadership in the devel-
opment of international standards for digital econ-
omy technologies, including partnering with industry 
to assist private sector partners to develop standards 
strategies and support engagement and participation 
in the relevant standards activities; and 
(3) prioritize efforts on standards development 
for emerging technologies, identify organizations to 
develop these standards, identify leadership positions 
of interest to the United States, and identify key con-
tributors for technical and leadership expertise in 
these areas. 
SEC. 2307. RESEARCH FUNDS ACCOUNTING. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) FOREIGN ENTITY OF CONCERN.—The term 
‘‘foreign entity of concern’’ means a foreign entity 
that is—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(A) designated as a foreign terrorist organi-
zation by the Secretary of State under section 
219(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act 
(8 U.S.C. 1189(a)); 
(B) included on the list of specially des-
ignated nationals and blocked persons main-
tained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of 
the Department of the Treasury (commonly 
known as the SDN list); 
(C) owned by, controlled by, or subject to 
the jurisdiction or direction of a government of 
a foreign country that is a covered nation (as de-
fined in section 2533c(d) of title 10, United 
States Code); 
(D) alleged by the Attorney General to have 
been involved in activities for which a conviction 
was obtained under— 
(i) chapter 37 of title 18, United States 
Code (commonly known as the Espionage 
Act); 
(ii) section 951 or 1030 of title 18, 
United States Code; 
(iii) chapter 90 of title 18, United 
States Code (commonly known as the Eco-
nomic Espionage Act of 1996);
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(iv) the Arms Export Control Act (22 
U.S.C. 2751 et seq.); 
(v) section 224, 225, 226, 227, or 236 
of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 
U.S.C. 2274, 2275, 2276, 2277, and 2284); 
(vi) the Export Control Reform Act of 
2018 (50 U.S.C. 4801 et seq.); or 
(vii) the International Emergency Eco-
nomic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.); 
or 
(E) determined by the Secretary of Com-
merce, in consultation with the Secretary of De-
fense and the Director of National Intelligence, 
to be engaged in unauthorized conduct that is 
detrimental to the national security or foreign 
policy of the United States. 
(2) STUDY PERIOD.—The term ‘‘study period’’ 
means the 5-year period ending on the date of enact-
ment of this Act. 
(b) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a study on Federal funding made 
available, to foreign entities of concern for research, during 
the study period.
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(c) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The study conducted 
under subsection (b) shall include, to the extent practicable 
with respect to the study period, an assessment of— 
(1) the total amount of Federal funding made 
available to foreign entities of concern for research; 
(2) the total number and types of foreign entities 
of concern to whom such funding was made available; 
(3) the requirements relating to the awarding, 
tracking, and monitoring of such funding; 
(4) any other data available with respect to Fed-
eral funding made available to foreign entities of con-
cern for research; and 
(5) such other matters as the Comptroller Gen-
eral determines appropriate. 
(d) BRIEFING ON AVAILABLE DATA.—Not later than 
120 days after the date of the enactment of this division, 
the Comptroller General shall brief the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on For-
eign Affairs of the House of Representatives on the study 
conducted under subsection (b) and on the data that is 
available with respect to Federal funding made available 
to foreign entities of concern for research.
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(e) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
to the congressional committees specified in subsection (d), 
by a date agreed upon by the Comptroller General and the 
committees on the date of the briefing, a report on the find-
ings of the study conducted under subsection (b). 
SEC. 2308. PLAN WITH RESPECT TO SENSITIVE OR CON-
TROLLED INFORMATION AND BACKGROUND 
SCREENING. 
Not later than 180 days after the enactment of this 
division, the Director, in consultation with the Director of 
National Intelligence and, as appropriate, other Federal 
agencies, shall develop a plan to— 
(1) identify research areas that may include sen-
sitive or controlled information, including in the key 
technology focus areas; and 
(2) provide for background screening, as appro-
priate, for individuals working in such research areas 
who are employees of the Foundation or recipients of 
funding from the Foundation. 
TITLE IV—REGIONAL 
INNOVATION CAPACITY 
SEC. 2401. REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY HUBS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–480; 15 U.S.C. 
3701 et seq.) is amended—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(1) by redesignating section 28 as section 29; 
and 
(2) by inserting after section 27 the following: 
‘‘SEC. 28. REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY HUB PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) 
APPROPRIATE
COMMITTEES
OF
CON-
GRESS.—The term ‘appropriate committees of Con-
gress’ means— 
‘‘(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation, the Committee on Environ-
ment and Public Works, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure, and the Committee on Ap-
propriations of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(2) COOPERATIVE EXTENSION.—The term ‘coop-
erative extension’ has the meaning given the term ‘ex-
tension’ in section 1404 of the Food and Agriculture 
Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3103). 
