I
103D CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 2918
To establish a National Institute for the Environment, to improve the sci-
entific basis for decision-making on environmental issues, and for other
purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
AUGUST 6, 1993
Mr. BROWN of California (for himself, Mr. SAXTON, Ms. ESHOO, Mr. PORTER,
Mr. HUGHES, Mr. GOSS, Mr. HEFNER, Mr. DELLUMS, Mr. OLVER, Mr.
RAVENEL, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr.
GILLMOR, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. NEAL of North Carolina, Mr. SANDERS,
Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. RUSH, Mr. LIPINSKI, Mr. PAYNE of New Jersey,
Mr. ACKERMAN, Mr. VENTO, Mr. KLEIN, Mrs. MORELLA, Mr. BECERRA,
Ms. NORTON, Mr. DEUTSCH, Mr. GALLO, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi,
Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. WELDON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas,
Mr. VISCLOSKY, Ms. WATERS, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr.
MACHTLEY, Mr. WASHINGTON, and Ms. MOLINARI) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology
A BILL
To establish a National Institute for the Environment, to
improve the scientific basis for decision-making on envi-
ronmental issues, 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 ‘‘National Institute for
the Environment Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following:
(1) An appropriate scientific understanding of
the diverse physical, biological, engineering, social,
and economic issues that underlie the environmental
problems facing the United States is essential to
finding environmentally and economically sound so-
lutions to such problems.
(2) While more than a dozen Federal agencies
support environmental research and gather environ-
mental information, there is not a lead Federal
agency for environmental research and information.
(3) The current approach of the Federal Gov-
ernment to developing a scientific understanding of
environmental problems, and of applying that under-
standing to the problems, lacks coherence and often
fails to provide information vital to finding sound so-
lutions to such problems.
(4) The United States needs to improve the sci-
entific basis for decision-making by Federal, State,
and local governments, and private-sector entities,
on environmental issues.
(5) Many environmental issues that will seri-
ously affect the United States in the future are not
adequately studied in existing Federal environmental
research programs.
(6) Existing Federal environmental research
programs often do not provide adequate information
to enable Federal, State, and local governments, and
private-sector entities, to engage in well-informed de-
cision-making on environmental and related issues.
(7) Existing Federal environmental research
programs do not adequately address, link, and inte-
grate research in different disciplinary, interdiscipli-
nary, and multidisciplinary environmental sciences.
(8) Ongoing study and communication of the
existing knowledge about environmental issues, in-
cluding the assessment of the significance of such
knowledge, are needed to strengthen the weak link
between scientific knowledge and decision-making on
environmental issues.
(9) Easy and effective access, including access
by the scientific community, to the many rapidly
growing sources of environmental information would
improve the effectiveness of research on, and com-
munication about, environmental issues.
(10) To address the complex environmental
problems facing the United States, there is a grow-
ing need for more education and training of individ-
uals in disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and multidisci-
plinary sciences related to the environment.
(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to create
an independent establishment to improve the scientific
basis for making decisions on environmental issues
through support for competitive, peer-reviewed, extra-
mural research, ongoing knowledge assessments, data and
information activities, and education and training on envi-
ronmental issues.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR
THE ENVIRONMENT.
There is established as an independent establishment
an institute to be known as the ‘‘National Institute for
the Environment’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Insti-
tute’’). The mission of the Institute shall be to improve
the scientific basis for decision-making on environmental
issues.
SEC. 4. DUTIES.
The Institute shall have the following duties:
(1) To increase scientific understanding of envi-
ronmental issues (including environmental resources,
systems, and sustainability, and the human dimen-
sions associated with environmental issues) by initi-
ating and supporting credible, extramural, problem-
focused, peer-reviewed basic and applied scientific
environmental research and other disciplinary, multi-
disciplinary, and interdisciplinary environmental pro-
grams. The support of research and programs under
this paragraph may include the provision of financial
assistance pursuant to section 8, including grants,
contracts, and cooperative agreements.
(2) To assist decision-making on environmental
issues by providing on-going, comprehensive assess-
ments of existing knowledge of environmental issues.
The performance of assessments under this para-
graph shall include the following:
(A) Summarizing the state of such knowl-
edge.
(B) Assessing the implications of such
knowledge.
(C) Identifying additional research that
will provide information needed for decision-
making by Federal, State, and local govern-
ments, and private-sector entities, on environ-
mental issues.
(D) Analyzing constraints which may af-
fect the conduct of research described in sub-
(i) uses existing telecommunications
infrastructures to provide single-point ac-
cess to environmental information; and
(ii) includes existing collections of en-
vironmental information, such as libraries,
specialized information centers, data and
statistical centers, and government and
private sector repositories of regional,
event-driven, or ecosystem information.
