others to exchange technical and programmatic in-
formation; 
(3) oversee interagency coordination of the Ini-
tiative, including by encouraging and supporting 
joint agency solicitation and selection of applications 
for funding of activities under the Initiative; 
(4) conduct public outreach, including dissemi-
nation of findings and recommendations of the advi-
sory committee established under section 6, as ap-
propriate; and 
(5) promote access to, and early application of, 
the technologies, innovations, and expertise derived 
from Initiative activities to agency missions and sys-
tems across the Federal Government, and to United 
States industry, including startup companies. 
SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President, acting through the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate 
or establish an advisory committee on engineering biology 
research and development (in this section referred to as 
the ‘‘advisory committee’’) to be composed of not fewer 
than 12 members, including representatives of research 
and academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental 
entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the Initia-
tive. 
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(b) ASSESSMENT.—The advisory committee shall as-
sess— 
(1) the current state of United States competi-
tiveness in engineering biology, including the scope 
and scale of United States investments in engineer-
ing biology research and development in the inter-
national context; 
(2) current market barriers to commercializa-
tion of engineering biology products, processes, and 
tools in the United States; 
(3) progress made in implementing the Initia-
tive; 
(4) the need to revise the Initiative; 
(5) the balance of activities and funding across 
the Initiative; 
(6) whether the strategic plan developed or up-
dated by the interagency committee established 
under section 5 is helping to maintain United States 
leadership in engineering biology; 
(7) the management, coordination, implementa-
tion, and activities of the Initiative; and 
(8) whether ethical, legal, environmental, safety, 
security, and other appropriate societal issues are 
adequately addressed by the Initiative. 
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(c) REPORTS.—Beginning not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less fre-
quently 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 Rep-
resentatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate, a report on— 
(1) the findings of the advisory committee’s as-
sessment under subsection (b); and 
(2) the advisory committee’s recommendations 
for ways to improve the Initiative. 
(d) APPLICATION
OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Com-
mittee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory 
Committee. 
SEC. 7. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRON-
MENTAL, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Na-
tional Science Foundation shall enter into an agreement 
with the National Academies to convene a workshop to 
review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appro-
priate societal issues related to engineering biology re-
search and development. The goals of the workshop shall 
be to— 
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(1) assess the current research on such issues; 
(2) evaluate the research gaps relating to such 
issues; and 
(3) provide recommendations on how the Initia-
tive can address the research needs identified. 
(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of 
the National Science Foundation shall transmit to 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 sum-
mary report containing the findings of the workshop con-
vened under this section. 
SEC. 8. AGENCY ACTIVITIES. 
(a) NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—As part of 
the Initiative, the National Science Foundation shall— 
(1) support basic research in engineering biol-
ogy through individual grants and through inter-
disciplinary research centers; 
(2) support research on the environmental, 
legal, and social implications of engineering biology; 
(3) provide support for research instrumenta-
tion for engineering biology disciplines, including 
support for research, development, optimization and 
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validation of novel technologies to enable the dy-
namic study of molecular processes in situ; and 
(4) award grants, on a competitive basis, to en-
able institutions to support graduate students and 
postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engi-
neering biology research in an industry setting. 
(b) DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE.—As part of the 
Initiative, the Director of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology shall— 
(1) establish a bioscience research program to 
advance the development of standard reference ma-
terials and measurements and to create new data 
tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance 
engineering biology and biomanufacturing; 
(2) provide access to user facilities with ad-
vanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and 
other resources to industry, institutions of higher 
education, nonprofit organizations, and government 
agencies to perform research and testing; and 
(3) provide technical expertise to inform the po-
tential development of guidelines or safeguards for 
new products, processes, and systems of engineering 
biology. 
(c) DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY.—As part of the Ini-
tiative, the Secretary of Energy shall— 
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