‘‘(3) KEY TECHNOLOGY FOCUS AREAS.—The term 
‘key technology focus areas’ means the areas included 
on the most recent list under section 2005 of the End-
less Frontier Act.
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‘‘(4) LABOR ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘labor or-
ganization’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 2101 of the Endless Frontier Act. 
‘‘(5) LOW POPULATION STATE.—The term ‘low 
population State’ means a State without an urban-
ized area with a population greater than 200,000 as 
reported in the 2010 decennial census. 
‘‘(6) MANUFACTURING EXTENSION CENTER.—The 
term ‘manufacturing extension center’ has the mean-
ing given the term ‘Center’ in section 25(a) of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
U.S.C. 278k(a)). 
‘‘(7) MANUFACTURING
USA
INSTITUTE.—The 
term ‘Manufacturing USA institute’ means an Manu-
facturing USA institute described in section 34(d) of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act (15 U.S.C. 278s(d)). 
‘‘(8) SITE
CONNECTIVITY
INFRASTRUCTURE.— 
The term ‘site connectivity infrastructure’ means lo-
calized driveways and access roads to a facility as 
well as hookups to the new facility for drinking 
water, waste water, broadband, and other basic infra-
structure services already present in the area. 
‘‘(9) SMALL
AND
RURAL
COMMUNITIES.—The 
term ‘small and rural community’ means a noncore
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† HR 4521 EAS 
area, a micropolitan area, or a small metropolitan 
statistical area with a population of not more than 
200,000. 
‘‘(10) VENTURE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION.— 
The term ‘venture development organization’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 27(a) of the Ste-
venson-Wydler Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3722(a)). 
‘‘(b) REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY HUB PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Secretary shall carry out a pro-
gram— 
‘‘(A) to encourage new and constructive col-
laboration among local, State, and Federal gov-
ernment entities, academia, the private sector, 
economic development organizations, and labor 
organizations; 
‘‘(B) to support eligible consortia in the cre-
ation of regional innovation strategies; 
‘‘(C) to designate eligible consortia as re-
gional technology hubs and facilitate activities 
by consortia designated as regional technology 
hubs in implementing their regional innovation 
strategies, in order—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(i) to enable United States leadership 
in technology and innovation sectors crit-
ical to national and economic security; 
‘‘(ii) to support regional economic de-
velopment, including in small cities and 
rural areas, and diffuse innovation around 
the United States; and 
‘‘(iii) to support domestic job creation 
and broad-based economic growth; and 
‘‘(D) to ensure that the regional technology 
hubs address the intersection of emerging tech-
nologies and either local and regional challenges 
or national challenges; and 
‘‘(E) to conduct ongoing research, evalua-
tion, analysis, and dissemination of best prac-
tices for regional development and competitive-
ness in technology and innovation. 
‘‘(2) AWARDS.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the program required by paragraph (1) through the 
award of the following: 
‘‘(A) Strategy development grants or cooper-
ative agreements to eligible consortia under sub-
section (e).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(B) Strategy implementation grants or co-
operative agreements to regional technology hubs 
under subsection (f). 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATION.—The Secretary shall 
carry out this section through the Assistant Secretary 
of Commerce for Economic Development in coordina-
tion with the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Standards and Technology. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE CONSORTIA.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, an eligible consortium is a consortium that— 
‘‘(1) includes 1 or more— 
‘‘(A) institutions of higher education; 
‘‘(B) local or Tribal governments or other 
political subdivisions of a State; 
‘‘(C) State governments represented by an 
agency designated by the governor of the State or 
States that is representative of the geographic 
area served by the consortia; 
‘‘(D) economic development organizations or 
similar entities that are focused primarily on 
improving science, technology, innovation, or en-
trepreneurship; 
‘‘(E) industry or firms in relevant tech-
nology or innovation sectors;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(F) labor organizations or workforce train-
ing organizations, including State and local 
workforce development boards as established 
under section 101 and 107 of the Workforce In-
vestment and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3111; 
3122); and 
‘‘(2) may include 1 or more— 
‘‘(A) nonprofit economic development enti-
ties with relevant expertise, including a district 
organization (as defined in section 300.3 of title 
13, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor reg-
ulation); 
‘‘(B) venture development organizations; 
‘‘(C) financial institutions and investment 
funds; 
‘‘(D) primary and secondary educational 
institutions, including career and technical edu-
cation schools; 
‘‘(E) National Laboratories (as defined in 
section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 
U.S.C. 15801)); 
‘‘(F) Federal laboratories; 
‘‘(G) Manufacturing extension centers; 
‘‘(H) Manufacturing USA institutes;
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(I) institutions receiving an award under 
section 2104 of the Endless Frontier Act; and 
‘‘(J) a cooperative extension. 
