I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3555
To coordinate environmental technology and research of the Federal
Government, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 19, 1993
Ms. ESHOO introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on Science, Space, and Technology
A BILL
To coordinate environmental technology and research of the
Federal Government, 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 ‘‘Environmental Tech-
nology Research Integration and Coordination Act’’.
SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
(a) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall, in co-
ordination with the heads of other Federal agencies that
have substantial investment in the development and adop-
tion of environmental technologies, take any action nec-
essary—
(1) to ensure, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the coordinated, interagency promotion of
the research, development, and adoption of environ-
mental technologies; and
(2) to develop priorities for Federal environ-
mental technology research, development, and adop-
tion efforts.
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—In carrying out this section,
the Director of the Office of Science and Technology
Policy shall—
(1) review current Federally funded programs,
including Federal budget outlays for these programs,
to determine their role in the development and dis-
semination of environmental technologies;
(2) recommend the specific responsibilities of
each appropriate Federal agency to achieve the goals
and priorities developed under this section;
(3) describe the recommended levels of Federal
funding required for each Federal agency to carry
out the specific responsibilities recommended in
paragraph (2);
(4) develop a means for ensuring, to the maxi-
mum extent practicable, that the principles of sus-
tainable economic development are integrated into
the research, development, and technology programs
of all Federal agencies;
(5) ensure that the efforts of the Federal Gov-
ernment are coordinated with the efforts of State
and local governments and private and nonprofit or-
ganizations promoting the research, development,
and demonstration of environmental technologies;
and
(6) submit to the Congress any recommenda-
tions regarding legislative or administrative action,
including recommendations on the roles of Federal
agencies, which may be required to carry out this
section.
(c) BUDGET COORDINATION.—The Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall annually as-
sess, before the President submits to the Congress the
budget for a fiscal year, the budget estimate of each rel-
evant Federal agency for consistency with the plans, re-
views, and priorities developed under this section. The Di-
rector shall make the results of the annual assessment
available to the appropriate elements of the Executive Of-
fice of the President, particularly the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget, for use in the preparation of such
budget.
(d) ANNUAL REVIEW AND PLAN.—The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology shall annually sub-
mit to the Congress a report containing an evaluation and
plan that assesses the progress of Federal efforts in ad-
vancing the research, development, and adoption of envi-
ronmental technologies.
(e) NON-FEDERAL PARTICIPATION.—The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish
mechanisms to ensure the participation of non-Federal en-
tities, including State and local governments, United
States industry, institutions of higher education, worker
organizations, professional associations, and United States
nonprofit organizations, in carrying out this section, in-
cluding the development of the plans and reviews devel-
oped under this section.
SEC. 3. INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION ON ENVIRON-
MENTAL 
TECHNOLOGIES 
INTO 
EXISTING
NETWORKS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator,
through the Office of Research and Development of the
Environmental Protection Agency and in cooperation with
the Under Secretary for Technology of the Department
of Commerce and the heads of any other appropriate Fed-
eral agencies, shall, to the maximum extent practicable,
use existing information network capabilities of the Fed-
eral Government to provide access to data on environ-
mental technologies developed, tested, or verified under
programs established by this Act, and by other appro-
priate Federal and non-Federal sources. Such data shall
include information on—
(1) activities carried out under this Act and the
amendments made by this Act;
(2) performance standards regarding environ-
mental technologies;
(3) significant international developments in en-
vironmental technologies, fully coordinating with
other international technology information programs,
of the Federal Government; and
(4) other information determined by the Admin-
istrator to be of substantial value in promoting the
development and adoption of environmental tech-
nologies.
(b) USE OF EXISTING RESOURCES.—In carrying out
this section, the Administrator shall, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable—
(1) use existing public and private sector infor-
mation providers and carriers;
(2) add to existing data sources; and
(3) integrate data described in subsection (a)
into other technology databases maintained by the
Environmental Protection Agency, the Department
of Commerce, the Department of Energy, and other
appropriate Federal agencies.
(c) OUTREACH.—The Administrator shall conduct
appropriate outreach efforts to advertise, deliver, and dis-
seminate the information made available through the net-
works referred to in subsection (a), including information
on participation in Alliances referred to in subsection (d).
