WASHINGTON – Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology passed seven bipartisan bills at a full committee markup.
"These bills all contribute to a larger effort to improve federal R&D, make it more efficient, and help our science agencies to better serve our communities," Chairman Frank Lucas said. His opening statement can be found here.
The bills passed today include:
H.R. 676, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act of 2023, requires NOAA to collaborate with State and local governments and Indian Tribes on vulnerability assessments related to ocean acidification, research planning, and similar activities.
"NOAA has already established an Interagency Working Group and conducts the strategic research plan and program research required by the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009. And while state and local governments, industry, academia, and other representatives are included in this work, there is no specific call out for Indian Tribes. This bill seeks to amend that by updating the statute directing collaboration of these activities to include Indian Tribes." – Chairman Lucas
H.R. 1482, the NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2023, updates and improves the technology behind the NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards system, which broadcasts emergency weather alerts across the country.
"Simply put: NWR is the single best source for real-time, comprehensive weather and emergency information. But it was almost 3 decades ago, in the late 1990s, that the NWR network received its last upgrade. H.R. 1482 authorizes upgrades and repairs to the existing system and ensures that the reliable infrastructure in place is not abandoned." – Rep. Stephanie Bice
H.R. 1496, the National Weather Service Communications Improvement Act, upgrades the instant messaging technology used by the National Weather Service for more consistent and reliable communications.
"The sooner we implement this quick and easy solution, the sooner local emergency managers will forget their worries of system failures and lives lost. With this bill, NWS has the full support of Congress to complete this upgrade and can avoid any potential delays." – Rep. Rick Crawford
H.R. 1713, the DOE and USDA Interagency Research Act, authorizes cross-cutting and collaborative research and development activities between the Department of Energy and USDA.
"We already know that DOE and USDA have a long history of working together on tough research problems to find solutions for the American taxpayer, including farmers and ranchers like myself. By authorizing this partnership, we can ensure that the USDA can leverage DOE’s tremendous expertise and resources for years to come." – Chairman Lucas
H.R. 1715, the Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act, advances numerical weather and climate prediction by directing the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to conduct collaborative research.
"By authorizing this partnership, we can ensure these agencies can continue their essential interagency research for years to come. We can also save taxpayer money by sharing mutually beneficial resources instead of building out duplicative capabilities at different agencies." – Environment Subcommittee Chairman Max Miller
H.R. 1734, the TRANQ Research Act, directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to deepen its partnerships and strategically focus on the science needed to detect, identify, and better understand synthetic opioids.
"This bill is one step in fighting dangerous fentanyl additives. By understanding what these additives are, how to test for them, and how to safely handle them, we can better protect our first responders." – Research and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Collins
H.R. 1735, the Mathematical and Statistical Modeling Education Act, supports research and development of curricula and teaching methods improving mathematical and statistical modeling education using competitive grants.
"Research may not be something where you see big changes right away, but investing in it is fundamental for long-term success of this country and the STEM fields are a critical part of that. This legislation is one way to help keep America on top and we owe it to our students to give them the tools and instruction necessary to prosper." – Rep. Jim Baird