[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. [all]