(d) ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AL-
LIANCES.—
(1) TECHNOLOGY
TRANSFER.—The Adminis-
trator may enter into partnership agreements (in
this section referred to as ‘‘Alliances’’) with an agen-
cy of a State or local government, a non-profit orga-
nization in which a State or local government is a
member, an institution of higher education des-
ignated by a State or local government, or a manu-
facturing extension and outreach service or regional
technical assistance service approved by the Federal
Government or a State in order to—
(A) facilitate access to information incor-
porated in the networks referred to in sub-
section (a); and
(B) transfer to entities referred to in para-
graph (2) other information that would enhance
the development and adoption of environmental
technologies.
(2) ENTITIES
ELIGIBLE
FOR
ALLIANCE
PAR-
TICIPATION.—Entities eligible for participation in an
Alliance include United States companies, United
States non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories,
United States institutions of higher education, spon-
soring organizations, and other organizations that
the Administrator considers to be appropriate.
(3) ALLIANCE ACTIVITIES.—Under a partner-
ship agreement referred to in paragraph (1), an Alli-
ance—
(A) may disseminate information made
available through the networks to any other en-
tity the Alliance considers necessary to advance
the goals of this section;
(B) is encouraged to collect, and dissemi-
nate to United States companies in the region,
information regarding opportunities for the
more efficient use of materials and energy and
for waste minimization, materials conversion,
and recycling;
(C) is encouraged to provide technical as-
sistance to United States companies related to
activities under this subsection; and
(D) may undertake any other activities the
Administrator considers appropriate to carry
out this subsection.
(4) USE OF EXISTING PROGRAMS.—In selecting
partners for a partnership agreement referred to in
paragraph (1), the Administrator shall, to the maxi-
mum extent practicable, use existing programs for
technical assistance and technical information dis-
semination.
(5) FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE.—
(A) IN GENERAL.—To carry out this sub-
section, the Administrator may provide financial
assistance to an Alliance under terms and con-
ditions prescribed by the Administrator.
(B) 
LIMITATIONS.—The 
Administrator
may not provide financial assistance to an Alli-
ance under this subsection—
(i) for construction of facilities; or
(ii) in an amount that exceeds a mi-
nority cost share of the activities carried
out by the Alliance under this subsection.
SEC. 4. USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS
BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall establish
a program for evaluating and approving the purchase by
the Federal Government of environmental technology
products. The President shall—
(1) work with established performance stand-
ards programs to ensure substitutability of environ-
mental technologies for conventional technologies for
the purposes of the Federal Government;
(2) establish a priority list of technologies for
inclusion under the program; and
(3) implement a plan for the procurement of
environmental technologies.
(b) REPORT.—Within one year after the date of the
enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Presi-
dent shall submit to the Congress a report describing the
progress made in carrying out this section and plans for
carrying out this section for the three years immediately
following the year in which the report is submitted.
SEC. 5. STUDY OF REGULATORY INFLUENCES ON INNOVA-
TION IN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES.
(a) REVIEW.—The Administrator, working with
State regulatory agencies, shall conduct a study of current
environmental regulations and their effect upon innovation
in environmental technologies and the introduction of new
environmental products.
(b) REPORT.—The Administrator shall, within one
year after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit
to the Congress a report on the results of the study de-
scribed in subsection (a). The report shall contain any
suggestions of the Administrator for actions that could be
taken to increase the regulatory incentives for industrial
use of new environmental technologies.
SEC. 6. STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF TAX INCENTIVES ON IN-
NOVATION 
IN 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
TECH-
NOLOGIES.
The President shall study the potential for efficiently
encouraging the development and use of environmental
technologies through tax incentives. The study shall—
(1) review existing environmental and tech-
nology development tax incentives and estimate their
impact on the development and use of environmental
technologies;
(2) assess the potential of alternative tax incen-
tives that are considered promising for accelerating
the development and use of environmental tech-
nologies; and
(3) in coordination with the study of regulatory
effects on innovation in environmental technologies
established in section 5, assess the relationship be-
tween existing regulations and proposed regulatory
reforms on the influence of existing and potential
tax incentives.
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
For the purposes of this Act:
(1) The term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
(2) The term ‘‘environmental technology’’
means—
(A) a technology that is primarily intended
to improve the quality of the environment
through pollution reduction or remediation;
(B) a product, manufacturing process, or
service that is capable of cost-effectively replac-
ing the functions of an existing product, proc-
ess, or service, and as compared with the prod-
uct, process, or service it replaces, significantly
reducing overall pollution or significantly im-
proving the efficiency of energy or materials
use; or
(C) a technology within the meaning of
subparagraphs (A) and (B).
(3) The term ‘‘sustainable economic develop-
ment’’ means the integration of environmental and
economic development concerns leading to long-term
economic development with reduced pollution and
the more efficient use of energy and materials.
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