I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 849 
To amend the America COMPETES Act to establish certain scientific integ-
rity policies for Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee scientific 
research, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2021 
Mr. TONKO (for himself, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. 
LOWENTHAL, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. BEYER, Mr. FOSTER, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. 
FITZPATRICK, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. 
PASCRELL, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. KILMER, Ms. 
SEWELL, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. COOPER, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. QUIGLEY, 
Mr. PANETTA, Mr. SMITH of Washington, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, 
Mr. TAKANO, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. MATSUI, Mr. MORELLE, Ms. LEE of 
California, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mrs. KIRK-
PATRICK, Mr. MALINOWSKI, Mr. LIEU, Mr. SARBANES, Ms. DELBENE, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, Miss RICE
of New York, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. 
CARBAJAL, Mr. GALLEGO, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, 
Ms. KUSTER, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. THOMPSON of California, Mr. SHER-
MAN, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. VEASEY, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Mr. BERA, Mr. CRIST, Mr. SWALWELL, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 
HIGGINS of New York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mrs. DINGELL, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. 
STANTON, Mr. LAMB, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. NADLER, Ms. 
JACKSON LEE, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. CASE, Mr. KAHELE, 
Mr. PALLONE, Mr. RUSH, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. POCAN, Ms. 
SPANBERGER, Ms. WEXTON, Mr. RUPPERSBERGER, Ms. ROSS, Mr. 
SIRES, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, Mr. LANGEVIN, Ms. 
NORTON, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Mr. 
SUOZZI, Mr. DEFAZIO, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. CROW, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Ms. SPEIER, Mrs. LURIA, Mr. 
PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. LEVIN of California, Mr. COHEN, Ms. 
CHU, Mr. DELGADO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, 
Mr. PAPPAS, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. WELCH, Ms. MANNING, Mr. HIMES, 
Mrs. FLETCHER, Mr. JONES, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. EVANS, Ms. 
DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Ms. DEAN, 
Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
STRICKLAND, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. YARMUTH, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, 
Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. VELA, Mrs. LAWRENCE, 
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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. CICILLINE, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, 
Mr. MEEKS, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Mrs. BUSTOS, Mr. DANNY 
K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mrs. DEMINGS, Ms. TLAIB, 
Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. KILDEE, Ms. ROYBAL- 
ALLARD, Ms. TITUS, Ms. NEWMAN, Mr. RYAN, Ms. CLARK of Massachu-
setts, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. KEATING, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Ms. 
ESCOBAR, Ms. PINGREE, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mr. CORREA, Mr. 
TRONE, Ms. MENG, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Mrs. MCBATH, Mr. 
CUELLAR, Mrs. AXNE, Mr. GREEN of Texas, Ms. PORTER, Ms. KAPTUR, 
and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To amend the America COMPETES Act to establish certain 
scientific integrity policies for Federal agencies that 
fund, conduct, or oversee scientific research, 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 ‘‘Scientific Integrity 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) science and the scientific process should 
help inform and guide public policy decisions on a 
wide range of issues, including improvement of pub-
lic health, protection of the environment, and protec-
tion of national security; 
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(2) the public must be able to trust the science 
and scientific process informing public policy deci-
sions; 
(3) science, the scientific process, and the com-
munication of science should be free from politics, 
ideology, and financial conflicts of interest; 
(4) policies and procedures that ensure the in-
tegrity of the conduct and communication of publicly 
funded science are critical to ensuring public trust; 
(5) a Federal agency that funds, conducts, or 
oversees research should not suppress, alter, inter-
fere with, or otherwise impede the timely commu-
nication and open exchange of data and findings to 
other agencies, policymakers, and the public of re-
search conducted by a scientist or engineer employed 
or contracted by a Federal agency that funds, con-
ducts, or oversees scientific research; 
(6) Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or 
oversee research should work to prevent the suppres-
sion or distortion of the data and findings; 
(7) under the First Amendment to the Con-
stitution, citizens of the United States have the right 
to ‘‘petition the government for a redress of griev-
ances’’; and 
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(8) Congress has further protected those rights 
under section 7211 of title 5, United States Code, 
which states, ‘‘the right of employees, individually or 
collectively, to petition Congress or a member of 
Congress . . . may not be interfered with or denied’’. 
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO AMERICA COMPETES ACT. 
Section 1009 of the America COMPETES Act (42 
U.S.C. 6620) is amended by striking subsections (a) and 
(b) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date of enactment of the Scientific Integ-
rity Act, the head of each covered agency shall— 
‘‘(A) adopt and enforce a scientific integ-
rity policy in accordance with subsections (b) 
and (c); and 
‘‘(B) submit such policy to the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy for 
approval. 
