114 S2784 IS: STEM Opportunities Act of 2016
U.S. Senate
2016-04-12
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		II
		114th CONGRESS2d Session
		S. 2784
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			April 12, 2016
			Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Markey, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Booker, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Merkley, and Ms. Mikulski) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

		A BILL
		To ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal
			 research and development funding are fully engaging the entire national
			 talent pool, and for other purposes.

		1.Short title; findings
			(a)
 Short titleThis Act may be cited as the STEM Opportunities Act of 2016.
 (b)FindingsCongress finds as follows: (1)Utilizing the talent and potential of all sectors of the United States population is essential to ensuring the best and brightest minds contribute to our Nation’s innovation and global competitiveness. Substantial research has found that increasing diversity in the workplace can increase productivity, improve decisionmaking, foster creativity, drive innovation, and increase economic growth.
 (2)Research shows that women and minorities who are interested in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers are disproportionately lost at nearly every transition in their career trajectories. If the percentage of women and minorities earning degrees in STEM fields does not keep pace with their share of the population, the United States could face an acute shortfall in the overall number of students who earn degrees in STEM fields. United States companies are increasingly seeking students with STEM skills, and the United States will struggle to maintain a competitive edge in the 21st century global economy if it does not maintain its leadership in STEM.
 (3)In 2012, underrepresented minority groups comprised 36.4 percent of the college-age population of the United States, but only 14.7 percent of students earning bachelor’s degrees in STEM fields. The Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same rate as all other freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino students, 18.4 percent of African-American students, and 18.8 percent of Native American students studying in STEM fields complete their degree within 5 years, compared to approximately 33 percent and 42 percent 5-year completion rates for White and Asian students, respectively.
 (4)According to 3-year estimates from the 2013 American Community Survey, Southeast Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have higher poverty rates and lower educational attainment rates than the overall population in the United States. Aggregated data on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (referred to in this section as AAPI), on average, masks educational inequalities that exist for some AAPI members, particularly Southeast Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Hawaiians.
 (5)According to the 2015 Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering Report developed by the National Science Foundation (referred to in this section as the NSF), women earned only 19 percent of all bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering and 18 percent in computer science. In terms of advancing through higher levels of STEM education, women persist at a similar rate of completion through doctorate degrees in certain STEM fields. However, in other fields such as the physical sciences, their persistence numbers decrease by as much as 1 in 4.
 (6)Minorities currently make up 37.9 percent of our Nation’s total population, yet Black and Hispanic faculty only hold about 6.5 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 5 percent of full professor positions. Many of the numbers for American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander representation at different faculty ranks are too small for the NSF to report publicly. Women’s participation in STEM similarly drops at the faculty level. While women account for 50.8 percent of the Nation’s total population, they hold only 25 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 17 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields in our Nation’s universities and 4-year colleges.
 (7)Research has found that all women of color, including Asian American women, face a double bind in pursuing STEM careers, encountering challenges faced both by women and by ethnic minorities, and are underrepresented in upper management and leadership in STEM academia, industry, and government. A 2015 NSF report found that Black and Hispanic women together only hold about 4.4 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 1.5 percent of full professor positions. While Asian American women make up 6.1 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions, their representation drops to 1.9 percent at the full professor position.
 (8)A large body of research has found that both males and females in STEM report facing significant challenges in balancing their work and life demands on a regular basis. Furthermore, research has found that family characteristics, such as marital status and the presence of children at home, are related to women’s chances of earning tenure or holding other leadership positions. A 2015 NSF report found that women scientists and engineers were far more likely than men to cite family responsibilities as a reason for unemployment, including 27.2 percent of White women, 48.6 percent of Asian women, and 24.4 percent of underrepresented minority women.
 (9)Decades of cognitive psychology research reveal that most people carry implicit, or unconscious biases, that can unintentionally influence people’s attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and decisionmaking processes. Research has shown that these subtle biases can impact classroom experiences, workplace environment and culture, peer review processes, hiring, promotion and evaluation, and even affect the performance of women and minorities in STEM fields.
 (10)NSF’s ADVANCE program was created in 2001 under President George W. Bush’s Administration to increase the representation and advancement of women in academic science and engineering careers, thereby developing a more diverse science and engineering workforce. The ADVANCE program has supported comprehensive, institution-wide projects at institutions of higher education to transform institutional practices and climate. However, additional funding and mechanisms are needed for ADVANCE to assist in increasing the representation and advancement of other groups that are also underrepresented in STEM fields. In addition, an ADVANCE Center of Excellence could institutionalize and scale up the best practices and policies from United States institutions of higher education that are receiving ADVANCE grants.
 (11)NSF currently administers the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (referred to in this section as PAESMEM) on behalf of the Office of Science Technology and Policy to recognize individuals and organizations who have demonstrated excellence in mentoring in STEM fields. While a large body of research has shown that mentoring is key for the retention and success of underrepresented groups in STEM, underrepresented STEM academics and professionals are often disproportionately burdened by service and mentoring responsibilities, which can harm their chances of receiving tenure or other promotions. Furthermore, access to positive mentorship is not always available to STEM professionals at early stages of their careers. By recognizing and rewarding exemplary STEM mentors at earlier points in their careers, PAESMEM has the potential to encourage professionals to take on positive mentoring responsibilities in the context of other career development challenges and pressures that occur. Furthermore, awards such as PAESMEM can encourage institutions to develop a culture that prioritizes the development of positive mentoring relationships.
 (12)The Federal Government provides more than 60 percent of research funding at institutions of higher education and, through its grant-making policies, has had significant influence on institution of higher education policies, including policies related to institutional culture and structure.
 (13)Throughout United States history, many leaders have worked to improve opportunities in STEM for women, minorities, and the public at large. Those leaders include the following:
 (A)Florence R. Sabin was a pioneering medical researcher and an outstanding teacher and professor of anatomy. In 1917, at Johns Hopkins University she became the first female full professor at an American medical college. She was also the first female president of the American Association of Anatomists, and the first permanent female member of the National Academy of Sciences. Her work shed light on the bacteria that cause tuberculosis, the origin of red blood cells, and many other medical advances.
 (B)Roland B. Scott was a pediatrician, allergist, and pioneer in the research on Sickle Cell Disease, serving as the Chairman of Pediatrics at Howard University from 1949 to 1973. He founded and ran Howard University’s Center for Sickle Cell Disease, and helped enact the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act to establish research and treatment centers. He mentored many Black medical students and researchers, and continued to make house calls to help Black patients, who were often denied care in segregated hospitals in the District of Columbia. He authored more than 250 scientific papers, and his many awards include the Jacobi Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
 (C)Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and science writer and popularizer. His early research focused on understanding the physical conditions and atmospheres of the planets, and he helped select the landing sites for the Viking probes sent to explore Mars. He won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize, and he twice received the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Distinguished Public Service Medal. In 1980, he founded the Planetary Society to promote space exploration, and also began hosting the television series Cosmos, which was seen by hundreds of millions of people across the globe.
 2.DefinitionsIn this Act: (1)DirectorExcept as provided in section 4, the term Director means the Director of the National Science Foundation.
 (2)Federal laboratoryThe term Federal laboratory has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).
 (3)Federal science agencyThe term Federal science agency means any Federal agency with not less than $100,000,000 in research and development expenditures in fiscal year 2014.
 (4)Institution of higher educationThe term institution of higher education has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
 (5)RaceThe term race refers to the same disaggregated race response categories as the decennial census of the population.
 (6)STEMThe term STEM means the academic and professional disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.
 (7)Systemic factorsThe term systemic factors refers to factors that social, behavioral, and organizational research has shown can impede the success of underrepresented groups in STEM. These factors include implicit bias, stereotype threat, and caregiving responsibilities.
 (8)Underrepresented groupsThe term underrepresented groups refers to groups of people who are represented in a STEM discipline at a rate lower than their proportion in the general population, including Women, Blacks or African-Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, subgroups of Asian Americans, and persons with disabilities.
 (9)Work-life accommodationThe term work-life accommodation means institutional policies and practices designed to create healthy and supportive environments to help students, trainees, employees, contractors, or grantees effectively balance their work and personal responsibilities and thereby maximize performance. These include flexible work schedules, leave, and stop-the-clock policies for parents and caregivers, as well as support for mental health and wellness.
 3.PurposesThe purposes of this Act are as follows: (1)To collect data necessary to increase the understanding of factors that influence the participation and career trajectories of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
 (2)To coordinate the development of trainings and policies across Federal science agencies to improve inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
 (3)To identify, implement, and disseminate best practices for addressing the systemic factors that can affect the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
 (4)To provide grants for evidence-based efforts to recruit, retain, and advance members from underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce.
 (5)To recognize and reward teachers, faculty members, and organizations who demonstrate a commitment to encouraging the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields.
			4.STEM inclusion interagency working group
 (a)In generalThe Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (referred to in this section as the Director) shall establish the STEM Inclusion Interagency Working Group (referred to in this Act as the working group) under the authority of the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science. The working group shall focus on creating a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce, and shall be responsible for the following:
 (1)Collecting and reporting information on Federal funding for STEM. (2)Reviewing and coordinating training efforts across Federal science agencies to address factors that impede inclusion in STEM of underrepresented groups.
 (3)Reviewing and coordinating policies across Federal science agencies to address factors that can impede the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
 (4)Assessing the effectiveness of the trainings and policies implemented by Federal science agencies in increasing the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented groups in STEM across the Federal science agencies.
				(b)Membership
 (1)In generalThe working group shall consist of not less than 7 members. (2)AppointmentEach agency with a representative on the National Science and Technology Council Committee on Science shall nominate a representative to serve on the working group, and the Director shall select not less than 6 of such nominees to serve for not more than 5 years on the working group.
 (3)Expert in employee trainingOne member of the working group shall be nominated by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and approved by the Director and shall be an expert in employee training.
 (4)Chair; meetingsOne member of the working group shall be designated by the Director to serve as the Chair of the working group for not more than 2 years. The working group shall meet at such times and places as designated by the Chair.
 (c)Stakeholder inputIn carrying out the responsibilities under subsection (a), the working group shall take into account input and recommendations from non-Federal stakeholders, including the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, federally funded and nonfederally funded researchers, institutions of higher education, scientific disciplinary societies and associations, nonprofit research institutions, industry (including small businesses), federally funded research and development centers, nongovernmental organizations, the Committee on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education (CoSTEM), the Interagency Title IX Working Group, and others with a stake in reducing barriers for developing a diverse and inclusive Federal STEM workforce.
 (d)ActivitiesThe working group shall engage in the following activities: (1)Collection of data (A)In generalEach Federal science agency shall annually collect standardized record-level information on demographics, including gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and years since completion of degree, as well as primary field, award type, review rating (as practicable), budget request, funding outcome, and awarded budget for all applications for merit-reviewed research and development grants to institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories supported by such agency. The working group shall coordinate the collection and reporting of this data gathered by the Federal science agencies with the relevant Federal statistical agencies.
 (B)Uniformity and standardizationThe working group, with the approval of the Director, shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity and standardization of the data collection required under subparagraph (A) and interoperability of data reporting as required under subparagraph (D).
					(C)Record-level data
 (i)RequirementBeginning not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, each Federal science agency shall submit to the working group record-level data collected under subparagraph (A) in the form required by the working group and consistent with the policy established under subparagraph (B).
 (ii)Previous dataAs part of the first submission under clause (i), each Federal science agency, to the extent practicable, shall also submit comparable record data for the 5 years preceding the date of submission.
 (iii)Avoiding duplication of effortsThe working group shall work collaboratively with other relevant Federal agencies to gather the information required under clauses (i) and (ii) through existing data collection and reporting efforts to the extent possible.
 (D)ReportingNot later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 2 years thereafter, the working group, in collaboration with the relevant Federal statistical agencies, shall provide to the National Science Board all statistical summary data collected under this paragraph. Not later than 6 months after receiving the summary data, the National Science Board shall publish a report that includes statistical summary data, findings, and policy recommendations in a report as required under section 4(j)(2) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(2)). All statistical summary data shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, disability, gender, age, and number of years since receiving doctoral degree, provided that such data does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual.
					(2)Coordination  and implementation of training  across federal science agencies to create a more
			 diverse and inclusive
			 stem workforce
 (A)In generalNot later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the working group, with the approval of the Director, shall recommend a uniform policy for a minimum frequency of trainings and a set of model training curricula for Federal science agencies to use to educate Federal STEM employees and program managers, senior managers at Federal laboratories, and other federally funded intramural and extramural researchers about methods for addressing the systemic factors that can limit the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented groups at all stages of the STEM pipeline. The training policies and curricula shall address the following:
 (i)Training at least biannually on reducing implicit bias in hiring, promotion, evaluation, the grant review process, and the workplace in general.
 (ii)Methods to reduce the experience of stereotype threat. (iii)Prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
 (iv)Other evidence-based training on systemic factors that the working group determines can impede the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM and in the workplace.
 (B)Interagency coordinationThe working group shall ensure that training policies and curricula are coordinated across Federal science agencies and jointly supported as appropriate.
 (C)Existing guidanceIn developing the policy and training curricula under subparagraph (A), the working group shall utilize guidance and best practices already developed or collected by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Energy, the Department of Education, or from any other appropriate source.
 (D)Dissemination of guidanceThe working group shall broadly disseminate the training policies and curricula under subparagraph (A) to institutions of higher education that receive Federal research funding, scientific disciplinary societies and associations, nonprofit research institutions, industry (including small businesses), and federally funded research and development centers, nongovernmental organizations, and others with a stake in increasing the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM. The dissemination process shall include the creation of a public website.
					(E)Establishment of training policies and curricula
 (i)In generalNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each Federal science agency shall— (I)adopt training policies and curricula based on the model policies under subparagraph (A);
 (II)adapt such model training policies and curricula to their agency, as appropriate; and (III)report to the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on the training policies and curricula and implementation plan of the agency.
 (ii)Ensuring qualityThe Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall— (I)ensure the quality of the training policies and curricula described under clause (i) for each Federal science agency to meet the minimum frequency and requirements under subparagraph (A);
 (II)require updates, if necessary; and (III)approve such training policies and curricula not later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
 (F)Interagency coordinationThe working group shall ensure that training policies and curricula are jointly supported across Federal science agencies, as appropriate.
					(3)Coordination  and implementation of policies and practices across Federal science agencies to
			 create a
			 more diverse and
			 inclusive stem workforce
 (A)Guidance to all Federal science agenciesThe working group shall gather, develop, and disseminate evidence-based practices and recommend model policies for achieving greater inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM to all Federal science agencies and provide guidance on reviewing and updating policies and practices that can impede the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM within each agency. The model policies and practices shall address the following:
 (i)Work-life accommodation, including flexibility for caregivers on the timing of research grants. (ii)Procedures for handling claims of sexual harassment.
 (iii)Reducing implicit bias in hiring, promotion, evaluation, the grant review process, and the workplace in general.
 (iv)Other policies and practices to address systemic factors that the working group determines can impede the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM and the workplace.
						(B)Establishment of policies and practices
 (i)In generalNot later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, each Federal science agency shall— (I)work with the Office of Personnel Management to adopt the model policies and practices under subparagraph (A);
 (II)adapt such model policies and practices to their agency, as appropriate; and (III)report to the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy on the policy and practice implementation plan of the agency.
 (ii)Ensuring qualityThe Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall— (I)ensure the quality of the policies and practices described under clause (i) for each Federal science agency meet the minimum requirements under subparagraph (A);
