ARPA–E Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3915 To amend the America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JULY 23, 2019 Mr. LUCAS (for himself, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. BAIRD, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Mr. GONZALEZ of Ohio, Mr. BACON, and Mr. WOODALL) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology A BILL To amend the America COMPETES Act to reauthorize the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘ARPA–E Reauthoriza- 4 tion and Reform Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY–EN- 6 ERGY. 7 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 5012(b) of the Amer- 8 ica COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(b)) is amended 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3915 IH by striking ‘‘development of energy technologies’’ and in- 1 serting ‘‘development of transformative science and tech- 2 nology solutions to address energy, environmental, eco- 3 nomic, and national security challenges’’. 4 (b) GOALS.—Section 5012(c) of the America COM- 5 PETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(c)) is amended— 6 (1) by striking paragraph (1)(A) and inserting 7 the following: 8 ‘‘(A) to enhance the economic and energy 9 security of the United States through the devel- 10 opment of energy technologies that— 11 ‘‘(i) reduce imports of energy from 12 foreign sources; 13 ‘‘(ii) reduce energy-related emissions, 14 including greenhouse gases; 15 ‘‘(iii) improve the energy efficiency of 16 all economic sectors; 17 ‘‘(iv) provide transformative solutions 18 to improve the management, clean-up, and 19 disposal of— 20 ‘‘(I) low-level radioactive waste; 21 ‘‘(II) spent nuclear fuel; and 22 ‘‘(III) high-level radioactive 23 waste; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3915 IH ‘‘(v) improve efficiency and reduce the 1 environmental impact of all forms of en- 2 ergy production; 3 ‘‘(vi) improve the resiliency, reliability, 4 and security of the electric grid; and 5 ‘‘(vii) address other challenges within 6 the mission of the Department as deter- 7 mined by the Secretary; and’’; and 8 (2) in paragraph (2), in the matter preceding 9 subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘energy technology 10 projects’’ and inserting ‘‘advanced technology 11 projects’’. 12 (c) RESPONSIBILITIES.—Section 5012(e)(3)(A) of 13 the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 14 16538(e)(3)(A)) is amended by striking ‘‘energy’’. 15 (d) REPORTS AND ROADMAPS.—Section 5012(h) of 16 the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(h)) is 17 amended to read as follows: 18 ‘‘(h) ANNUAL REPORT.— 19 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As part of the annual 20 budget request submitted for each fiscal year, the 21 Director shall provide to the relevant authorizing 22 and appropriations committees of Congress a report 23 that— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3915 IH ‘‘(A) describes projects supported by 1 ARPA–E during the previous fiscal year; 2 ‘‘(B) identifies and includes an analysis of 3 projects supported by ARPA–E during the pre- 4 vious fiscal year that demonstrate duplication of 5 other activities funded by the Department; and 6 ‘‘(C) describes current, proposed, and 7 planned projects to be carried out pursuant to 8 subsection (e)(3)(D). 9 ‘‘(2) STRATEGIC VISION ROADMAP.—Beginning 10 with the report submitted with respect to fiscal year 11 2020, and every 4 fiscal years thereafter, the report 12 required under paragraph (1) shall include a road- 13 map describing the strategic vision that ARPA–E 14 will use to guide the choices of ARPA–E for future 15 technology investments over the following 4 fiscal 16 years.’’. 17 (e) COORDINATION AND NONDUPLICATION.—Section 18 5012(i)(1) of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 19 16538(i)(1)) is amended to read as follows: 20 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—To the maximum extent 21 practicable, the Director shall ensure that— 22 ‘‘(A) the activities of ARPA–E are coordi- 23 nated with, and do not duplicate the efforts of, 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 3915 IH programs and laboratories within the Depart- 1 ment and other relevant research agencies; and 2 ‘‘(B) ARPA–E does not provide funding 3 for a project unless the prospective grantee 4 demonstrates sufficient attempts to secure pri- 5 vate financing or indicates that the project is 6 not independently commercially viable.’’. 7 (f) EVALUATION.—Section 5012(l) of the America 8 COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(l)) is amended— 9 (1) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 10 following: 11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years 12 after the date of enactment of the ARPA–E Reau- 13 thorization and Reform Act of 2019, the Secretary 14 is authorized to enter into a contract with a third 15 party entity to conduct an evaluation of how well 16 ARPA–E is achieving the goals and mission of 17 ARPA–E.’’; and 18 (2) in paragraph (2)— 19 (A) by striking ‘‘shall’’ and inserting 20 ‘‘may’’; and 21 (B) by striking ‘‘the recommendation of 22 the National Academy of Sciences’’ and insert- 23 ing ‘‘a recommendation’’. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 3915 IH (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Para- 1 graph (2) of section 5012(o) of the America COMPETES 2 Act (42 U.S.C. 16538(o)) is amended to read as follows: 3 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 4 Subject to paragraph (4), there are authorized to be 5 appropriated to the Director of ARPA–E— 6 ‘‘(A) $392,800,000 for fiscal year 2020; 7 ‘‘(B) $419,600,000 for fiscal year 2021; 8 ‘‘(C) $446,400,000 for fiscal year 2022; 9 ‘‘(D) $473,200,000 for fiscal year 2023; 10 and 11 ‘‘(E) $500,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.’’. 12 (h) TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.—Section 13 5012(g)(3)(A)(iii) of the America COMPETES Act (42 14 U.S.C. 16538(g)(3)(A)(iii)) is amended by striking ‘‘sub- 15 part’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘subparagraph’’. 16 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 19:27 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3915.IH H3915 Pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS