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May 10, 2010
7:47PM

Summary of Amendments Submitted to the Rules Committee for
H.R. 5116 - America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010
(summaries derived from information provided by sponsors)
Listed in Alphabetical Order
May 11, 2010 1:53 PM

Bachmann (MN)

#53

Would clarify only American citizens are eligible to receive the financial support in section 5004 (Energy Applied Science Talent Expansion Program).

Bachmann (MN)

#54

Withdrawn Would strike sections 501-503 and insert a 10-year reauthorization of the research and development tax credit.

Bachmann (MN)

#55

Would prevent companies with more than ten percent of their equity owned by a single foreign state or foreign sovereign wealth fund (except for the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, the New Mexico State Investment Office Trust, and the Permanent Wyoming Mineral Trust Fund) from receiving the U.S. taxpayer-funded technology transfers in section 104 (Technology transfer).

Bachmann (MN)

#56

 Withdrawn Would prohibit companies owned by the People's Republic of China from receiving the U.S. taxpayer-funded technology transfers in Section 104 (Technology transfer).

Barrow (GA)

#65

Would require the inclusion of manufacturing education and training in the strategic plan developed by Federal agencies.

Bilbray (CA)

#60

Would amend the sense of Congress in section 502 to prohibit loan guarantees from being made unless the borrower agrees to use a federally-approved employment eligibility verification (E-VERIFY) system to verify employment eligibility.

Bilbray (CA)

#64

Would provide that only companies enrolled in a federally-approved electronic employment verification system are eligible for funding under the Act.

Bishop, Tim (NY)

#40

Revised Would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop, or assist in the development of, reference materials, standards, instruments and measurement methods for nanomaterials and derived products. The amendment also calls on NIST to develop data to support the correlation of properties of nanomaterials to any environmental, health, or safety risks.

Boccieri (OH), Schauer (MI), Davis, Lincoln (TN), Donnelly (IN)

#23

Would increase the authorization level for funding for Federal Loan Guarantees for Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing from $50 million to $100 million.

Boswell (IA), Michaud (ME)

#15

Would ensure that biomass technology systems and related courses are included in the list of fields that would be encompassed by the energy systems science and engineering education programs.

Broun (GA)

#41

Would freeze the authorization levels of section 212 (NSF), section 402 (NIST), and section 611 (DOE Office of Science) at FY2010 appropriated levels for fiscal years 2011-2013. It also would strike the authorization levels for the entire bill for FY2014-2015.

Broun (GA)

#42

Would strike from the bill the following: section 228 (NSF Prize Awards), section 406(b)-(c) (Manufacturing Extension Partnership Innovation Services Institute and Reports), section 407 (Bioscience Research Program), section 502 (Federal loan guarantees), section 503 (Regional Innovation Program), and subtitle C of title VI (Energy Innovation Hubs).

Broun (GA)

#43

Would strike title V of the bill (Innovation).

Cardoza (CA)

#39

Would instruct the NIST Director to carry out a green manufacturing and construction initiative that develops an understanding of sustainability in manufacturing and shares that information with manufacturers so that they can adopt the best sustainable manufacturing practices.

Carney (PA)

#13

Would require the National Science Foundation to conduct outreach encouraging rural colleges and private sector entities in rural areas to participate in the internship grant program.

Childers (MS)

#10

Revised Would require the NIST Director to carry out a disaster resilient buildings and infrastructure program.

Chu (CA)

#9

Would clarify that one purpose of the Innovation through Institutional Integration grant program is to help under-represented students in STEM fields transition from 2-year institutions to 4-year institutions of higher education.

Clarke (NY)

#8

Would ensure that STEM evidence-based education programs increase participation by women and underrepresented minority students.

Cohen (TN)

#48

Would express a Sense of Congress encouraging the incorporation of an engineering curriculum in K-12 schools.

Cuellar (TX)

#62

2nd Revised Would encourage applications applications from under-represented groups in the post-doctoral fellowships under Sections 242 and 246.

Davis, Danny K. (IL), Grijalva, Raul (AZ), Honda (CA), Kildee (MI)

#45

Would ensure that students enrolled in two-year, certificate, associate, or baccalaureate programs are eligible for STEM programs. It also would call for a report of agency approaches to increase minority participation in STEM careers.

Diaz-Balart, Mario (FL)

#37

Would strike the last 2 years of the authorization and make it a 3-year reauthorization.

Ellsworth (IN)

#27

Would ensure funds would not be used to purchase gift items, knickknacks, souvenirs, trinkets, or other items without direct educational value.

Gingrey (GA)

#4

Revised Would direct the National Science Foundation to establish the Green Chemistry Basic Research and Development program and provide merit-based grants to support green chemistry applications. Green chemistry is chemistry that involves the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances, and it focuses on preventing pollution and waste from forming in the first place.

Gordon (TN)

#70

Revised Would make technical and clarifying changes to the bill. Also would amend Section 243 (“Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program”) and Section 702 (“Persons with Disabilities), and add new Sections 412 (“Report On the Use of Modeling and Simulation”) and Section 704 (“Budgetary Effects”), among other changes.

Hall, Ralph (TX)

#66

Revised Would replace title VII of the bill to ensure funding in the bill gives priority to the recommendations in the National Academy of Sciences “Rising Above the Gathering Storm Report" ; would give institutions serving the disabled and disabled veterans special consideration in the activities and programs supported by the Act and requires agencies to do outreach to veterans; and would give veterans and service members preference in awarding scholarships and fellowships under the Act.

Hall, Ralph (TX)

#67

2nd Revised Would replace title VII of the bill to ensure funding in the bill gives priority to the recommendations in the National Academy of Sciences “Rising Above the Gathering Storm Report”; Gives institutions serving the disabled and disabled veterans special consideration in the activities and programs supported by the Act; and gives veterans and service members preference in awarding scholarships and fellowships.

Hall, Ralph (TX)

#68

Withdrawn Would add as eligible institutions under section 407 any institution of higher education chartered to serve large number of students with disabilities, including Gallaudet University, Landmark College, and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf; or an institution that serves large numbers of students who are disabled veterans.

Halvorson (IL)

#58

Would require the Director of the National Science Foundation to give consideration to the goal of promoting the participation of veterans in the postdoctoral research fellowship program established by section 246 (Postdoctoral research fellowships).

Hare (IL)

#7

Would declare that it is the sense of Congress that when more than one applicant applies for STEM education programs or activities authorized under the COMPETES Act and are considered equal in merit, that the grant making authority shall give additional consideration to the applicant who has not previously received funding and those institutions of higher education in rural areas.

Heinrich (NM)

#59

Would add science parks and federal laboratories as eligible recipients for the "Regional Innovation Program."

Heinrich (NM)

#61

Would allow the Secretary of Energy to establish an online database of unclassified technologies and capabilities available at national laboratories for the purpose of commercial application.

Herseth Sandlin (SD)

#31

Would urge NSF to respond to the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and National Science and Technology Council regarding investments in facilities, and to make joint investments with the Department of Energy where possible.

Holt (NJ), Kind (WI), Murphy, Scott (NY)

#28

Would require the Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to submit to Congress a national competitiveness and innovation strategy. The strategy must include suggested legislative and executive branch actions and a proposal for metric-based evaluation of improvements in U.S. competitiveness and innovation.

Holt (NJ), Ehlers (MI)

#29

Revised Would express the Sense of Congress that peer review is an important part of ensuring the integrity of scientific research and that in developing public access policies, federal agencies should take into account the role of scientific publishers in the peer review process.

Honda (CA)

#20

Revised Would coordinate federal STEM education programs with the work being done by state-level P-16 and P-20 councils to coordinate, integrate, and improve education throughout all grade levels and the common core standards being developed by the states by adding facilitating improved coordination between these efforts as one of the responsibilities of the Advisory Committee on STEM Education created in the bill.

