H. R. 2272 
One Hundred Tenth Congress 
of the 
United States of America 
AT THE FIRST SESSION 
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Thursday, 
the fourth day of January, two thousand and seven 
An Act 
To invest in innovation through research and development, and to improve the 
competitiveness of the United States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America COMPETES Act’’ or 
the ‘‘America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote 
Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents of this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
TITLE I—OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY; GOVERNMENT- 
WIDE SCIENCE 
Sec. 1001. National Science and Technology Summit. 
Sec. 1002. Study on barriers to innovation. 
Sec. 1003. National Technology and Innovation Medal. 
Sec. 1004. Semiannual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Days. 
Sec. 1005. Study of service science. 
Sec. 1006. President’s Council on Innovation and Competitiveness. 
Sec. 1007. National coordination of research infrastructure. 
Sec. 1008. Sense of Congress on innovation acceleration research. 
Sec. 1009. Release of scientific research results. 
TITLE II—NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 
Sec. 2001. NASA’s contribution to innovation. 
Sec. 2002. Aeronautics. 
Sec. 2003. Basic research enhancement. 
Sec. 2004. Aging workforce issues program. 
Sec. 2005. Sense of Congress regarding NASA’s undergraduate student research 
program. 
Sec. 2006. Use of International Space Station National Laboratory to support math 
and science education and competitiveness. 
TITLE III—NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY 
Sec. 3001. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 3002. Amendments to the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 
1980. 
Sec. 3003. Manufacturing Extension Partnership. 
Sec. 3004. Institute-wide planning report. 
Sec. 3005. Report by Visiting Committee. 
Sec. 3006. Meetings of Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology. 
Sec. 3007. Collaborative manufacturing research pilot grants. 
Sec. 3008. Manufacturing Fellowship Program. 
Sec. 3009. Procurement of temporary and intermittent services. 
Sec. 3010. Malcolm Baldrige awards. 
Sec. 3011. Report on National Institute of Standards and Technology efforts to re-
cruit and retain early career science and engineering researchers.
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Sec. 3012. Technology Innovation Program. 
Sec. 3013. Technical amendments to the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act and other technical amendments. 
Sec. 3014. Retention of depreciation surcharge. 
Sec. 3015. Post-doctoral fellows. 
TITLE IV—OCEAN AND ATMOSPHERIC PROGRAMS 
Sec. 4001. Ocean and atmospheric Research and development Program. 
Sec. 4002. NOAA ocean and atmospheric Science education Programs. 
Sec. 4003. NOAA’s contribution to innovation. 
TITLE V—DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 
Sec. 5001. Short title. 
Sec. 5002. Definitions. 
Sec. 5003. Science, engineering, and mathematics education at the Department of 
Energy. 
Sec. 5004. Nuclear science talent expansion program for institutions of higher edu-
cation. 
Sec. 5005. Hydrocarbon systems science talent expansion program for institutions 
of higher education. 
Sec. 5006. Department of Energy early career awards for science. engineering, and 
mathematics researchers. 
Sec. 5007. Authorization of appropriations for Department of Energy for basic re-
search. 
Sec. 5008. Discovery science and engineering innovation institutes. 
Sec. 5009. Protecting America’s Competitive Edge (PACE) graduate fellowship pro-
gram. 
Sec. 5010. Sense of Congress regarding certain recommendations and reviews. 
Sec. 5011. Distinguished scientist program. 
Sec. 5012. Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy. 
TITLE VI—EDUCATION 
Sec. 6001. Findings. 
Sec. 6002. Definitions. 
Subtitle A—Teacher Assistance 
PART I—TEACHERS FOR A COMPETITIVE TOMORROW 
Sec. 6111. Purpose. 
Sec. 6112. Definitions. 
Sec. 6113. Programs for baccalaureate degrees in science, technology, engineering, 
mathematics, or critical foreign languages, with concurrent teacher cer-
tification. 
Sec. 6114. Programs for master’s degrees in science, technology, engineering, math-
ematics, or critical foreign language education. 
Sec. 6115. General provisions. 
Sec. 6116. Authorization of appropriations. 
PART II—ADVANCED PLACEMENT AND INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE PROGRAMS 
Sec. 6121. Purpose. 
Sec. 6122. Definitions. 
Sec. 6123. Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs. 
PART III—PROMISING PRACTICES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND 
MATHEMATICS TEACHING 
Sec. 6131. Promising practices. 
Subtitle B—Mathematics 
Sec. 6201. Math Now for elementary school and middle school students program. 
Sec. 6202. Summer term education programs. 
Sec. 6203. Math skills for secondary school students. 
Sec. 6204. Peer review of State applications. 
Subtitle C—Foreign Language Partnership Program 
Sec. 6301. Findings and purpose. 
Sec. 6302. Definitions. 
Sec. 6303. Program authorized. 
Sec. 6304. Authorization of appropriations. 
Subtitle D—Alignment of Education Programs 
Sec. 6401. Alignment of secondary school graduation requirements with the de-
mands of 21st century postsecondary endeavors and support for P–16 
education data systems.
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Subtitle E—Mathematics and Science Partnership Bonus Grants 
Sec. 6501. Mathematics and science partnership bonus grants. 
Sec. 6502. Authorization of appropriations. 
