“MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS CERTAIN BILLS.....” published by Congressional Record in the House of Representatives section on May 18, 2021

By Johnson City Times

May 18, 2021

David P. Roe was mentioned in MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS CERTAIN BILLS..... on pages H2482-H2520 covering the 1st Session of the 117th Congress published on May 18, 2021 in the Congressional Record.

The publication is reproduced in full below:

MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS CERTAIN BILLS

Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 5 of House Resolution 403, I move to suspend the rules and pass H.R. 144, H.R. 204, H.R. 210, H.R. 240, H.R. 707, H.R. 711, H.R. 1157, H.R. 1447, H.R. 1510, H.R. 1711, H.R. 2027, H.R. 2167, H.R. 2441, H.R. 2494, H.R. 2533, H.R. 2655, H.R. 2695, H.R. 2704, H.R. 2788, H.R. 2878, and H.R. 3008.

The Clerk read the title of the bills.

The text of the bills are as follows:

Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act

H.R. 144

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Early-Career Researchers Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The Nation's universities and industrial research labs are facing unprecedented budget pressure as part of the COVID-19 health crisis, resulting in considerably fewer openings for research and teaching positions.

(2) Emergency funding is needed to forestall the loss of research talent likely to occur if early-career researchers are forced to seek employment outside of research due to the sharp economic decline caused by the COVID-19 health crisis.

(3) The future of America's defense will rely on advanced technologies to maintain its military superiority over its rivals, including China. These technologies will require new levels of scientific and engineering aptitude and understanding. Early career researchers will play a critical role in the development of these technologies, and the loss of an entire generation of researchers due to the COVID-19 pandemic will be detrimental to the United States national security.

SEC. 3. EARLY-CAREER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation may establish a 2-year pilot program to award grants to highly qualified early-career investigators to carry out an independent research program at the qualified institution of higher education chosen by such investigator, to last for a period not greater than 2 years.

(b) Selection Process.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall select grantees under subsection (a) from among citizens, nationals, and lawfully admitted permanent resident aliens of the United States.

(1) from all regions of the country;

(2) from historically underrepresented populations in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and

(3) who graduate from or intend to carry out research at a variety of types of institutions of higher education, including--

(A) Historically Black Colleges and Universities;

(B) Hispanic-Serving Institutions;

(D) institutions of higher education that are not among the top 50 institutions in annual Federal funding for research.

(d) Special Consideration.--The Director shall give special consideration to an application from an individual who graduated from or is intending to carry out research at an institution of the type listed in subsection (c)(3).

(e) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the conclusion of the second year of the pilot program, the Director shall submit a report to Congress that includes--

(1) statistical summary data on fellowship awardees disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, age, years since completion of doctoral degree, and institution type;

(2) an assessment, drawing on feedback from the research community and other sources of information, of the effectiveness of the pilot program for mitigating the loss of research talent due to the pandemic; and

(3) if determined effective, a plan for permanent implementation of the pilot program.

(f) Qualified Institution of Higher Education Defined.--The term ``qualified institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 102 of the Higher Education of Act of 1965, except that such term does not include an institution described in subsection (a)(1)(C) of such section.

SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $250,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2022 to carry out the activities in this Act.

STEM Opportunities Act

H.R. 204

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS; FINDINGS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``STEM Opportunities Act''.

(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents; findings.

Sec. 2. Purposes.

Sec. 3. Federal science agency policies for caregivers.

Sec. 4. Collection and reporting of data on Federal research grants.

Sec. 5. Policies for review of Federal research grants.

Sec. 6. Collection of data on demographics of faculty.

Sec. 7. Cultural and institutional barriers to expanding the academic and Federal STEM workforce.

Sec. 8. Research and dissemination at the National Science Foundation.

Sec. 9. Research and related activities to expand STEM opportunities.

Sec. 10. Tribal Colleges and Universities Program.

Sec. 11. Report to Congress.

Sec. 12. Merit review.

Sec. 13. Determination of budgetary effects.

Sec. 14. Definitions.

(1) Many reports over the past decade have found that it is critical to our Nation's economic leadership and global competitiveness that the United States educates and trains more scientists and engineers.

(2) Research shows that women and minorities who are interested in STEM careers are disproportionately lost at nearly every educational transition and at every career milestone.

(3) The National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics at the National Science Foundation collects, compiles, analyzes, and publishes data on the demographics of STEM degrees and STEM jobs in the United States.

(4) Women now earn nearly 37 percent of all STEM bachelor's degrees, but major variations persist among fields. In 2017, women earned only 20 percent of all bachelor's degrees awarded in engineering and 19 percent of bachelor's degrees awarded in computer sciences. Based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, jobs in computing occupations are expected to account for nearly 60 percent of the projected annual growth of newly created STEM job openings from 2016 to 2026.

(5) In 2017, underrepresented minority groups comprised 39 percent of the college-age population of the United States, but only 18 percent of students who earned bachelor's degrees in STEM fields. The Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, found that, while freshmen from underrepresented minority groups express an interest in pursuing a STEM undergraduate degree at the same rate as all other freshmen, only 22.1 percent of Latino students, 18.4 percent of African-American students, and 18.8 percent of Native American students studying in STEM fields complete their degree within 5 years, compared to approximately 33 percent of White students and 42 percent of Asian students who complete their degree within 5 years.

