| Sponsor | Rep. Gordon, Bart |
| Committee | Science and Technology |
| Date | May 13, 2010 (111th Congress, 2nd Session) |
| Staff Contact | John Gray |
The House is scheduled to begin consideration of H.R. 5116, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, under a structured rule making 54 amendments in order. Under the rule (H.Res. 1344), each amendment is debatable for ten minutes, except for the Manager's Amendment, which is debatable for 40 minutes. The rule allows for the amendments to be considered en bloc. Amendments made en bloc will be considered for 40 minutes.
1) Rep. Gordon (D-TN): The Manager's Amendment would make technical and clarifying changes to the bill. It would amend the Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program by requiring entities receiving grants in the amount of less than $1,500,000, to match 30 percent in cash or in-kind; for amounts greater than $1,500,000, entities should 50 percent match in cash or in-kind.
In addition, the amendment would require the National Institute of Standards and Technology to submit a report to Congress in regard to the use of high-performance computational modeling and simulation by small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
The amendment would prohibit funds authorized under this Act from employing any individual who has been convicted of, or pleaded guilty to, a crime of child molestation, rape, or any other form of sexual assault.
Finally, the amendment prohibits lobbying activities with any appropriated money from Congress.
2) Rep. Cardoza (D-CA): Would instruct the NIST Director to carry out a green manufacturing and construction initiative that develops an understanding of sustainability in metrics and practices for use in manufacturing and shares that information with manufacturers so that they can adopt the best sustainable manufacturing practices.
3) Rep. Matsui (D-CA): 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.
4) Rep. Matsui (D-CA): Would ensure that the development of new smart grid technologies are included in 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.
5) Rep. Wu (D-OR): 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 for technological innovation and areas of science and technology.
6) Rep. Broun (R-GA): Would strike title V- "Innovation," from the bill.
7) Rep. Boswell (D-IA) and Rep. Michaud (D-ME): 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.
8) Rep. Davis (D-IL), Rep. Grijalva (D-AZ), Rep. Honda (D-CA), and Rep. Kildee (D-MI): Would broaden the definition of "undergraduate student" to include students enrolled in certificate, associate, or baccalaureate degree programs, and that all are eligible for STEM programs. It would also require that each agency increase participation of underrepresented minority groups in STEM studies and careers. Finally, it would recommend that the Office of Science and Technology Policy evaluate the role of students involved in STEM programs.
9) Rep. Kanjorski (D-PA): 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.
10) Rep. Markey (D-MA): Would establish a program to support the development and commercial application of clean energy technologies through a Clean Energy Consortium established 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 Consortium would also establish an External Advisory Committee, comprised of members with scientific, technical, industry, financial, and research expertise. 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.
11) Rep. McCarthy (D-NY): Would ensure that any assessments and studies on improving emergency communications build upon conclusions made in existing reports on the matter.
12) Rep. Miller (D-CA): 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.
13) Rep. Reyes (D-TX) and Rep. Connolly (D-VA): 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.
14) Rep. Sanchez, Loretta (D-CA): Would include the membership of elementary school and secondary school administrator associations to the President's Advisory Committee on STEM Education.
15) Rep. Bishop (D-NY): Would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out a nanomaterial research initiative 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.
16) Rep. Barrow (D-GA): Would require the inclusion of how federal agencies supporting manufacturing research and development will strengthen all levels of manufacturing education and training programs to ensure a well-trained workforce.
17) Rep. Carney (D-PA): 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.
18) Rep. Clarke (D-NY): Would ensure that STEM education programs increase participation by women and underrepresented minority students.
19) Rep. Cohen (D-TX): Would express a Sense of Congress encouraging the incorporation of an engineering curriculum in K-12 schools.
20) Rep. Cuellar (D-TX): Would direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to conduct outreach efforts to encourage applications from underrepresented groups.
21) Rep. Gingrey (R-GA): 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.
22) Rep. Herseth (D-SD): Would express a sense of Congress to urge NSF to coordinate and collaborate with other federal agencies, including the Office of Science, and to respond to the recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences and National Science and Technology Council regarding investments in facilities, and partnership with other agencies when possible.