Issa (CA)

#74

Revised Would strike Section 124, "Fulfilling the Potential of Academic Women in Academic Science and Engineering."

Jackson-Lee (TX)

#72

Would require the STEM Industry Internship Program report to include an economic and ethnic breakdown of the participating students.

Jackson-Lee (TX)

#73

Would require STEM Industry Internship priority to part B institutions, as defined in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. section 1061).

Kanjorski (PA)

#32

Would modify the cost sharing requirement under the Regional Innovation Program to give the Secretary discretion to waive the 50 percent requirement for projects deemed worthy and would not be able move forward without additional federal support.

Kanjorski (PA)

#33

Would establish priority when establishing a Regional Innovation Cluster to an application that (1) uses a region's natural resources to promote job creation, (2) promotes economic self-sufficiency, or (3) supports a region's emerging industries.

Kanjorski (PA)

#34

Would eliminate the cost sharing requirement under the Regional Innovation Program.

Kanjorski (PA)

#35

Would permit a Regional Innovation Cluster to use funding for administering job training programs in order to meet the goals of the cluster.

Kanjorski (PA)

#36

Would permit a Regional Innovation Center to use funding for interacting with the general public and state and local governments in order to meet the goals of the cluster.

Kissell (NC)

#5

Would require the Secretary to consider the amount of the obligation when determining application fees for the newly established Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing Loan Guarantee Program.

Klein (FL)

#2

Revised Would instruct the director of the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) within NIST to evaluate obstacles unique to small manufacturers that prevent them from effectively competing in the global market, and design a comprehensive plan to support MEP centers in meeting the needs of these small manufacturers. The director shall also work to facilitate greater collaboration between centers on small manufacturers’ needs.

Kratovil (MD), Connolly (VA)

#49

Revised Would encourage employees of Federal agencies to volunteer in STEM education activities.

Langevin (RI)

#57

Would engage the art and design disciplines in accelerating innovation and advancing the commercialization of research and development within the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Markey, Edward (MA)

#75

Revised Would establish a program to support the development and commercial application of clean energy technologies through a Clean Energy Consortium selected competitively by the Secretary of Energy. The Consortium would be regionally based and include research universities, national labs, industry, and other state and nongovernmental organizations with research or technology transfer expertise in clean energy technology. The Consortium would have a technology focus to which at least 50 percent of support would be directed. The grant to establish and operate the Consortium is for an amount not more than $10,000,000 per year and is for a period not to exceed 3 years.

Markey, Edward (MA)

#76

Revised Would establish a program to support the development and commercial application of clean energy technologies through a Clean Energy Consortium selected competitively by the Secretary of Energy. The Consortium would be regionally based and include research universities, national labs, industry, and other state and nongovernmental organizations with research or technology transfer expertise in clean energy technology. The Consortium would have a technology focus to which at least 50 percent of support would be directed. The grant to establish and operate the Consortium is for an amount not more than $10,000,000 per year and is for a period not to exceed 3 years.

Marshall (GA)

#11

Would direct the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to consider the needs of rural communities and small businesses when strengthening the collaboration on and coordination of policies relating to innovation and commercialization of new technologies within the Department of Commerce and between the Department of Commerce and other Federal agencies.

Matsui (CA)

#17

Would ensure that Smart Grid technologies are included in the list of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities that may be undertaken by a DOE Energy Innovation Hub.

Matsui (CA)

#18

Would ensure that the development of new smart grid technologies are an important part of the Office of Science's research activities as it continues to strengthen its collaborations with the rest of DOE to accelerate the advancement of new energy technologies.

McCarthy, Carolyn (NY)

#16

Revised Would ensure that any assessments and studies on improving emergency communications build upon conclusions made in existing reports on the matter.

McNerney (CA)

#52

Would add marine and hydrokinetic technology systems to the list of energy efficiency and renewable energy technology systems that would be included in the Department of Energy STEM education initiatives authorized under the section.