(6) In some STEM fields, including the computer sciences, women persist at about the same rate through doctorate degrees. In other STEM fields, women persist through doctorate degrees at a lower rate. In mathematics, women earn just 26 percent of doctorate degrees compared with 42 percent of undergraduate degrees. Overall, women earned 38 percent of STEM doctorate degrees in 2016. The rate of minority students earning STEM doctorate degrees in physics is 9 percent, compared with 15 percent for bachelor's degree. Students from underrepresented minority groups accounted for only 11.5 percent of STEM doctorate degrees awarded in 2016.

(7) The representation of women in STEM drops significantly from the doctorate degree level to the faculty level. Overall, women hold only 26 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 27 percent of full professor positions in STEM fields in our Nation's universities and 4- year colleges. Black and Hispanic faculty together hold about 6.8 percent of all tenured and tenure-track positions and 7.5 percent of full professor positions. Many of the numbers in the American Indian or Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander categories for different faculty ranks were too small for the National Science Foundation to report publicly without potentially compromising confidential information about the individuals being surveyed.

(8) The representation of women is especially low at our Nation's top research universities. Even in the biological sciences, in which women now earn more than 50 percent of the doctorates and passed the 25 percent level 37 years ago, women make up only 25 percent of the full professors at the approximately 100 most research-intensive universities in the United States. In the physical sciences and mathematics, women make up only 11 percent of full professors, in computer sciences only 10 percent, and across engineering fields only 7 percent. The data suggest that approximately 6 percent of all tenure-track STEM faculty members at the most research- intensive universities are from underrepresented minority groups, but in some fields the numbers are too small to report publicly.

(9) By 2050, underrepresented minorities will comprise 52 percent of the college-age population of the United States. If the percentage of female students and students from underrepresented minority groups earning bachelor's degrees in STEM fields does not significantly increase, the United States will face an acute shortfall in the overall number of students who earn degrees in STEM fields just as United States companies are increasingly seeking students with those skills. With this impending shortfall, the United States will almost certainly lose its competitive edge in the 21st century global economy.

(10) According to a 2014 Association for Women in Science survey of over 4,000 scientists across the globe, 70 percent of whom were men, STEM researchers face significant challenges in work-life integration. Researchers in the United States were among the most likely to experience a conflict between work and their personal life at least weekly. One-third of researchers surveyed said that ensuring good work-life integration has negatively impacted their careers, and, of researchers intending to leave their current job within the next year, 9 percent indicated it was because they were unable to balance work and life demands.

(11) Female students and students from underrepresented minority groups at institutions of higher education who see few others ``like themselves'' among faculty and student populations often do not experience the social integration that is necessary for success in all disciplines, including STEM.

(12) One in five children in the United States attend school in a rural community. The data shows that rural students are at a disadvantage with respect to STEM readiness. Among STEM-interested students, 17 percent of students in rural high schools and 18 percent of students in town-located high schools meet the ACT STEM Benchmark, compared with 33 percent of students in suburban high schools and 27 percent of students in urban high schools.

(13) A substantial body of evidence establishes that most people hold implicit biases. Decades of cognitive psychology research reveal that most people carry prejudices of which they are unaware but that nonetheless play a large role in evaluations of people and their work. Unintentional biases and outmoded institutional structures are hindering the access and advancement of women, minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

(14) Workshops held to educate faculty about unintentional biases have demonstrated success in raising awareness of such biases.

(15) In 2012, the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (in this Act referred to as ``NASA'') completed a report that--

(A) is specifically designed to help NASA grant recipients identify why the dearth of women in STEM fields continues and to ensure that it is not due to discrimination; and

(B) provides guidance that is usable by all institutions of higher education receiving significant Federal research funding on how to conduct meaningful self-evaluations of campus culture and policies.

(16) The Federal Government provides 55 percent of research funding at institutions of higher education and, through its grant-making policies, has had significant influence on institution of higher education policies, including policies related to institutional culture and structure.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are as follows:

(1) To ensure that Federal science agencies and institutions of higher education receiving Federal research and development funding are fully engaging the entire talent pool of the United States.

(2) To promote research on, and increase understanding of, the participation and trajectories of women, minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in STEM studies and careers, including persons with disabilities, older learners, veterans, and rural, poor, and tribal populations, at institutions of higher education and Federal science agencies, including Federal laboratories.

(3) To raise awareness within Federal science agencies, including Federal laboratories, and institutions of higher education about cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, promotion, and other indicators of participation and achievement of women, minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in academic and Government STEM research careers at all levels.

(4) To identify, disseminate, and implement best practices at Federal science agencies, including Federal laboratories, and at institutions of higher education to remove or reduce cultural and institutional barriers limiting the recruitment, retention, and success of women, minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in academic and Government STEM research careers.

(5) To provide grants to institutions of higher education to recruit, retain, and advance STEM faculty members from underrepresented minority groups and to implement or expand reforms in undergraduate STEM education in order to increase the number of students from underrepresented minority groups receiving degrees in these fields.

SEC. 3. FEDERAL SCIENCE AGENCY POLICIES FOR CAREGIVERS.

(a) OSTP Guidance.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with relevant agencies, shall provide guidance to each Federal science agency to establish policies that--

(1) apply to all--

(A) research awards granted by such agency; and

(B) principal investigators of such research and their trainees, including postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, who have caregiving responsibilities, including care for a newborn or newly adopted child and care for an immediate family member who is sick or disabled; and

(2) provide--

(A) flexibility in timing for the initiation of approved research awards granted by such agency;

(B) no-cost extensions of such research awards;

(C) grant supplements, as appropriate, to research awards for research technicians or equivalent positions to sustain research activities conducted under such awards; and

(D) any other appropriate accommodations at the discretion of the director of each such agency.