‘‘(d) 
DESIGNATION
OF
REGIONAL
TECHNOLOGY 
HUBS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out subsection 
(b)(1)(C), the Secretary shall use a competitive proc-
ess to designate eligible consortia as regional tech-
nology hubs. 
‘‘(2) 
GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—In 
con-
ducting the competitive process under paragraph (1), 
the Secretary shall ensure geographic distribution in 
the designation of regional technology hubs by— 
‘‘(A) seeking to designate at least three tech-
nology hubs in each region covered by a regional 
office of the Economic Development Administra-
tion; 
‘‘(B) focusing on localities that are not lead-
ing technology centers; 
‘‘(C) ensuring that not fewer than one-third 
of eligible consortia designated as regional tech-
nology hubs significantly benefit a small and 
rural community, which may include a State de-
scribed in subparagraph (D);
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(D) ensuring that not fewer than one-third 
of eligible consortia designated as regional tech-
nology hubs include as a member of the eligible 
consortia at least 1 member that is a State that 
is eligible to receive funding from the Established 
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research of 
the National Science Foundation; and 
‘‘(E) ensuring that at least one eligible con-
sortium designated as a regional technology hub 
is headquartered in a low population State that 
is eligible to receive funding from the Established 
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research of 
the National Science Foundation. 
‘‘(3) RELATION TO CERTAIN GRANT AWARDS.— 
The Secretary shall not require an eligible consortium 
to receive a grant or cooperative agreement under 
subsection (e) in order to be designated as a regional 
technology hub under paragraph (1) of this sub-
section. 
‘‘(e) STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AND COOPER-
ATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall use a 
competitive process to award grants or cooperative 
agreements to eligible consortia for the development of 
regional innovation strategies.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(2) NUMBER
OF
RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary 
shall award a grant or cooperative agreement under 
paragraph (1) to not fewer than 20 eligible consortia. 
‘‘(3) GEOGRAPHIC DIVERSITY AND REPRESENTA-
TION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
carry out paragraph (1) in a manner that en-
sures geographic diversity and representation 
from communities of differing populations. 
‘‘(B) AWARDS TO SMALL AND RURAL COM-
MUNITIES.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) award not fewer than one-third of 
the grants and cooperative agreements 
under such paragraph to eligible consortia 
that significantly benefit a small and rural 
community, which may include a State de-
scribed in clause (ii); and 
‘‘(ii) award not fewer than one-third of 
the grants and cooperative agreements 
under such paragraph to eligible consortia 
that include as a member of the eligible con-
sortia at least 1 member that is a State that 
is eligible to receive funding from the Estab-
lished Program to Stimulate Competitive
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† HR 4521 EAS 
Research of the National Science Founda-
tion. 
‘‘(4) USE OF FUNDS.—The amount of a grant or 
cooperative agreement awarded under paragraph (1) 
shall be as follows: 
‘‘(A) To coordinate locally defined planning 
processes, across jurisdictions and agencies, re-
lating to developing a comprehensive regional 
technology strategy. 
‘‘(B) To identify regional partnerships for 
developing and implementing a comprehensive 
regional technology strategy. 
‘‘(C) To conduct or update assessments to 
determine regional needs. 
‘‘(D) To develop or update goals and strate-
gies to implement an existing comprehensive re-
gional plan. 
‘‘(E) To identify or implement local zoning 
and other code changes necessary to implement a 
comprehensive regional technology strategy. 
‘‘(5) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 
cost of an effort carried out using a grant or coopera-
tive agreement awarded under this subsection may 
not exceed 80 percent—
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(A) where in-kind contributions may be 
used for all or part of the non-Federal share, but 
Federal funding from other Government sources 
may not count towards the non-Federal share; 
‘‘(B) except in the case of an eligible consor-
tium that represents all or part of a small and 
rural community, the Federal share may be up 
to 90 percent of the total cost, subject to subpara-
graph (A); and 
‘‘(C) except in the case of an eligible consor-
tium that is led by a Tribal government, the 
Federal share may be up to 100 percent of the 
total cost of the project. 
‘‘(f) STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS AND COOP-
ERATIVE AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall use a 
competitive process to award grants or cooperative 
agreements to regional technology hubs for the imple-
mentation of regional innovation strategies, including 
regional strategies for infrastructure and site develop-
ment, in support of the regional technology hub’s 
plans and programs. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—The amount of a grant or 
cooperative agreement awarded under subparagraph 
(A) to a regional technology hub may be used by the
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† HR 4521 EAS 
regional technology hub to support any of the fol-
lowing activities, consistent with the most current re-
gional innovation strategy of the regional technology 
hub: 
‘‘(A) WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVI-
TIES.—Workforce development activities, includ-
ing activities relating to the following: 
‘‘(i) The creation of partnerships be-
tween industry, workforce, and academic 
groups, which may include community col-
leges, to create and align technical training 
and educational programs. 
