NEWS Act of 2014

Bill: 113-s-1971
Sponsor: Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]
Introduced: 2014-01-29 in the Senate
Policy area: Energy
Subjects: Congressional oversight
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy research
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Government information and archives
Public-private cooperation
Water quality
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: 
Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014 or NEWS Act of 2014 - Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either Committee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability or the Subcommittee on Energy-Water Nexus for Sustainability under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), co-chaired by the Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior.
 
Defines &quot;energy-water nexus&quot; as the link between: (1) energy efficiency and the quantity of water needed to produce fuels and energy; and (2) the quantity of energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water.
 
Requires the Committee or Subcommittee to: (1) serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus issues; (2) promote coordination of the related activities of all federal departments and agencies; (3) coordinate and develop capabilities for data collection, categorization, and dissemination of data from and to other federal departments and agencies; and (4) engage in information exchange between federal departments and agencies.
 
Requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), by 30 days after the President submits the budget of the U.S. Government each year, to submit to specified congressional committees an interagency budget crosscut report that: (1) displays the budget proposed, including any interagency or intra-agency transfer, for each of the federal agencies that carry out energy-water nexus projects for the upcoming fiscal year; (2) identifies all federal and state expenditures since 2011 on energy-water nexus projects; and (3) lists all energy-water nexus projects to be undertaken in the upcoming fiscal year, with the federal portion of funds for those projects.

action_date: 2014-12-10
text: 
Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability Act of 2014 or the NEWS Act of 2014 - (Sec. 3) Requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish either a Committee or a Subcommittee on the Nexus of Energy and Water for Sustainability (NEWS) under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC). Requires the Secretary of Energy (DOE) and Secretary of the Interior to serve as co-chairs.
 
Defines &quot;energy-water nexus&quot; as the links between: (1) the water needed to produce fuels, electricity, and other forms of energy; and (2) the energy needed to transport, reclaim, and treat water and wastewater.
 
Requires the NEWS Committee or Subcommittee to: 
 
 
serve as a forum for developing common federal goals and plans on energy-water nexus research, development, and demonstration activities; 
 
issue a strategic plan on the priorities and objectives of those activities within a year and twice a year thereafter;
 
promote coordination of the related activities of federal departments and agencies; 
 
coordinate and develop capabilities and methodologies for data collection, management, and dissemination of information related to those activities from and to other federal departments and agencies; 
 
promote information exchange between federal departments and agencies; and 
 
review its activities, relevance, and effectiveness ten years after it is established and to report on the results of the review.
 
 
(Sec. 4) Requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to submit to specified congressional committees an interagency budget crosscut report no later than 30 days after the President submits the budget. Requires the report to display for each agency that carries out or supports basic and applied research, development, and demonstration activities to advance energy-water nexus related science and technologies: (1) the budget proposed in the budget request of the President for the upcoming fiscal year, (2) expenditures and obligations for the prior fiscal year, and (3) estimated expenditures and obligations for the current fiscal year.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-12-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 636.
action_date: 2014-12-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-296.
action_date: 2014-12-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Landrieu with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-296.
action_date: 2014-11-13
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2014-06-25
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-428.
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S602)
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S601-602)
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Introduced in Senate