(b) Uniformity of Guidance.--In providing guidance under subsection (a), the Director shall encourage uniformity and consistency in the policies established pursuant to such guidance across all Federal science agencies.

(1) maintain or develop and implement policies for individuals described in paragraph (1)(B) of such subsection; and

(2) broadly disseminate such policies to current and potential grantees.

(d) Data on Usage.--Federal science agencies shall--

(1) collect data on the usage of the policies under subsection (c), by gender, at both institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories; and

(2) report such data on an annual basis to the Director in such form as required by the Director.

SEC. 4. COLLECTION AND REPORTING OF DATA ON FEDERAL RESEARCH

GRANTS.

(a) Collection of Data.--

(1) In general.--Each Federal science agency shall collect, as practicable, with respect to all applications for merit- reviewed research and development grants to institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories supported by that agency, the standardized record-level annual information on demographics, primary field, award type, institution type, review rating, budget request, funding outcome, and awarded budget.

(2) Uniformity and standardization.--The Director, in consultation with the Director of the National Science Foundation, shall establish a policy to ensure uniformity and standardization of the data collection required under paragraph (1).

(3) Record-level data.--

(A) Requirement.--Beginning not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and on an annual basis thereafter, each Federal science agency shall submit to the Director of the National Science Foundation record-level data collected under paragraph (1) in the form required by such Director.

(B) Previous data.--As part of the first submission under subparagraph (A), each Federal science agency, to the extent practicable, shall also submit comparable record-level data for the 5 years preceding the date of such submission.

(b) Reporting of Data.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall publish statistical summary data, as practicable, collected under this section, disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, gender, and years since completion of doctoral degree, including in conjunction with the National Science Foundation's report required by section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96-516).

SEC. 5. POLICIES FOR REVIEW OF FEDERAL RESEARCH GRANTS.

(a) In General.--Each Federal science agency shall implement the policy recommendations with respect to reducing the impact of implicit bias at Federal science agencies and grantee institutions as developed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the 2016 report entitled ``Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce'' and any subsequent updates.

(b) Pilot Activity.--In consultation with the National Science Foundation and consistent with policy recommendations referenced in subsection (a), each Federal science agency shall implement a 2-year pilot orientation activity for program officers and members of standing review committees to educate reviewers on research related to, and minimize the effects of, implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural Federal research grants.

(c) Establishment of Policies.--Drawing upon lessons learned from the pilot activity under subsection (b), each Federal science agency shall maintain or develop and implement evidence-based policies and practices to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural Federal research grants.

(d) Assessment of Policies.--Federal science agencies shall regularly assess, and amend as necessary, the policies and practices implemented pursuant to subsection (c) to ensure effective measures are in place to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural Federal research grants.

SEC. 6. COLLECTION OF DATA ON DEMOGRAPHICS OF FACULTY.

(a) Collection of Data.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and at least every 5 years thereafter, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall carry out a survey to collect data from grantees on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of institutions of higher education.

(2) Considerations.--To the extent practicable, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall consider, by gender, race, ethnicity, citizenship status, and years since completion of doctoral degree--

(A) the number and percentage of faculty;

(B) the number and percentage of faculty at each rank;

(D) the number and percentage of faculty who are reviewed for promotion, including tenure, and the percentage of that number who are promoted, including being awarded tenure;

(E) faculty years in rank;

(F) the number and percentage of faculty to leave tenure- track positions;

(G) the number and percentage of faculty hired, by rank; and

(H) the number and percentage of faculty in leadership positions.

(b) Existing Surveys.--The Director of the National Science Foundation, may, in modifying or expanding existing Federal surveys of higher education (as necessary)--

(1) take into account the considerations under subsection

(a)(2) by collaborating with statistical centers at other Federal agencies; or

(2) award a grant or contract to an institution of higher education or other nonprofit organization to take such considerations into account.

(c) Reporting Data.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall publish statistical summary data collected under this section, including as part of the National Science Foundation's report required by section 37 of the Science and Technology Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885d; Public Law 96-516).

(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $3,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024 to develop and carry out the initial survey required under subsection (a).

SEC. 7. CULTURAL AND INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO EXPANDING THE

ACADEMIC AND FEDERAL STEM WORKFORCE.

(a) Best Practices at Institutions of Higher Education and Federal Laboratories.--

(1) Development of guidance.--Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the interagency working group on inclusion in STEM, shall develop written guidance for institutions of higher education and Federal laboratories on the best practices for--

(A) conducting periodic climate surveys of STEM departments and divisions, with a particular focus on identifying any cultural or institutional barriers to the recruitment, retention, or advancement of women, racial and ethnic minorities, and other groups historically underrepresented in STEM studies and careers; and

(B) providing educational opportunities, including workshops as described in subsection (b), for STEM faculty, research personnel, and administrators to learn about current research on implicit bias in recruitment, evaluation, and promotion of undergraduate and graduate students and research personnel.

(2) Existing guidance.--In developing the guidance under paragraph (1), the Director shall utilize guidance already developed by Federal science agencies.

(3) Dissemination of guidance.--Federal science agencies shall broadly disseminate the guidance developed under paragraph (1) to institutions of higher education that receive Federal research funding and Federal laboratories.

(4) Establishment of policies.--Consistent with the guidance developed under paragraph (1)--

(A) the Director of the National Science Foundation shall develop a policy that--

(i) applies to, at a minimum, doctoral degree granting institutions that receive Federal research funding; and

(ii) requires each such institution, not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, to report to the Director of the National Science Foundation on activities and policies developed and implemented based on the guidance developed under paragraph (1); and

(B) each Federal science agency with a Federal laboratory shall maintain or develop and implement practices and policies for the purposes described in paragraph (1) for such laboratory.