 (II)require updates, if necessary; and (III)approve such policies and practices not later than 15 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
 (C)Report to congressNot later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 2 years thereafter, the working group shall report to Congress on what steps all Federal science agencies have taken to implement policies and practices to address systemic factors that impede inclusion of underrepresented groups in agency workplaces, and how effective those policies and practices have been in increasing participation of underrepresented groups in the agencies.
					5.Strengthening the national science foundation advance program
			(a)Strengthening the national science foundation  ADVANCE program
 (1)In generalThe Director shall strengthen the goals and activities of the ADVANCE program as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act to focus on increasing the recruitment, retention, and success of all women in STEM, including minorities and persons with disabilities.
 (2)Recognition for excellence in stem inclusionThe Director shall support the exploration, development, evaluation, and implementation of a system to recognize institutions of higher education that have demonstrated success in promoting inclusion for underrepresented groups in STEM.
				(b)Establishment of Advance Center of Excellence for Inclusion in STEM
 (1)In generalThe Director shall build on the success of the ADVANCE program by awarding a grant for the establishment of at least one Center of Excellence for Inclusion in STEM (referred to in this section as a Center)—
 (A)to collect, maintain, and disseminate information on increasing the inclusion of all underrepresented groups in STEM, including women, minorities, and persons with disabilities; and
 (B)to scale-up the success of ADVANCE funded initiatives and other federally funded initiatives to support women, minorities, and persons with disabilities in STEM careers by providing technical assistance, collecting, maintaining, and disseminating best practices, and providing related training at federally funded institutions of higher education.
					(2)Establishment
 (A)In generalThe Director shall establish a Center through a competitive grant award consistent with standard National Science Foundation practice.
 (B)CriteriaGrants and subgrants awarded under this subsection shall be awarded on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis. The Director shall establish criteria for the award of a grant or subgrant under this subsection that includes requiring a grant or subgrant recipient to transfer all Center program information to any awardee that receives a subsequent grant or subgrant under this subsection.
 (C)Public domainAll program information developed, collected, or maintained by a Center, with the exception of personally identifiable information, is and shall remain part of the public domain.
 (D)DurationAt least one Center established under this subsection shall be operational at all times during the 15 years following the initial Center program award.
 (3)General operationA Center established under this subsection shall carry out the following activities: (A)Collect, maintain, and broadly disseminate information from ADVANCE funded initiatives and from broader STEM communities on systemic factors affecting the participation of underrepresented groups in STEM, and best practices for addressing those factors.
 (B)Collaborate with Federal science agencies and professional associations to share best practices on work-life accommodation policies and practices.
 (C)Collaborate with institutions of higher education in order to clarify and catalyze the adoption of a coherent and consistent set of work-life accommodation policies and practices that support the needs of faculty, students, post-doctoral fellows, staff, and trainees.
 (D)Provide educational opportunities, including workshops and trainings for STEM faculty to improve their mentoring, instructing, and advising of students from underrepresented groups.
 (E)Provide training at least biannually on the impact of implicit bias on hiring, promotion, evaluation, grant review processes, and the workplace in general.
 (F)Develop evidence-based workshops and training on improving inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM. Such workshops and training may be carried out by awarding subgrants to institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions), nonprofit organizations, professional societies, or other entities that the Center determines eligible for participation. An eligible entity that carries out a workshop under this subparagraph shall collect data on the rates of attendance by invitees in workshops, including information on the home institution, rank, and department of attendees, conduct attitudinal surveys on workshop attendees before and after the workshops, and collect follow-up data on any relevant institutional policy or practice changes reported by attendees not later than 1 year after attendance in such a workshop.
 (G)Other efforts that the Center determines are necessary to further the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM.
					(c)National conference and report to congress
 (1)In generalNot later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a Center shall hold a national conference on the effectiveness of the activities supported under this section.
 (2)InviteesConference invitees shall include community colleges, business and industry, secondary school systems, 4-year institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Federal science agencies and education agencies, Federal laboratories, and Congress.
 (3)FocusThe conference shall focus on advancing collaborative capacity within, across, and beyond ADVANCE awardees.
 (4)Conference participantsConference participants shall share recent research and program progress, evaluate opportunities for inter-project collaboration, exchange and disseminate ideas within the community, and provide program management the opportunity to assess the overall balance of the portfolio and evaluate future research and program priorities.
 (5)Conference reportA conference report, including program progress, shall be available to the public and provided to Congress not later than 6 months after the end of the conference.
 (d)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated— (1)$20,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 for the ADVANCE program at the National Science Foundation, including activities described in subsection (a); and
 (2)$6,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out subsections (b) and (c).
				6.Data collection to determine success in broadening STEM faculty
 (a)Collection of dataNot later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall carry out a survey to collect institution-level data on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM at different types of institutions of higher education, and shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and years since completion of doctoral degree—
 (1)the number and percentage of faculty; (2)the number and percentage of faculty at each rank;
 (3)faculty years in rank; and (4)the number and percentage of faculty hired in the 2 years preceding the date of the survey, by rank.
 (b)Publication of resultsNot later than 6 months after the completion of the data collection described in subsection (a), the Director shall provide all relevant data and information to the National Science Board. Not later than 6 months after receiving such data and information, the National Science Board shall publish a report that includes statistical summary data, findings, and policy recommendations resulting from the feasibility study described in subsection (c), in a report as required by section 4(j)(2) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(2)). All statistical summary data shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, and number of years since receiving doctoral degree, provided that such data does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual.
 (c)Survey studyNot later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall evaluate the feasibility of a survey or other data collection instrument to collect institution-level data on—
 (1)the demographics of faculty, including post-doctoral positions, by broad fields of STEM at different types of institutions of higher education, and shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and years since completion of doctoral degree—
 (A)the number and percentage of faculty who are reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the percentage of that number who are promoted, included being awarded tenure;
 (B)the number and percentage of faculty to leave tenure-track positions; (C)the number and percentage of faculty in leadership positions;
 (D)the size and composition of the various components included in the start-up package for new faculty hires;
 (E)the number and percentage of faculty who are in nontenure-track positions, including teaching and research; and
 (F)the number and percentage of post-doctoral fellows or trainees who are not employed in a STEM position at an academic institution 5 years after their fellowship or traineeship began; and
 (2)the demographics of STEM pre-doctoral students, by broad fields of STEM at different types of institutions of higher education, and shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, disability, citizenship status, age, and socioeconomic status—
 (A)the number and percentage of pre-doctoral students who leave their program before becoming Ph.D. candidates;
 (B)the number and percentage of Ph.D. candidates who leave their program before receiving their Ph.D.; and
 (C)the number of years to attrition in pre-doctoral program. (d)Publication of resultsThe National Science Board shall develop a companion piece to the Science and Engineering Indicators biennial report on indicators of the state of science and engineering in the United States, as required under section 4(j)(1) of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1863(j)(1)), regarding the results of the feasibility study described in subsection (c), and make related policy recommendations. All statistical summary data shall be disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, disability, gender, and age, provided that such data does not reveal personally identifiable information about an individual.
 (e)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2019 to carry out this section.
			7.National science foundation support for broadening participation in STEM
 (a)GrantsThe Director shall award competitive grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia of such institutions) to implement or expand evidence-based reforms for the purpose of recruiting, retaining, and advancing students, fellows, trainees, and faculty from underrepresented groups in STEM, and do so, to the extent practicable, within existing National Science Foundation programs.
 (b)Merit review; competitionGrants shall be awarded under this section on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis. (c)Selection process (1)ApplicationAn institution of higher education (or a consortium of such institutions) seeking a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as such Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum—
 (A)a description of the proposed reform effort; (B)a description of the research findings that will serve as the basis for the proposed reform effort or, in the case of applications that propose an expansion of a previously implemented reform, a description of the previously implemented reform effort, including data about the recruitment, retention, and academic achievement of students from underrepresented groups;