(C) Identifying and encouraging the effec-
tive application of state-of-the-art information
technologies to promote the availability and use
of, and access to, environmental knowledge.
(D) Providing long-term stewardship of the
environmental information resources of the
United States, including efforts to ensure the
continued usefulness of such resources, through
the promotion and development of policies and
standards for providing access to environmental
information, and through the support of rel-
evant research and development.
(4) To sponsor higher education and training in
environmental fields in order to contribute to a
greater public understanding of the environment and
to ensure that the United States has a core of sci-
entifically educated and trained personnel who pos-
sess skills to meet the environmental needs of the
United States. The sponsorship of education and
training under this paragraph shall include the
following:
(A) Awarding scholarships, traineeships,
and graduate fellowships at appropriate non-
profit institutions of the United States for
study and research in natural and social
sciences and engineering related to the environ-
ment.
(B) Supporting curriculum and program
development in fields related to the environ-
ment.
(C) Promoting the involvement of women,
minorities, and other underrepresented groups.
(5) To encourage and support the development
and use of methods and technologies that increase
scientific and general understanding of the environ-
ment and minimize adverse environmental impact.
(6) To evaluate the status and needs of the var-
ious environmental sciences and fields.
(7) To foster interchange of scientific informa-
tion about the environment between scientists, Fed-
eral, State, and local government decisionmakers,
and the public.
(8) To identify and seek to address emerging
environmental issues and all aspects of scientific,
technological, and societal aspects of environmental
problems.
(9) To establish research priorities for the In-
stitute for environmental issues of global, national,
and regional significance.
SEC. 5. GOVERNING BOARD.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There shall be a Governing
Board for the Institute (in this Act referred to as the
‘‘Board’’) which shall establish policies and priorities of
the Institute.
(b) MEMBERSHIP.—
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Board shall be com-
posed of 18 members who shall be appointed by the
President by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate.
(2) REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD.—
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The members of the
Board shall include individuals—
(i) who, as scientists and users of sci-
entific information, are representative of
diverse groups and entities, including
States, academic institutions, businesses,
environmental groups, citizens groups, and
other appropriate organizations;
(ii) who have a distinguished record of
service in their fields; and
(iii) who, among the scientific mem-
bers of the Board, represent the diversity
of scientific fields that study the environ-
ment.
(B) SELECTION OF CERTAIN GROUPS.—In
making appointments under this subsection, the
President shall seek to provide for representa-
tion on the Board of women, minority groups,
and individuals recommended by the National
Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of
Engineering, and other groups.
(c) TERMS.—
(1) INITIAL
TERMS.—Members initially ap-
pointed to the Board shall serve for the following
terms:
(A) Six members shall serve for an initial
term of two years.
(B) Six members shall serve for an initial
term of four years.
(C) Six members shall serve for an initial
term of six years.
(2) SUBSEQUENT TERMS.—Upon completion of
a term referred to in paragraph (1), each member
of 
the 
Committee 
subsequently 
appointed 
or
reappointed shall serve for a term of six years, with
a maximum of two consecutive terms for any mem-
ber appointed under this section.
(d) ADMINISTRATION.—
(1) TRAVEL EXPENSES.—Each member of the
Board who is not an officer or employee of the Unit-
ed States may receive travel expenses, including per
diem in lieu of subsistence, in the same manner as
travel expenses are allowed under section 5703 of
title 5, United States Code, for persons serving
intermittently in the Government service.
(2) PROHIBITION OF COMPENSATION OF FED-
ERAL EMPLOYEES.—Members of the Board who are
full-time officers or employees of the United States
or Members of Congress may not receive additional
pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their serv-
ice on the Board.
(e) CHAIRPERSON.—The Chairperson of the Board
shall be designated by the President at the time of the
appointment. The term of office of the Chairperson shall
be six years.
(f) MEETINGS.—The Board shall meet as needed at
the call of the Chairperson or a majority of its members,
but not less than four times a year.
(g) REPORTS.—The Board shall periodically submit
to the President reports on such specific environmental
policy matters as the Board, the President, or the Con-
gress determines to be necessary. After receipt of any such
report, the President shall transmit the report to the Con-
gress in a timely fashion, together with any comments that
the President considers to be appropriate.
(h) ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The Board may estab-
lish such advisory committees as the Board considers nec-
essary for purposes of this Act.
SEC. 6. STAFF.
(a) DIRECTOR.—
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Director of the Insti-
tute shall be appointed by the President by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) AUTHORITY.—The Director shall exercise
all of the authority granted to the Institute by this
Act, including any powers and functions delegated to
the Director by the Board. All actions taken by the
Director pursuant to the provisions of this Act or