(b) Workshops To Address Cultural Barriers to Expanding the Academic and Federal STEM Workforce.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in consultation with the interagency working group on inclusion in STEM, shall recommend a uniform policy for Federal science agencies to carry out a program of workshops that educate STEM department chairs at institutions of higher education, senior managers at Federal laboratories, and other federally funded researchers about methods that minimize the effects of implicit bias in the career advancement, including hiring, tenure, promotion, and selection for any honor based in part on the recipient's research record, of academic and Federal STEM researchers.

(2) Interagency coordination.--The Director shall, to the extent practicable, ensure that workshops supported under this subsection are coordinated across Federal science agencies and jointly supported as appropriate.

(3) Minimizing costs.--To the extent practicable, workshops shall be held in conjunction with national or regional STEM disciplinary meetings to minimize costs associated with participant travel.

(4) Priority fields for academic participants.--In considering the participation of STEM department chairs and other academic researchers, the Director shall prioritize workshops for the broad fields of STEM in which the national rate of representation of women among tenured or tenure-track faculty or nonfaculty researchers at doctorate-granting institutions of higher education is less than 25 percent, according to the most recent data available from the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics.

(5) Organizations eligible to carry out workshops.--A Federal science agency may carry out the program of workshops under this subsection by making grants to organizations made eligible by the Federal science agency and any of the following organizations:

(A) Nonprofit scientific and professional societies and organizations that represent one or more STEM disciplines.

(B) Nonprofit organizations that have the primary mission of advancing the participation of women, minorities, or other groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

(6) Characteristics of workshops.--The workshops shall have the following characteristics:

(A) Invitees to workshops shall include at least--

(i) the chairs of departments in the relevant STEM discipline or disciplines from doctoral degree granting institutions that receive Federal research funding; and

(ii) in the case of Federal laboratories, individuals with personnel management responsibilities comparable to those of an institution of higher education department chair.

(B) Activities at the workshops shall include research presentations and interactive discussions or other activities that increase the awareness of the existence of implicit bias in recruitment, hiring, tenure review, promotion, and other forms of formal recognition of individual achievement for faculty and other federally funded STEM researchers and shall provide strategies to overcome such bias.

(C) Research presentations and other workshop programs, as appropriate, shall include a discussion of the unique challenges faced by different underrepresented groups, including minority women, minority men, persons from rural and underserved areas, persons with disabilities, gender and sexual minority individuals, and first generation graduates in research.

(D) Workshop programs shall include information on best practices for mentoring undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral women, minorities, and other students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM.

(7) Data on workshops.--Any proposal for funding by an organization seeking to carry out a workshop under this subsection shall include a description of how such organization will--

(A) collect data on the rates of attendance by invitees in workshops, including information on the home institution and department of attendees, and the rank of faculty attendees;

(B) conduct attitudinal surveys on workshop attendees before and after the workshops; and

(C) collect follow-up data on any relevant institutional policy or practice changes reported by attendees not later than 1 year after attendance in such a workshop.

(8) Report to nsf.--Organizations receiving funding to carry out workshops under this subsection shall report the data required in paragraph (7) to the Director of the National Science Foundation in such form as required by such Director.

(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall submit a report to Congress that includes--

(1) a summary and analysis of the types and frequency of activities and policies developed and carried out under subsection (a) based on the reports submitted under paragraph

(4) of such subsection; and

(2) a description and evaluation of the status and effectiveness of the program of workshops required under subsection (b), including a summary of any data reported under paragraph (8) of such subsection.

(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $1,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section.

SEC. 8. RESEARCH AND DISSEMINATION AT THE NATIONAL SCIENCE

FOUNDATION.

(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall award research grants and carry out dissemination activities consistent with the purposes of this Act, including--

(1) research grants to analyze the record-level data collected under section 4 and section 6, consistent with policies to ensure the privacy of individuals identifiable by such data;

(2) research grants to study best practices for work-life accommodation;

(3) research grants to study the impact of policies and practices that are implemented under this Act or that are otherwise consistent with the purposes of this Act;

(4) collaboration with other Federal science agencies and professional associations to exchange best practices, harmonize work-life accommodation policies and practices, and overcome common barriers to work-life accommodation; and

(5) collaboration with institutions of higher education in order to clarify and catalyze the adoption of a coherent and consistent set of work-life accommodation policies and practices.

(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $5,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this section.

SEC. 9. RESEARCH AND RELATED ACTIVITIES TO EXPAND STEM

OPPORTUNITIES.

(a) National Science Foundation Support for Increasing Diversity Among Stem Faculty at Institutions of Higher Education.--Section 305 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-5) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsections (e) and (f) as subsections

(g) and (h), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

``(e) Support for Increasing Diversity Among STEM Faculty at Institutions of Higher Education.--

``(1) In general.--The Director of the Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher education (or consortia thereof) for the development and assessment of innovative reform efforts designed to increase the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in academic STEM careers.

``(2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.

