Title: DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act
This bill revises the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program of the Department of Energy (DOE).
The objectives of the EPSCoR must include (1) increasing the number of researchers in specified jurisdictions (i.e., the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands), especially at institutions of higher education (IHEs), capable of performing nationally competitive science and engineering research in support of the mission of DOE in the areas of applied energy research, environmental management, and basic science; and (2) improving science and engineering research and education programs at IHEs in such states and enhancing their capabilities to develop, plan, and execute research that is competitive.
The EPSCoR must provide grants to such jurisdictions to carry out and support applied energy research and research in all areas of environmental management and basic science sponsored by DOE.
DOE must contract with a federally funded research and development center, the National Academy of Sciences, or a a similar organization to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of EPSCoR, including an assessment of the progress made towards achieving the objectives of the program.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4053 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4053

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to modernize the EPSCoR program 
          of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 24, 2020

Mr. Reed (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Moran, Mr. Jones, and Mrs. Hyde-
Smith) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 
            to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 1992 to modernize the EPSCoR program 
          of the Department of Energy, and for other purposes.

    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 ``DOE EPSCoR Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHED PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE RESEARCH.

    Section 2203(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 
13503(b)) is amended by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
following:
            ``(3) Established program to stimulate competitive 
        research.--
                    ``(A) Definitions.--In this paragraph:
                            ``(i) Eligible jurisdiction.--The term 
                        `eligible jurisdiction' means a State that is 
                        determined to be eligible for a grant under 
                        this paragraph in accordance with subparagraph 
                        (D).
                            ``(ii) EPSCoR.--The term `EPSCoR' means the 
                        Established Program to Stimulate Competitive 
                        Research operated under subparagraph (B).
                            ``(iii) National laboratory.--The term 
                        `National Laboratory' has the meaning given the 
                        term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 
                        2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
                            ``(iv) State.--The term `State' means--
                                    ``(I) a State;
                                    ``(II) the District of Columbia;
                                    ``(III) the Commonwealth of Puerto 
                                Rico;
                                    ``(IV) Guam; and
                                    ``(V) the United States Virgin 
                                Islands.
                    ``(B) Program operation.--The Secretary shall 
                operate an Established Program to Stimulate Competitive 
                Research.
                    ``(C) Objectives.--The objectives of EPSCoR shall 
                be--
                            ``(i) to increase the number of researchers 
                        in eligible jurisdictions, especially at 
                        institutions of higher education, capable of 
                        performing nationally competitive science and 
                        engineering research in support of the mission 
                        of the Department of Energy in the areas of 
                        applied energy research, environmental 
                        management, and basic science;
                            ``(ii) to improve science and engineering 
                        research and education programs at institutions 
                        of higher education in eligible jurisdictions 
                        and enhance the capabilities of eligible 
                        jurisdictions to develop, plan, and execute 
                        research that is competitive, including through 
                        investing in research equipment and 
                        instrumentation; and
                            ``(iii) to increase the probability of 
                        long-term growth of competitive funding to 
                        eligible jurisdictions.
                    ``(D) Eligible jurisdictions.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary may 
                        establish criteria for determining whether a 
                        State is eligible for a grant under this 
                        paragraph.
                            ``(ii) Requirement.--Except as provided in 
                        clause (iii), in establishing criteria under 
                        clause (i), the Secretary shall ensure that a 
                        State is eligible for a grant under this 
                        paragraph if the State, as determined by the 
                        Secretary, is a State that--
                                    ``(I) historically has received 
                                relatively little Federal research and 
                                development funding; and
                                    ``(II) has demonstrated a 
                                commitment--
                                            ``(aa) to develop the 
                                        research bases in the State; 
                                        and
                                            ``(bb) to improve science 
                                        and engineering research and 
                                        education programs at 
                                        institutions of higher 
                                        education in the State.
                            ``(iii) Eligibility under nsf epscor.--At 
                        the election of the Secretary, or if the 
                        Secretary determines not to establish criteria 
                        under clause (i), a State is eligible for a 
                        grant under this paragraph if the State is 
                        eligible to receive funding under the 
                        Established Program to Stimulate Competitive 