‘‘(ii) The design, development, and up-
dating of educational and training cur-
riculum. 
‘‘(iii) The procurement of facilities and 
equipment, as required to train a technical 
workforce. 
‘‘(iv) The development and execution of 
programs to rapidly award certificates or 
credentials recognized by regional industry 
groups. 
‘‘(v) The matching of regional employ-
ers with a potential new entrant, under-
employed, or incumbent workforce.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(vi) The expansion of successful train-
ing programs at a scale required by the re-
gion served by the regional technology hub, 
including through the use of online edu-
cation. 
‘‘(B) BUSINESS
AND
ENTREPRENEUR
DE-
VELOPMENT
ACTIVITIES.—Business and entre-
preneur development activities, including activi-
ties relating to the following: 
‘‘(i) The development and growth of re-
gional businesses and the training of entre-
preneurs. 
‘‘(ii) The support of technology com-
mercialization, including funding for ac-
tivities relevant to the protection of intellec-
tual property. 
‘‘(iii) The development of networks for 
business and entrepreneur mentorship. 
‘‘(C) TECHNOLOGY
MATURATION
ACTIVI-
TIES.—Technology maturation activities, includ-
ing activities relating to the following: 
‘‘(i) The development and deployment 
of technologies in sectors critical to the re-
gion served by the regional technology hub 
or to national and economic security, in-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
cluding proof of concept, prototype develop-
ment, and testing. 
‘‘(ii) The provision of facilities for 
technology maturation, including incuba-
tors for collaborative development of tech-
nologies by private sector, academic, and 
other entities. 
‘‘(iii) Activities to ensure access to cap-
ital for new business formation and busi-
ness expansion, including by attracting new 
private, public, and philanthropic invest-
ment and by establishing regional venture 
and loan funds. 
‘‘(iv) Activities determined appropriate 
by the Secretary under section 27(c)(2) of 
this Act. 
‘‘(D) INFRASTRUCTURE-RELATED
ACTIVI-
TIES.—The building of facilities and site 
connectivity infrastructure necessary to carry 
out activities described in subparagraphs (A), 
(B), and (C), including activities relating to the 
following: 
‘‘(i) Establishing a workforce training 
center with required tools and instrumenta-
tion.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(ii) Establishing a facility for tech-
nology development, demonstration, and 
testing. 
‘‘(iii) Establishing collaborative incu-
bators to support technology commercializa-
tion and entrepreneur training. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF AWARDS.—The 
Secretary shall ensure that no single regional tech-
nology hub receives more than 10 percent of the aggre-
gate amount of the grants and cooperative agreements 
awarded under this subsection. 
‘‘(4) TERM.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term of a grant or 
cooperative agreement awarded under this sub-
section shall be for such period as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
‘‘(B) RENEWAL.—The Secretary may renew 
a grant or cooperative agreement awarded to a 
regional technology hub under this subsection as 
the Secretary considers appropriate if the Sec-
retary determines that the performance of the re-
gional technology hub is satisfactory. 
‘‘(5) MATCHING REQUIRED.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of a 
regional technology hub described in subpara-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
graph (B), the total amount of all grants award-
ed to a regional technology hub under this sub-
section in a given year shall not exceed amounts 
as follows: 
‘‘(i) In the first year of the grant or co-
operative agreement, 90 percent of the total 
operating costs of the regional technology 
hub in that year. 
‘‘(ii) In the second year of the grant or 
cooperative agreement, 85 percent of the 
total operating costs of the regional tech-
nology hub in that year. 
‘‘(iii) In the third year of the grant or 
cooperative agreement, 80 percent of the 
total operating costs of the regional tech-
nology hub in that year. 
‘‘(iv) In the fourth year of the grant or 
cooperative agreement and each year there-
after, 75 percent of the total operating costs 
of the regional technology hub in that year. 
‘‘(B) SMALL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES AND 
INDIAN TRIBES.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The total Federal 
financial assistance awarded in a given 
year to a regional technology hub under this
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† HR 4521 EAS 
subsection shall not exceed amounts as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(I) In the case of a regional tech-
nology hub that represents a small and 
rural community, in a fiscal year, 90 
percent of the total funding of the re-
gional technology hub in that fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(II) In the case of an regional 
technology hub that is led by a Tribal 
government, in a fiscal year, 100 per-
cent of the total funding of the regional 
technology hub in that fiscal year. 
