Title: Technology Transitions Act of 2019
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Technology Transitions Act of 2019
This bill addresses technology programs within the Department of Energy (DOE).
Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for the creation of DOE's Office of Technology Transitions. The office aims to (1) expand the commercialization of DOE's research investments; and (2) focus on commercializing technologies that support DOE's missions, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, the bill requires DOE to review all of its emission reduction research and development programs. Under the review, DOE must identify each program with a mission to develop technologies that reduce emissions, identify the technologies available to reduce emissions that are not covered by such programs, and recommend how overlapping programs may be combined or restructured to be more efficient.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2688 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2688

   To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to establish an Office of 
            Technology Transitions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 23, 2019

 Mr. Cassidy (for himself and Mr. Whitehouse) 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 2005 to establish an Office of 
            Technology Transitions, 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 ``Technology Transitions Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSITIONS.

    Section 1001 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16391) is 
amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and all that follows through 
        ``The Coordinator'' in subsection (b) and inserting the 
        following:
    ``(a) Office of Technology Transitions.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--There is established within the 
        Department an Office of Technology Transitions (referred to in 
        this section as the `Office').
            ``(2) Mission.--The mission of the Office shall be--
                    ``(A) to expand the commercial impact of the 
                research investments of the Department; and
                    ``(B) to focus on commercializing technologies that 
                reduce greenhouse gas emissions and technologies that 
                support other missions of the Department.
            ``(3) Goals.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In carrying out the mission and 
                activities of the Office, the Chief Commercialization 
                Officer appointed under paragraph (4) shall, with 
                respect to commercialization activities, meet not less 
                than two of the goals described in subparagraph (B) 
                and, to the maximum extent practicable, meet all of the 
                goals described in that subparagraph.
                    ``(B) Goals described.--The goals referred to in 
                subparagraph (A) are the following:
                            ``(i) Reduction of greenhouse gas 
                        emissions.
                            ``(ii) Ensuring economic competitiveness.
                            ``(iii) Enhancement of domestic energy 
                        security and national security.
                            ``(iv) Enhancement of domestic jobs.
            ``(4) Chief commercialization officer.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Office shall be headed by an 
                officer, who shall be known as the `Chief 
                Commercialization Officer', and who shall report 
                directly to, and be appointed by, the Secretary.
                    ``(B) Principal advisor.--The Chief 
                Commercialization Officer shall be the principal 
                advisor to the Secretary on all matters relating to 
                technology transfer and commercialization.
                    ``(C) Qualifications.--The Chief Commercialization 
                Officer'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``subsection 
                (d)'' and inserting ``subsection (b)'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (4) as 
                clauses (i) through (iv), respectively, and indenting 
                appropriately; and
                    (C) by striking the subsection designation and 
                heading and all that follows through ``The 
                Coordinator'' in the matter preceding clause (i) (as so 
                redesignated) and inserting the following:
                    ``(D) Duties.--The Chief Commercialization 
                Officer'';
            (3) by adding at the end of subsection (a) (as amended by 
        paragraph (2)(C)) the following:
            ``(5) Coordination.--In carrying out the mission and 
        activities of the Office, the Chief Commercialization Officer 
        shall coordinate with the senior leadership of the Department, 
        other relevant offices of the Department, National 
        Laboratories, the Technology Transfer Working Group established 
        under subsection (b), the Technology Transfer Policy Board, and 
        other stakeholders (including private industry).'';
            (4) by redesignating subsections (d) through (h) as 
        subsections (b) through (f), respectively; and
            (5) in subsection (f) (as so redesignated), by striking 
        ``subsection (e)'' and inserting ``subsection (c)''.

SEC. 3. REVIEW OF EMISSION REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Energy shall conduct a review of all emission reduction 
research and development programs under the Department of Energy--
            (1) to identify each program the mission of which is to 
        develop technologies that reduce emissions;
            (2) to examine the extent to which the programs identified 
        under paragraph (1) overlap or are duplicative;
            (3) to identify the technologies available to reduce 
        emissions that are not covered by any of the programs 
        identified under paragraph (1); and
            (4) to develop recommendations as to how overlapping or 
        duplicative programs under paragraph (2) may be combined or 
        restructured to be more efficient.
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