TITLE VII—NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION 
Sec. 7001. Definitions. 
Sec. 7002. Authorization of appropriations. 
Sec. 7003. Reaffirmation of the merit-review process of the National Science Foun-
dation. 
Sec. 7004. Sense of the Congress regarding the mathematics and science partner-
ship programs of the Department of Education and the National Science 
Foundation. 
Sec. 7005. Curricula. 
Sec. 7006. Centers for research on learning and education improvement. 
Sec. 7007. Interdisciplinary research. 
Sec. 7008. Postdoctoral research fellows. 
Sec. 7009. Responsible conduct of research. 
Sec. 7010. Reporting of research results. 
Sec. 7011. Sharing research results. 
Sec. 7012. Funding for successful science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics education programs. 
Sec. 7013. Cost sharing. 
Sec. 7014. Additional reports. 
Sec. 7015. Administrative amendments. 
Sec. 7016. National Science Board reports. 
Sec. 7017. Program Fraud Civil Remedies Act of 1986 amendment. 
Sec. 7018. Meeting critical national science needs. 
Sec. 7019. Research on innovation and inventiveness. 
Sec. 7020. Cyberinfrastructure. 
Sec. 7021. Pilot program of grants for new investigators. 
Sec. 7022. Broader impacts merit review criterion. 
Sec. 7023. Donations. 
Sec. 7024. High-performance computing and networking. 
Sec. 7025. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics talent expansion pro-
gram. 
Sec. 7026. Laboratory science pilot program. 
Sec. 7027. Study on laboratory equipment donations for schools. 
Sec. 7028. Mathematics and Science Education Partnerships amendments. 
Sec. 7029. National Science Foundation teacher institutes for the 21st century. 
Sec. 7030. Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program. 
Sec. 7031. Encouraging participation. 
Sec. 7032. National Academy of Sciences report on diversity in science, technology, 
engineering, and mathematics fields. 
Sec. 7033. Hispanic-serving institutions undergraduate program. 
Sec. 7034. Professional science master’s degree programs. 
Sec. 7035. Sense of Congress on communications training for scientists. 
Sec. 7036. Major research instrumentation. 
Sec. 7037. Limit on proposals. 
TITLE VIII—GENERAL PROVISIONS 
Sec. 8001. Collection of data relating to trade in services. 
Sec. 8002. Sense of the Senate regarding small business growth and capital mar-
kets. 
Sec. 8003. Government Accountability Office review of activities, grants, and pro-
grams. 
Sec. 8004. Sense of the Senate regarding anti-competitive tax policy. 
Sec. 8005. Study of the provision of online degree programs. 
Sec. 8006. Sense of the Senate regarding deemed exports. 
Sec. 8007. Sense of the Senate regarding capital markets. 
Sec. 8008. Accountability and transparency of activities authorized by this Act. 
TITLE 
I—OFFICE 
OF 
SCIENCE 
AND 
TECHNOLOGY POLICY; GOVERNMENT- 
WIDE SCIENCE 
SEC. 1001. NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SUMMIT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the President shall convene a National
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Science and Technology Summit to examine the health and direction 
of the United States’ science, technology, engineering, and mathe-
matics enterprises. The Summit shall include representatives of 
industry, small business, labor, academia, State government, Fed-
eral research and development agencies, non-profit environmental 
and energy policy groups concerned with science and technology 
issues, and other nongovernmental organizations, including rep-
resentatives of science, technology, and engineering organizations 
and associations that represent individuals identified in section 
33 or 34 of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b). 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
conclusion of the Summit, the President shall submit to Congress 
a report on the results of the Summit. The report shall identify 
key research and technology challenges and recommendations, 
including recommendations to increase the representation of 
individuals identified in section 33 or 34 of the Science and 
Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 1885b) 
in science, engineering, and technology enterprises, for areas of 
investment for Federal research and technology programs to be 
carried out during the 5-year period beginning on the date the 
report is issued. 
(c) ANNUAL
EVALUATION.—Beginning with the President’s 
budget submission for the fiscal year following the conclusion of 
the National Science and Technology Summit and for each of the 
following 4 budget submissions, the Analytical Perspectives compo-
nent of the budget document that describes the Research and 
Development budget priorities shall include a description of how 
those priorities relate to the conclusions and recommendations of 
the Summit contained in the report required under subsection 
(b). 
SEC. 1002. STUDY ON BARRIERS TO INNOVATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy shall enter into a contract with the National 
Academy of Sciences to conduct and complete a study to identify, 
and to review methods to mitigate, new forms of risk for businesses 
beyond conventional operational and financial risk that affect the 
ability to innovate, including studying and reviewing— 
(1) incentive and compensation structures that could effec-
tively encourage long-term value creation and innovation; 
(2) methods of voluntary and supplemental disclosure by 
industry of intellectual capital, innovation performance, and 
indicators of future valuation; 
(3) means by which government could work with industry 
to enhance the legal and regulatory framework to encourage 
the disclosures described in paragraph (2); 
(4) practices that may be significant deterrents to United 
States businesses engaging in innovation risk-taking compared 
to foreign competitors; 
(5) costs faced by United States businesses engaging in 
innovation compared to foreign competitors, including the bur-
den placed on businesses by high and rising health care costs;