[House Report 114-149]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
114th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
1st Session } { 114-149
======================================================================
FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SUNSHINE ACT OF 2015
_______
June 11, 2015.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the
State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. McCaul, from the Committee on Homeland Security, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 1637]
[Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]
The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 1637) to require annual reports on the
activities and accomplishments of federally funded research and
development centers within the Department of Homeland Security,
and for other purposes, having considered the same, report
favorably thereon without amendment and recommend that the bill
do pass.
CONTENTS
Page
Purpose and Summary.............................................. 2
Background and Need for Legislation.............................. 2
Hearings......................................................... 2
Committee Consideration.......................................... 2
Committee Votes.................................................. 2
Committee Oversight Findings..................................... 3
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures 3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate............................. 3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............ 3
Duplicative Federal Programs..................................... 4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff
Benefits....................................................... 4
Federal Mandates Statement....................................... 4
Preemption Clarification......................................... 4
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings.............................. 4
Advisory Committee Statement..................................... 4
Applicability to Legislative Branch.............................. 4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation................... 4
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............ 5
PURPOSE AND SUMMARY
The purpose of H.R. 1637 is to require annual reports on
the activities and accomplishments of federally funded research
and development centers within the Department of Homeland
Security, and for other purposes.
BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federally Funded
Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) perform research and
development for DHS and its components. The FFRDCs are tasked
with these projects through the Science and Technology (S&T)
Directorate at DHS. Currently, S&T is not required to share
with Congress information on the projects assigned to FFRDCs.
This measure requires the DHS Secretary to annually submit to
the Committee a list of the ongoing and completed projects
tasked to FFRDCs. Currently, the Committee does not receive
such information. The Committee believes this information will
provide a better picture of the size and scope of DHS FFRDC
projects and allow the Committee to conduct better oversight of
the projects and Department's utilization of FFRDCs.
HEARINGS
The Committee held no hearings on H.R. 1637, however the
Committee held the following oversight hearing.
The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure
Protection, and Security Technologies held a hearing on May 19,
2015, entitled ``Examining the DHS Science and Technology
Directorate's Engagement with Academia and Industry.'' The
Subcommittee received testimony from Mr. Jake Parker, Director
of Government Relations, Security Industry Association; Mr.
Marc Pearl, President and CEO, Homeland Security and Defense
Business Council; and Dr. Samuel H. Aronson, President of the
American Physical Society and former Director of Brookhaven
National Laboratory. This hearing examined perspectives on how
DHS' Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate collaborates with
academia on relevant research topics and partners with industry
on the development and acquisition of products for the
Department of Homeland Security.
COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION
The Committee met on May 20, 2015, to consider H.R. 1673,
and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a
favorable recommendation, without amendment, by voice vote.
COMMITTEE VOTES
Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of
Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments
thereto.
No recorded votes were requested during consideration of
H.R. 1637.
COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight
hearings and made findings that are reflected in this report.
NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX EXPENDITURES
In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R.
1637, the Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine
Act of 2015, would result in no new or increased budget
authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or
revenues.
CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE
The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.
U.S. Congress,
Congressional Budget Office,
Washington, DC, June 4, 2015.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 1637, the
Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of 2015.
If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark
Grabowicz.
Sincerely,
Keith Hall.
Enclosure.
H.R. 1637--Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of
2015
H.R. 1637 would direct the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) to report annually to the Congress on the progress of
projects funded through DHS research and development centers.
The department already prepares annual reports on those
projects, so CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1637 would
not significantly affect spending by DHS. Because enacting the
legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 1637 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz.
The estimate was approved by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy
Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.
STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, H.R. 1637 contains the following
general performance goals and objectives, including outcome
related goals and objectives authorized.
The goals of this bill are to allow the Committee to have
proper oversight of projects that the DHS FFRDCs are tasked to
complete, this allows for greater transparency on the part of
DHS and provides the committee the opportunity for further
oversight into specific projects.
DUPLICATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAMS
Pursuant to clause 3(c) of rule XIII, the Committee finds
that H.R. 1637 does not contain any provision that establishes
or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another
Federal program.
CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED TARIFF
BENEFITS
In compliance with rule XXI of the Rules of the House of
Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule
XXI.
FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT
The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform
Act.
PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION
In compliance with section 423 of the Congressional Budget
Act of 1974, requiring the report of any Committee on a bill or
joint resolution to include a statement on the extent to which
the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt State,
local, or Tribal law, the Committee finds that H.R. 1637 does
not preempt any State, local, or Tribal law.
DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS
The Committee estimates that H.R. 1637 would require no
directed rule makings.
ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT
No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b)
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this
legislation.
APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH
The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public
services or accommodations within the meaning of section
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.
SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that bill may be cited as the
``Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act of
2015.''
Section 2. Annual reports on projects of federally funded research and
development centers within the Department of Homeland Security
This section requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to
annually submit a list of ongoing and completed projects tasked
by the Department of Homeland Security to federally funded
research and development centers.
Additionally, this section requires that the section be
carried out with existing resources, as no additional funds are
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section.
CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED
H.R. 1637, as reported, makes no changes to exisiting law.
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