 (C)evidence of an institutional commitment to, and support for, the proposed reform effort, including a long-term commitment to implement successful strategies from the current reform beyond the academic unit or units included in the grant proposal;
 (D)a description of existing or planned institutional policies and practices regarding faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignments that reward faculty contributions to increasing representation from underrepresented groups in STEM; and
 (E)how the success and effectiveness of the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed in order to contribute to the national knowledge base about models for catalyzing institutional change.
 (2)Review of applicationsIn selecting grant recipients under this section, the Director shall consider, at a minimum— (A)the likelihood of success of the proposed reform effort at the institution submitting the application, including the extent to which the faculty, staff, and administrators of the institution are committed to making the proposed institutional reform a priority of the participating academic unit or units;
 (B)the degree to which the proposed reform effort will contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such that greater value is placed on faculty engagement in the retention of students from underrepresented groups;
 (C)the likelihood that the institution will sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the period of the grant; and
 (D)the degree to which evaluation and assessment plans are included in the design of the proposed reform effort.
 (3)PriorityWith respect to applications for a grant under this section that include an expansion of existing reforms beyond a single academic unit, the Director shall give priority in awarding grants to applications for which a senior institutional administrator, such as a dean or other administrator of equal or higher rank, serves as the principal investigator. The Director shall give priority in awarding grants under this section to applications that target at the broad fields of STEM in which the national rate of representation of underrepresented groups among tenured or tenure-track faculty or non-faculty researchers at doctorate-granting institutions of higher education is at least 25-percent less than the graduate degree completion rate for underrepresented groups in that broad field of STEM, according to the most recent data available from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.
 (4)Grant distributionThe Director shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education, including 2-year institutions of higher education and minority-serving institutions of higher education.
 (d)Use of fundsAn institution of higher education (or a consortium of such institutions) that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds for activities that may include—
 (1)implementation or expansion of innovative, research-based approaches to broaden participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields;
 (2)implementation or expansion of bridge, cohort, tutoring, or mentoring programs designed to enhance the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields;
 (3)expansion of successful reforms aimed at increasing the number of STEM students from underrepresented groups beyond a single course or group of courses to achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform efforts beyond a single academic unit to other STEM academic units within an institution of higher education;
 (4)expansion of opportunities for students from underrepresented groups to conduct STEM research in industry, at Federal laboratories, and at international research institutions or research sites;
 (5)provision of stipends for students from underrepresented groups participating in research; (6)development of research collaborations between research-intensive institutions of higher education and minority-serving institutions;
 (7)programs to help prepare undergraduate students from minority-serving institutions to enter graduate programs at predominately White institutions of higher education;
 (8)activities to identify and engage exceptional undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups at various stages of their studies and to encourage them to enter academic careers;
 (9)professional development, mentoring, and research training opportunities for graduate students and early career faculty from underrepresented groups;
 (10)implementation or expansion of faculty development programs focused on improving retention of undergraduate and graduate STEM students from underrepresented groups;
 (11)implementation or expansion of mechanisms designed to recognize and reward faculty members who demonstrate a commitment to increasing the participation of students from underrepresented groups in STEM fields;
 (12)institution-wide improvements in workload distribution, such that faculty staff, postdoctoral fellows, trainees, and students from underrepresented groups are not disadvantaged in conducting research, publishing papers, and engaging in other activities required to achieve tenure status or advance their career;
 (13)development and implementation of training courses for administrators and search committee members to ensure that candidates from underrepresented groups are not subject to implicit biases in hiring, promotion, or evaluation processes or procedures;
 (14)institutional assessment activities, including data collection and policy review to assess factors that may be impeding or facilitating the recruitment, retention, and success of underrepresented groups at all levels of the university; and
 (15)other activities consistent with the purpose described in subsection (a), as determined by the Director.
				(e)Education research
 (1)In generalAll grants awarded under this section shall include an education research component that will support the design and implementation of a system for data collection and evaluation of proposed reform efforts in order to build the knowledge base on promising models for increasing recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups in STEM education at the undergraduate and graduate level across a diverse set of institutions.
 (2)DisseminationThe Director shall coordinate with relevant Federal agencies in disseminating the results of the research under this subsection to ensure that best practices for increasing the inclusion of underrepresented groups in STEM in institutions of higher education are made readily available to all types of institutions of higher education, other Federal agencies, relevant committees, subcommittees, and working groups of the National Science and Technology Council, non-Federal funders of STEM education, and the general public.
 (f)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out this section.
			8.Authorization of presidential awards for excellence in science, mathematics, and engineering
			 mentoring
 (a)EstablishmentThe Director shall administer the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring program (referred to in this section as the PAESMEM program) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to recognize, on an annual basis, outstanding mentoring in STEM fields in primary, secondary, and higher education.
 (b)Three types of awardsThe following 3 types of PAESMEM program awards shall be provided: (1)Nominees for the Florence R. Sabin Distinguished PAESMEM program award shall be United States citizens or lawful permanent residents in industry, academia, primary and secondary education, military, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and government. Distinguished PAESMEM program winners shall have not less than 5 years of sustained, exceptional mentoring with demonstrated impact on underrepresented groups.
 (2)Nominees for the Roland B. Scott Early Career Mentor PAESMEM program award shall be United States citizens or lawful permanent residents in industry, academia, primary and secondary education, military, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and government. Consideration for Early Career Mentor PAESMEM program awards shall be given to early career mentors who are scientists, technicians, post-baccalaureate, post-masters, post-doctoral, new STEM faculty, and new STEM K–12 teachers (both pre- and in-service), in public and private sectors. Early Career Mentor PAESMEM program winners shall have not less than 2 years of sustained, exceptional mentoring with demonstrated impact on underrepresented groups.
 (3)Nominees for the Carl Sagan Organizational PAESMEM program award shall be a United States educational institution or agency, corporation, foundation, military or government agency, or nonprofit organization. An Organizational PAESMEM program nominee may be a mentoring program or activity within an organization.
 (c)Review of applicationsThe Director shall solicit applications across all types of entities until at least 100 applications are received for each of the 3 types of PAESMEM program awards described under subsection (b).
			(d)Distribution of Awards
 (1)FrequencyPAESMEM program winners shall be announced and honored annually, not later than 1 year after the application deadline.
 (2)NumberA minimum of 20 PAESMEM program winners shall be honored annually in each of the categories described under paragraphs (1) through (3) of subsection (b).
 (3)Monetary awardExcept as provided in paragraph (5), each PAESMEM program winner shall receive a monetary award of $10,000 and a Presidential citation.
 (4)ConsiderationThe Director, in awarding— (A)PAESMEM program winners in each of the categories described under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (b), shall make a fair distribution of awards to individuals who are from underrepresented groups; and
 (B)PAESMEM program winners in the category described under subsection (b)(3), shall make awards to all types of entities described under subsection (b)(3).
 (5)Supplemental award for early career facultyAnnually, not less than 5 of the Roland B. Scott Early Career Mentor PAESMEM program winners shall be reserved for early career faculty at institutions of higher education who have shown promise for making a significant contribution to their field of expertise. Such faculty members shall receive an additional $50,000 award that can be used towards advancing their program of research.
 (e)Exemption from merit reviewNominations for PAESMEM program awards shall be exempt from merit review criteria. (f)List of winners to CongressThe Director shall provide Congress with an annual list of PAESMEM program winners, including the name, institution, and a brief synopsis of the impact of the mentoring efforts.
 (g)Authorization of appropriationsThere are authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2017 through 2021 to carry out this section.
 9.Reducing government waste and administrative burden at the national science foundationThe following reports produced by the National Science Foundation shall be eliminated: (1)The Mathematics and Science Education Partnerships report on coordination under section 9(c)(4) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n(c)(4)).
 (2)The report under section 1008(c) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6603(c)). (3)The funding for successful science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education programs report under section 7012(c) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6603(c)).
 (4)The encouraging participation report under section 7031(b) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 1862o–11).
 (5)The evaluations report under section 19(a)(3) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–8(a)(3)).
 (6)The major research equipment and facilities construction plan report under section 14(a)(2) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 2002 (42 U.S.C. 1862n–4(a)(2)).


