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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Engineering Biology Research and
Development Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The 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 scientists and engineers
with a diverse and unique set of skills combining the
biological, physical, 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 the benefits are
too distant or uncertain for industry to support alone.
(4) The Federal Government can play an important role by
facilitating the development of tools and technologies to
further advance engineering biology, including multiple user
facilities that the Federal Government is uniquely able to
support.
(5) Since other countries are investing significant
resources in engineering biology, the United States is at risk
of losing its competitive lead in this emerging area if it does
not invest the necessary resources and have a national
strategy.
(6) A National Engineering Biology Initiative can serve to
establish new research directions and technology goals, improve
interagency coordination and planning processes, drive
technology transfer, and help ensure optimal returns on the
Federal investment.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act--
(1) the term ''Advisory Committee'' means the advisory
committee designated under section 5;
(2) the term ''biomanufacturing'' means the manufacturing
of products using biological manufacturing technologies;
(3) the term ''engineering biology'' means the science and
engineering of cellular and molecular processes to advance
fundamental understanding of complex natural systems and to
develop new and advance existing products, processes, and
systems that will contribute significantly to societal well-
being, national security, and the economy;
(4) the term ''Interagency Committee'' means the
interagency committee designated under section 4(e); and
(5) the term ''Program'' means the National Engineering
Biology Research and Development Program established under
section 4.

SEC. 4. NATIONAL ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The President shall implement a National
Engineering Biology Research and Development Program to advance
societal well-being, national security, and economic productivity and
competitiveness through--
(1) advancing areas of research at the intersection of the
biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering;
(2) supporting social science research that advances the
field of engineering biology and contributes to the adoption of
new products, processes, and technologies;
(3) expanding the number of researchers, educators, and
students with engineering biology training;
(4) accelerating the translation and commercialization of
engineering biology research and development by the private
sector; and
(5) improving the interagency planning and coordination of
Federal Government activities related to engineering biology.
(b) Program Activities.--The activities of the Program shall
include--
(1) sustained support for engineering biology research and
development through--
(A) grants to individual investigators and
interdisciplinary teams of investigators;
(B) projects funded under joint solicitations by a
collaboration of no fewer than two agencies
participating in the Program; and
(C) interdisciplinary research centers that are
organized to investigate basic research questions and
carry out technology development and demonstration
activities;
(2) education and training of undergraduate and graduate
students in research at the intersection of biological,
physical, and information sciences and engineering;
(3) activities to develop robust mechanisms for tracking
and quantifying the outputs and economic benefits of
engineering biology; and
(4) 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 Participation.--The Program shall include, to the
maximum extent practicable, outreach to primarily undergraduate and
minority-serving institutions about Program opportunities, and shall
encourage the development of research collaborations between research-
intensive universities and primarily undergraduate and minority-serving
institutions.
(d) Ethical, Legal, Environmental, and Societal Issues.--Program
activities shall take into account ethical, legal, environmental, and
other appropriate societal issues, including the need for safeguards
and monitoring systems to protect society against the unintended
release of engineered materials produced, 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 these 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); and
(2) ensuring, through the agencies and departments that
participate in the Program, that public input and outreach are
integrated into the Program by the convening of regular and
ongoing public discussions through mechanisms such as citizen
panels, consensus conferences, and educational events, as
appropriate.
(e) Interagency Committee.--The President shall designate an
interagency committee on engineering biology, which shall include
representatives from the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the
National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institute of
Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection Agency, and any
other agency that the President considers appropriate. The Director of
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall select a chairperson
from among the members of the Interagency Committee. The Interagency
Committee shall oversee the planning, management, and coordination of
the Program. The Interagency Committee shall--
(1) provide for interagency coordination of Federal
engineering biology research, development, and other activities
undertaken pursuant to the Program;
(2) establish and periodically update goals and priorities
for the Program;
(3) develop, not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, and update every 5 years, a strategic
plan to guide the activities of the Program and meet the goals
and priorities established under paragraph (2) and describe--
(A) the Program's support for long-term funding for
interdisciplinary engineering biology research and
development;
(B) the Program's support for education and public
outreach activities;
(C) the Program's support for research and other
activities on ethical, legal, environmental, and other
appropriate societal issues related to engineering
biology; and
(D) how the Program will move results out of the
laboratory and into application for the benefit of
society and United States competitiveness;
(4) propose an annually coordinated interagency budget for
the Program that will ensure the maintenance of a robust
engineering biology research and development portfolio and
ensure that the balance of funding across the Program is
sufficient to meet the goals and priorities established for the
Program;
(5) develop a plan to utilize Federal programs, such as the
Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small
Business Technology Transfer Program, in support of the goal
described in subsection (b)(4); and
(6) in carrying out its responsibilities under this
section, take into consideration the recommendations of the
Advisory Committee, the results of the workshop convened under
section 6, existing reports on related topics, and the views of
academic, State, industry, and other appropriate groups.
(f) Annual Report.--The Interagency Committee shall prepare an
annual report, to be 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 not later than 90
days after submission of the President's annual budget request, that
includes--
(1) the Program budget 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 (e)(5), and a description of
the amount and number of Small Business Innovation Research and
Small Business Technology Transfer awards made in support of
the Program.

SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

(a) In General.--The President shall designate an advisory
committee on engineering biology research and development with at least
12 members, including representatives of research and academic
institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are qualified
to provide advice on the Program.
(b) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall assess--
(1) progress made in implementing the Program;
(2) the need to revise the Program;
(3) the balance of activities and funding across the
Program;
(4) whether the Program priorities and goals developed by
the Interagency Committee are helping to maintain United States
leadership in engineering biology;
(5) the management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Program; and
(6) whether ethical, legal, environmental, and other
appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the
Program.
(c) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall report within 3 years
after the date of enactment of this Act, and thereafter not less
frequently than once every 5 years, 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, on
its findings of the assessment carried out under this section and its
recommendations for ways to improve the Program.
(d) Federal Advisory Committee Act Application.--Section 14 of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the
Advisory Committee.

SEC. 6. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIETAL
ISSUES.

(a) In General.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies to convene a
workshop to review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other
appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and
development. The goals of the workshop shall be to--
(1) assess the current research on such issues;
(2) evaluate the research gaps relating to such issues; and
(3) provide recommendations on how the Program can address
the research needs identified.
(b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation
shall transmit 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 summary report containing the
findings of the workshop convened under this section.

SEC. 7. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.

(a) National Science Foundation.--As part of the Program, the
National Science Foundation shall--
(1) support basic research at the intersection of the
biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering
through individual grants and through interdisciplinary
research centers;
(2) support research on the environmental and social
effects of engineering biology;
(3) provide research instrumentation support for
engineering biology disciplines; and
(4) 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 Commerce.--As part of the Program, 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 development
of guidelines and safeguards for new products, processes, and
systems of engineering biology.
(c) Department of Energy.--As part of the Program, the Secretary of
Energy shall--
(1) conduct and support basic research, development,
demonstration, and commercial application activities in
engineering biology disciplines, including in the areas of
synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased
materials, and environmental remediation; and
(2) 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) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.--As part of the
Program, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall--
(1) conduct and support basic and applied research in
engineering biology fields, including in the field of 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.
(e) Environmental Protection Agency.--As part of the Program, the
Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products,
processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect the
environment.
Output:
Engineering Biology Research and Development Act of 2015 Directs the President to implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Program to advance societal well-being, national security, and economic productivity and competitiveness through: advancing areas of research at the intersection of the biological, physical, and information sciences and engineering; supporting social science research that advances the field of engineering biology and contributes to the adoption of new products, processes, and technologies; expanding the number of researchers, educators, and students with engineering biology training; accelerating the translation and commercialization of engineering biology research and development by the private sector; and improving the interagency planning and coordination of federal government activities related to engineering biology. Directs the President to designate an interagency committee on engineering biology to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the Program. Requires the President to designate an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development to assess the progress being made in implementing the Program. Directs the National Science Foundation to contract with the National Academies to convene a workshop to review the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development. Requires the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out specified research activities as part of the Program.