``(3) Use of funds.--Activities supported by grants under this subsection may include--

``(A) institutional assessment activities, such as data analyses and policy review, in order to identify and address specific issues in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;

``(B) implementation of institution-wide improvements in workload distribution, such that faculty members from underrepresented minority groups are not disadvantaged in the amount of time available to focus on research, publishing papers, and engaging in other activities required to achieve tenure status and run a productive research program;

``(C) development and implementation of training courses for administrators and search committee members to ensure that candidates from underrepresented minority groups are not subject to implicit biases in the search and hiring process;

``(D) development and hosting of intra- or inter- institutional workshops to propagate best practices in recruiting, retaining, and advancing faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;

``(E) professional development opportunities for faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;

``(F) activities aimed at making undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented minority groups aware of opportunities for academic careers in STEM fields;

``(G) activities to identify and engage exceptional graduate students and postdoctoral researchers from underrepresented minority groups at various stages of their studies and to encourage them to enter academic careers; and

``(H) other activities consistent with paragraph (1), as determined by the Director of the Foundation.

``(4) Selection process.--

``(A) Application.--An institution of higher education (or a consortium of such institutions) seeking funding under this subsection shall submit an application to the Director of the Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as such Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum, a description of--

``(i) the reform effort that is being proposed for implementation by the institution of higher education;

``(ii) any available evidence of specific difficulties in the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups in STEM academic careers within the institution of higher education submitting an application, and how the proposed reform effort would address such issues;

``(iii) how the institution of higher education submitting an application plans to sustain the proposed reform effort beyond the duration of the grant; and

``(iv) how the success and effectiveness of the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed in order to contribute to the national knowledge base about models for catalyzing institutional change.

``(B) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients under this subsection, the Director of the Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--

``(i) the likelihood of success in undertaking the proposed reform effort at the institution of higher education submitting the application, including the extent to which the administrators of the institution are committed to making the proposed reform effort a priority;

``(ii) the degree to which the proposed reform effort will contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such that greater value is placed on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of faculty members from underrepresented minority groups;

``(iii) the likelihood that the institution of higher education will sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the period of the grant; and

``(iv) the degree to which evaluation and assessment plans are included in the design of the proposed reform effort.

``(C) Grant distribution.--The Director of the Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this section are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education.

``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection

$8,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.

(b) National Science Foundation Support for Broadening Participation in Undergraduate STEM Education.--Section 305 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 1862s-5), as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by inserting after subsection (e) the following:

``(f) Support for Broadening Participation in Undergraduate STEM Education.--

``(1) In general.--The Director of the Foundation shall award grants to institutions of higher education (or a consortium of such institutions) to implement or expand research-based reforms in undergraduate STEM education for the purpose of recruiting and retaining students from minority groups who are underrepresented in STEM fields.

``(2) Merit review; competition.--Grants shall be awarded under this subsection on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis.

``(3) Use of funds.--Activities supported by grants under this subsection may include--

``(A) implementation or expansion of innovative, research- based approaches to broaden participation of underrepresented minority groups in STEM fields;

``(B) implementation or expansion of bridge, cohort, tutoring, or mentoring programs, including those involving community colleges and technical schools, designed to enhance the recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM fields;

``(C) implementation or expansion of outreach programs linking institutions of higher education and K-12 school systems in order to heighten awareness among pre-college students from underrepresented minority groups of opportunities in college-level STEM fields and STEM careers;

``(D) implementation or expansion of faculty development programs focused on improving retention of undergraduate STEM students from underrepresented minority groups;

``(E) implementation or expansion of mechanisms designed to recognize and reward faculty members who demonstrate a commitment to increasing the participation of students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM fields;

``(F) expansion of successful reforms aimed at increasing the number of STEM students from underrepresented minority groups beyond a single course or group of courses to achieve reform within an entire academic unit, or expansion of successful reform efforts beyond a single academic unit or field to other STEM academic units or fields within an institution of higher education;

``(G) expansion of opportunities for students from underrepresented minority groups to conduct STEM research in industry, at Federal labs, and at international research institutions or research sites;

``(H) provision of stipends for students from underrepresented minority groups participating in research;

``(I) development of research collaborations between research-intensive universities and primarily undergraduate minority-serving institutions;

``(J) support for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented minority groups to participate in instructional or assessment activities at primarily undergraduate institutions, including primarily undergraduate minority-serving institutions and 2-year institutions of higher education; and

``(K) other activities consistent with paragraph (1), as determined by the Director of the Foundation.

``(4) Selection process.--

``(A) Application.--An institution of higher education (or a consortia thereof) seeking a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Director of the Foundation at such time, in such manner, and containing such information and assurances as such Director may require. The application shall include, at a minimum--

``(i) a description of the proposed reform effort;

``(ii) a description of the research findings that will serve as the basis for the proposed reform effort or, in the case of applications that propose an expansion of a previously implemented reform, a description of the previously implemented reform effort, including data about the recruitment, retention, and academic achievement of students from underrepresented minority groups;

``(iii) evidence of an institutional commitment to, and support for, the proposed reform effort, including a long- term commitment to implement successful strategies from the current reform beyond the academic unit or units included in the grant proposal;

``(iv) a description of existing or planned institutional policies and practices regarding faculty hiring, promotion, tenure, and teaching assignment that reward faculty contributions to improving the education of students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM; and

``(v) how the success and effectiveness of the proposed reform effort will be evaluated and assessed in order to contribute to the national knowledge base about models for catalyzing institutional change.

``(B) Review of applications.--In selecting grant recipients under this subsection, the Director of the Foundation shall consider, at a minimum--

``(i) the likelihood of success of the proposed reform effort at the institution submitting the application, including the extent to which the faculty, staff, and administrators of the institution are committed to making the proposed institutional reform a priority of the participating academic unit or units;

``(ii) the degree to which the proposed reform effort will contribute to change in institutional culture and policy such that greater value is placed on faculty engagement in the retention of students from underrepresented minority groups;

``(iii) the likelihood that the institution will sustain or expand the proposed reform effort beyond the period of the grant; and

``(iv) the degree to which evaluation and assessment plans are included in the design of the proposed reform effort.