23) Rep. Holt (R-NJ), Rep. Kind (D-WI), and Rep. Murphy (D-NY): 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.
24) Rep. Holt (D-NJ) and Rep. Ehlers (R-MI): Would express th sense of Congress that peer review is an important part of the process of ensuring the integrity of the record of scientific research, and that the National Science and Technology Council working group established under this section should take into account the role that scientific publishers play in the peer review process.
25) Rep. Honda (D-CA): 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.
26) Rep. Issa (R-CA): Would strike Section 124, "Fulfilling the Potential of Academic Women in Academic Science and Engineering" from the bill.
27) Rep. Jackson-Lee (D-TX): Would require the STEM Industry Internship Program report to include an economic and ethnic breakdown of the participating students.
28) Rep. Marshall (D-GA): 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.
29) Rep. Michaud (D-ME): Would ensure that the Regional Innovation Programs provide collaboration with federal agencies in regard to the needs and challenges of small businesses.
30) Rep. Michaud (D-ME): Would direct the Secretary to prioritize communities impacted by trade when awarding Regional Innovation Cluster grants.
31) Rep. Michaud (D-ME): Requires the Advisory Committee on STEM Education to consider the unique needs of rural schools.
32) Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD): Would clarify the eligibility of the Noyce scholarship to include retired STEM professionals.
33) Rep. Ruppersberger (D-MD): 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 the current STEM workforce to address challenges, including national security and competitiveness.
34) Rep. Boccieri (D-OH), Rep. Schauer (D-MI), Rep. Davis (D-TN), and Rep. Donnelly (D-IN): Would increase the authorization level for funding for Federal Loan Guarantees for Innovative Technologies in Manufacturing from $50 million to $100 million.
35) Rep. Childers (D-MS): Would require the NIST Director to carry out a disaster resilient buildings and infrastructure program.
36) Rep. Chu (D-CA): 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.
37) Rep. Ellsworth (D-IN): Would ensure funds would not be used to purchase gift items, knickknacks, souvenirs, trinkets, or other items without direct educational value.
38) Rep. Halvorson (D-IL): 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 of the bill.
39) Rep. Hare (D-IL): Would express a 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.
40) Rep. Heinrich (D-NM): Would add science parks and federal laboratories as eligible recipients for the "Regional Innovation Program."
41) Rep. Heinrich (D-NM): Would allow the Secretary of Energy to establish an online database of unclassified technologies, capabilities, and resources available at the national laboratories for the purpose of commercial application.
42) Rep. Kissell (D-NM): 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.
43) Rep. Klein (D-FL): Would instruct the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership within the NIST to evaluate obstacles unique to small manufacturers that prevent them from effectively competing in global markets; provide a comprehensive plan to train the Centers to address such obstacles; and facilitate improved communication between the Centers to assist manufacturers to implement appropriate solutions.
44) Rep. Kratovil (D-MD) and Rep. Connolly (D-VA): Would encourage scientists and engineers from federal agencies to volunteer in STEM education activities, and it would increase communication and partnerships between scientists and engineers of federal science agencies and elementary and secondary schools and educators.
45) Rep. McNerney (D-CA): 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.
46) Rep. Minnick (D-ID): Would require the President's Advisory Panel on STEM Education to coordinate with state and local workforce programs to better meet their needs.
47) Rep. Moore (D-WI): 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.
48) Rep. Murphy (D-PA) and Rep. Altmire (D-PA): 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.
49) Rep. Perriello (D-VA): Provides that the President's advisory committee on STEM can provide advice to federal agencies including through the interagency committee
50) Reps. Quigley (D-IL) and Flake (R-AZ): Expresses 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.
51) Rep. Salazar (D-CO): Provides Department of Energy with the authority to conduct training for energy auditors, field technicians, and contractors so they can promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency technology.
52) Rep. Schock (R-IL): Instructs the Secretary of Commerce to give priority to innovation clusters that partner with local Workforce Investment Area Boards.
53) Rep. Space (D-OH): Instructs the Director of NIST to carry out a program to support research into transformational manufacturing.
54) Rep. Titus (D-NV): Clarifies that both pre-service and in-service teacher training and professional development would be considered when identifying grand challenges in pre-K-12 STEM education.