‘‘(2) PUBLICATION.—Not later than 30 days 
after the Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy approves the scientific integrity policy 
under paragraph (1), the head of each covered agen-
cy shall— 
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‘‘(A) make such policy available to the 
public on the website of the agency; and 
‘‘(B) submit such policy to the relevant 
Committees of Congress. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.—A scientific integrity policy 
under subsection (a)— 
‘‘(1) shall prohibit any covered individual 
from— 
‘‘(A) engaging in dishonesty, fraud, deceit, 
misrepresentation, coercive manipulation, or 
other scientific or research misconduct; 
‘‘(B) 
suppressing, 
altering, 
interfering 
with, delaying without scientific merit, or other-
wise impeding the release and communication 
of, scientific or technical findings; 
‘‘(C) intimidating or coercing an individual 
to alter or censor, attempting to intimidate or 
coerce an individual to alter or censor, or retali-
ating against an individual for failure to alter 
or censor, scientific or technical findings; or 
‘‘(D) implementing an institutional barrier 
to cooperation with scientists outside the cov-
ered agency and the timely communication of 
scientific or technical findings; 
‘‘(2) shall allow a covered individual to— 
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‘‘(A) disseminate scientific or technical 
findings, subject to existing law, by— 
‘‘(i) participating in scientific con-
ferences; and 
‘‘(ii) seeking publication in online and 
print publications through peer-reviewed, 
professional, or scholarly journals; 
‘‘(B) sit on scientific advisory or governing 
boards; 
‘‘(C) join or hold leadership positions on 
scientific councils, societies, unions, and other 
professional organizations; 
‘‘(D) contribute to the academic peer-re-
view process as reviewers or editors; and 
‘‘(E) participate and engage with the sci-
entific community; 
‘‘(3) may require a covered individual to, before 
disseminating scientific or technical findings as de-
scribed in paragraph (2)(A), submit such findings to 
the agency for the purpose of review by the agency 
of the data and findings for technical accuracy if the 
scientific integrity policy outlines a clear and con-
sistent process for such review; and 
‘‘(4) shall require that— 
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‘‘(A) scientific conclusions are not made 
based on political considerations; 
‘‘(B) the selection and retention of can-
didates for science and technology positions in 
the covered agency are based primarily on the 
candidate’s expertise, scientific credentials, ex-
perience, and integrity; 
‘‘(C) personnel actions regarding covered 
individuals, except for political appointees, are 
not taken on the basis of political consideration 
or ideology; 
‘‘(D) covered individuals adhere to the 
highest ethical and professional standards in 
conducting their research and disseminating 
their findings; 
‘‘(E) the appropriate rules, procedures, 
and safeguards are in place to ensure the integ-
rity of the scientific process within the covered 
agency; 
‘‘(F) scientific or technological information 
considered in policy decisions is subject to well- 
established scientific processes, including peer 
review where appropriate; 
‘‘(G) procedures, including procedures with 
respect to applicable whistleblower protections, 
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are in place as are necessary to ensure the in-
tegrity of scientific and technological informa-
tion and processes on which the covered agency 
relies in its decision making or otherwise uses; 
and 
‘‘(H) enforcement of such policy is con-
sistent with the processes for an administrative 
hearing and an administrative appeal. 
‘‘(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—In carrying out subsection 
(a), the head of each covered agency shall— 
‘‘(1) design the scientific integrity policy to 
apply with respect to the covered agency; 
‘‘(2) ensure that such policy is clear with re-
spect to what activities are permitted and what ac-
tivities are not permitted; 
‘‘(3) ensure that there is a process for individ-
uals not employed or contracted by the agency, in-
cluding grantees, collaborators, partners, and volun-
teers, to report violations of the scientific integrity 
policy; 
‘‘(4) enforce such policy uniformly throughout 
the covered agency; and 
‘‘(5) make such policy available to the public, 
employees, private contractors, and grantees of the 
covered agency. 
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‘‘(d) SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY OFFICER.—Not later 
than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, each 
covered agency shall appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, 
who shall— 
‘‘(1) be a career employee at the covered agency 
in a professional position; 
‘‘(2) have technical knowledge and expertise in 
conducting and overseeing scientific research; 
‘‘(3) direct the activities and duties described in 
subsections (e), (f), and (g); and 
‘‘(4) work closely with the inspector general of 
the covered agency, as appropriate. 