‘‘(ii) MINIMUM THRESHOLD OF RURAL 
REPRESENTATION.—For purposes of clause 
(i)(I), the Secretary shall establish a min-
imum threshold of rural representation in 
the regional technology hub. 
‘‘(C) IN-KIND
CONTRIBUTIONS.—For pur-
poses of this paragraph, in-kind contributions 
may be used for part of the non-Federal share of 
the total funding of a regional technology hub in 
a fiscal year. 
‘‘(6) 
GRANTS
FOR
INFRASTRUCTURE.—Any 
grant or cooperative agreement awarded under this
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† HR 4521 EAS 
subsection to support the construction of facilities and 
site connectivity infrastructure shall be awarded pur-
suant to section 201 of the Public Works and Eco-
nomic Development Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 3141) and 
subject to the provisions of such Act, except that sub-
section (b) of such section and sections 204 and 301 
of such Act (42 U.S.C. 3144, 3161) shall not apply. 
‘‘(7) RELATION TO CERTAIN GRANT AWARDS.— 
The Secretary shall not require a regional technology 
hub to receive a grant or cooperative agreement under 
subsection (e) in order to receive a grant or coopera-
tive agreement under this subsection. 
‘‘(g) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible consortium seeking 
designation as a regional technology hub under subsection 
(d) or a grant or cooperative agreement under subsection 
(e) or (f) shall submit to the Secretary an application there-
for at such time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may specify. 
‘‘(h) CONSIDERATIONS FOR DESIGNATION AND AWARD 
OF STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENTS.—In selecting an eligible consortium that 
submitted an application under subsection (g) for designa-
tion under subsection (d) or for a grant or cooperative 
agreement under subsection (f), the Secretary shall consider, 
at a minimum, the following:
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‘‘(1) The potential of the eligible consortium to 
advance the research, development, deployment, and 
domestic manufacturing of technologies in a key tech-
nology focus area or other technology or innovation 
sector critical to national and economic security. 
‘‘(2) The likelihood of positive regional economic 
effect, including increasing the number of high wage 
domestic jobs, and creating new economic opportuni-
ties for economically disadvantaged and underrep-
resented populations. 
‘‘(3) How the eligible consortium plans to inte-
grate with and leverage the resources of 1 or more fed-
erally funded research and development centers, Na-
tional Laboratories, Federal laboratories, Manufac-
turing USA institutes, Hollings Manufacturing Ex-
tension Partnership centers, university technology 
centers established under section 2104 of the Endless 
Frontier Act, the program established under section 
2107 of the such Act, test beds established and oper-
ated under section 2108 of such Act, or other Federal 
research entities. 
‘‘(4) How the eligible consortium will engage 
with the private sector, including small- and me-
dium-sized businesses to commercialize new tech-
nologies and improve the resiliency of domestic sup-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
ply chains in a key technology focus area or other 
technology or innovation sector critical to national 
and economic security. 
‘‘(5) How the eligible consortium will carry out 
workforce development and skills acquisition pro-
gramming, including through partnerships with enti-
ties that include State and local workforce develop-
ment boards, institutions of higher education, includ-
ing community colleges, historically Black colleges 
and universities, Tribal colleges and universities, and 
minority serving institutions, labor organizations, 
and workforce development programs, and other re-
lated activities authorized by the Secretary, to sup-
port the development of a key technology focus area 
or other technology or innovation sector critical to na-
tional and economic security. 
‘‘(6) How the eligible consortium will improve 
science, technology, engineering, and mathematics 
education programs in the identified region in ele-
mentary and secondary school and higher education 
institutions located in the identified region to support 
the development of a key technology focus area or 
other technology or innovation sector critical to na-
tional and economic security.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
‘‘(7) How the eligible consortium plans to de-
velop partnerships with venture development organi-
zations and sources of private investment in support 
of private sector activity, including launching new or 
expanding existing companies, in a key technology 
focus area or other technology or innovation sector 
critical to national and economic security. 
‘‘(8) How the eligible consortium plans to orga-
nize the activities of regional partners across sectors 
in support of a regional technology hub. 
‘‘(9) How the eligible consortium will ensure that 
growth in technology and innovation sectors produces 
broadly shared opportunity across the identified re-
gion, including for economic disadvantaged and 
underrepresented populations and rural areas. 
‘‘(10) The likelihood efforts served by the consor-
tium will be sustained once Federal support ends. 
‘‘(11) How the eligible consortium will— 
‘‘(A) enhance the economic, environmental, 
and energy security of the United States by pro-
moting domestic development, manufacture, and 
deployment of innovative clean technologies and 
advanced manufacturing practices; and 
‘‘(B) support translational research, tech-
nology development, manufacturing innovation,
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and commercialization activities relating to 
clean technology. 
