Title: American Innovation Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
American Innovation Act
This bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require certain adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2017-FY2021 to accommodate increases in appropriations for agencies that perform basic science research.
Adjustments are required for the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy Office of Science, Department of Defense science and technology programs, National Institute of Standards and Technology Scientific and Technical Research and Services, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate.
The bill also requires annual appropriations for each of the programs and agencies referenced in this bill to be at least the amount appropriated in FY2016.
The bill exempts appropriations provided pursuant to this bill from sequestration. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 641 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 641

To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment 
                       in basic science research.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 15, 2017

Mr. Durbin (for himself and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment 
                       in basic science research.

    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 ``American Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. CAP ADJUSTMENT.

    (a) In General.--Section 251(b)(2) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 901(b)(2)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); 
        and
            (2) by inserting after subparagraph (C), the following:
                    ``(D) Basic science research.--
                            ``(i) National science foundation.--If a 
                        bill or joint resolution making appropriations 
                        for a fiscal year is enacted that specifies 
                        amounts for the National Science Foundation, 
                        then the adjustments for that fiscal year shall 
                        be the amount of additional new budget 
                        authority provided in that Act for such 
                        programs for that fiscal year, but shall not 
                        exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $429,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $834,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $1,279,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                $1,764,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $2,279,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(ii) Department of energy, office of 
                        science.--If a bill or joint resolution making 
                        appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted 
                        that specifies amounts for the Office of 
                        Science at the Department of Energy, then the 
                        adjustments for that fiscal year shall be the 
                        amount of additional new budget authority 
                        provided in that Act for such programs for that 
                        fiscal year, but shall not exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $378,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $674,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $998,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                $1,351,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $1,727,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(iii) Department of defense science and 
                        technology programs.--If a bill or joint 
                        resolution making appropriations for a fiscal 
                        year is enacted that specifies amounts for the 
                        Department of Defense science and technology 
                        programs, then the adjustments for that fiscal 
                        year shall be the amount of additional new 
                        budget authority provided in that Act for such 
                        programs for that fiscal year, but shall not 
                        exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $931,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $1,661,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $2,456,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                $3,320,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $4,258,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(iv) National institute of standards and 
                        technology scientific and technical research 
                        and services.--If a bill or joint resolution 
                        making appropriations for a fiscal year is 
                        enacted that specifies amounts for the 
                        scientific and technical research and services 
                        of the National Institute of Standards and 
                        Technology at the Department of Commerce, then 
                        the adjustments for that fiscal year shall be 
                        the amount of additional new budget authority 
                        provided in that Act for such programs for that 
                        fiscal year, but shall not exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $42,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $73,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $108,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                $147,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $188,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(v) National aeronautics and space 
                        administration science mission directorate.--If 
                        a bill or joint resolution making 
                        appropriations for a fiscal year is enacted 
                        that specifies amounts for the Science Mission 
                        Directorate at the National Aeronautics and 
                        Space Administration, then the adjustments for 
                        that fiscal year shall be the amount of 
                        additional new budget authority provided in 
                        that Act for such programs for that fiscal 
                        year, but shall not exceed--
                                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2017, 
                                $302,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(II) for fiscal year 2018, 
                                $600,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(III) for fiscal year 2019, 
                                $928,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority;
                                    ``(IV) for fiscal year 2020, 
                                $1,286,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority; and
                                    ``(V) for fiscal year 2021, 
                                $1,666,000,000 in additional new budget 
                                authority.
                            ``(vi) Definitions.--As used in this 
                        subparagraph:
                                    ``(I) Additional new budget 
                                authority.--The term `additional new 
                                budget authority' means--
                                            ``(aa) with respect to the 
                                        National Science Foundation, 
                                        the amount provided for a 
                                        fiscal year, in excess of the 
                                        amount provided in fiscal year 
                                        2016, in an appropriation Act 
                                        and specified to support the 
                                        National Science Foundation;
                                            ``(bb) with respect to the 
                                        Department of Energy Office of 
                                        Science, the amount provided 
                                        for a fiscal year, in excess of 
                                        the amount provided in fiscal 
                                        year 2016, in an appropriation 