``(C) Grant distribution.--The Director of the Foundation shall ensure, to the extent practicable, that grants awarded under this subsection are made to a variety of types of institutions of higher education, including 2-year and minority-serving institutions of higher education.

``(5) Education research.--

``(A) In general.--All grants made under this subsection shall include an education research component that will support the design and implementation of a system for data collection and evaluation of proposed reform efforts in order to build the knowledge base on promising models for increasing recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented minority groups in STEM education at the undergraduate level across a diverse set of institutions.

``(B) Dissemination.--The Director of the Foundation shall coordinate with relevant Federal agencies in disseminating the results of the research under this paragraph to ensure that best practices in broadening participation in STEM education at the undergraduate level are made readily available to all institutions of higher education, other Federal agencies that support STEM programs, non-Federal funders of STEM education, and the general public.

``(6) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subsection

$15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.

SEC. 10. TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES PROGRAM.

(a) Grants To Broaden Tribal College and University Student Participation in Computer Science.--Section 525 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13) is amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following:

``(d) Grants To Broaden Tribal College and University Student Participation in Computer Science.--

``(1) In general.--The Director, as part of the program authorized under this section, shall award grants on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis to eligible entities to increase the participation of tribal populations in computer science and computational thinking education programs to enable students to develop skills and competencies in coding, problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity and collaboration.

``(2) Purpose.--Grants awarded under this subsection shall support--

``(A) research and development needed to bring computer science and computational thinking courses and degrees to tribal colleges and universities;

``(B) research and development of instructional materials needed to integrate computer science and computational thinking into programs that are culturally relevant to students attending tribal colleges and universities;

``(C) research, development and evaluation of distance education for computer science and computational thinking courses and degree programs for students attending tribal colleges and universities; and

``(D) other activities consistent with the activities described in paragraphs (1) through (4) of subsection (b), as determined by the Director.

``(3) Partnerships.--A tribal college or university seeking a grant under this subsection, or a consortia thereof, may partner with an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization with demonstrated expertise in academic program development.

``(4) Coordination.--In carrying out this subsection, the Director shall consult and cooperate with the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies to avoid duplication with and enhance the effectiveness of the program under this subsection.

``(5) Authorization of appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the Foundation $2,000,000 in each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026 to carry out this subsection.''.

(b) Evaluation.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall evaluate the grant program authorized under section 525 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13), as amended.

(2) Requirements.--In conducting the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Director of the National Science Foundation shall, as practicable--

(A) use a common set of benchmarks and assessment tools to identify best practices and materials developed or demonstrated by the research conducted pursuant to grants programs under section 525 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-13);

(B) include an assessment of the effectiveness of such grant programs in expanding access to high quality STEM education, research, and outreach at tribal colleges and universities, as applicable;

(D) assess the percentage of students participating in such grant programs who successfully complete their education programs.

(3) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the evaluation under paragraph (1) is completed, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall submit to Congress and make available to the public, a report on the results of the evaluation, including any recommendations for legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grant program authorized under section 525 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended by subsection (a).

SEC. 11. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

Not later than 4 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit a report to Congress that includes--

(1) a description and evaluation of the status and usage of policies implemented pursuant to section 3 at all Federal science agencies, including any recommendations for revising or expanding such policies;

(2) with respect to efforts to minimize the effects of implicit bias in the review of extramural and intramural Federal research grants under section 5--

(A) what steps all Federal science agencies have taken to implement policies and practices to minimize such effects;

(B) a description of any significant updates to the policies for review of Federal research grants required under such section; and

(3) a description and evaluation of the status of institution of higher education and Federal laboratory policies and practices required under section 7(a), including any recommendations for revising or expanding such policies.

SEC. 12. MERIT REVIEW.

Nothing in this Act shall be construed as altering any intellectual or broader impacts criteria at Federal science agencies for evaluating grant applications.

SEC. 13. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

``Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation'' for this Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, provided that such statement has been submitted prior to the vote on passage.

SEC. 14. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

(2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).

(3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000.

(4) Institution of higher education.--The term

``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

(5) Interagency working group on inclusion in stem.--The term ``interagency working group on inclusion in STEM'' means the interagency working group established by section 308 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (42 U.S.C. 6626).

(6) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.

Rural STEM Education Research Act

H.R. 210

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Rural STEM Education Research Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The supply of STEM workers is not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the public and private sector, resulting in a deficit often referred to as a STEM skills shortage.

(2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need one million additional STEM professionals than it is on track to produce in the coming decade.

(3) Many STEM occupations offer higher wages, more opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree of job security than non-STEM jobs.

(4) The 60,000,000 individuals in the United States who live in rural settings are significantly under-represented in STEM.

(5) According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nine million students in the United States-- nearly 20 percent of the total K-12 population--attend rural schools, and for reasons ranging from teacher quality to shortages of resources, these students often have fewer opportunities for high-quality STEM learning than their peers in the Nation's urban and suburban schools.

(6) Rural areas represent one of the most promising, yet underutilized, opportunities for STEM education to impact workforce development and regional innovation, including agriculture.

(7) The study of agriculture, food, and natural resources involves biology, engineering, physics, chemistry, math, geology, computer science, and other scientific fields.