‘‘(i) COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION.— 
‘‘(1) COORDINATION WITH REGIONAL INNOVATION 
PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall work to ensure the 
activities under this section do not duplicate activi-
ties or efforts under section 27, as the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
‘‘(2) COORDINATION
WITH
PROGRAMS
OF
THE 
NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS
AND
TECH-
NOLOGY.—The Secretary shall coordinate the activi-
ties of regional technology hubs designated under this 
section, the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Part-
nership, and the Manufacturing USA Program, as 
the Secretary considers appropriate, to maintain the 
effectiveness of a manufacturing extension center or a 
Manufacturing USA institute. 
‘‘(3) COORDINATION WITH DEPARTMENT OF EN-
ERGY PROGRAMS.—The Secretary shall, in collabora-
tion with the Secretary of Energy, coordinate the ac-
tivities and selection of regional technology hubs des-
ignated under this section, as the Secretaries consider 
appropriate, to maintain the effectiveness of activities 
at the Department of Energy and the National Lab-
oratories.
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‘‘(4) INTERAGENCY COLLABORATION.—In desig-
nating regional technology hubs under subsection (d) 
and awarding grants or cooperative agreements under 
subsection (f), the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall collaborate, to the extent possible, 
with the interagency working group established 
under section 2004 of the Endless Frontier Act; 
‘‘(B) shall collaborate with Federal depart-
ments and agencies whose missions contribute to 
the goals of the regional technology hub; 
‘‘(C) shall consult with the Director of the 
National Science Foundation for the purpose of 
ensuring that the regional technology hubs are 
aligned with relevant science, technology, and en-
gineering expertise; and 
‘‘(D) may accept funds from other Federal 
agencies to support grants, cooperative agree-
ments, and activities under this section. 
‘‘(j) PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT, TRANSPARENCY, 
AND ACCOUNTABILITY.— 
‘‘(1) METRICS, STANDARDS, AND ASSESSMENT.— 
For each grant and cooperative agreement awarded 
under subsection (f) for a regional technology hub, the 
Secretary shall—
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‘‘(A) develop metrics, which may include 
metrics relating to domestic job creation, patent 
awards, and business formation and expansion, 
to assess the effectiveness of the activities funded 
in making progress toward the purposes set forth 
under subsection (b)(1); 
‘‘(B) establish standards for the perform-
ance of the regional technology hub that are 
based on the metrics developed under subpara-
graph (A); and 
‘‘(C) 4 years after the initial award under 
subsection (f) and every 2 years thereafter until 
Federal financial assistance under this section 
for the regional technology hub is discontinued, 
conduct an assessment of the regional technology 
hub to confirm whether the performance of the 
regional technology hub is meeting the standards 
for performance established under subparagraph 
(B) of this paragraph. 
‘‘(2) FINAL REPORTS BY RECIPIENTS OF STRAT-
EGY
IMPLEMENTATION
GRANTS
AND
COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall re-
quire each eligible consortium that receives a 
grant or cooperative agreement under subsection
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(f) for activities of a regional technology hub, as 
a condition of receipt of such grant or coopera-
tive agreement, to submit to the Secretary, not 
later than 120 days after the last day of the term 
of the grant or cooperative agreement, a report 
on the activities of the regional technology hub 
supported by the grant or cooperative agreement. 
‘‘(B) CONTENTS OF REPORT.—Each report 
submitted by an eligible consortium under sub-
paragraph (A) shall include the following: 
‘‘(i) A detailed description of the ac-
tivities carried out by the regional tech-
nology hub using the grant or cooperative 
agreement described in subparagraph (A), 
including the following: 
‘‘(I) A description of each project 
the regional technology hub completed 
using such grant or cooperative agree-
ment. 
‘‘(II) An explanation of how each 
project described in subclause (I) 
achieves a specific goal under this sec-
tion in the region of the regional tech-
nology hub with respect to—
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‘‘(aa) the resiliency of a sup-
ply chain; 
‘‘(bb) research, development, 
and deployment of a critical tech-
nology; 
‘‘(cc) workforce training and 
development; 
‘‘(dd) domestic job creation; 
or 
‘‘(ee) entrepreneurship. 
‘‘(ii) A discussion of any obstacles en-
countered by the regional technology hub in 
the implementation of the regional tech-
nology hub and how the regional technology 
hub overcame those obstacles. 
‘‘(iii) An evaluation of the success of 
the projects of the regional technology hub 
using the performance standards and meas-
ures established under paragraph (1), in-
cluding an evaluation of the planning proc-
ess and how the project contributes to car-
rying out the regional innovation strategy 
of the regional technology hub. 
