(9) ways to encourage geographic diversity in 
STEM education and the workforce pipeline. 
(d) REPORTS.—The Advisory Panel shall report, not 
less frequently than once every 3 fiscal years, to the Presi-
dent and Congress on its assessments under subsection (c) 
and its recommendations for ways to improve Federal 
STEM education programs. The first report under this sub-
section shall be submitted within 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(e) TRAVEL
EXPENSES
OF
NON-FEDERAL
MEM-
BERS.—Non-Federal members of the Advisory Panel, while 
attending meetings of the Advisory Panel or while otherwise 
serving at the request of the head of the Advisory Panel 
away from their homes or regular places of business, may 
be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, as authorized by section 5703 of title 5, United 
States Code, for individuals in the Government serving 
without pay. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed 
to prohibit members of the Advisory Panel who are officers 
or employees of the United States from being allowed travel 
expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in ac-
cordance with existing law. 
SEC. 203. COMMITTEE ON STEM EDUCATION. 
Section 101 of the America COMPETES Reauthoriza-
tion Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621) is amended— 
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(1) in the first subsection (b)— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3) 
through (6) as paragraphs (5) through (8), re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) collaborate with the STEM Education Advi-
sory Panel established under section 202 of the Amer-
ica COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 and 
other outside stakeholders to ensure the engagement of 
the STEM education community; 
‘‘(4) review evaluation measures used for Federal 
STEM education programs;’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated by 
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph, by striking 
‘‘, periodically update,’’; and 
(2) in the second subsection (b) and in subsection 
(c), by striking ‘‘subsection (b)(5)’’ and inserting 
‘‘subsection (b)(7)’’. 
SEC. 204. STEM EDUCATION COORDINATING OFFICE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall establish within the Directorate 
for Education and Human Resources a STEM Education 
Coordinating Office, which shall have a Director and staff 
that shall include career employees detailed from Federal 
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agencies that fund STEM education programs and activi-
ties. 
(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The STEM Education Co-
ordinating Office shall— 
(1) provide technical and administrative support 
to— 
(A) the Committee on STEM Education, es-
pecially in its coordination of Federal STEM 
programs and strategic planning responsibilities; 
(B) the Advisory Panel established under 
section 202; and 
(C) Federal agencies with STEM education 
programs; 
(2) periodically update and maintain the inven-
tory of federally sponsored STEM education programs 
and activities established under section 101(b)(8) of 
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621); and 
(3) provide for dissemination of information on 
Federal STEM education programs and activities, as 
appropriate, to stakeholders in academia, industry, 
nonprofit organizations with expertise in STEM edu-
cation, State and local educational agencies, and 
other STEM stakeholders. 
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(c) REPORT.—The Director of the STEM Education 
Coordinating Office shall transmit a report annually to 
Congress not later than 60 days after the submission of the 
President’s budget request. The annual report shall in-
clude— 
(1) any updates to the inventory required under 
subsection (b)(2); 
(2) a description of all consolidations and termi-
nations of Federal STEM education programs imple-
mented in the previous fiscal year, including an ex-
planation of the reasons for consolidations and termi-
nations; 
(3) recommendations for consolidations and ter-
minations of STEM education programs or activities 
in the upcoming fiscal year; 
(4) a description of any significant new STEM 
Education public-private partnerships; and 
(5) description of the progress made in carrying 
out the strategic plan required under section 101 of 
the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 
2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621), including a description of the 
outcome of any program assessments completed in the 
previous year. 
(d) RESPONSIBILITIES OF NSF.—The Director of the 
National Science Foundation shall encourage and monitor 
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the efforts of the STEM Education Coordinating Office to 
ensure that the Coordinating Office is carrying out its re-
sponsibilities under subsection (b) appropriately. 
TITLE III—OFFICE OF SCIENCE 
AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY 
SEC. 301. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There are authorized to be appropriated for the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy— 
(1) $4,550,000 for fiscal year 2016; and 
(2) $4,550,000 for fiscal year 2017. 
SEC. 302. REGULATORY EFFICIENCY. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress 
that— 
(1) high and increasing administrative burdens 
and costs in Federal research administration, par-
ticularly in the higher education sector where most 
federally sponsored research is performed, are eroding 
funds available to carry out basic scientific research; 
(2) progress has been made over the last decade 
in streamlining the pre-award grant application 
process through Grants.gov, the Federal Government’s 
website portal; 
(3) post-award administrative costs have grown 
as Federal research agencies have continued to impose 
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