I
108th CONGRESS 2d Session
H. R. 5396
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 19, 2004
Mr. Acevedo-Vilá introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a deduction for a portion of any dividend received by a domestic corporation from a qualified foreign corporation.

1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Financial Transactions Equity Act of 2004.
2.Dividend received deduction for dividends received from qualified foreign corporations
(a)In generalSection 245 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to dividends received from certain foreign corporations) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(d)Dividends received from corporations organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico
(1)In generalIn the case of dividends received by a domestic corporation from a corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, there shall be allowed as a deduction an amount equal to the percent (specified in section 243 for the taxable year) of such dividends.
(2)Exclusion of certain dividendsParagraph (1) shall not apply to any dividend received from a corporation organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the extent that the dividend consists of earnings and profits accumulated during a taxable year that such corporation was a controlled foreign corporation (as defined in section 957).
(3)Coordination with section 1248For purposes of this subsection, the term dividend does not include any amount treated as a dividend under section 1248..
(b)Effective dateThe amendment made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.


114 SRES 481 ATS: Recognizing the significance of May 2016 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States.
U.S. Senate
2016-05-26
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

III114th CONGRESS2d SessionS. RES. 481IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 26, 2016Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Franken, Mr. Casey, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Menendez, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Schatz, Mr. Markey, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Brown, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Heller, Mr. Gardner, Mr. Bennet, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Booker, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Warren, and Mr. Merkley) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed toRESOLUTIONRecognizing the significance of May 2016 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and as an
			 important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian
			 Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States.

 Whereas the people of the United States join together each May to pay tribute to the contributions of generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched the history of the United States;
 Whereas the history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the United States is inextricably tied to the story of the United States;
 Whereas the Asian American and Pacific Islander community is an inherently diverse population, comprised of more than 45 distinct ethnicities and more than 100 language dialects;
 Whereas, according to the Bureau of the Census, the Asian American population grew at a faster rate than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States during the last decade, surging nearly 46 percent between 2000 and 2010, a growth rate that is 4 times the rate of the total population of the United States;
 Whereas, according to the 2010 decennial census, there are approximately 17,300,000 residents of the United States who identify themselves as Asian and approximately 1,200,000 residents of the United States who identify themselves as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, making up approximately 5.5 percent and 0.4 percent, respectively, of the total population of the United States;
 Whereas the month of May was selected for Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month because the first immigrants from Japan arrived in the United States on May 7, 1843, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed on May 10, 1869, with substantial contributions from immigrants from China;
 Whereas section 102 of title 36, United States Code, officially designates May as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and requests that the President issue an annual proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities;
 Whereas Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as Daniel K. Inouye, a Medal of Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient who as President Pro Tempore of the Senate was the highest-ranking Asian American government official in United States history, Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American elected to serve in Congress, Patsy T. Mink, the first woman of color and the first Asian American woman to be elected to Congress, Hiram L. Fong, the first Asian American Senator, Daniel K. Akaka, the first Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Norman Y. Mineta, the first Asian American member of a presidential cabinet, Elaine L. Chao, the first Asian American woman member of a presidential cabinet, Mee Moua, the first Hmong American elected to a State legislature, and others have made significant contributions in both the Government and military of the United States;
 Whereas the year 2016 marks several important milestones for the Asian American and Pacific Islander community, including—
 (1)the 115th anniversary of the arrival of Peter Ryu, the first Korean immigrant in the United States; (2)the 95th anniversary of the first premier in a United States film of an Asian American woman, Anna May Wong, in Bits of Life;
 (3)the 70th anniversary of the passage of the amendments made by the Act of July 2, 1946 (commonly known as the Luce–Cellar Act of 1946) (60 Stat. 416, chapter 534), which allowed Filipinos and Indians to immigrate to the United States and become naturalized United States citizens;
 (4)the 70th anniversary of the passage of the First Supplemental Surplus Appropriation Rescission Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 6, chapter 30), which stripped military benefits from Filipino World War II veterans in the service of the United States Armed Forces;
 (5)the 60th anniversary of the election to the House of Representatives of Dalip Singh Saund, the first Asian American, first Indian American, and first Sikh American elected to Congress;
 (6)the 40th anniversary of the election to the Senate of Dr. Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa, the first Asian American elected to the Senate from a mainland State;
 (7)the 40th anniversary of Presidential Proclamation 4417, dated February 19, 1976 (41 Fed. Reg. 7741), in which President Gerald Ford formally rescinded Executive Order 9066 (7 Fed. Reg. 1407; relating to authorizing the Secretary of War to prescribe military areas) and condemned the incarceration of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents of Japanese ancestry during World War II;
 (8)the 40th anniversary of the completion of the double-hulled voyaging canoe, Hokule'a, marking the first traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe built in Hawaii in over 600 years;
 (9)the 30th anniversary of the granting of United States citizenship to the Chamorros and Carolinians of the Northern Mariana Islands; and
 (10)the 20th anniversary of the election as the Governor of the State of Washington of Gary Locke, the first Asian American elected as a Governor of a mainland State;
 Whereas, in 2016, family members of Filipino World War II veterans became eligible to apply for immigration benefits to come to the United States to be reunited with their aging Filipino veteran family members who are United States citizens and lawful permanent residents;
 Whereas, in 2016, the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a bicameral caucus of Members of Congress advocating on behalf of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, is composed of 51 Members, including 13 Members of Asian or Pacific Islander descent;
 Whereas, in 2016, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are serving in State and territorial legislatures across the United States in record numbers, including the States of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
 Whereas the number of Federal judges who are Asian Americans or Pacific Islanders doubled between 2001 and 2008 and more than tripled between 2009 and 2015, reflecting a commitment to diversity in the Federal judiciary that has resulted in the confirmations of high-caliber Asian American and Pacific Islander judicial nominees;
 Whereas there remains much to be done to ensure that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have access to resources and a voice in the Government of the United States and continue to advance in the political landscape of the United States; and
 Whereas celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month provides the people of the United States with an opportunity to recognize the achievements, contributions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to appreciate the challenges faced by Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders: Now, therefore, be it

 That the Senate— (1)recognizes the significance of May 2016 as Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month and as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States; and
 (2)recognizes that the Asian American and Pacific Islander community enhances the rich diversity of and strengthens the United States.


I
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2842
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 11, 2009
Mr. Tiahrt (for himself, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Lamborn, and Mr. Rohrabacher) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations

A BILL
To rescind all stimulus funds that remain unobligated.

1.Rescission of Unobligated Stimulus FundsEffective on the date of the enactment of this Act, there are rescinded all unobligated balances of the discretionary appropriations made available by division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5).


		I
		112th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 454
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			January 26, 2011
			Mr. Roe of Tennessee
			 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on House
			 Administration

		A BILL
		To authorize the United States Capitol Police to
		  reimburse local law enforcement agencies for protective services provided at
		  official public Congressional events, and for other purposes.

