I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6121 
To modernize the authority of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission 
to conduct research, development, demonstration, and information programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 14, 2018 
Mr. AUSTIN SCOTT of Georgia (for himself, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. GOODLATTE, 
and Mr. SOTO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture 
A BILL 
To modernize the authority of the Commodity Futures Trad-
ing Commission to conduct research, development, dem-
onstration, and information programs. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Commodity Futures 
Trading Commission Research and Development Mod-
ernization Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. MODERNIZATION OF AUTHORITY OF THE COM-
MODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION TO 
CONDUCT RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, DEM-
ONSTRATION, 
AND 
INFORMATION 
PRO-
GRAMS. 
Section 18 of the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. 
22) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 18. RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRA-
TION OF FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—The Commission shall establish 
and maintain, as part of its ongoing operations, research, 
development, demonstration, and information programs 
that further the purposes and objectives of this Act, in-
cluding programs that— 
‘‘(1) facilitate the understanding by the Com-
mission of emerging financial, regulatory, and com-
pliance technologies, the potential applications of the 
technologies to the transactions and markets regu-
lated by the Commission, and associated implications 
for cybersecurity, data security, and systemic risk; 
‘‘(2) inform the Commission of important tech-
nological advances and innovations affecting markets 
regulated by the Commission; 
‘‘(3) provide an environment where techno-
logical advances and innovations may be explored by 
developers, potential users, and the Commission to 
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evaluate potential benefits to the Commission and 
the markets regulated by the Commission; 
‘‘(4) identify areas where the Commission 
should adapt its administration of this Act to facili-
tate technological advances and innovations that 
would benefit the markets regulated by the Commis-
sion; 
‘‘(5) improve the administration of this Act by 
the Commission by identifying technological ad-
vances and innovations, and developing novel tools 
that are not generally available from traditional ven-
dors for use by the Commission, or any division or 
office of the Commission; and 
‘‘(6) develop educational and other informa-
tional materials regarding derivatives trading, tech-
nological advances and innovations in markets regu-
lated by the Commission, and applicable require-
ments of this Act and the regulations prescribed 
under this Act. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZED MEANS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, the Commission may do the fol-
lowing to accomplish the goals described in subsection (a): 
‘‘(1) OTHER
TRANSACTION
AUTHORITY.—The 
Commission may enter into and perform a trans-
action (other than a standard contract) with any 
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agency or instrumentality of the United States, or 
with any State, territory, or possession of the United 
States, or with any political subdivision thereof, or 
with any person, firm, association, corporation, edu-
cational institution, self-regulatory organization, for-
eign government, international organization or other 
entity, on such terms and conditions as the Chair-
man of the Commission deems appropriate, if— 
‘‘(A) the transaction is only used for a goal 
described in subsection (a); 
‘‘(B) the Commission endeavors to use a 
competitive process, where appropriate, when 
determining the parties to the transaction; and 
‘‘(C) the Chairman makes a written deter-
mination that using a standard contract to do 
so is either not feasible or not appropriate. 
‘‘(2) GIFT ACCEPTANCE AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—During the 5-year pe-
riod that begins with the date of the enactment 
of this section, the Commission may solicit, ac-
cept, and utilize any contribution, provision of 
access, gift, or donation of tangible or intan-
gible property or service that the Chairman 
deems appropriate, from any agency or instru-
mentality of the United States, or any State, 
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territory, or possession of the United States, or 
any political subdivision thereof, or any person, 
firm, association, corporation, educational insti-
tution, self-regulatory organization, foreign gov-
ernment, international organization, or other 
entity, if— 
‘‘(i) the property or service is used 
only for a goal described in subsection (a); 
and 
‘‘(ii) the Chairman makes a written 
determination that accepting the contribu-
tion, provision of access, gift, or donation 
is consistent with fulfilling the goal, and 
that using a standard contract or other 
transaction to do so is either not feasible 
or not appropriate. 
‘‘(B) SUNSET.—The authority provided by 
subparagraph (A) may not be exercised on or 
after October 1, 2023. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after 
the end of each fiscal year, the Commission shall submit 
to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry 
of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the 
House of Representatives a report on all transactions en-
tered into, and all contributions, provisions of access, gifts, 
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or donations accepted, under subsection (b), which shall 
describe the following with respect to each such trans-
action, contribution, provision of access, gift, or donation: 
‘‘(1) A brief description of the subject of the 
transaction, contribution, provision of access, gift, or 
donation, with an explanation of its potential utility 
to the Commission or the markets regulated by the 
Commission, and the status of all related projects. 
‘‘(2) The reasons why it was not feasible or ap-
propriate to use a standard contract with respect to 
that subject. 
‘‘(3) In the case of a transaction other than a 
contribution, provision of access, gift, or donation, 
an explanation of the Commission’s efforts to use a 
competitive process, or the reasons why such a proc-
ess was not appropriate. 
‘‘(4) A description of all sums expended by the 
Commission in connection with a transaction and, if 
readily ascertainable, the value of any contribution, 
provision of access, gift, or donation.’’. 
Æ 
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