(8) Employment in computer and information technology occupations is projected to grow 11 percent from 2019 to 2029. To help meet this demand, it is important rural students have the opportunity to acquire computing skills through exposure to computer science learning in grades Pre-K through 12 and in informal learning settings.

(9) More than 293,000,000 individuals in the United States use high-speed broadband to work, learn, access healthcare, and operate their businesses, while 19,000,000 individuals in the United States still lack access to high-speed broadband. Rural areas are hardest hit, with over 26 percent of individuals in rural areas in the United States lacking access to high-speed broadband compared to 1.7 percent of individuals in urban areas in the United States.

SEC. 3. NIST ENGAGEMENT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES.

(a) MEP Outreach.--Section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended--

(1) in subsection (c)--

(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``community colleges and area career and technical education schools'' and inserting the following: ``secondary schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965

(20 U.S.C. 7801)), community colleges, and area career and technical education schools, including those in underserved and rural communities,''; and

(B) in paragraph (7)--

(i) by striking ``and local colleges'' and inserting the following: ``local high schools and local colleges, including those in underserved and rural communities,''; and

(ii) by inserting ``or other applied learning opportunities'' after ``apprenticeships''; and

(2) in subsection (d)(3) by striking ``, community colleges, and area career and technical education schools,'' and inserting the following: ``and local high schools, community colleges, and area career and technical education schools, including those in underserved and rural communities,''.

(b) Rural Connectivity Prize Competition.--

(1) Prize competition.--Pursuant to section 24 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3719), the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology (referred to in this subsection as the ``Secretary''), shall, subject to appropriations, carry out a program to award prizes competitively to stimulate research and development of creative technologies in order to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities.

(2) Plan for deployment in rural communities.--Each proposal submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a plan for deployment of the technology that is the subject of such proposal in an underserved rural community.

(3) Prize amount.--In carrying out the program under paragraph (1), the Secretary may award not more than a total of $5,000,000 to one or more winners of the prize competition.

(4) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date on which a prize is awarded under the prize competition, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the winning proposal of the prize competition.

(5) Consultation.--In carrying out the program under subsection (a), the Secretary may consult with the heads of relevant departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

SEC. 4. NITR-D BROADBAND WORKING GROUP.

Title I of the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 103. BROADBAND RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT WORKING GROUP.

``(a) In General.--The Director shall establish a broadband research and development working group to address national research challenges and opportunities for improving broadband access and adoption across the United States.

``(b) Activities.--The working group shall identify and coordinate key research priorities for addressing broadband access and adoption, including--

``(1) promising research areas;

``(2) requirements for data collection and sharing;

``(3) opportunities for better alignment and coordination across Federal agencies and external stakeholders; and

``(4) input on the development of new Federal policies and programs to enhance data collection and research.

``(c) Coordination.--The working group shall coordinate, as appropriate, with the Rural Broadband Integration Working Group established under section 6214 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-334) and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the Department of Agriculture.

``(d) Report.--The working group shall report to Congress on their activities as part of the annual report submitted under section 101(a)(2)(D).

``(e) Sunset.--The authority to carry out this section shall terminate on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of the Rural STEM Education Act.''.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES EVALUATION.

(a) Study.--Not later than 12 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences under which the National Academy agrees to conduct an evaluation and assessment that--

(1) evaluates the quality and quantity of current Federal programming and research directed at examining STEM education for students in grades Pre-K through 12 and workforce development in rural areas;

(2) assesses the impact of the scarcity of broadband connectivity in rural communities has on STEM and technical literacy for students in grades Pre-K through 12 in rural areas;

(3) assesses the core research and data needed to understand the challenges rural areas are facing in providing quality STEM education and workforce development; and

(4) makes recommendations for action at the Federal, State, and local levels for improving STEM education for students in grades Pre-K through 12 and workforce development in rural areas.

(b) Report to Director.--The agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall require the National Academy of Sciences, not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act, to submit to the Director a report on the study conducted under such subsection, including the National Academy's findings and recommendations.

$1,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.

SEC. 6. GAO REVIEW.

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study on the engagement of rural populations in Federal STEM programs and submit to Congress a report that includes--

(1) an assessment of how Federal STEM education programs are serving rural populations;

(2) a description of initiatives carried out by Federal agencies that are targeted at supporting STEM education in rural areas;

(3) an assessment of what is known about the impact and effectiveness of Federal investments in STEM education programs that are targeted to rural areas; and

(4) an assessment of challenges that state and Federal STEM education programs face in reaching rural population centers.

SEC. 7. CAPACITY BUILDING THROUGH EPSCOR.

Section 517(f)(2) of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 1862p-9(f)(2)) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and'' at the end; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(C) to increase the capacity of rural communities to provide quality STEM education and STEM workforce development programming to students, and teachers; and''.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION RURAL STEM RESEARCH

ACTIVITIES.

(a) Preparing Rural STEM Educators.--

(1) In general.--The Director shall provide grants on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof) for research and development to advance innovative approaches to support and sustain high-quality STEM teaching in rural schools.

