116 S3734 RS: Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020
U.S. Senate
2020-05-14
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. 636116th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 3734[Report No. 116–330]IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMay 14, 2020Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Mr. Markey, Mr. Rubio, and Mr. Gardner) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the SenateDecember 15, 2020Reported by Mr. Wicker, with an amendmentStrike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italicA BILLTo provide for a coordinated Federal research initiative to ensure continued United States leadership in engineering biology.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020.2.FindingsThe Congress makes the following findings:(1)Cellular and molecular processes may be used, mimicked, or redesigned to develop new products, processes, and systems that improve societal well-being, strengthen national security, and contribute to the economy.(2)Engineering biology relies on a workforce with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the biological, physical, chemical, and information sciences and engineering.(3)Long-term research and development is necessary to create breakthroughs in engineering biology. Such research and development requires government investment as many of the benefits are too distant or uncertain for industry to support alone.(4)Research is necessary to inform evidence-based governance of engineering biology and to support the growth of the engineering biology industry.(5)The Federal Government has an obligation to ensure that ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal implications of its science and technology research and investment follows policies of responsible innovation and fosters public transparency.(6)The Federal Government can play an important role by facilitating the development of tools and technologies to further advance engineering biology, including user facilities, by facilitating public-private partnerships, by supporting risk research, and by facilitating the commercial application in the United States of research funded by the Federal Government. (7)The United States led the development of the science and engineering techniques that created the field of engineering biology, but due to increasing international competition, the United States is at risk of losing its competitive advantage if does not invest the necessary resources and have a national strategy.(8)A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to establish new research directions and technology goals, improve interagency coordination and planning processes, drive technology transfer to the private sector, and help ensure optimal returns on the Federal investment.3.DefinitionsIn this Act:(1)BiomanufacturingThe term biomanufacturing means the utilization of biological systems to develop new and advance existing products, tools, and processes at commercial scale.(2)Engineering biologyThe term engineering biology means the application of engineering design principles and practices to biological systems, including molecular and cellular systems, to advance fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to enable novel or optimize functions and capabilities.(3)InitiativeThe term Initiative means the National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative established under section 4.(4)OmicsThe term omics refers to the collective technologies used to explore the roles, relationships, and actions of the various types of molecules that make up the cells of an organism.4.National engineering biology research and development initiative(a)In generalThe President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative to advance societal well-being, national security, sustainability, and economic productivity and competitiveness through—(1)advancing areas of research at the intersection of the biological, physical, chemical, data, and computational sciences and engineering to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation in engineering biology;(2)advancing areas of biomanufacturing research to optimize, standardize, scale, and deliver new products and solutions;(3)supporting social and behavioral sciences and economics research that advances the field of engineering biology and contributes to the development and public understanding of new products, processes, and technologies;(4)improving the understanding of engineering biology of the scientific and lay public and supporting greater evidence-based public discourse about its benefits and risks; (5)supporting risk research, including under subsection (d);(6)supporting the development of novel tools and technologies to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation in engineering biology;(7)expanding the number of researchers, educators, and students with engineering biology training, including from traditionally underrepresented and underserved populations; (8)accelerating the translation and commercialization of engineering biology research and development by the private sector; and(9)improving the interagency planning and coordination of Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.(b)Initiative activitiesThe activities of the Initiative shall include—(1)sustained support for engineering biology research and development through—(A)grants to individual investigators and teams of investigators, including interdisciplinary teams;(B)projects funded under joint solicitations by a collaboration of no fewer than two agencies participating in the Initiative; and(C)interdisciplinary research centers that are organized to investigate basic research questions, carry out technology development and demonstration activities, and increase understanding of how to scale up engineering biology processes, including biomanufacturing;(2)sustained support for databases and related tools, including—(A)support for curated genomics, epigenomics, and all other relevant omics databases, including plant and microbial databases, that are available to researchers to carry out engineering biology research;(B)development of standards for such databases, including for curation, interoperability, and protection of privacy and security;(C)support for the development of computational tools, including artificial intelligence tools, that can accelerate research and innovation using such databases; and(D)an inventory and assessment of all Federal government omics databases to identify opportunities for consolidation and inform investment in such databases as critical infrastructure for the engineering biology research enterprise;(3)sustained support for the development, optimization, and validation of novel tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ, including through—(A)research conducted at Federal laboratories; (B)grants to investigators at institutions of higher education and other nonprofit research institutions; and(C)through the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638); (4)education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in engineering biology, in biomanufacturing, in bioprocess engineering, and in areas of computational science applied to engineering biology and in the related ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other societal issues;(5)activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of engineering biology; and(6)activities to accelerate the translation and commercialization of new products, processes, and technologies by—(A)identifying precompetitive research opportunities;(B)facilitating public-private partnerships in engineering biology research and development;(C)connecting researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education and training opportunities; and(D)supporting proof of concept activities and the formation of startup companies including through programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.(c)Expanding participationThe Initiative shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions about Initiative opportunities, and shall encourage the development of research collaborations between research-intensive universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions.(d)Ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal issuesInitiative activities shall take into account ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues by—(1)supporting research, including in the social sciences, and other activities addressing ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology, including integrating research on such topics with the research and development in engineering biology, and ensuring that the results of such research are widely disseminated, including through interdisciplinary engineering biology research centers described in subsection (b)(1);(2)supporting research and other activities related to the safety and security implications of engineering biology, including outreach to increase awareness among Federal researchers and Federally-funded researchers at institutions of higher education about potential safety and security implications of engineering biology research, as appropriate; (3)ensuring that input from Federal and non-Federal experts on the ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology is integrated into the Initiative; and(4)ensuring, through the agencies and departments that participate in the Initiative, that public input and outreach are integrated into the Initiative by the convening of regular and ongoing public discussions through mechanisms such as workshops, consensus conferences, and educational events, as appropriate.5.Initiative coordination(a)Interagency committeeThe President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate an interagency committee to coordinate engineering biology, which shall be co-chaired by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and include representatives from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and any other agency that the President considers appropriate (in this section referred to as the interagency committee). The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall select an additional co-chairperson from among the members of the Interagency Committee. The Interagency Committee shall oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Initiative. The Interagency Committee shall—(1)provide for interagency coordination of Federal engineering biology research, development, and other activities undertaken pursuant to the Initiative;(2)establish and periodically update goals and priorities for the Initiative;(3)develop, not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and update every 3 years, a strategic plan submitted to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate that—(A)guides the activities of the Initiative for purposes of meeting the goals and priorities established under (and updated pursuant to) paragraph (2); and(B)describes—(i)the Initiative’s support for long-term funding for interdisciplinary engineering biology research and development;(ii)the Initiative’s support for education and public outreach activities;(iii)the Initiative’s support for research and other activities on ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology including—(I)an applied biorisk management research plan;(II)recommendations for integrating security into biological data access and international reciprocity agreements; and(III)an evaluation of existing biosecurity governance policies, guidance, and directives for the purposes of creating a unified, adaptable, evidence-based framework to respond to emerging biosecurity challenges created by advances in engineering biology; (iv)how the Initiative will move results out of the laboratory and into application for the benefit of society and United States competitiveness; and(v)how the Initiative will measure and track the contributions of engineering biology to United States economic growth and other societal indicators;(4)develop a national genomic sequencing strategy to ensure engineering biology research fully leverages plant, animal, and microbe biodiversity to enhance long-term innovation and competitiveness in engineering biology in the United States;(5)propose an annually coordinated interagency budget for the Initiative that is intended to ensure—(A)the maintenance of a robust engineering biology research and development portfolio; and(B)that the balance of funding across the Initiative is sufficient to meet the goals and priorities established for the Program;(6)develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), in support of the activities described in section 4(b)(3); and(7)in carrying out this section, take into consideration the recommendations of the advisory committee established under section 6, the results of the workshop convened under section 7, existing reports on related topics, and the views of academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.(b)Annual reportBeginning with fiscal year 2020, not later than 90 days after submission of the President’s annual budget request and each fiscal year thereafter, the interagency committee shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes—(1)a summarized agency budget in support of the Initiative for the fiscal year to which such budget request applies, and for the then current fiscal year, including a breakout of spending for each agency participating in the Program and for the development and acquisition of any research facilities and instrumentation; and(2)an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing the plan described in subsection (a)(3), including—(A)a description of the amount and number of awards made under the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) in support of the Initiative; and(B)a description of the amount and number of projects funded under joint solicitations by a collaboration of no fewer than 2 agencies participating in the Initiative. (c)Initiative office(1)In generalThe President shall establish an Initiative Coordination Office, with a Director and full-time staff, which shall—(A)provide technical and administrative support to the interagency committee and the advisory committee established under section 6;(B)serve as the point of contact on Federal engineering biology activities for government organizations, academia, industry, professional societies, State governments, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange technical and programmatic information;(C)oversee interagency coordination of the Initiative, including by encouraging and supporting joint agency solicitation and selection of applications for funding of activities under the Initiative;(D)conduct public outreach, including dissemination of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee established under section 6, as appropriate; (E)serve as the coordinator of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal input; and (F)promote access to, and early application of, the technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Initiative activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal Government, and to United States industry, including startup companies.(2)FundingThe Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall develop an estimate of the funds necessary to carry out the activities of the Initiative Coordination Office, including an estimate of how much each participating agency described in subsection (a) will contribute to such funds, and submit such estimate to Congress no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.