‘‘(iv) The effectiveness of the regional 
technology hub in ensuring that, in the re-
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gion of the regional technology hub, growth 
in technology and innovation sectors pro-
duces broadly shared opportunity across the 
region, including for economic disadvan-
taged and underrepresented populations 
and rural areas. 
‘‘(v) Information regarding such other 
matters as the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(3) INTERIM
REPORTS
BY
RECIPIENTS
OF 
GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—In addi-
tion to requiring submittal of final reports under 
paragraph (2)(A), the Secretary may require a re-
gional technology hub described in such paragraph to 
submit to the Secretary such interim reports as the 
Secretary considers appropriate. 
‘‘(4) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not less 
frequently than once each year, the Secretary shall 
submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an 
annual report on the results of the assessments con-
ducted by the Secretary under paragraph (1)(C) dur-
ing the period covered by the report. 
‘‘(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary, for the pe-
riod of fiscal years 2022 through 2026—
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‘‘(1) $9,425,000,000 to award grants and cooper-
ative agreements under subsection (f); and 
‘‘(2) $575,000,000 to award grants and coopera-
tive agreements under subsection (e).’’. 
(b) INITIAL DESIGNATIONS AND AWARDS.— 
(1) COMPETITION
REQUIRED.—Not later than 
180 days after the date of the enactment of this divi-
sion, the Secretary of Commerce shall commence a 
competition under subsection (d)(1) of section 28 of 
the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 
1980 (Public Law 96–480), as added by subsection 
(a). 
(2) DESIGNATION AND AWARD.—Not later than 1 
year after the date of the enactment of this division, 
if the Secretary has received at least 1 application 
under subsection (g) of such section from an eligible 
consortium whom the Secretary considers suitable for 
designation under subsection (d)(1) of such section, 
the Secretary shall— 
(A) designate at least 1 regional technology 
hub under subsection (d)(1) of such section; and 
(B) award a grant or cooperative agreement 
under subsection (f)(1) of such section to each re-
gional technology hub designated pursuant to 
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
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† HR 4521 EAS 
SEC. 2402. MANUFACTURING USA PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE OR UNIVER-
SITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or univer-
sity’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B institu-
tion’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)). 
(2) MANUFACTURING USA INSTITUTE.—The term 
‘‘Manufacturing USA institute’’ means an institute 
described in section 34(d) of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s(d)). 
(3) MANUFACTURING USA NETWORK.—The term 
‘‘Manufacturing USA Network’’ means the network 
established under section 34(c) of the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278s(c)). 
(4) MANUFACTURING USA PROGRAM.—The term 
‘‘Manufacturing USA Program’’ means the program 
established under section 34(b)(1) of the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278s(b)(1)). 
(5) MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTION.—The term 
‘‘minority-serving institution’’ means an eligible in-
stitution described in section 371(a) of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
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† HR 4521 EAS 
(6) NATIONAL
PROGRAM
OFFICE.—The term 
‘‘National Program Office’’ means the National Pro-
gram Office established under section 34(h)(1) of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278s(h)(1)). 
(7) TRIBAL COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY.—The term 
‘‘Tribal college or university’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3)). 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS
TO EN-
HANCE AND EXPAND MANUFACTURING USA PROGRAM AND 
SUPPORT INNOVATION AND GROWTH IN DOMESTIC MANU-
FACTURING.—There is authorized to be appropriated 
$1,200,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026 for the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Di-
rector of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology and in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, 
the Secretary of Defense, and the heads of such other Federal 
agencies as the Secretary of Commerce considers relevant— 
(1) to carry out the Manufacturing USA Pro-
gram, including by awarding financial assistance 
under section 34(e) of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s(e)) for 
Manufacturing USA institutes that were in effect on
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† HR 4521 EAS 
the day before the date of the enactment of this divi-
sion; and 
(2) to expand such program to support innova-
tion and growth in domestic manufacturing. 
(c) DIVERSITY PREFERENCES.—Section 34(e) of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
U.S.C. 278s(e)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(8) DIVERSITY PREFERENCES.—In awarding fi-
nancial assistance under paragraph (1) for planning 
or establishing a Manufacturing USA institute, an 
agency head shall prioritize Manufacturing USA in-
stitutes that— 
‘‘(A) contribute to the geographical diversity 
of the Manufacturing USA Program; 
‘‘(B) are located in an area with a low per 
capita income; and 
‘‘(C) are located in an area with a high 
proportion of socially disadvantaged residents.’’. 
