Title: ARPA–E Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
ARPA-E Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019
This bill revises and reauthorizes requirements governing the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) in the Department of Energy (DOE).
This bill requires ARPA-E to overcome the long-term and high-risk technological barriers in the development of transformative science and technology solutions to address energy, environmental, economic, and national security challenges. (Currently, ARPA-E must overcome barriers in the development of energy technologies.)
The bill expands the goals of ARPA-E to include the development of energy technologies that
The bill expands the responsibility of ARPA-E to accelerate novel early-stage research to include nonenergy research.
ARPA-E must ensure that it does not fund an advanced technology project unless the prospective grantee has demonstrated sufficient attempts to secure private financing or that such project is not independently commercially viable.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3915 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3915

To amend the America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the Advanced Research 
            Projects Agency-Energy, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 23, 2019

Mr. Lucas (for himself, Mr. Marshall, Mr. Baird, Miss Gonzalez-Colon of 
    Puerto Rico, Mr. Gonzalez of Ohio, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. Woodall) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                     Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the Advanced Research 
            Projects Agency-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 ``ARPA-E Reauthorization and Reform 
Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY-ENERGY.

    (a) Establishment.--Section 5012(b) of the America COMPETES Act (42 
U.S.C. 16538(b)) is amended by striking ``development of energy 
technologies'' and inserting ``development of transformative science 
and technology solutions to address energy, environmental, economic, 
and national security challenges''.
    (b) Goals.--Section 5012(c) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 
16538(c)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting the 
        following:
                    ``(A) to enhance the economic and energy security 
                of the United States through the development of energy 
                technologies that--
                            ``(i) reduce imports of energy from foreign 
                        sources;
                            ``(ii) reduce energy-related emissions, 
                        including greenhouse gases;
                            ``(iii) improve the energy efficiency of 
                        all economic sectors;
                            ``(iv) provide transformative solutions to 
                        improve the management, clean-up, and disposal 
                        of--
                                    ``(I) low-level radioactive waste;
                                    ``(II) spent nuclear fuel; and
                                    ``(III) high-level radioactive 
                                waste;
                            ``(v) improve efficiency and reduce the 
                        environmental impact of all forms of energy 
                        production;
                            ``(vi) improve the resiliency, reliability, 
                        and security of the electric grid; and
                            ``(vii) address other challenges within the 
                        mission of the Department as determined by the 
                        Secretary; and''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding subparagraph 
        (A), by striking ``energy technology projects'' and inserting 
        ``advanced technology projects''.
    (c) Responsibilities.--Section 5012(e)(3)(A) of the America 
COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(e)(3)(A)) is amended by striking 
``energy''.
    (d) Reports and Roadmaps.--Section 5012(h) of the America COMPETES 
Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(h)) is amended to read as follows:
    ``(h) Annual Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--As part of the annual budget request 
        submitted for each fiscal year, the Director shall provide to 
        the relevant authorizing and appropriations committees of 
        Congress a report that--
                    ``(A) describes projects supported by ARPA-E during 
                the previous fiscal year;
                    ``(B) identifies and includes an analysis of 
                projects supported by ARPA-E during the previous fiscal 
                year that demonstrate duplication of other activities 
                funded by the Department; and
                    ``(C) describes current, proposed, and planned 
                projects to be carried out pursuant to subsection 
                (e)(3)(D).
            ``(2) Strategic vision roadmap.--Beginning with the report 
        submitted with respect to fiscal year 2020, and every 4 fiscal 
        years thereafter, the report required under paragraph (1) shall 
        include a roadmap describing the strategic vision that ARPA-E 
        will use to guide the choices of ARPA-E for future technology 
        investments over the following 4 fiscal years.''.
    (e) Coordination and Nonduplication.--Section 5012(i)(1) of the 
America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(i)(1)) is amended to read as 
follows:
            ``(1) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, the 
        Director shall ensure that--
                    ``(A) the activities of ARPA-E are coordinated 
                with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, programs and 
                laboratories within the Department and other relevant 
                research agencies; and
                    ``(B) ARPA-E does not provide funding for a project 
                unless the prospective grantee demonstrates sufficient 
                attempts to secure private financing or indicates that 
                the project is not independently commercially 
                viable.''.
    (f) Evaluation.--Section 5012(l) of the America COMPETES Act (42 
U.S.C. 16538(l)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of 
        enactment of the ARPA-E Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019, 
        the Secretary is authorized to enter into a contract with a 
        third party entity to conduct an evaluation of how well ARPA-E 
        is achieving the goals and mission of ARPA-E.''; and
            (2) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``shall'' and inserting ``may''; 
                and
                    (B) by striking ``the recommendation of the 
                National Academy of Sciences'' and inserting ``a 
                recommendation''.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Paragraph (2) of section 
5012(o) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(o)) is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--Subject to 
        paragraph (4), there are authorized to be appropriated to the 
        Director of ARPA-E--
                    ``(A) $392,800,000 for fiscal year 2020;
                    ``(B) $419,600,000 for fiscal year 2021;
                    ``(C) $446,400,000 for fiscal year 2022;
                    ``(D) $473,200,000 for fiscal year 2023; and
                    ``(E) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.''.
    (h) Technical Amendments.--Section 5012(g)(3)(A)(iii) of the 
America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(g)(3)(A)(iii)) is amended by 
striking ``subpart'' each place it appears and inserting 
``subparagraph''.
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