(3)TerminationThe Initiative Coordination Office established under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, unless a determination is made by the President that such Office is necessary to meet the economic or national security goals of the Program.6.Advisory committee(a)In generalThe President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate or establish an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development (in this section referred to as the advisory committee) to be composed of not fewer than 12 members, including representatives of research and academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the Initiative.(b)AssessmentThe advisory committee shall assess—(1)the current state of United States competitiveness in engineering biology, including the scope and scale of United States investments in engineering biology research and development in the international context;(2)current market barriers to commercialization of engineering biology products, processes, and tools in the United States;(3)progress made in implementing the Initiative;(4)the need to revise the Initiative;(5)the balance of activities and funding across the Initiative;(6)whether the strategic plan developed or updated by the interagency committee established under section 5 is helping to maintain United States leadership in engineering biology;(7)the management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the Initiative; and(8)whether ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the Initiative.(c)ReportsBeginning not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the President, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on—(1)the findings of the advisory committee’s assessment under subsection (b); and(2)the advisory committee’s recommendations for ways to improve the Initiative.(d)Application of Federal Advisory Committee ActSection 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Committee.7.External review of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal issues(a)In generalNot later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a review, and make recommendations with respect to, the ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development. The review shall include—(1)an assessment of the current research on such issues;(2)a description of the research gaps relating to such issues;(3)recommendations on how the Initiative can address the research needs identified pursuant to paragraph (2); and(4)recommendations on how engineering biology researchers can best incorporate considerations of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other societal issues into the development of research proposals and the conduct of research.(b)Report to CongressThe agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall require the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act—(1)submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the findings and recommendations of the review conducted under subsection (a); and(2)make a copy of such report available on a publicly accessible website.(c)Alternate contract scientific organization(1)In generalIf the Director is unable to enter into an agreement described in subsection (a) with the National Academy of Sciences before the date specified in such subsection on terms acceptable to the Director, the Director shall seek to enter into such an agreement with another appropriate scientific organization that—(A)is not part of the Government;(B)operates as a not-for-profit entity; and(C)has expertise and objectivity comparable to that of the National Academy of Sciences.(2)TreatmentIf the Director enters into an agreement with another organization as described in paragraph (1), any reference in this subsection to the National Academy of Sciences shall be treated as a reference to the other organization. 8.Agency activities(a)National Science FoundationAs part of the Initiative, the National Science Foundation shall—(1)support basic research in engineering biology through individual grants and through interdisciplinary research centers;(2)support research on the environmental, legal, ethical, and social implications of engineering biology;(3)provide support for research instrumentation for engineering biology disciplines, including support for research, development, optimization and validation of novel technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ;(4)support curriculum development and research experiences for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students in engineering biology and biomanufacturing; and(5)award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.(b)Department of CommerceAs part of the Initiative, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall—(1)establish a bioscience research program to advance the development of standard reference materials and measurements and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance engineering biology and biomanufacturing;(2)provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing; and(3)provide technical expertise to inform the potential development of guidelines or safeguards for new products, processes, and systems of engineering biology.(c)Department of EnergyAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Energy shall—(1)conduct and support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities in engineering biology, including in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased materials, and environmental remediation;(2)support the development, optimization and validation of novel, scalable tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ; and(3)provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, as appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing.(d)Department of DefenseAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Defense shall—(1)conduct and support research and development in engineering biology and associated data and information sciences;(2)support curriculum development and research experiences in engineering biology and associated data and information sciences across the military education system, to include service academies, professional military education, and military graduate education; and(3)assess risks of potential national security and economic security threats relating to engineering biology. (e)National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationAs part of the Initiative, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—(1)conduct and support basic and applied research in engineering biology, including in synthetic biology, and related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space technology, and space exploration and experimentation, consistent with the priorities established in the National Academies’ decadal surveys; and(2)award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.(f)Department of AgricultureAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Agriculture shall—(1)support research and development in engineering biology, including in synthetic biology and biomaterials;(2)award grants through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and(3)support development conducted by the Agricultural Research Service. (g)Environmental Protection AgencyAs part of the Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products, processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect or can protect the environment.(h)Department of health and human services(1)National Institutes of HealthAs part of the Initiative, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall—(A)support research and development to advance the understanding and application of engineering biology for human health, including in synthetic biology, cell and tissue engineering, computational biology, and artificial intelligence;(B)support and accelerate the application of biomedical research and technologies through cross-disciplinary collaboration and training programs;(C)support research on ethical, legal, safety, and societal implications of emerging biotechnologies; and(D)award grants on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research across multiple disciplinary departments.(2)Food and Drug AdministrationAs part of the Initiative, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall—(A)support research and evaluation of safety, potency, and efficacy of novel biologic products and biomanufacturing technologies; and(B)ensure the timely development of screening methods to evaluate safety and security of new biological products and processes. 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2020.2.FindingsThe Congress makes the following findings:(1)Cellular and molecular processes may be used, mimicked, or redesigned to develop new products, processes, and systems that improve societal well-being, strengthen national security, and contribute to the economy.(2)Engineering biology relies on a workforce with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the biological, physical, chemical, and information sciences and engineering.(3)Long-term research and development is necessary to create breakthroughs in engineering biology. Such research and development requires government investment as many of the benefits are too distant or uncertain for industry to support alone.(4)Research is necessary to inform evidence-based governance of engineering biology and to support the growth of the engineering biology industry.(5)The Federal Government has an obligation to ensure that ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal implications of its science and technology research and investment follows policies of responsible innovation and fosters public transparency.(6)The Federal Government can play an important role by facilitating the development of tools and technologies to further advance engineering biology, including user facilities, by facilitating public-private partnerships, by supporting risk research, and by facilitating the commercial application in the United States of research funded by the Federal Government. (7)The United States led the development of the science and engineering techniques that created the field of engineering biology, but due to increasing international competition, the United States is at risk of losing its competitive advantage if it does not strategically invest the necessary resources.(8)A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to establish new research directions and technology goals, improve interagency coordination and planning processes, drive technology transfer to the private sector, and help ensure optimal returns on the Federal investment.3.DefinitionsIn this Act:(1)BiomanufacturingThe term biomanufacturing means the utilization of biological systems to develop new and advance existing products, tools, and processes at commercial scale.(2)Engineering biologyThe term engineering biology means the application of engineering design principles and practices to biological systems, including molecular and cellular systems, to advance fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to enable novel or optimize functions and capabilities.(3)InitiativeThe term Initiative means the National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative established under section 4.(4)OmicsThe term omics refers to the collective technologies used to explore the roles, relationships, and actions of the various types of molecules that make up the cells of an organism.4.National engineering biology research and development initiative(a)In generalThe President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative to advance societal well-being, national security, sustainability, and economic productivity and competitiveness through—(1)advancing areas of research at the intersection of the biological, physical, chemical, data, and computational sciences and engineering to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation in engineering biology;(2)advancing areas of biomanufacturing research to optimize, standardize, scale, and deliver new products and solutions;(3)supporting social and behavioral sciences and economics research that advances the field of engineering biology and contributes to the development and public understanding of new products, processes, and technologies;(4)improving the understanding of engineering biology of the scientific and lay public and supporting greater evidence-based public discourse about its benefits and risks; (5)supporting risk research, including under subsection (d);(6)supporting the development of novel tools and technologies to accelerate scientific understanding and technological innovation in engineering biology;(7)expanding the number of researchers, educators, and students and a retooled workforce with engineering biology training, including from traditionally underrepresented and underserved populations; (8)accelerating the translation and commercialization of engineering biology research and development by the private sector; and(9)improving the interagency planning and coordination of Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.(b)Initiative activitiesThe activities of the Initiative shall include—(1)sustained support for engineering biology research and development through—(A)grants to individual investigators and teams of investigators, including interdisciplinary teams;(B)projects funded under joint solicitations by a collaboration of no fewer than two agencies participating in the Initiative; and(C)interdisciplinary research centers that are organized to investigate basic research questions, carry out technology development and demonstration activities, and increase understanding of how to scale up engineering biology processes, including biomanufacturing;(2)sustained support for databases and related tools, including—(A)support for curated genomics, epigenomics, and all other relevant omics databases, including plant and microbial databases, that are available to researchers to carry out engineering biology research;(B)development of standards for such databases, including for curation, interoperability, and protection of privacy and security;(C)support for the development of computational tools, including artificial intelligence tools, that can accelerate research and innovation using such databases; and(D)an inventory and assessment of all Federal government omics databases to identify opportunities for consolidation and inform investment in such databases as critical infrastructure for the engineering biology research enterprise;(3)sustained support for the development, optimization, and validation of novel tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ, including through—(A)research conducted at Federal laboratories; (B)grants to investigators at institutions of higher education and other nonprofit research institutions;(C)incentivized development of retooled industrial sites across the country that foster a pivot to modernized engineering biology initiatives; and (D)through the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638); (4)education and training of undergraduate and graduate students in engineering biology, biomanufacturing, bioprocess engineering, and computational science applied to engineering biology and in the related ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other societal domains;(5)activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of engineering biology; and(6)activities to accelerate the translation and commercialization of new products, processes, and technologies by—(A)identifying precompetitive research opportunities;(B)facilitating public-private partnerships in engineering biology research and development;(C)connecting researchers, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows with entrepreneurship education and training opportunities; and(D)supporting proof of concept activities and the formation of startup companies including through programs such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program.