(d) COORDINATION BETWEEN MANUFACTURING USA 
PROGRAM
AND HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION 
PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary shall facilitate the coordina-
tion of the activities of the Manufacturing USA Program 
and the activities of Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership with each other to the degree that doing so does
313 
† HR 4521 EAS 
not diminish the effectiveness of the ongoing activities of 
a Manufacturing USA institute or a Center (as the term 
is defined in section 25(a) of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(a)), includ-
ing Manufacturing USA institutes entering into agreements 
with a Center (as so defined) that the Secretary considers 
appropriate to provide services relating to the mission of 
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership, includ-
ing outreach, technical assistance, workforce development, 
and technology transfer and adoption assistance to small- 
and medium-sized manufacturers. 
(e) ADVICE FROM THE NATIONAL MANUFACTURING 
ADVISORY COUNCIL.—The Secretary shall seek advice from 
the National Manufacturing Advisory Council on matters 
concerning investment in and support of the manufacturing 
workforce within the Manufacturing USA Program, includ-
ing those matters covered under section 2404(d)(7). 
(f) PARTICIPATION OF MINORITY-SERVING INSTITU-
TIONS, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES
AND UNIVER-
SITIES, AND TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, 
in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, the Sec-
retary of Defense, and the heads of such other Federal 
agencies as the Secretary of Commerce considers rel-
evant, shall coordinate with existing and new Manu-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
facturing USA institutes to integrate covered entities 
as active members of the Manufacturing USA insti-
tutes, including through the development of pref-
erences in selection criteria for proposals to create 
new Manufacturing USA institutes or renew existing 
Manufacturing USA institutes that are led by a cov-
ered entity. 
(2) COVERED ENTITIES.—For purposes of this 
subsection, a covered entity is— 
(A) a minority-serving institution; 
(B) an historically Black college or univer-
sity; 
(C) a Tribal college or university; or 
(D) a minority business enterprise (as de-
fined in section 1400.2 of title 15, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations, or successor regulation). 
(g) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE POLICIES TO PRO-
MOTE DOMESTIC PRODUCTION OF TECHNOLOGIES DEVEL-
OPED UNDER MANUFACTURING USA PROGRAM.— 
(1) POLICIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Each agency head (as 
defined in section 34(a) of the National Institute 
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278s(a))) and the Secretary of Defense shall, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, es-
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† HR 4521 EAS 
tablish policies to promote the domestic produc-
tion of technologies developed by the Manufac-
turing USA Network. 
(B) ELEMENTS.—The policies developed 
under subparagraph (A) shall include the fol-
lowing: 
(i) Measures to partner domestic devel-
opers of goods, services, or technologies by 
Manufacturing USA Network activities 
with domestic manufacturers and sources of 
financing. 
(ii) Measures to develop and provide 
incentives to promote transfer of intellectual 
property and goods, services, or technologies 
developed by Manufacturing USA Network 
activities to domestic manufacturers. 
(iii) Measures to assist with supplier 
scouting and other supply chain develop-
ment, including the use of the Hollings 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership to 
carry out such measures. 
(iv) A process to review and approve 
or deny membership in a Manufacturing 
USA institute by foreign-owned companies,
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† HR 4521 EAS 
especially from countries of concern, includ-
ing the People’s Republic of China. 
(v) Measures to prioritize Federal pro-
curement of goods, services, or technologies 
developed by the Manufacturing USA Net-
work activities from domestic sources, as 
appropriate. 
(C) PROCESSES FOR WAIVERS.—The poli-
cies established under this paragraph shall in-
clude processes to permit waivers, on a case by 
case basis, for policies that promote domestic 
production based on cost, availability, severity of 
technical and mission requirements, emergency 
requirements, operational needs, other legal or 
international treaty obligations, or other factors 
deemed important to the success of the Manufac-
turing USA Program. 
(2) PROHIBITION.— 
(A) COMPANY
DEFINED.—In this para-
graph, the term ‘‘company’’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 847(a) of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 
(Public Law 116–92; 10 U.S.C. 2509 note). 
(B) IN GENERAL.—A company of the Peo-
ple’s Republic of China may not participate in
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† HR 4521 EAS 
the Manufacturing USA Program or the Manu-
facturing USA Network without a waiver, as de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(C). 
(h) COORDINATION OF MANUFACTURING USA INSTI-
TUTES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 34(h) of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278s(h)) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(7) COUNCIL
FOR
COORDINATION
OF
INSTI-
TUTES.— 
‘‘(A) COUNCIL.—The National Program Of-
fice shall establish or designate a council of heads 
of any Manufacturing USA institute receiving 
Federal funding at any given time to foster col-
laboration between Manufacturing USA insti-
tutes. 
‘‘(B) MEETINGS.—The council established 
or designated under subparagraph (A) shall meet 
not less frequently than twice each year. 
‘‘(C) DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL.—The coun-
cil established under subparagraph (A) shall as-
sist the National Program Office in carrying out 
the functions of the National Program Office 
under paragraph (2).’’.