America INNOVATES Act

Bill: 113-s-1973
Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
Introduced: 2014-01-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Department of Energy
Educational facilities and institutions
Energy research
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal officials
Government buildings, facilities, and property
Government ethics and transparency, public corruption
Government information and archives
Higher education
Performance measurement
Public contracts and procurement
Public-private cooperation
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Small business
Technology transfer and commercialization

Summary:
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: 
America Implementing New National Opportunities To Vigorously Accelerate Technology, Energy, and Science Act or America INNOVATES Act - Amends the Department of Energy Organization Act to: (1) rename the position of the Under Secretary for Science the Under Secretary for Science and Energy, and (2) require the Under Secretary to establish appropriate linkages between offices under his or her jurisdiction and perform functions and duties prescribed by the Secretary of Energy (DOE). 
 
Directs the Secretary to ensure that the following duties and responsibilities are carried out through one or more appropriate statutory or administrative entities: (1) evaluation, coordination, and promotion of the transfer of National Laboratory research and development (R&D) results to the market in collaboration with the Technology Transfer Coordinator; (2) recommendations to the Secretary of best practices for the National Laboratories; and (3) implementation of other appropriate duties to improve National Laboratory operations and performance. 
 
Expresses the sense of the Senate regarding the development of a coordinated strategy for the national laboratories in the 21st century. 
 
Directs the Secretary to carry out the three-year DOE pilot program under the Agreements for Commercializing Technology. 
 
Requires each agreement entered into under the pilot program to increase the authority of the contractor of the applicable National Laboratory to negotiate contract terms, such as intellectual property rights, indemnification, payment structures, performance guarantees, and multiparty collaborations. 
 
Directs the Secretary to delegate to the directors of the National Laboratories signature authority with respect to any cooperative R&D agreement, non-federal work-for-others agreement, or any other appropriate agreement, the total cost of which (including National Laboratory contributions and project recipient cost share) is less than $1 million. 
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to permit the directors of the National Laboratories to use funds allocated for technology transfer within DOE to carry out early-stage and pre-commercial technology demonstration activities to remove technology barriers that limit private sector interest and demonstrate potential commercial applications of any research and technologies arising from National Laboratory activities intended to meet the federal government's research needs.
 
Amends the Small Business Act to direct the Secretary to inform small business concerns seeking funding under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs about resources available to them at National Laboratories and federally funded R&D centers.
 
Amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to exempt any activity performed by an institution of higher education or nonprofit institution from the requirement that at least 20% of the cost of a research or development activity be provided by a non-federal source. 
 
Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on the results of projects developed under this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S602-604)
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Introduced in Senate