(c)Expanding participationThe Initiative shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions about Initiative opportunities, and shall encourage the development of research collaborations between research-intensive universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions.(d)Ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal issuesInitiative activities shall take into account ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues by—(1)supporting research, including in the social sciences, and other activities addressing ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology, including integrating research on such topics with the research and development in engineering biology, and ensuring that the results of such research are widely disseminated, including through interdisciplinary engineering biology research centers described in subsection (b)(1);(2)supporting research and other activities related to the safety and security implications of engineering biology, including outreach to increase awareness among Federal researchers and Federally-funded researchers at institutions of higher education about potential safety and security implications of engineering biology research, as appropriate; (3)ensuring that input from Federal and non-Federal experts on the ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology is integrated into the Initiative; and(4)ensuring, through the agencies and departments that participate in the Initiative, that public input and outreach are integrated into the Initiative by the convening of regular and ongoing public discussions through mechanisms such as workshops, consensus conferences, and educational events, as appropriate.5.Initiative coordination(a)Interagency committeeThe President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate an interagency committee to coordinate engineering biology, which shall be co-chaired by the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and include representatives from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the National Institutes of Health, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, and any other agency that the President considers appropriate (in this section referred to as the Interagency Committee). The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall select an additional co-chairperson from among the members of the Interagency Committee. The Interagency Committee shall oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Initiative. The Interagency Committee shall—(1)provide for interagency coordination of Federal engineering biology research, development, and other activities undertaken pursuant to the Initiative;(2)establish and periodically update goals and priorities for the Initiative;(3)develop, not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, and update every 3 years, a strategic plan submitted to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate that—(A)guides the activities of the Initiative for purposes of meeting the goals and priorities established under (and updated pursuant to) paragraph (2); and(B)describes—(i)the Initiative’s support for long-term funding for interdisciplinary engineering biology research and development;(ii)the Initiative’s support for education and public outreach activities;(iii)the Initiative’s support for research and other activities on ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology including—(I)an applied biorisk management research plan;(II)recommendations for integrating security into biological data access and international reciprocity agreements;(III)recommendations for manufacturing restructuring to support engineering biology research, development, and scaling-up initiatives; and(IV)an evaluation of existing biosecurity governance policies, guidance, and directives for the purposes of creating a unified, adaptable, evidence-based framework to respond to emerging biosecurity challenges created by advances in engineering biology; (iv)how the Initiative will move results out of the laboratory and into application for the benefit of society and United States competitiveness; and(v)how the Initiative will measure and track the contributions of engineering biology to United States economic growth and other societal indicators;(4)develop a national genomic sequencing strategy to ensure engineering biology research fully leverages plant, animal, and microbe biodiversity to enhance long-term innovation and competitiveness in engineering biology in the United States;(5)develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), in support of the activities described in section 4(b)(3); and(6)in carrying out this section, take into consideration the recommendations of the advisory committee established under section 6, the results of the workshop convened under section 7, existing reports on related topics, and the views of academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.(b)Triennial reportBeginning with fiscal year 2022 and ending in fiscal year 2028, not later than 90 days after submission of the President’s annual budget request and every third fiscal year thereafter, the Interagency Committee shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes—(1)a summarized agency budget in support of the Initiative for the fiscal year to which such budget request applies, for the following 2 fiscal years, for the then current fiscal year, including a breakout of spending for each agency participating in the Program, and for the development and acquisition of any research facilities and instrumentation; and(2)an assessment of how Federal agencies are implementing the plan described in subsection (a)(3), including—(A)a description of the amount and number of awards made under the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program (as described in section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638)) in support of the Initiative;(B)a description of the amount and number of projects funded under joint solicitations by a collaboration of no fewer than 2 agencies participating in the Initiative; and(C)a description of the effect of the newly funded projects by the Initiative.(c)Initiative office(1)In generalThe President shall establish an Initiative Coordination Office, with a Director and full-time staff, which shall—(A)provide technical and administrative support to the interagency committee and the advisory committee established under section 6;(B)serve as the point of contact on Federal engineering biology activities for government organizations, academia, industry, professional societies, State governments, interested citizen groups, and others to exchange technical and programmatic information;(C)oversee interagency coordination of the Initiative, including by encouraging and supporting joint agency solicitation and selection of applications for funding of activities under the Initiative;(D)conduct public outreach, including dissemination of findings and recommendations of the advisory committee established under section 6, as appropriate; (E)serve as the coordinator of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal input; and (F)promote access to, and early application of, the technologies, innovations, and expertise derived from Initiative activities to agency missions and systems across the Federal Government, and to United States industry, including startup companies.(2)FundingThe Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall develop an estimate of the funds necessary to carry out the activities of the Initiative Coordination Office, including an estimate of how much each participating agency described in subsection (a) will contribute to such funds, and submit such estimate to Congress no later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act.(3)TerminationThe Initiative Coordination Office established under this subsection shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.6.Advisory committee(a)In generalThe agency co-chair of the interagency committee established in section 5 shall, in consultation with the Office of Science and Technology Policy, designate or establish an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development (in this section referred to as the advisory committee) to be composed of not fewer than 12 members, including representatives of research and academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the Initiative.(b)AssessmentThe advisory committee shall assess—(1)the current state of United States competitiveness in engineering biology, including the scope and scale of United States investments in engineering biology research and development in the international context;(2)current market barriers to commercialization of engineering biology products, processes, and tools in the United States;(3)progress made in implementing the Initiative;(4)the need to revise the Initiative;(5)the balance of activities and funding across the Initiative;(6)whether the strategic plan developed or updated by the interagency committee established under section 5 is helping to maintain United States leadership in engineering biology;(7)the management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the Initiative; and(8)whether ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the Initiative.(c)ReportsBeginning not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the President, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on—(1)the findings of the advisory committee’s assessment under subsection (b); and(2)the advisory committee’s recommendations for ways to improve the Initiative.(d)Application of Federal Advisory Committee ActSection 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Committee.(e)TerminationThe advisory committee established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 7.External review of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and societal issues(a)In generalNot later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a review, and make recommendations with respect to, the ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development. The review shall include—(1)an assessment of the current research on such issues;(2)a description of the research gaps relating to such issues;(3)recommendations on how the Initiative can address the research needs identified pursuant to paragraph (2); and(4)recommendations on how engineering biology researchers can best incorporate considerations of ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other societal issues into the development of research proposals and the conduct of research.(b)Report to CongressThe agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall require the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act—(1)submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing the findings and recommendations of the review conducted under subsection (a); and(2)make a copy of such report available on a publicly accessible website.8.Agency activities(a)National Science FoundationAs part of the Initiative, the National Science Foundation shall—(1)support basic research in engineering biology through individual grants, collaborative grants, and through interdisciplinary research centers;(2)support research on the environmental, legal, ethical, and social implications of engineering biology;(3)provide support for research instrumentation for engineering biology disciplines, including support for research, development, optimization and validation of novel technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ;(4)support curriculum development and research experiences for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students in engineering biology and biomanufacturing; and(5)award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.(b)Department of CommerceAs part of the Initiative, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall—(1)establish a bioscience research program to advance the development of standard reference materials and measurements and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance engineering biology and biomanufacturing;(2)provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing; and(3)provide technical expertise to inform the potential development of guidelines or safeguards for new products, processes, and systems of engineering biology.(c)Department of EnergyAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Energy shall—(1)conduct and support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities in engineering biology, including in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased materials, and environmental remediation;(2)support the development, optimization and validation of novel, scalable tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ; and(3)provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, including secure access to high-performance computing, as appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing.(d)Department of DefenseAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Defense shall—(1)conduct and support research and development in engineering biology and associated data and information sciences;(2)support curriculum development and research experiences in engineering biology and associated data and information sciences across the military education system, to include service academies, professional military education, and military graduate education; and(3)assess risks of potential national security and economic security threats relating to engineering biology. (e)National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationAs part of the Initiative, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—(1)conduct and support basic and applied research in engineering biology, including in synthetic biology, and related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space technology, and space exploration and experimentation, consistent with the priorities established in the National Academies’ decadal surveys; and(2)award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.(f)Department of AgricultureAs part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Agriculture shall—(1)support research and development in engineering biology, including in synthetic biology and biomaterials;(2)award grants through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and(3)support development conducted by the Agricultural Research Service. (g)Environmental Protection AgencyAs part of the Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products, processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect or can protect the environment.(h)Department of health and human services(1)National Institutes of HealthAs part of the Initiative, the Director of the National Institutes of Health shall—(A)support research and development to advance the understanding and application of engineering biology for human health, including in synthetic biology, cell and tissue engineering, computational biology, and artificial intelligence;(B)support and accelerate the application of biomedical research and technologies through cross-disciplinary collaboration and training programs;(C)support research on ethical, legal, safety, and societal implications of emerging biotechnologies; and(D)award grants on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research across multiple disciplinary departments.(2)Food and Drug AdministrationAs part of the Initiative, the Commissioner of Food and Drugs shall—(A)support research and evaluation of safety, potency, and efficacy of novel biologic products and biomanufacturing technologies; and(B)ensure the timely development of screening methods to evaluate safety and security of new biological products and processes. December 15, 2020Reported with an amendment


		IV
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. RES. 632
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			April 25, 2012
			Mr. Meeks (for
			 himself, Mr. Connolly of Virginia,
			 Ms. Foxx, and
			 Mr. Cohen) submitted the following
			 resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign
			 Affairs

		RESOLUTION
		Commending the Government of Turkey for its
		  efforts to facilitate, host, and care for refugees fleeing the Al-Assad
		  regime’s escalating violence in Syria.

		Whereas the ongoing brutality of the Syrian Government
			 against its own citizenry targets innocent civilians, resulting in the loss of
			 nearly 9,000 Syrians, including women and children, destroying communities and
			 livelihoods, triggering massive population displacement within Syria and
			 throughout the region, and creating a deepening humanitarian crisis;
		Whereas the international community has called for an end
			 to the violence against civilians, facilitation of humanitarian access, and
			 support for a genuine political transition that protects the rights of all
			 Syrians and Turkey has been a forceful proponent of these demands;
		Whereas the humanitarian needs continue to grow, with as
			 many as 3,000,000 individuals in Syria affected by violence, including a United
			 Nations-estimated 300,000 internally displaced persons, and with the number of
			 Syrians seeking refuge in neighboring countries exceeding 60,000 individuals as
			 of mid-April 2012;
		Whereas the United States has committed substantial
			 humanitarian assistance to relieve suffering and to protect civilians, and will
			 continue to support fleeing and displaced Syrians in need;
		Whereas the Government of Turkey, as of mid-April 2012, is
			 hosting nearly 25,000 Syrian refugees in camps in eastern provinces and has
			 allowed visa-free entry of tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled Syria but
			 not sought refuge in the camps;
		Whereas despite significant increases in the number of
			 Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey, the Turkish Government is demonstrating
			 generous abundant hospitality, accepting full responsibility for assisting
			 displaced Syrians within its borders, maintaining an open border to fleeing
			 Syrians, and responding robustly to their humanitarian needs;
		Whereas Turkey has hosted Syrian opposition groups to
			 facilitate realization of a vision for a democratic Syria, and hosted a major
			 international Friends of the Syrian People Conference in Istanbul on April 1,
			 2012, with participation of 83 countries and international
			 organizations;
		Whereas Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
			 stated that Syrian President Bashir Al-Assad must step down, if he fails to
			 meet the legitimate demands of the Syrian people;
		Whereas the Turkish Government and the Turkish Red
			 Crescent are cooperating closely with the United Nations High Commissioner for
			 Refugees, and the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the needs
			 of fleeing and displaced Syrians;
		Whereas the Turkish Government has called for Syria to
			 facilitate the delivery of critical care, and essential goods and services, and
			 to allow the treatment of wounded and unimpeded exodus of civilians;
		Whereas the initial humanitarian assistance provided
			 through the Turkish Red Crescent to address the needs of Syrians who have fled
			 the violence has exceeded international standards for refugee relief;
		Whereas the Turkish population in the areas of Hatay,
			 Gaziantep, Kilis, and Sanliurfa has been extremely generous and hospitable,
			 offering housing, food, bicycles, school supplies, and other assistance to the
			 refugees; and
		Whereas Turkey is an emerging global humanitarian actor
			 that has played important roles in various international relief efforts,
			 including in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Sudan: Now, therefore, be it