		1.Reimbursement of local law
			 enforcement agencies for protective services provided at official congressional
			 events
			(a)Authorizing
			 Reimbursement by Capitol PoliceIf a local law enforcement agency provides
			 protective services at an official public Congressional event pursuant to a
			 written agreement entered into prior to the date of the event between the
			 agency and the office of the Member who is the sponsor of the event, the Chief
			 of the United States Capitol Police shall reimburse the agency for the
			 reasonable costs incurred by the agency in providing such services.
			(b)RegulationsThe
			 Capitol Police Board, in consultation with the Committee on House
			 Administration of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Rules and
			 Administration of the Senate, shall promulgate such regulations as may be
			 necessary to carry out this Act, including—
				(1)regulations
			 setting forth the administrative requirements for a written agreement under
			 subsection (a);
				(2)regulations
			 setting forth the criteria for determining whether an event is an official
			 public Congressional event; and
				(3)regulations setting forth the criteria for
			 determining the reasonable costs incurred by a local law enforcement agency in
			 providing protective services.
				(c)Annual cap on
			 aggregate amount reimbursedThe aggregate amount reimbursed by the
			 Capitol Police with respect to a fiscal year pursuant to agreements under this
			 section may not exceed $10,000,000.
			2.DefinitionsIn this Act, the following definitions
			 apply:
			(1)The term
			 Member of Congress means a Senator or a Representative in, or
			 Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Congress.
			(2)The term
			 official public Congressional event means an event sponsored by a
			 Member of Congress that is treated as part of the Member’s official and
			 representational duties and to which members of the public are invited.


		I
		111th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 2058
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			April 23, 2009
			Mr. Rehberg (for
			 himself and Mr. Thompson of
			 California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to
			 the Committee on Armed
			 Services, and in addition to the Committee on
			 Veterans’ Affairs, for a
			 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
			 consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
			 committee concerned

		A BILL
		To require mental health screenings for members of the
		  Armed Forces who are deployed in connection with a contingency operation, and
		  for other purposes.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Post-Deployment Health Assessment Act
			 of 2009.
		2.Mental health
			 screenings for members of the Armed Forces deployed in connection with a
			 contingency operation
			(a)Mental health
			 screenings
				(1)In
			 generalNot later than 180 days after the date of the enactment
			 of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall issue guidance for the provision of
			 an in-person mental health screening for each member of the Armed Forces who is
			 deployed in connection with a contingency operation as follows:
					(A)At a time during
			 the period beginning 180 days before the date of deployment in connection with
			 the contingency operation and ending 90 days before the date of deployment in
			 connection with the contingency operation.
					(B)At a time during
			 the period beginning 90 days after the date of redeployment from the
			 contingency operation and ending 180 days after the date of redeployment from
			 the contingency operation.
					(C)Subject to
			 subsection (d), not later than each of 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months after
			 the screening provided under subparagraph (B).
					(2)Exclusion of
			 certain membersA mental health screening is not required for a
			 members of the Armed Forces under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1) if
			 the Secretary determines that the member was not subjected or exposed to combat
			 stress during deployment in the contingency operation concerned.
				(b)PurposeThe purpose of the mental health screenings
			 provided pursuant to this section shall be to identify post-traumatic stress
			 disorder, suicidal tendencies, and other behavioral health issues identified
			 among members of the Armed Forces described in subsection (a) in order to
			 determine which such members are in need of additional care and treatment for
			 such health issues.
			(c)Elements
				(1)In
			 generalThe mental health screenings provided pursuant to this
			 section shall—
					(A)be performed by
			 personnel trained and certified to perform such screenings in accordance with
			 such criteria as the Secretary of Defense shall establish; and
					(B)include an
			 in-person dialogue between members of the Armed Forces described in subsection
			 (a) and personnel described by paragraph (1) on such matters as the Secretary
			 shall specify in order that the screenings achieve the purpose specified in
			 subsection (b) for such screenings.
					(2)Treatment of
			 current assessments and screeningsThe Secretary may treat
			 periodic health assessments and other in-person screenings that are provided to
			 members of the Armed Forces as of the date of the enactment of this Act as
			 meeting the requirements for mental health screenings required under this
			 section if the Secretary determines that such assessments and in-person
			 screenings meet the requirements for mental health screenings established by
			 this section.
				(d)Cessation of
			 screeningsNo mental health screening is required to be provided
			 an individual under subsection (a)(1)(C) after the individual's discharge or
			 release from the Armed Forces.
			(e)Sharing of
			 information
				(1)In
			 generalThe Secretary of Defense shall share with the Secretary
			 of Veterans Affairs such information on members of the Armed Forces that is
			 derived from confidential mental health screenings, including mental health
			 screenings provided pursuant to this section and health assessments and other
			 in-person screenings provided before the date of the enactment of this Act, as
			 the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs jointly consider
			 appropriate to ensure continuity of mental health care and treatment of members
			 of the Armed Forces during their transition from health care and treatment
			 provided by the Department of Defense to health care and treatment provided by
			 the Department of Veterans Affairs.
				(2)ProtocolsAny
			 sharing of information under paragraph (1) shall occur pursuant to a protocol
			 jointly established by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans
			 Affairs for purposes of this subsection. Any such protocol shall be consistent
			 with the following:
					(A)Applicable
			 provisions of the Wounded Warrior Act (title XVI of Public Law 110–181; 10
			 U.S.C. 1071 note), including in particular, section 1614 of that Act (122 Stat.
			 443; 10 U.S.C. 1071 note).
					(B)Section 1720F of
			 title 38, United States Code.
					(f)Contingency
			 operation definedIn this section, the term contingency
			 operation has the meaning given that term in section 101(a)(13) of title
			 10, United States Code.
			(g)Reports
				(1)Report on
			 guidanceUpon the issuance of the guidance required by subsection
			 (a), the Secretary of Defense shall submit to Congress a report describing the
			 guidance.
				(2)Report on
			 implementation of guidanceNot later than one year after the date
			 of the issuance of the guidance required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall
			 submit to Congress a report on the implementation of the guidance by the
			 military departments. The report shall include an evidence-based assessment of
			 the effectiveness of the mental health screenings provided pursuant to the
			 guidance in achieving the purpose specified in subsection (b) for such
			 screenings.


116 HR 8007 IH: Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2020
U.S. House of Representatives
2020-08-11
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 8007IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESAugust 11, 2020Mr. Green of Tennessee (for himself, Ms. Gabbard, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, and Mr. Hice of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial ServicesA BILLTo eliminate the authority of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to hold closed meetings in planning economic stabilization under the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2020. 2.Elimination of authority of Federal Reserve Board to hold closed meetings in planning economic stabilization under the Coronavirus Economic Stabilization Act of 2020(a)In generalSection 4009 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Public Law 116–136) is amended to read as follows:4009.Temporary suspension of requirement for advance notice of meetings of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System(a)In generalNotwithstanding any other provision of law, if the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System determines, in writing, that unusual and exigent circumstances exist, the Board may conduct meetings without advance notice as required by section 552b of title 5, United States Code, or by any other law, during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this section and ending on the earlier of—(1)the date on which the national emergency concerning the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) terminates; or(2)December 31, 2020.(b)Public noticeWithin 24 hours after the Chairman makes a determination under subsection (a), the Chairman shall make available to the public a written copy of the determination..(b)Clerical amendmentSection 2 of such Act (Public Law 116–136) is amended in the table of contents by striking the item relating to section 4009 and inserting the following:Sec. 4009. Temporary suspension of requirement for advance notice of meetings of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System..


