National SEAL Act of 2021

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1213 To require the Secretary of Commerce to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the top 10 emerging science and technology challenges faced by the United States and develop recommendations to address them, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 19, 2021 Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself and Mr. BLUNT) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To require the Secretary of Commerce to seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the top 10 emerging science and technology challenges faced by the United States and develop recommendations to address them, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1213 IS SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Strategy to 2 Ensure American Leadership Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘Na- 3 tional SEAL Act of 2021’’. 4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 5 Congress makes the following findings: 6 (1) In 1960, the United States was an undis- 7 puted leader in science and innovation, making up 8 69 percent of the world’s research and development 9 investments. 10 (2) The United States innovation system, in- 11 cluding Federal support for research, has spurred 12 development of critical technologies, including the 13 internet, the Global Positioning System (GPS), 14 supercomputing, speech-recognition, semiconductors, 15 and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). 16 (3) By 2018, as governments and industry in 17 other countries have increased their own investment, 18 the United States share of global research and devel- 19 opment fell to 27.6 percent. 20 (4) In 2015, China launched the Made in China 21 2025 initiative, a 10-year strategic plan that in- 22 cludes promoting development in key sectors, such 23 as next generation information technology, industrial 24 robotics, electric vehicles, new synthetic material de- 25 velopment, and biotechnology. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1213 IS (5) From 2000 to 2018, China’s share of global 1 research and development rose from 4.9 percent to 2 26.3 percent and the United States share fell from 3 39.9 percent to 27.6 percent. 4 (6) While the United States continued to fund 5 more research and development than any other indi- 6 vidual country, China, as the number 2 funder, was 7 less than $28,000,000,000 behind United States in- 8 vestment. 9 (7) In 2005, Senator Lamar Alexander and 10 Senator Jeff Bingaman requested that the National 11 Academy of Sciences explore ‘‘the top 10 actions, in 12 priority order, that Federal policy makers could take 13 to enhance the science and technology enterprise so 14 the United States can successfully compete, prosper, 15 and be secure in the global community of the 21st 16 Century,’’ along with an implementation strategy. 17 (8) The subsequent report, ‘‘Rising Above the 18 Gathering Storm,’’ led to passage of the America 19 COMPETES Act (121 Stat. 572; Public Law 110– 20 69) and the America COMPETES Reauthorization 21 Act of 2010 (124 Stat. 3982; Public Law 111–358) 22 to increase investment in scientific research and en- 23 hance the science, technology, engineering, and 24 mathematics workforce. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1213 IS (9) The American Innovation and Competitive- 1 ness Act (130 Stat. 2969; Public Law 114–329) was 2 enacted in 2017 to improve the Federal research 3 process and provide incentives for private-sector in- 4 novation. 5 (10) The United States is in a period of rapid 6 development of innovation, including disruptive tech- 7 nology like the internet of things, blockchain, auton- 8 omous vehicles, clean energy technology, energy stor- 9 age, artificial intelligence, quantum information 10 science, nanotechnology, and advanced genome edit- 11 ing. 12 (11) The United States is facing resource and 13 national security challenges that will require ad- 14 vanced research and innovation. 15 (12) Advances in research and technology in 16 other countries, like the growth of China in fifth- 17 generation wireless networking technology, have pre- 18 sented national security challenges in United States 19 infrastructure. 20 (13) The United States must maintain and 21 grow its technological advantage in order to remain 22 competitive and secure in the global economy. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 1213 IS SEC. 3. STUDY ON EMERGING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1 CHALLENGES FACED BY THE UNITED STATES 2 AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO ADDRESS 3 THEM. 4 (a) STUDY.— 5 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce 6 shall seek to enter into an agreement with the Na- 7 tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Med- 8 icine to conduct a study— 9 (A) to identify the 10 most critical emerg- 10 ing science and technology challenges facing the 11 United States; and 12 (B) to develop recommendations for legis- 13 lative or administrative action to ensure United 14 States leadership in matters relating to such 15 challenges. 16 (2) ELEMENTS.—The study conducted under 17 paragraph (1) shall include identification, review, 18 and evaluation of the following: 19 (A) Matters pertinent to identification of 20 the challenges described in paragraph (1)(A). 21 (B) Matters relating to the findings in sec- 22 tion 2. 23 (C) Matters relating to the recommenda- 24 tions developed under paragraph (1)(B), includ- 25 ing with respect to education and workforce de- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 1213 IS velopment necessary to address each of the 1 challenges identified under paragraph (1)(A). 2 (3) TIMEFRAME.— 3 (A) AGREEMENT.—The Secretary shall 4 seek to enter into the agreement required by 5 paragraph (1) on or before the date that is 60 6 days after the date of the enactment of this 7 Act. 8 (B) FINDINGS.—Under an agreement en- 9 tered into under paragraph (1), the National 10 Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medi- 11 cine shall, not later than 1 year after the date 12 on which the Secretary and the National Acad- 13 emies enter into such agreement, transmit to 14 the Secretary the findings of the National 15 Academies with respect to the study conducted 16 pursuant to such agreement. 17 (b) REPORT.— 18 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days after 19 the date on which the Secretary receives the findings 20 of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 21 and Medicine with respect to the study conducted 22 under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to 23 Congress a report on such study. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 1213 IS (2) CONTENTS.—The report submitted under 1 paragraph (1) shall include the following: 2 (A) The findings of the National Acad- 3 emies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 4 with respect to the study conducted under sub- 5 section (a). 6 (B) The conclusions of the Secretary with 7 respect to such findings. 8 (C) The recommendations developed under 9 subsection (a)(1)(B). 10 (D) Such other recommendations for legis- 11 lative or administrative action as the Secretary 12 may have with respect to such findings and con- 13 clusions. 14 (c) INFORMATION FROM FEDERAL AGENCIES.— 15 (1) IN GENERAL.—The National Academies of 16 Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine may secure di- 17 rectly from a Federal department or agency such in- 18 formation as the National Academies of Sciences, 19 Engineering, and Medicine consider necessary to 20 carry out the study under subsection (a). 21 (2) FURNISHING INFORMATION.—On request of 22 the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 23 and Medicine for information, the head of the de- 24 partment or agency shall furnish such information to 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •S 1213 IS the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 1 and Medicine. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:48 May 13, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1213.IS S1213 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS