I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 476 
To strengthen American economic resiliency and equitably expand economic 
opportunity by launching a national competition, promoting State and 
local strategic planning, encouraging innovation by the public and private 
sectors, and by substantially investing Federal resources in research 
and development. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 25, 2021 
Mr. MORELLE (for himself, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. PHILLIPS, Ms. NORTON, and 
Mr. CASE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology, and in addition to the Com-
mittees on Small Business, Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, 
Transportation and Infrastructure, Ways and Means, and Financial Serv-
ices, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each 
case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of 
the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To strengthen American economic resiliency and equitably 
expand economic opportunity by launching a national 
competition, promoting State and local strategic plan-
ning, encouraging innovation by the public and private 
sectors, and by substantially investing Federal resources 
in research and development. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Innovation Centers Ac-
celeration Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Innovation Center Selection Committee 
established under section 3. 
(2) ELIGIBLE AREA.—The term ‘‘eligible area’’ 
means a metropolitan statistical area that— 
(A) has a population of not less than 
500,000; and 
(B) is not designated as an established 
tech hub. 
(3) ESTABLISHED TECH HUB.—The term ‘‘es-
tablished tech hub’’ means the 9 metropolitan statis-
tical areas in the United States with the largest 
total number of innovation sector jobs in 2019. 
(4) 
HISPANIC-SERVING
INSTITUTION.—The 
term ‘‘Hispanic-serving institution’’ has the meaning 
given the term in section 502 of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a). 
(5) HISTORICALLY
BLACK
COLLEGE
OR
UNI-
VERSITY.—The term ‘‘historically Black college or 
university’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘part B 
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institution’’ in section 322 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061). 
(6) INNOVATION CENTER.—The term ‘‘innova-
tion center’’ means an eligible area designated by 
the Committee under section 3(e). 
(7) INNOVATION SECTOR JOB.—The term ‘‘in-
novation sector job’’ means a job in the following re-
search and development sectors, as categorized 
under the North American Industry Classification 
System: 
(A) Basic chemical manufacturing (3251). 
(B) Pesticide, fertilizer, and other agricul-
tural chemical manufacturing (3253). 
(C) Pharmaceutical and medicine manufac-
turing (3254). 
(D) Computer and peripheral equipment 
manufacturing (3341). 
(E) Communications equipment manufac-
turing (3342). 
(F) Semiconductor and other electronic 
components manufacturing (3344). 
(G) 
Navigational, 
measuring, 
electromedical, and control instruments manu-
facturing (3345). 
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(H) Aerospace product and parts manufac-
turing (3364). 
(I) Software publishers (5112). 
(J) Satellite telecommunications (5174). 
(K) Data processing, hosting, and related 
services (5182). 
(L) Other information services (5191). 
(M) Scientific research and development 
services (5417). 
(8) STEM.—The term ‘‘STEM’’ means science, 
technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
SEC. 3. INNOVATION CENTER SELECTION COMMITTEE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established the Inno-
vation Center Selection Committee, which shall— 
(1) establish the global competitive edge of the 
United States in the 21st century across a range of 
innovation sectors critical to national and economic 
security; 
(2) enable 9 metropolitan statistical areas in 
the United States to become innovation centers for 
global innovation leadership and models for inclusive 
growth, equal opportunity, and rising living stand-
ards for disadvantaged populations; 
(3) inspire, within metropolitan statistical areas 
in the United States across the country, new and 
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constructive collaboration among local, State, and 
Federal government entities, academia, and private 
industry by issuing a call for innovation center pro-
posals with clear, ambitious objectives; 
(4) carry out a transparent, competitive, fair, 
and rigorous process for selecting innovation centers; 
(5) ensure the transparent, efficient and effec-
tive use of taxpayer funds; and 
(6) empirically evaluate the effectiveness of in-
novation centers through release of publicly available 
reports and data. 
(b) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(1) COMPOSITION.— 
(A) VOTING
MEMBERS.—The Committee 
shall be composed of the following voting mem-
bers: 
(i) The Secretary of Commerce, who 
shall serve as chairperson of the Com-
mittee. 
(ii) The Administrator of the Small 
Business Administration. 
(iii) The Deputy Secretary for Hous-
ing and Urban Development. 
(iv) The Director of the Community 
Development Financial Institution Fund. 
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(v) The Director of the National 
Science Foundation. 
(vi) The Director of the National In-
stitute of Standards and Technology. 
(vii) The Director of the National 
Economic Council. 
(viii) The Assistant Secretary of Com-
merce for Economic Development. 
(ix) The Assistant Secretary for Em-
ployment and Training. 
(x) The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy. 
(xi) The Under Secretary of Defense 
for Research and Engineering. 
(xii) The Under Secretary for Science 
of the Department of Energy. 
(xiii) The Director of the National In-
stitutes of Health. 
(xiv) The Under Secretary for Science 
and Technology of the Department of 
Homeland Security. 
(xv) The Administrator of the Na-
tional Aeronautics and Space Administra-
tion. 
(2) NONVOTING MEMBERS.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall 
have 8 nonvoting members, of which, from 
among leaders of labor organizations or re-
search institutions, or leaders from private in-
dustry or professional societies— 
(i) 2 shall be appointed by the major-
ity leader of the Senate; 
(ii) 2 shall be appointed by the minor-
ity leader of the Senate; 
(iii) 2 shall be appointed by the 
Speaker of the House of Representatives; 
and 
(iv) 2 shall be appointed by the minor-
ity leader of the House of Representatives. 
(B) TERM.—The nonvoting members ap-
pointed under subparagraph (A)— 
(i) shall serve for a term of 5 years; 
and 
(ii) may be reappointed to subsequent 
terms. 
(C) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the non-
voting membership of the Committee shall be 
filled in the same manner as the original ap-
pointment, but the individual appointed to fill 
the vacancy shall serve only for the unexpired 
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portion of the term for which the individual’s 
predecessor was appointed. 
(D) DEADLINE FOR APPOINTMENTS.—The 
nonvoting members of the Committee shall be 
appointed under this paragraph not later than 
30 days after the date of enactment of this Act. 
(3) INITIAL MEETING.—Not later than 30 days 
after the date on which all members of the Com-
mittee are appointed, the Committee shall hold its 
first meeting. 
(c) COMPENSATION.—A nonvoting member of the 
Committee appointed under subsection (b)(2) shall be al-
lowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub-
sistence, at rates authorized for employees of agencies 
under subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States 
Code, while away from their homes or regular places of 
business in the performance of services for the Committee. 
(d) STAFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee may appoint 
a staff director and other personnel as necessary to 
carry out the duties of the Committee. 
(2) MEMBER AGENCIES.—The Department of 
Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Depart-
ment of the Treasury, the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development, the Department of De-
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fense, the Department of Energy, the Department of 
Health and Human Services, the Small Business 
Administration, and the Department of Transpor-
tation shall provide necessary staffing support to the 
Committee, as determined by the Committee. 
(e) SELECTION OF INNOVATION CENTERS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Committee shall select 
9 eligible areas to serve as innovation centers and 
receive the Federal innovation supports described in 
section 4. 
(2) APPLICATION.— 
(A) REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS.—Not later 
than 3 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Committee shall issue a request 
for applications from eligible entities. 
(B) SUBMISSION.—Each eligible area de-
siring to be selected as an innovation center 
shall submit to the Committee an application 
through a proposal committee created by the el-
igible area, which shall include representation 
from each State located in the eligible area and 
each municipal government representing not 
less than 200,000 individuals located in the eli-
gible area. 
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(3) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In selecting innova-
tion centers under this section, the Committee shall 
evaluate each applicant based on— 
(A) the performance of the applicant in— 
(i) STEM spending per capita; 
(ii) the number of patents per 
100,000 residents; 
(iii) the share of the population with 
a Bachelor of Arts degree or a higher de-
gree; and 
(iv) the number of STEM university 
degrees per capita; 
(B) a plan to use data-driven strategies to 
promote 
innovation-based, 
advanced 
sector 
takeoff, focused on local interplay of university, 
Federal research institution, and industry core 
competencies; 
(C) a plan to increase innovation readi-
ness, including expanding research and tech-
nology development facilities and developing the 
local STEM workforce, including through part-
nerships with entities with demonstrated suc-
cess of administering apprenticeship and other 
workforce development models; 
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