		That the House of Representatives—
			(1)commends the
			 leadership of the Government of Turkey in calling for an end to the violence in
			 Syria and the restoration of human rights and democracy;
			(2)commends the
			 Turkish Government’s responsiveness to the humanitarian needs of Syrian
			 refugees;
			(3)supports the response of international
			 organizations including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and
			 the international family of Red Cross, and Red Crescent organizations in their
			 efforts to support internally displaced persons within Syria and Syrian
			 refugees throughout the region; and
			(4)acknowledges
			 Turkey as an emerging global humanitarian actor.


		II

		109th CONGRESS

		1st Session

		S. 1701

		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED

		  STATES

			September 14, 2005

			Mr. Thomas (for himself

			 and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following

			 bill; which was read twice and referred to the

			 Committee on Energy and Natural

			 Resources

		A BILL

		To amend the Surface Mining Control and

		  Reclamation Act of 1977 to improve the reclamation of abandoned

		  mines.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the

			 Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Reform

			 Act of 2005.

		2.Abandoned mine

			 reclamation fund

			(a)In

			 generalSection 401(c) of the

			 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231(c)) is

			 amended—

				(1)by striking paragraphs (2) and (6);

			 and

				(2)by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5)

			 and (7) through (13) as paragraphs (2) through (11), respectively.