Michaud (ME)

#12

Would prioritize the needs of challenges of small businesses in the Regional Innovation Program's inter-agency collaboration.

Michaud (ME)

#38

Revised Would direct the Secretary to prioritize communities impacted by trade when awarding Regional Innovation Cluster grants.

Michaud (ME)

#50

Revised Requires the Advisory Committee on STEM Education to consider the needs of rural schools.

Miller, George (CA)

#46

Would require public institutions of higher education, with respect to employees who are represented by labor organizations and who work on activities or programs supported by this Act, to maintain a policy to respond to union information requests, for information to which the union is legally entitled, on a timely basis in order to be eligible to receive facilities and administrative costs provided by any of the funding sources authorized by this Act. Failure to comply with such a policy would result in suspension of payments to the institution for facilities and administrative costs until compliance is achieved.

Minnick (ID)

#24

Would require the President's Advisory Panel on STEM Education to coordinate with state and local workforce programs to better meet their needs.

Moore, Gwen (WI)

#22

Would expand the bill’s proposed climate and environmental science research of the Earth's atmosphere and biosphere to include the Great Lakes in addition to oceans.

Murphy, Patrick (PA), Altmire (PA)

#14

Would include in the list of STEM education programs and activities at the Department of Energy a competitive grant program for colleges and universities, including 2 year colleges, to create or expand courses and degree programs in the areas of energy systems science and engineering.

Murphy, Scott (NY), Kratovil (MD), Markey, Betsy (CO), Crowley (NY)

#71

Would establish a program to provide joint NSF-industry supported STEM PhD fellowships to institutions of higher education. Fellowships shall be available only to U.S. citizens or nationals, or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

Neugebauer (TX)

#51

Would freeze authorization levels at FY2010 amounts until the CBO certifies to Congress that the federal government does not have a budget deficit.

Perriello (VA)

#44

Would provide that the President's advisory committee on STEM can provide advice to Federal agencies including through the section 301 interagency committee.

Quigley (IL), Flake, Jeff (AZ)

#30

Would express the sense of Congress that retaining graduate-level talent trained at American universities in STEM fields is critical to enhancing the competitiveness of American businesses.

Reyes (TX), Connolly (VA)

#1

Would require the STEM coordinating committee under OSTP to describe the approaches that will be taken by each agency to conduct outreach designed to promote widespread public understanding of career opportunities in the STEM fields. It also requires the establishment and maintenance of a publicly accessible online database of all federally sponsored STEM education programs.

Ruppersberger (MD)

#25

Would clarify the eligibility of the Noyce scholarship to include retired STEM professionals.

Ruppersberger (MD)

#26

Revised Would direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to use cyber-enabled-learning to create an innovative STEM workforce and/or to retrain and retain our current STEM workforce to address critical national and economic issues.

Salazar (CO)

#63

Revised Would provide DOE with the authority to conduct training for energy auditors, field technicians, and building contractors so they can understand and promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology.

Sanchez, Loretta (CA)

#3

Revised Would include the membership of elementary school and secondary school administrator associations to the President's Advisory Committee on STEM Education.

Schock (IL)

#47

Revised Would instruct the Secretary of Commerce to give priority to innovation clusters that partner with local Workforce Investment Area Centers.

Sessions (TX)

#21

Would maintain FY 2011 authorization levels for FY 2012-2015 instead of increasing them annually.

Space (OH)

#19

Would instruct the Director of NIST to carry out a program to support research into transformational manufacturing.

Titus (NV)

#6

Would clarify that both pre-service and in-service teacher training and professional development shall be considered when identifying grand challenges in pre-K-12 STEM education.

Wu (OR)

#69

Would require ARPA-E to make awards designed to overcome the long-term and high-risk barriers relating to its goals and to facilitate submission, where possible by small businesses and entrepreneurs, of funding opportunities.