                        Research of the National Science Foundation.
                    ``(E) Grants in areas of applied energy research, 
                environmental management, and basic science.--
                            ``(i) In general.--EPSCoR shall make grants 
                        to eligible jurisdictions to carry out and 
                        support applied energy research and research in 
                        all areas of environmental management and basic 
                        science sponsored by the Department of Energy, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) energy efficiency, fossil 
                                energy, renewable energy, and other 
                                applied energy research;
                                    ``(II) electricity delivery 
                                research;
                                    ``(III) cybersecurity, energy 
                                security, and emergency response;
                                    ``(IV) environmental management; 
                                and
                                    ``(V) basic science research.
                            ``(ii) Activities.--EPSCoR shall make 
                        grants under this subparagraph for activities 
                        consistent with the objectives described in 
                        subparagraph (C) in the areas of applied energy 
                        research, environmental management, and basic 
                        science described in clause (i), including--
                                    ``(I) to support research that is 
                                carried out in partnership with the 
                                National Laboratories;
                                    ``(II) to provide for graduate 
                                traineeships;
                                    ``(III) to support research by 
                                early career faculty; and
                                    ``(IV) to improve research 
                                capabilities through biennial research 
                                implementation grants.
                            ``(iii) No cost sharing.--EPSCoR shall not 
                        impose any cost-sharing requirement with 
                        respect to a grant made under this 
                        subparagraph, but may require letters of 
                        commitment from National Laboratories.
                    ``(F) Other activities.--EPSCoR may carry out such 
                activities as may be necessary to meet the objectives 
                described in subparagraph (C) in the areas of applied 
                energy research, environmental management, and basic 
                science described in subparagraph (E)(i).
                    ``(G) Program implementation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 270 days 
                        after the date of enactment of the DOE EPSCoR 
                        Modernization Act, the Secretary shall submit 
                        to the Committees on Energy and Natural 
                        Resources and Appropriations of the Senate and 
                        the Committees on Energy and Commerce and 
                        Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
                        a plan describing how the Secretary shall 
                        implement EPSCoR.
                            ``(ii) Contents of plan.--The plan 
                        described in clause (i) shall include a 
                        description of--
                                    ``(I) the management structure of 
                                EPSCoR, which shall ensure that all 
                                research areas and activities described 
                                in this paragraph are incorporated into 
                                EPSCoR;
                                    ``(II) efforts to conduct outreach 
                                to inform eligible jurisdictions and 
                                faculty of changes to, and 
                                opportunities under, EPSCoR;
                                    ``(III) how EPSCoR plans to 
                                increase engagement with eligible 
                                jurisdictions, faculty, and State 
                                committees, including by holding 
                                regular workshops, to increase 
                                participation in EPSCoR; and
                                    ``(IV) any other issues relating to 
                                EPSCoR that the Secretary determines 
                                appropriate.
                    ``(H) Program evaluation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--Not later than 5 years 
                        after the date of enactment of the DOE EPSCoR 
                        Modernization Act, the Secretary shall contract 
                        with a federally funded research and 
                        development center, the National Academy of 
                        Sciences, or a similar organization to carry 
                        out an assessment of the effectiveness of 
                        EPSCoR, including an assessment of--
                                    ``(I) the tangible progress made 
                                towards achieving the objectives 
                                described in subparagraph (C);
                                    ``(II) the impact of research 
                                supported by EPSCoR on the mission of 
                                the Department of Energy; and
                                    ``(III) any other issues relating 
                                to EPSCoR that the Secretary determines 
                                appropriate.
                            ``(ii) Limitation.--The organization with 
                        which the Secretary contracts under clause (i) 
                        shall not be a National Laboratory.
                            ``(iii) Report.--Not later than 6 years 
                        after the date of enactment of the DOE EPSCoR 
                        Modernization Act, the Secretary shall submit 
                        to the Committees on Energy and Natural 
                        Resources and Appropriations of the Senate and 
                        the Committees on Energy and Commerce and 
                        Appropriations of the House of Representatives 
                        a report describing the results of the 
                        assessment carried out under clause (i), 
                        including recommendations for improvements that 
                        would enable the Secretary to achieve the 
                        objectives described in subparagraph (C).''.
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