				(b)Conforming

			 amendmentSection 712(b) of

			 the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1302(b)) is

			 amended by striking section 401(c)(11) and inserting

			 section 401(c)(9).

			3.Reclamation

			 fee

			(a)In

			 generalSection 402 of the

			 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232) is

			 amended—

				(1)by striking subsection (a) and inserting

			 the following:

						(a)In

				generalAny operator of a

				coal mining operation subject to this Act shall pay to the Secretary of the

				Interior, for deposit in the fund—

							(1)for coal produced by surface coal

				mining—

								(A)for the period beginning on July 1, 2006,

				and ending on October 1, 2009, 32 cents per ton of coal produced;

								(B)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2009, and ending on October 1, 2013, 30 cents per ton of coal produced;

				and

								(C)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2013, and ending on October 1, 2016, 28 cents per ton of coal produced;

								(2)for coal produced by underground

				mining—

								(A)for the period beginning on July 1, 2006,

				and ending on October 1, 2009, 15 cents per ton of coal produced;

								(B)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2009, and ending on October 1, 2013, 12 cents per ton of coal produced;

				and

								(C)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2013, and ending on October 1, 2016, 12 cents per ton of coal produced;

				and

								(3)for lignite coal—

								(A)for the period beginning on July 1, 2006,

				and ending on October 1, 2009, 10 cents per ton of lignite coal

				produced;

								(B)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2009, and ending on October 1, 2013, 8 cents per ton of lignite coal produced;

				and

								(C)for the period beginning on October 1,

				2013, and ending on October 1, 2016, 8 cents per ton of lignite coal

				produced.

								;

				(2)in subsection (b), by striking June

			 30, 2006, and all that follows through the end and inserting

			 September 30, 2016.; and

				(3)in subsection (g)—

					(A)in paragraph (1)(D), by striking in

			 any area under paragraph (2), (3), (4), or (5) and inserting

			 under paragraph (4);

					(B)by striking paragraph (2);

					(C)by redesignating paragraphs (3), (4), (5),

			 (6), (7), and (8) as paragraphs (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), and (7),

			 respectively;

					(D)in paragraph (2) (as redesignated by

			 subparagraph (C))—

						(i)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A),

			 by striking paragraphs (2) and (5) and inserting

			 paragraph (4);

						(ii)in subparagraph (A), by striking

			 401(c)(11) and inserting 401(c)(9); and

						(iii)by adding at the end the following:

								(E)For the purpose of paragraph

				(7).

								;

						(E)in paragraph (3) (as redesignated by

			 subparagraph (C))—

						(i)in subparagraph (A), by striking

			 paragraphs (1), (2), and (5) or expended under paragraph (3) and

			 inserting paragraphs (1) and (4) or expended under paragraph

			 (2); and

						(ii)in subparagraph (E), by striking

			 paragraphs (1) and (5) and inserting paragraphs (1) and

			 (4);

						(F)in paragraph (4) (as redesignated by

			 subparagraph (C))—

						(i)in the first sentence, by striking

			 The Secretary shall allocate 40 and inserting (A) The

			 Secretary shall allocate 60;

						(ii)in the last sentence, by striking

			 Funds allocated or expended by the Secretary under paragraphs (2), (3),

			 or (4) of this subsection and inserting Funds made available

			 under paragraph (2) or (3); and

						(iii)by adding at the end the following:

								(B)Any amount that is made available under

				paragraph (8) shall be in addition to amounts that are allocated under

				subparagraph (A).

								;

				and

						(G)by striking paragraphs (5), (6), and (7)

			 (as redesignated by subparagraph (C)) and inserting the following:

							(5)Abatement of

				acid mine drainage

								(A)Definition of

				qualified hydrologic unitIn

				this paragraph, the term qualified hydrologic unit means a

				hydrologic unit—

									(i)in which the water quality has been

				significantly affected by acid mine drainage from coal mining practices in a

				manner that adversely affects biological resources; and

									(ii)that contains land and water that

				is—

										(I)eligible under section 404 and appropriate

				for the expenditure of moneys from the fund for the purposes specified in

				section 403(a); and

										(II)the subject of expenditures by the State

				from the forfeiture of a bond filed under section 509 or from any other State

				source to abate and treat acid mine drainage.

										(B)Use of funds

				for abatement of acid mine drainageAny State with an approved abandoned mine

				reclamation program under section 405 may receive and retain, without regard to

				the 3-year limitation referred to in paragraph (1)(D), up to 20 percent of the

				total amount of the grants made annually to the State under paragraphs (1) and

				(4) if—

									(i)the amount retained is deposited in an acid

				mine drainage abatement and treatment fund established under State law;

				and

									(ii)the amount deposited under clause (i)

				(together with all interest earned on the amount) is expended by the State for

				the abatement of the causes and the treatment of the effects of acid mine

				drainage in a comprehensive manner within qualified hydrologic units affected

				by coal mining practices.

									(6)Certain

				reclamation projectsIn

				complying with the priorities specified in section 403(a), any State or Indian

				tribe may expend amounts available in grants made annually to the State or

				tribe under paragraphs (1) and (4) for projects for the purpose specified in

				section 403(a)(3) prior to the completion of reclamation projects under

				paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 403(a) only if the expenditure is made in

				conjunction with the expenditure of funds before, on, or after the date of

				enactment of the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Reform Act of 2005 for

				reclamation projects under paragraphs (1) and (2) of section 403(a).

							(7)Minimum

				amountIn making grants

				referred to in paragraph (1)(C) and in making expenditures under paragraph

				(2)(C), the Secretary, using amounts allocated to a State or Indian tribe under

				subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1), or, as necessary, amounts available

				to the Secretary under paragraph (2), shall ensure that total grant awards or

				expenditures of not less than $2,000,000 are made annually to or in each State

				that has an approved abandoned mine reclamation program under section 405 in

				effect on June 30, 2004, the State of Tennessee, and each Indian tribe.

							(8)Payments to

				States and Indian tribes

								(A)In

				generalThe Secretary shall,

				using amounts allocated in the fund to a State or Indian tribe before October

				1, 2006, pay to the State or Indian tribe an amount equal to the sum of the

				aggregate unappropriated amount allocated to the State or Indian tribe under

				subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) (referred to in this paragraph as the

				amount due).

								(B)SchedulePayments under subparagraph (A) shall be

				made in accordance with the following schedule:

									(i)If the amount due to a State or Indian

				tribe is less than $2,000,000, the Secretary shall pay to the State or Indian

				tribe the amount due on December 31, 2006.