‘‘(e) ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS AND TRAINING.— 
Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the head of each covered agency shall establish— 
‘‘(1) an administrative process and administra-
tive appeal process for dispute resolution consistent 
with the scientific integrity policy of the covered 
agency adopted under subsection (a); and 
‘‘(2) a training program to provide— 
‘‘(A) regular scientific integrity and ethics 
training to employees and contractors of the 
covered agency; 
‘‘(B) new covered employees with training 
within one month of commencing employment; 
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‘‘(C) information to ensure that covered in-
dividuals are fully aware of their rights and re-
sponsibilities regarding the conduct of scientific 
research, publication of scientific research, and 
communication with the media and the public 
regarding scientific research; and 
‘‘(D) information to ensure that covered 
individuals are fully aware of their rights and 
responsibilities for administrative hearings and 
appeals established in the covered agency’s sci-
entific integrity policy. 
‘‘(f) REPORTING.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each year, each Sci-
entific Integrity Officer appointed by a covered agen-
cy under subsection (d) shall post an annual report 
on the public website of the covered agency that in-
cludes, for the year covered by the report— 
‘‘(A) the number of complaints of mis-
conduct with respect to the scientific integrity 
policy adopted under subsection (a)— 
‘‘(i) filed for administrative redress; 
‘‘(ii) petitioned for administrative ap-
peal; and 
‘‘(iii) still pending from years prior to 
the year covered by the report, if any; 
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‘‘(B) an anonymized summary of each such 
complaint and the results of each such com-
plaint; and 
‘‘(C) any changes made to the scientific in-
tegrity policy. 
‘‘(2) INCIDENT REPORT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 30 
days after the date on which an incident de-
scribed in subparagraph (B) occurs, the head of 
a covered agency shall submit a report describ-
ing the incident to the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy and the relevant Committees 
of Congress. 
‘‘(B) INCIDENT.—An incident described 
under this paragraph is an incident in which an 
individual, acting outside the channels estab-
lished under subsection (e), overrules the deci-
sion of the Scientific Integrity Officer with re-
spect to a dispute regarding a violation of the 
scientific integrity policy. 
‘‘(g) OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POL-
ICY.—The Director of the Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy shall— 
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‘‘(1) collate, organize, and publicly share all in-
formation it receives under subsection (g) in one 
place on its own website; and 
‘‘(2) on an annual basis, convene the Scientific 
Integrity Officer of each covered agency appointed 
under subsection (d) to discuss best practices for im-
plementing the requirements of this section. 
‘‘(h) PERIODIC REVIEW AND APPROVAL.— 
‘‘(1) INTERNAL
REVIEW.—The head of each 
covered agency shall periodically conduct a review of 
the scientific integrity policy and change such policy 
as appropriate. 
‘‘(2) REVIEW BY THE OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY POLICY.— 
‘‘(A) 
REVIEW
OF
SUBSTANTIAL
UP-
DATES.—The head of each covered agency shall 
submit to the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy for approval any substantial changes to 
the scientific integrity policy. 
‘‘(B) QUINQUENNIAL REVIEW.—Not later 
than 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
the Scientific Integrity Act, and quinquennially 
thereafter, the head of each covered agency 
shall submit the scientific integrity policy to the 
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Office of Science and Technology Policy for re-
view and approval. 
‘‘(i) COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of the enactment of the Sci-
entific Integrity Act, the Comptroller General shall con-
duct a review of the implementation of the scientific integ-
rity policy by each covered agency. 
‘‘(j) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) AGENCY.—The term ‘agency’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 551 of title 5, 
United States Code. 
‘‘(2) COVERED
AGENCY.—The term ‘covered 
agency’ means an agency that funds, conducts, or 
oversees scientific research. 
‘‘(3) COVERED
INDIVIDUAL.—The term ‘cov-
ered individual’ means a Federal employee or con-
tractor who— 
‘‘(A) is engaged in, supervises, or manages 
scientific activities; 
‘‘(B) analyzes or publicly communicates in-
formation resulting from scientific activities; or 
‘‘(C) uses scientific information or analyses 
in making bureau, office, or agency policy, man-
agement, or regulatory decisions. 
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‘‘(4) RELEVANT COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS.— 
The 
term 
‘relevant 
Committees 
of 
Congress’ 
means— 
‘‘(A) 
the 
Committee 
on 
Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate; and 
‘‘(B) the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representa-
tives.’’. 
SEC. 4. EXISTING POLICIES; CLARIFICATION. 
(a) EXISTING SCIENTIFIC INTEGRITY POLICIES.— 
Notwithstanding the amendments made by this Act, a cov-
ered agency’s scientific integrity policy that was in effect 
on the day before the date of enactment of this Act may 
satisfy the requirements under the amendments made by 
this Act if the head of the covered agency— 
(1) makes a written determination that the pol-
icy satisfies such requirements; and 
(2) submits the written determination and the 
policy to the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy for review and approval. 
(b) CLARIFICATION.—Nothing in this Act shall affect 
the application of United States copyright law. 
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(c) COVERED AGENCY DEFINED.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered agency’’ has the meaning given the term in section 
1009 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6620). 
Æ 
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