I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2174
To reauthorize and amend the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Research,
Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JUNE 14, 2001
Mr. CALVERT (for himself, Ms. WOOLSEY, Mr. BOEHLERT, Mr. SMITH of
Michigan, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. LARSON of
Connecticut, Mr. PETERSON
of Minnesota, Mrs. MORELLA, Mrs.
BIGGERT, Mr. BACA, Ms. RIVERS, Mr. HALL of Texas, and Mr. GARY
G. MILLER of California) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Science
A BILL
To reauthorize and amend the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydro-
gen Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of
1990, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Robert S. Walker and
George E. Brown, Jr. Hydrogen Energy Act of 2001’’.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
Section 102(b) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are—
‘‘(1) to direct the Secretary to conduct re-
search, development, and demonstration activities
leading to the production, storage, transportation,
and use of hydrogen for industrial, commercial, resi-
dential, transportation, and utility applications;
‘‘(2) to direct the Secretary to develop a pro-
gram of technology assessment, information dissemi-
nation, and education in which Federal, State, and
local agencies, members of the energy, transpor-
tation, and other industries, and other entities may
participate; and
‘‘(3) to develop methods of hydrogen production
that minimize adverse environmental impacts, in-
cluding efficient and cost-effective production from
renewable and nonrenewable energy resources.’’.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
Section 102(c) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended—
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through
(3) as paragraphs (2) through (4), respectively; and
(2) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so re-
designated by paragraph (1) of this section, the fol-
lowing new paragraph:
‘‘(1) ‘advisory board’ means the advisory board
established under section 108;’’.
SEC. 4. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
Section 103 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 103. REPORTS TO CONGRESS.
‘‘(a) REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of the Robert S. Walker and George
E. Brown, Jr. Hydrogen Energy Act of 2001, and annu-
ally thereafter, the Secretary shall transmit to Congress
a detailed report on the status and progress of the pro-
grams and activities authorized under this Act.
‘‘(b) CONTENTS.—A report under subsection (a) shall
include, in addition to any views and recommendations of
the Secretary—
‘‘(1) an analysis of Federal, State, and local hy-
drogen-related research and development activities to
identify productive areas for increased intergovern-
mental collaboration;
‘‘(2) a determination of the effectiveness of the
technology assessment, information dissemination,
and education program established under section
106; and
‘‘(3) recommendations of the advisory board for
any improvements needed in the programs and ac-
tivities authorized by this Act.’’.
SEC. 5. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 104 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 104. HYDROGEN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.—The Secretary
shall conduct a hydrogen research and development pro-
gram relating to production, storage, transportation, and
use of hydrogen, with the goal of enabling the private sec-
tor to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using hydro-
gen for industrial, commercial, residential, transportation,
and utility applications.
‘‘(b) ELEMENTS.—In conducting the program au-
thorized by this section, the Secretary shall—
‘‘(1) give particular attention to developing an
understanding and resolution of critical technical
issues preventing the introduction of hydrogen into
the marketplace;
‘‘(2) initiate or accelerate existing research and
development in critical technical issues that will con-
tribute to the development of more economical hy-
drogen production, storage, transportation, and use,
including critical technical issues with respect to
production (giving priority to those production tech-
niques that use renewable energy resources as their
primary source of energy for hydrogen production),
liquefaction, transmission, distribution, storage, and
use (including use of hydrogen in surface transpor-
tation); and
‘‘(3) survey private sector and public sector hy-
drogen research and development activities world-
wide, and take steps to ensure that research and de-
velopment activities under this section do not—
‘‘(A) duplicate any available research and
development results; or
‘‘(B) displace or compete with the privately
funded hydrogen research and development ac-
tivities of United States industry.
‘‘(c) EVALUATION
OF TECHNOLOGIES.—The Sec-
retary shall evaluate, for the purpose of determining
whether to undertake or fund research and development
activities under this section, any reasonable new or im-
proved technology that could lead or contribute to the de-
velopment of economical hydrogen production, storage,
transportation, and use.
‘‘(d) COMPETITIVE PEER REVIEW.—The Secretary
shall carry out or fund research and development activities
under this section only on a competitive basis using peer
review.
‘‘(e) COST SHARING.—The Secretary shall require,
for research and development activities carried out by in-
dustry under this section, a commitment from non-Federal
sources of at least 20 percent of the cost of the project.’’.
SEC. 6. DEMONSTRATIONS.
Section 105(c) of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended by inserting ‘‘NON-FEDERAL FUNDING RE-
QUIREMENT.—’’ after ‘‘(c)’’.
SEC. 7. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
Section 106 of the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen
Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1990
is amended to read as follows:
‘‘SEC. 106. TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT, INFORMATION DIS-
SEMINATION, AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.
‘‘(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall, in consultation
with the advisory board, conduct a program designed to
accelerate wider application of hydrogen production, stor-
age, transportation, and use technologies, including appli-
cation in foreign countries to increase the global market