I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 614 
To establish the Commission on American Discoveries and American Jobs 
to study and recommend improvements to the Federal funding of research. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 12, 2013 
Mr. FATTAH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology 
A BILL 
To establish the Commission on American Discoveries and 
American Jobs to study and recommend improvements 
to the Federal funding of research. 
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 ‘‘American Discoveries 
and American Jobs Commission Act of 2013’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT. 
There is established a commission to be known as the 
‘‘Commission on American Discoveries and American 
Jobs’’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Commission’’). 
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SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Federal Government is estimated to 
have spent $147,400,000,000 in fiscal year 2010 on 
research and development (not including funds allo-
cated under the American Recovery and Reinvest-
ment Act (Public Law 111–5)) to meet the mission 
requirements of the Federal departments and agen-
cies. 
(2) Federal Government research and develop-
ment has led to new products and processes for the 
commercial marketplace, including antibiotics, plas-
tics, airplanes, computers, microwaves, and bioengi-
neered drugs. 
(3) There are many other technologies and 
techniques generated in the Federal laboratory sys-
tem that could have market value if further devel-
oped by the industrial community, and the knowl-
edge base created by the research and development 
activities of such system can serve as a foundation 
for additional commercially relevant efforts in the 
private sector. 
(4) Technological progress is responsible for up 
to half the growth of the United States economy and 
is the principal driving force behind long-term eco-
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nomic growth and increases in our standard of liv-
ing. 
(5) It is only through commercialization, a 
function of the business sector, that a significant 
stimulus to economic growth occurs. Thus, there is 
congressional interest in accelerating development 
and commercialization activities in the private sector 
through legislation. 
(6) Royalties derived from intellectual property 
rights provide the academic community a way to 
support further research and the business sector a 
means to obtain a return on their financial contribu-
tions to such research. 
SEC. 4. DUTIES OF COMMISSION. 
(a) STUDY.—The Commission shall conduct a study 
to examine— 
(1) the state of technology transfer from feder-
ally funded research to the private sector; 
(2) the possibilities for the Federal Government 
to collect royalties from early research that leads to 
the commercialization of a profitable product or 
technology; 
(3) the potential adverse consequences of such 
royalties on technology transfer, commercialization, 
and economic growth; and 
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(4) the potential benefits of reinvesting reve-
nues from Federal royalties into science, technology, 
engineering, and math education, and seeding future 
federally funded research; 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the first 
meeting of the Commission, the Commission shall submit 
to Congress a written report of the results of the study 
conducted under subsection (a) and recommendations of 
regulatory and statutory changes that would enable the 
Federal Government to— 
(1) claim royalties from the investment of the 
Federal Government in early research; 
(2) reinvest such royalties in science, tech-
nology, engineering, and math education and future 
Federal research; 
(3) ensure products resulting from Federal re-
search are manufactured in the United States; and 
(4) affix a symbol, marker, or insignia on com-
mercialized products to show that they had origi-
nated from federally supported research. 
SEC. 5. STAFF OF COMMISSION; EXPERTS AND CONSULT-
ANTS. 
(a) STAFF.—The Commission may, without regard to 
section 5311(b) of title 5, United States Code, appoint and 
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fix the compensation of such personnel as the Commission 
considers appropriate. 
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF CERTAIN CIVIL SERVICE 
LAWS.—The staff of the Commission may be appointed 
without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States 
Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, 
and without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and 
subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classi-
fication and General Schedule pay rates, except that the 
compensation of any employee of the Commission may not 
exceed a rate equal to the annual rate of basic pay payable 
for GS–15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) EXPERTS AND CONSULTANTS.—The Commission 
may procure temporary and intermittent services of ex-
perts and consultants under section 3109(b) of title 5, 
United States Code, but at rates for individuals not to 
exceed the daily equivalent of the maximum annual rate 
of basic pay under section 5332 of such title. 
SEC. 6. MEMBERSHIP. 
(a) NUMBER AND APPOINTMENT.— 
(1) APPOINTMENT.—The Commission shall be 
composed of nine members appointed, not later than 
90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, as 
follows: 
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(A) Three members shall be appointed by 
the President. 
(B) Two members shall be appointed by 
the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
(C) One member shall be appointed by the 
minority leader of the House of Representa-
tives. 
(D) Two members shall be appointed by 
the President pro tempore of the Senate. 
(E) One member shall be appointed by the 
minority leader of the Senate. 
(2) QUALIFICATIONS.—All members of the 
Commission shall be persons who are especially 
qualified to serve on the Commission by virtue of 
their education, training, or experience, particularly 
in the fields of scientific research and commercializa-
tion. 
(b) TERMS.—Each member shall be appointed for the 
life of the Commission. 
(c) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission shall 
not affect the powers of the Commission and shall be filled 
in the same manner in which the original appointment was 
made. 
(d) COMPENSATION.—Members of the Commission 
shall be awarded compensation as follows: 
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