114 S2963 IS: Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act
U.S. Senate
2016-05-19
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II114th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 2963IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 19, 2016Mr. Markey introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and TransportationA BILLTo provide for grants to clean technology consortia to enhance the economic, environmental, and
			 energy security of the United States by promoting domestic development,
			 manufacture, and deployment of clean technologies, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Consortia-Led Energy and Advanced Manufacturing Networks Act. 2.DefinitionsIn this Act:
			(1)Advanced manufacturing
 (A)In generalThe term advanced manufacturing means a manufacturing process that makes extensive use of computer, high precision, or information technologies integrated with a high performance workforce in a production system capable of furnishing a heterogeneous mix of products in small or large volumes with either the efficiency of mass production or the flexibility of custom manufacturing in order to respond quickly to customer demands.
 (B)InclusionsThe term advanced manufacturing includes— (i)new ways to manufacture existing products; and
 (ii)the manufacture of new products emerging from new advanced technologies.
 (2)Clean technologyThe term clean technology means a technology, production process, or methodology that— (A)produces energy from solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, tidal, wave, ocean, or another renewable energy source (as defined in section 609(a) of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (7 U.S.C. 918c(a)));
 (B)more efficiently transmits, distributes, or stores energy; (C)enhances energy efficiency for buildings and industry, including combined heat and power;
 (D)enables the development of a Smart Grid (as described in section 1301 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17381)), including integration of renewable energy sources and distributed generation, demand response, demand side management, and systems analysis;
 (E)produces an advanced or sustainable material with energy or energy efficiency applications; (F)improves energy efficiency for transportation, including electric vehicles; or
 (G)enhances water security through improved water management, conservation, distribution, or end use applications.
 (3)ClusterThe term cluster means a network of entities directly involved in the research, development, finance, and commercial application of clean technologies and advanced manufacturing whose geographic proximity facilitates the use and sharing of skilled human resources, infrastructure, research facilities, educational and training institutions, venture capital, and input suppliers.
 (4)ConsortiumThe term consortium means a clean technology consortium established under the program. (5)Institution of higher educationThe term institution of higher education has the meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).
			(6)National
 LaboratoryThe term National Laboratory has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801).
 (7)ProgramThe term program means the clean technology consortia grant program established under section 3(a). (8)ProjectThe term project means an activity with respect to which a consortium provides support under this Act.
 (9)Qualifying entityThe term qualifying entity means— (A)an institution of higher education that has entered into a partnership agreement with a private-sector entity;
 (B)a Federal or State entity with a focus on developing clean technologies or clusters, as determined by the Secretary;
 (C)a nongovernmental organization with expertise in translational research, clean technology, or cluster development; or
 (D)any other entity determined appropriate by the Secretary. (10)SecretaryThe term Secretary means the Secretary of Commerce.
 (11)Translational researchThe term translational research means the coordination of basic or applied research with technical applications to enable promising discoveries or inventions to achieve commercial application.
			3.Establishment of clean technology consortia grant program
 (a)In generalThe Secretary shall establish a program to enhance the economic, environmental, and energy security of the United States by promoting domestic development, manufacture, and deployment of state-of-the-art clean technologies by making grants to eligible clean technology consortia.
 (b)Consultation and coordination requiredIn carrying out the program, the Secretary shall— (1)leverage the expertise and resources of private research communities, institutions of higher education, industry, venture capital, National Laboratories, and other participants in technology innovation—
 (A)to support collaborative, cross-disciplinary research and development in clean technologies and advanced manufacturing; and
 (B)to develop and accelerate the commercial application of innovative clean technologies and advanced manufacturing practices; and
 (2)coordinate the innovation activities of consortia with activities carried out by the Secretary of Energy, the Secretary of Defense, other Federal agency heads, industry, and institutions of higher education, including by annually—
 (A)issuing guidance regarding national clean technology and advanced manufacturing development priorities and strategic objectives; and
 (B)convening a conference relating to clean technology and advanced manufacturing, which shall bring together representatives of Federal agencies, industry, institutions of higher education, and other entities to share research and commercialization results, program plans, and opportunities for collaboration.
 (c)Purposes of consortiaThe purposes of a consortia receiving a grant under the program shall include— (1)promoting new innovative clean technologies that have demonstrated interest and potential for commercialization;
 (2)expanding advanced manufacturing capabilities, networks, supply chains, and assets, in the area of clean technologies, that contribute to regional and national manufacturing competitiveness and potential for growth;
 (3)promoting job creation and entrepreneurship through the establishment of new companies, the expansion of existing companies, and commercialization of clean technologies;
 (4)providing technical or financial assistance to companies desiring to invest in clean technologies, new products or services, or enhanced processes that will grow sales and jobs;
 (5)determining opportunities and challenges that companies are facing and how to improve the use or production by those companies of clean technologies;
 (6)assisting individual small- and medium-sized enterprises with adopting and using new clean technologies and related business and advanced manufacturing practices;
 (7)accelerating investment in, and deployment of, clean technologies through public-private partnerships;
 (8)encouraging partnering between and among emerging and established clean technology and advanced manufacturing enterprises; and
 (9)demonstrating a comprehensive and successful model for commercialization of clean technologies for promotion and emulation.
				(d)Grant program
 (1)In generalThe Secretary shall award grants on a competitive basis— (A)not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, to at least 1 eligible consortium; and
 (B)not later than 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, to not fewer than 6 eligible consortia.
 (2)EligibilityTo be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), a consortium shall— (A)consist of—
 (i)one or more institutions of higher education that can demonstrate a significant annual clean technology research budget, entrepreneurial support programs, and technology licensing expertise; and
 (ii)a total of 3 or more qualifying entities that can demonstrate expertise in translational research, clean technology, and cluster development;
 (B)have established a binding agreement among the members of the consortium that documents— (i)the structure of the partnership agreement;
 (ii)a governance and management structure that enables cost-effective use of grant funds; (iii)a conflicts-of-interest policy, including procedures, consistent with those procedures of the Department of Commerce, to ensure that employees and designees for consortium activities who are in decisionmaking capacities disclose all material conflicts of interest, including financial, organizational, and personal conflicts of interest;
 (iv)an accounting structure that meets the requirements of the Secretary and that may be audited under subsection (e); and
 (v)the existence of an external advisory committee under paragraph (5); (C)demonstrate that the consortium receives funding from one or more non-Federal sources, such as a State and participants of the consortium, that may be used to support projects;
 (D)be part of an existing cluster or demonstrate high potential to develop a new cluster;
 (E)operate as a nonprofit organization or a public-private partnership under an operating agreement led by a nonprofit organization; and
 (F)establish an external advisory committee under paragraph (5).
					(3)Grant period; amount of grant
					(A)Grant period
 (i)In generalThe initial period of a grant awarded under paragraph (1) shall not exceed 5 years. (ii)ExtensionThe Secretary may extend the term of a grant for a period of not more than 5 additional years.
						(B)Amount of grant
 (i)In generalA grant awarded under paragraph (1) shall not exceed the lesser of— (I)$30,000,000 per fiscal year; or
 (II)the collective contributions of non-Federal entities to the consortium, as described in paragraph (2)(C).
 (ii)FlexibilityIn determining the amount of a grant under this section, the Secretary shall consider— (I)the translational research capacity of the consortium;
 (II)the financial, human, and facility resources of the qualifying entities; and (III)the cluster of which the consortium is a part.
 (iii)Increases in amountsSubject to clause (i), a consortium may request an increase in the amount of a grant at the time the consortium requests an extension under subparagraph (A)(ii).
						(4)Applications
 (A)In generalAn eligible consortium desiring a grant under paragraph (1) shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.
 (B)DisqualificationThe Secretary may disqualify an application if the Secretary determines that the conflicts-of-interest policy of the consortium, as described in paragraph (2)(B)(iii), is inadequate.
					(5)External advisory committees
 (A)In generalTo be eligible to receive a grant under paragraph (1), a consortium shall establish an external advisory committee, the members of which shall have extensive and relevant scientific, technical, industry, financial, or research management expertise.
 (B)DutiesAn external advisory committee shall— (i)review the proposed plans, programs, project selection criteria, and projects of the consortium; and
 (ii)ensure that projects selected by the consortium meet the applicable conflicts-of-interest policy of the consortium.
 (C)MembersAn external advisory committee shall consist of— (i)representatives of the members of the consortium; and
 (ii)such representatives of industry, including entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, as the members of the consortium determine to be necessary.
 (D)Secretary as memberThe Secretary shall join the external advisory committee of each consortium that receives a grant. (6)Use of grant funds (A)In generalSubject to subparagraph (C), a consortium awarded a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant amounts to support translational research, technology development, manufacturing innovation, and commercialization activities relating to clean technology.
 (B)Project selectionAs a condition of receiving a grant under paragraph (1), a consortium shall— (i)develop and make available to the public on the website of the Department of Commerce proposed plans, programs, project selection criteria, and terms for individual project awards;
 (ii)establish policies— (I)to prevent resources provided to the consortium from being used to displace private sector investment otherwise likely to occur, including investment from private sector entities that are members of the consortium;
 (II)to facilitate the participation of private entities that invest in clean technologies— (aa)to perform due diligence on award proposals;
 (bb)to participate in the award review process; and
 (cc)to provide guidance to projects supported by the consortium; and
 (III)to facilitate the participation of entities with a demonstrated history of commercial application of clean technologies in the development of consortium projects;
 (iii)oversee project solicitations, review proposed projects, and select projects for awards; and (iv)monitor project implementation.
						(C)Limitations
 (i)Administrative expensesA consortium may not use greater than 10 percent of the grant amounts for administrative expenses.
 (ii)Prohibition on useA consortium may not use any grant amounts to construct a new building or facility.
						(e)Audits
 (1)In generalA consortium that receives a grant under subsection (d)(1) shall carry out, in accordance with such requirements as the Secretary may prescribe, an annual audit to determine whether the grant has been used in accordance with this Act.
 (2)ReportThe consortium shall submit a copy of each audit under paragraph (1) to the Secretary and the Comptroller General of the United States.
 (3)GAO reviewAs a condition of receiving a grant under this Act, a consortium shall allow the Comptroller General of the United States, on the request of the Comptroller General, full access to the books, records, and personnel of consortium.
 (4)Reports to CongressThe Secretary shall submit to Congress annually a report that includes— (A)a copy of each audit carried out under paragraph (1); and
 (B)any recommendations of the Secretary relating to the program. (f)Revocation of awardsThe Secretary may—
 (1)review the grants awarded under subsection (d)(1); and (2)revoke a grant awarded under subsection (d)(1) if the Secretary determines that a consortium has used the grant in a manner that is not consistent with this Act.
 4.Authorization of appropriationsThere is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this Act $100,000,000.