									(ii)If the amount due to a State or Indian

				tribe is $2,000,000 or more but less than $30,000,000, the Secretary shall pay

				to the State or Indian tribe—

										(I)1/2 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2006; and

										(II)1/2 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2007.

										(iii)If the amount due to a State or Indian

				tribe is $30,000,000 or more but less than $100,0000,000, the Secretary shall

				pay to the State or Indian tribe—

										(I)1/3 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2006;

										(II)1/3 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2007; and

										(III)1/3 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2008.

										(iv)If the amount due to a State or Indian

				tribe is $100,000,000 or more but less than $200,0000,000, the Secretary shall

				pay to the State or Indian tribe—

										(I)1/4 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2006;

										(II)1/4 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2007;

										(III)1/4 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2008; and

										(IV)1/4 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2009.

										(v)If the amount due to a State or Indian

				tribe is more than $200,000,000, the Secretary shall pay to the State or Indian

				tribe—

										(I)1/5 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2006;

										(II)1/5 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2007;

										(III)1/5 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2008;

										(IV)1/5 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2009; and

										(V)1/5 of the amount due

				on December 31, 2010.

										(C)Payments not

				subject to appropriationsPayments under subparagraph (A) shall not

				be subject to the availability of appropriations.

								(D)Use of

				funds

									(i)Certified

				States and Indian tribes

										(I)In

				generalA State or Indian

				tribe that makes a certification under section 411(a) in which the Secretary

				concurs shall use any amounts provided under this paragraph for the purposes

				established by the State legislature or tribal council of the Indian tribe,

				with priority given for addressing the impacts of mineral development.

										(II)Deadline not

				applicableParagraph (1)(D)

				shall not apply to amounts provided under this paragraph to a State or Indian

				tribe described in subclause (I).

										(ii)Uncertified

				States and Indian tribesA

				State or Indian tribe that has not made a certification under section 411(a) in

				which the Secretary has concurred shall use any amounts provided under this

				paragraph for the purposes described in section

				403.

									.

					(b)Conforming

			 amendmentsthe Surface Mining

			 Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is amended—

				(1)Section 403(b) of the Surface Mining

			 Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(b)) is amended—

					(A)in paragraph (1), by striking

			 paragraphs (1) and (5) and inserting paragraphs (1) and

			 (4); and

					(B)in paragraph (2), by striking

			 402(g)(4)(B) each place it appears and inserting section

			 402(g)(3)(B);

					(2)Section 404 of the Surface Mining Control

			 and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1234) is amended by striking

			 section 402(g)(4) and inserting section

			 402(g)(3).

				(3)Section 409(b) of the Surface Mining

			 Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1239(b)) is amended by striking

			 paragraphs (1) and (5) and inserting paragraphs (1) and

			 (4).

				(4)Section 701(34) of the Surface Mining

			 Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1291(34)) is amended by striking

			 section 402(g)(4) and inserting section

			 402(g)(3).

				4.Temporary financial

			 reliefSection 402(h) of the

			 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232(h)) is

			 amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:

				(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of law,

				for fiscal year 2007 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary of the

				Interior shall, as of the beginning of the fiscal year, use an amount in the

				fund equal to the amount of interest that was paid to the fund during the

				preceding fiscal year and remains unexpended to make the transfers under

				paragraph

				(2).

				.

		5.Collection of

			 reclamation fees by States and Indian tribesSection 402 of the Surface Mining Control

			 and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1232) (as amended by section 4) is

			 amended by adding at the end the following:

				(i)Collection of

				reclamation fees

					(1)In

				generalOn the request of the

				Governor of a State or head of a governing body of an Indian tribe, the

				Secretary shall enter into an agreement authorizing the State or Indian tribe

				to collect the fees required under subsection (a) (referred to in this

				subsection as the reclamation fees) on or after July 1,

				2006.

					(2)Payments

						(A)In

				generalAny operator of a

				coal mining operation subject to this Act, with respect to coal mined in a

				State or from land of an Indian tribe that is subject to an agreement entered

				into under paragraph (1), shall pay to the head of the State agency or Indian

				tribe that is responsible for collecting revenue from coal mining operators

				(referred to in this subsection as the agency head) the

				reclamation fees.

						(B)CertificationOn receipt of the reclamation fees under

				subparagraph (A), the agency head shall—

							(i)certify to the Secretary receipt of the

				fees;

							(ii)remit 1/2 of the fees

				to the Secretary; and

							(iii)retain 1/2 of the fees

				as the share due to the State or Indian tribe.

							(C)LimitationA State or Indian tribe that collects

				reclamation fees under this subsection is not eligible for an allocation under

				subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 402(g)(1).

						(D)Use of

				fundsAny reclamation fees

				collected and retained by an agency head under subparagraph (A) shall be used

				by the State or Indian tribe for the purposes described in section

				403.

						.

		6.Objectives of

			 fundSection 403 of the

			 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1233(a)) is

			 amended—

			(1)in subsection (a)—

				(A)in paragraph (1)—

					(i)by striking (1) the

			 protection and inserting (1)(A) the protection;

					(ii)in subparagraph (A) (as designated by

			 clause (i)), by striking general welfare,; and

					(iii)by adding at the end the following:

							(B)the restoration of land and water resources

				and the environment that—

								(i)have been degraded by the adverse effects

				of coal mining practices; and

								(ii)are adjacent to a site that has been

				remediated under subparagraph (A);

								;

				and

					(B)in paragraph (2), by striking

			 health, safety, and general welfare and inserting health

			 and safety;

				(2)in subsection (b)—

				(A)by striking the subsection heading and

			 inserting Water Supply Restoration.—; and

				(B)in paragraph (1), by striking up to

			 30 percent of the; and

				(3)in the second sentence of subsection (c),

			 by inserting , subject to the approval of the Secretary, after

			 amendments.

			7.Reclamation of rural

			 landSection 406 of the

			 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1236) is

			 amended—

			(1)in subsection (h), by striking Soil

			 Conservation Service and inserting Natural Resources

			 Conservation Service; and

			(2)by adding at the end the following:

					(i)There are authorized to be appropriated to

				the Secretary of Agriculture, from amounts in the Treasury other than amounts

				in the fund, such sums as are necessary to carry out this

				section.

					.

			8.LiensSection 408(a) of the Surface Mining Control

			 and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1238) is amended in the last sentence by

			 striking who owned the surface prior to May 2, 1977, and.

		9.Remining

			(a)IncentivesTitle IV of the Surface Mining Control and

			 Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231 et seq.) is amended by adding at the

			 end the following:

					415.Remining

				incentives

						(a)In

				generalNotwithstanding any

				other provision of this Act, the Secretary may, after opportunity for public

				comment, promulgate regulations that describe conditions under which amounts in

				the fund may be used to provide incentives to promote remining of eligible land

				under section 404 in a manner that leverages the use of amounts from the fund

				to achieve more reclamation with respect to the eligible land than would be

				achieved without the incentives.

						(b)RequirementsAny regulations promulgated under

				subsection (a) shall specify that the incentives shall apply only if the

				Secretary of the Interior determines, with the concurrence of the State

				regulatory authority referred to in title V, that, without the incentives, the

				eligible land would not be likely to be remined and reclaimed.

						(c)Incentives

							(1)In

				generalIncentives that may

				be considered for inclusion in the regulations promulgated under subsection (a)

				include—

								(A)a rebate or waiver of the reclamation fees

				required under section 402(a); and

								(B)the use of amounts in the fund to provide

				financial assurance for remining operations in lieu of all or a portion of the

				performance bonds required under section 509.

								(2)Limitations

								(A)UseA rebate or waiver under paragraph (1)(A)

				shall be used only for operations that—

									(i)remove or reprocess abandoned coal mine

				waste; or

									(ii)conduct remining activities that meet the

				priorities specified in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 403(a).

									(B)AmountThe amount of a rebate or waiver provided

				as an incentive under paragraph (1)(A) to remine or reclaim eligible land shall

				not exceed the estimated cost of reclaiming the eligible land under this

				section

								.

			(b)Extension of

			 authoritySection 510(e) of

			 the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1260(e)) is

			 amended in the last sentence by striking 2004 and inserting

			 2015.

			10.Interest

			 transfers

			Notwithstanding any other provision of law,

			 interest credited to the fund established by section 401 of the Surface Mining

			 Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 1231) that are not transferred

			 to the Combined Benefit Fund referred to in section 402(h) of that Act (30

			 U.S.C. 1232(h)), before the date of enactment of this Act shall be available

			 for fiscal year 2006 and thereafter for the transfers referred to in section

			 402(h)(2) of that Act (30 U.S.C. 1232(h)(2)), in the same manner as are other

			 amounts available for the transfers.


115 S1621 : Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017
U.S. Senate

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.

IC115th CONGRESS2d SessionS. 1621IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESMarch 5, 2018Referred to the Committee on Energy and CommerceAN ACTTo require the Federal Communications Commission to establish a methodology for the collection by
			 the Commission of information about commercial mobile service and
			 commercial mobile data service, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017. 2.Methodology for collection of mobile service coverage data (a)DefinitionsIn this section—
 (1)the term commercial mobile data service has the meaning given the term in section 6001 of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012 (47 U.S.C. 1401);
 (2)the term commercial mobile service has the meaning given the term in section 332(d) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 332(d));
 (3)the term Commission means the Federal Communications Commission; (4)the term coverage data means, if commercial mobile service or commercial mobile data service is available, information about the service, which may include available speed tiers and performance characteristics; and
 (5)the term Universal Service program means the universal service support mechanisms established under section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 254) and the regulations issued under that section.
 (b)Methodology establishedNot later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall promulgate regulations to establish a methodology that shall apply to the collection of coverage data by the Commission for the purposes of—
 (1)the Universal Service program; or (2)any other similar program.
 (c)RequirementsThe methodology established under subsection (b) shall— (1)contain standard definitions for different speed tiers, such as the 2G, 3G, 4G, and 4G LTE tiers;
 (2)ensure that coverage data is collected in a consistent and robust way; (3)improve the validity and reliability of coverage data; and
 (4)increase the efficiency of coverage data collection.Passed the Senate March 1, 2018.Julie E. Adams,Secretary


109 HCON 200 IH: Expressing the sense of Congress that secondary schools should consider starting school after 9:00 in the morning.
U.S. House of Representatives
2005-06-30
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.

IV
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. CON. RES. 200
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 30, 2005
Ms. Zoe Lofgren of California submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress that secondary schools should consider starting school after 9:00 in the morning.

Whereas scientific studies indicate that adolescents experience hormonal changes that keep them awake at night;
Whereas most secondary schools begin classes at 7:30 or earlier in the morning;
Whereas most teen crime occurs between 3:00 and 6:00 in the afternoon and a later start would result in a later school day; and
Whereas many adolescents do not get enough sleep to realize their full academic potential: Now, therefore, be it

That it is the sense of Congress that secondary schools should begin classes after 9:00 in the morning.


		I
		111th CONGRESS
		1st Session
		H. R. 1461
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			March 12, 2009
			Mr. George Miller of
			 California (for himself, Mr.
			 Tierney, Mr. Grijalva,
			 Ms. Clarke,
			 Mr. Hare, Mr. Davis of Illinois,
			 Mr. Andrews, and
			 Ms. Woolsey) introduced the following
			 bill; which was referred to the Committee
			 on Education and Labor

		A BILL
		To amend the National Labor Relations Act to apply the
		  protections of the Act to teaching and research assistants.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Teaching and Research Assistant
			 Collective Bargaining Rights Act.
		2.DefinitionSection 2(3) of the National Labor Relations
			 Act (29 U.S.C. 152(3)) is amended—
			(1)by striking (3) and
			 inserting (3)(A); and
			(2)by adding at the end the following:

					(B)The term employee includes a
				student enrolled at an institution of higher education (as defined in section
				101 or 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002), other
				than an institution of a State or political subdivision) who is performing work
				for remuneration at the direction of the institution, whether or not the work
				relates to the student’s course of
				study.
					.


		I
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 5252
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			April 27, 2012
			Mr. Murphy of
			 Pennsylvania introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Ways and
			 Means

		A BILL
		To suspend temporarily the rate of duty on dimethyl
		  carbonate polymer with 1,6-hexanediol copolymer and
		  2-oxepanone.

		1.Dimethyl carbonate polymer
			 with 1,6-hexanediol copolymer and 2-oxepanone
			(a)In
			 generalSubchapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff
			 Schedule of the United States is amended by inserting in numerical sequence the
			 following new heading:

								9902.01.00Dimethyl carbonate polymer with 1,6-hexanediol copolymer and
						2-oxepanone (CAS No. 282534–15–0) (provided for in subheading
						3907.99.01)FreeNo changeNo changeOn or before 12/31/2015

					.
			(b)Effective
			 dateThe amendment made by subsection (a) applies to articles
			 entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the 15th day
			 after the date of the enactment of this Act.