                                        Act and specified to support 
                                        the Department of Energy Office 
                                        of Science;
                                            ``(cc) with respect to the 
                                        Department of Defense science 
                                        and technology programs, the 
                                        amount provided for a fiscal 
                                        year, in excess of the amount 
                                        provided in fiscal year 2016, 
                                        in an appropriation Act and 
                                        specified to support the 
                                        Department of Defense science 
                                        and technology programs;
                                            ``(dd) with respect to the 
                                        National Institute of Standards 
                                        and Technology scientific and 
                                        technical research services, 
                                        the amount provided for a 
                                        fiscal year, in excess of the 
                                        amount provided in fiscal year 
                                        2016, in an appropriation Act 
                                        and specified to support the 
                                        National Institute of Standards 
                                        and Technology scientific and 
                                        technical research services; 
                                        and
                                            ``(ee) with respect to the 
                                        National Aeronautics and Space 
                                        Administration Science Mission 
                                        Directorate, the amount 
                                        provided for a fiscal year, in 
                                        excess of the amount provided 
                                        in fiscal year 2016, in an 
                                        appropriation Act and specified 
                                        to support the National 
                                        Aeronautics and Space 
                                        Administration Science Mission 
                                        Directorate.
                                    ``(II) Department of defense 
                                science and technology programs.--The 
                                term `Department of Defense science and 
                                technology programs' means the 
                                appropriations accounts that support 
                                the various institutes, offices, and 
                                centers that make up the Department of 
                                Defense science and technology 
                                programs.
                                    ``(III) Department of energy office 
                                of science.--The term `Department of 
                                Energy Office of Science' means the 
                                appropriations accounts that support 
                                the various institutes, offices, and 
                                centers that make up the Department of 
                                Energy Office of Science.
                                    ``(IV) National aeronautics and 
                                space administration science mission 
                                directorate.--The term `National 
                                Aeronautics and Space Administration 
                                Science Mission Directorate' means the 
                                appropriations accounts that support 
                                the various institutes, offices, and 
                                centers that make up the National 
                                Aeronautics and Space Administration 
                                Science Mission Directorate.
                                    ``(V) National institute of 
                                standards and technology scientific and 
                                technical research and services.--The 
                                term `National Institute of Standards 
                                and Technology scientific and technical 
                                research and services' means the 
                                appropriations accounts that support 
                                the various institutes, offices, and 
                                centers that make up the National 
                                Institute of Standards and Technology 
                                scientific and technical research and 
                                services.
                                    ``(VI) National science 
                                foundation.--The term `National Science 
                                Foundation' means the appropriations 
                                accounts that support the various 
                                institutes, offices, and centers that 
                                make up the National Science 
                                Foundation.''.
    (b) Funding.--There are hereby authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) for the National Science Foundation, the amounts 
        provided for under clause (i) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in 
        each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, and such sums as may be 
        necessary for each subsequent fiscal year;
            (2) for the Department of Energy Office of Science, the 
        amounts provided for under clause (ii) of such section 
        251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, and 
        such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal year;
            (3) for the Department of Defense science and technology 
        programs, the amounts provided for under clause (iii) of such 
        section 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, 
        and such sums as may be necessary for each subsequent fiscal 
        year;
            (4) for the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
        scientific and technical research and services, the amounts 
        provided for under clause (iv) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in 
        each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, and such sums as may be 
        necessary for each subsequent fiscal year; and
            (5) for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 
        Science Mission Directorate, the amounts provided for under 
        clause (v) of such section 251(b)(2)(D) in each of fiscal years 
        2016 through 2021, and such sums as may be necessary for each 
        subsequent fiscal year.
    (c) Minimum Continued Funding Requirement.--Amounts appropriated 
for each of the programs and agencies described in section 251(b)(2)(D) 
of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (as 
added by subsection (a)) for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021, 
and each subsequent fiscal year, shall not be less than the amounts 
appropriated for such programs and agencies for fiscal year 2016.
    (d) Exemption of Certain Appropriations From Sequestration.--
            (1) In general.--Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced 
        Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (2 U.S.C. 
        905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``Advances to the 
        Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).'' 
        the following:
                            ``Appropriations under the American 
                        Innovation Act.''.
            (2) Applicability.--The amendment made by this section 
        shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the 
        Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 
        U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this 
        Act.
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