115 S1867 RS: FITARA Enhancement Act of 2017
U.S. Senate
2017-09-26
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IICalendar No. 408115th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 1867[Report No. 115–244]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESSeptember 26, 2017Mr. Daines (for himself, Mr. Moran, Mr. Udall, Mr. Warner, and Mrs. McCaskill) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental AffairsMay 10, 2018Reported by Mr. Johnson, without amendmentA BILLTo amend title 40, United States Code, to eliminate the sunset of certain provisions relating to
			 information technology, to amend the Carl Levin and Howard P. Buck McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 to extend the sunset relating to
			 the Federal Data Center Consolidation Initiative, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the FITARA Enhancement Act of 2017. 2.Elimination of sunset relating to transparency and risk management of major information technology investmentsSubsection (c) of section 11302 of title 40, United States Code, is amended by striking the first paragraph (5).
 3.Elimination of sunset relating to information technology portfolio, program, and resource reviewsSection 11319 of title 40, United States Code, is amended— (1)by redesignating the second subsection (c) as subsection (d); and
 (2)in subsection (d), as so redesignated, by striking paragraph (6). 4.Extension of sunset relating to Federal Data Center Consolidation InitiativeSubsection (e) of section 834 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. Buck McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113–291; 44 U.S.C. 3601 note) is amended by striking 2018 and inserting 2020.May 10, 2018Reported without amendment


115 HR 6366 IH: Darren Drake Combatting 21st Century Weapons of Terror Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2018-07-13
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I115th CONGRESS2d SessionH. R. 6366IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESJuly 13, 2018Mr. Gottheimer (for himself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland SecurityA BILLTo direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a pilot program for the prevention and
			 mitigation of acts of terrorism using motor vehicles, and for other
			 purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Darren Drake Combatting 21st Century Weapons of Terror Act or the Darren Drake Act. 2.FindingsCongress makes the following findings:
 (1)From 2014 through 2017, terrorists carried out at least 17 known vehicle ramming attacks worldwide, resulting in 173 fatalities and 667 injuries.
 (2)The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, was designated by the State Department as a foreign terrorist organization on December 17, 2004 and was designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) on October 15, 2004.
 (3)Al-Qa’ida and the Islamic State have promoted vehicle attacks for years, including in Inspire, the online magazine of al-Qa’ida and in Rumiya, the magazine of the Islamic State.
 (4)The Islamic State calls upon its followers to conduct vehicle ramming attacks by buying, renting, stealing, or borrowing trucks and targeting large outdoor events, crowded pedestrian streets, outdoor markets and rallies.
 (5)On November 21, 2017, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York returned a 22-count indictment against the perpetrator of an alleged vehicular terrorist attack carried out in the name of the designated foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State in lower Manhattan on October 31, 2017, which killed eight people, including Darren Drake of New Milford, New Jersey, and injured 12 more.
 (6)The automotive sale and rental industry has been a leader in strengthening security measures, working with government agencies and officials including the Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and continuing to innovate and improve to better protect its customers, employees, assets, and the general public.
 3.Study on information collected by rental agencies and dealersNot later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, shall—
 (1)conduct a study on the various types of information collected by rental companies and dealers that rent covered rental vehicles in the United States and Europe; and
 (2)develop and disseminate best practices for rental companies and dealers to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement agencies at the point of sale for such a covered rental vehicle.
			4.Pilot program
 (a)In generalNot later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a pilot program, for a period not to exceed one year, to—
 (1)in consultation with representatives of the automotive sale and rental industry, develop a uniform standard for the type of information collected by rental agencies described in section 3, and the type of information used in submitting suspicious activity reports;
 (2)provide operators with a threat assessment prepared by the Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis regarding the terrorism threat of large vehicles;
 (3)distribute guidance for improving the suspicious activity reporting process, including training for designated employees to better identify suspicious activity;
 (4)provide technical assistance to operators to better access suspicious activity reports; and (5)if determined necessary by the Secretary, establish a procedure for checking information against a designated watch list that does not contain any classified information, and for dealers and rental companies to provide notice of a sale or rental to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
 (b)Report to CongressOnce every 120 days, until the conclusion of the program under this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall jointly submit to Congress a report on the program under this section, including—
 (1)an assessment of the impact of the pilot program on privacy and civil liberties; and (2)the effect that permanent implementation of the program would have on efforts to protect the United States against terrorist attacks.
 (c)Exemption from liabilityA dealer or rental company shall not be liable for any action taken in accordance with this pilot program under this section.
 (d)DefinitionsIn this section: (1)The term covered rental vehicle means a truck, tractor, trailer, bus, semitrailer, or van with more than 15 passengers.
 (2)The terms dealer and rental company have the meanings given those terms in section 30102 of title 49, United States Code.