(2) Use of funds.--

(A) In general.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used for the research and development activities referred to in paragraph (1), which may include--

(i) engaging rural educators of students in grades Pre-K through 12 in professional learning opportunities to enhance STEM knowledge, including computer science, and develop best practices;

(ii) supporting research on effective STEM teaching practices in rural settings, including the use of rubrics and mastery-based grading practices to assess student performance when employing the transdisciplinary teaching approach for STEM disciplines;

(iii) designing and developing pre-service and in-service training resources to assist such rural educators in adopting transdisciplinary teaching practices across STEM courses;

(iv) coordinating with local partners to adapt STEM teaching practices to leverage local natural and community assets in order to support in-place learning in rural areas;

(v) providing hands-on training and research opportunities for rural educators described in clause (i) at Federal Laboratories, institutions of higher education, or in industry;

(vi) developing training and best practices for educators who teach multiple grade levels within a STEM discipline;

(vii) designing and implementing professional development courses and experiences, including mentoring, for rural educators described in clause (i) that combine face-to-face and online experiences; and

(viii) any other activity the Director determines will accomplish the goals of this subsection.

(B) Rural stem collaborative.--The Director may establish a pilot program of regional cohorts in rural areas that will provide peer support, mentoring, and hands-on research experiences for rural STEM educators of students in grades Pre-K through 12, in order to build an ecosystem of cooperation among educators, researchers, academia, and local industry.

(b) Broadening Participation of Rural Students in STEM.--

(1) In general.--The Director shall provide grants on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof) for--

(A) research and development of programming to identify the barriers rural students face in accessing high-quality STEM education; and

(B) development of innovative solutions to improve the participation and advancement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies.

(2) Use of funds.--

(A) In general.--Grants awarded under this section shall be used for the research and development activities referred to in paragraph (1), which may include--

(i) developing partnerships with community colleges to offer advanced STEM course work, including computer science, to rural high school students;

(ii) supporting research on effective STEM practices in rural settings;

(iii) implementing a school-wide STEM approach;

(iv) improving the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technology Education program's coordination and engagement with rural communities;

(v) collaborating with existing community partners and networks, such as the cooperative research and extension services of the Department of Agriculture and youth serving organizations like 4-H, after school STEM programs, and summer STEM programs, to leverage community resources and develop place-based programming;

(vi) connecting rural school districts and institutions of higher education, to improve precollegiate STEM education and engagement;

(vii) supporting partnerships that offer hands-on inquiry- based science activities, including coding, and access to lab resources for students studying STEM in grades Pre-K through 12 in a rural area;

(viii) evaluating the role of broadband connectivity and its associated impact on the STEM and technology literacy of rural students;

(ix) building capacity to support extracurricular STEM programs in rural schools, including mentor-led engagement programs, STEM programs held during nonschool hours, STEM networks, makerspaces, coding activities, and competitions; and

(x) any other activity the Director determines will accomplish the goals of this subsection.

(c) Application.--An applicant seeking a grant under subsection (a) or (b) shall submit an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Director may require. The application may include the following:

(1) A description of the target population to be served by the research activity or activities for which such grant is sought.

(2) A description of the process for recruitment and selection of students, educators, or schools from rural areas to participate in such activity or activities.

(3) A description of how such activity or activities may inform efforts to promote the engagement and achievement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM studies.

(4) In the case of a proposal consisting of a partnership or partnerships with one or more rural schools and one or more researchers, a plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is jointly developed and managed, draws from the capacities of each partner, and is mutually beneficial.

(d) Partnerships.--In awarding grants under subsection (a) or (b), the Director shall--

(1) encourage applicants which, for the purpose of the activity or activities funded through the grant, include or partner with a nonprofit organization or an institution of higher education (or a consortium thereof) that has extensive experience and expertise in increasing the participation of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM;

(2) encourage applicants which, for the purpose of the activity or activities funded through the grant, include or partner with a consortium of rural schools or rural school districts; and

(3) encourage applications which, for the purpose of the activity or activities funded through the grant, include commitments from school principals and administrators to making reforms and activities proposed by the applicant a priority.

(e) Evaluations.--All proposals for grants under subsections (a) and (b) shall include an evaluation plan that includes the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall include results from these evaluative activities in annual and final projects.

(f) Accountability and Dissemination.--

(1) Evaluation required.--The Director shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under subsections (a) and (b). Such evaluation shall--

(A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess the results of research conducted under such grants and identify best practices; and

(B) to the extent practicable, integrate the findings of research resulting from the activity or activities funded through such grants with the findings of other research on rural student's pursuit of degrees or careers in STEM.

(2) Report on evaluations.--Not later than 180 days after the completion of the evaluation under paragraph (1), the Director shall submit to Congress and make widely available to the public a report that includes--

(A) the results of the evaluation; and

(B) any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants awarded under this section.

(g) Report by Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering.--

(1) In general.--As part of the first report required by section 36(e) of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885c(e)) transmitted to Congress after the date of enactment of this Act, the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering shall include--

(A) a description of past and present policies and activities of the Foundation to encourage full participation of students in rural communities in science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science fields; and

(B) an assessment of trends in participation of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in Foundation activities, and an assessment of the policies and activities of the Foundation, along with proposals for new strategies or the broadening of existing successful strategies towards facilitating the goals of this Act.

(2) Technical correction.--

(A) In general.--Section 313 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (Public Law 114-329) is amended by striking ``Section 204(e) of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988'' and inserting ``Section 36(e) of the Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act''.

(B) Applicability.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of section 313 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act

(Public Law 114-329).

(h) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effectiveness and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies.

(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director--

(1) $8,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection

(a) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026; and

(2) $12,000,000 to carry out the activities under subsection (b) for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.

SEC. 9. RESEARCHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ONLINE EDUCATION.

(a) In General.--The Director shall, subject to appropriations, award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or a consortium thereof, which may include a private sector partner) to conduct research on online STEM education courses for rural communities.

(b) Research Areas.--The research areas eligible for funding under this subsection shall include--

(1) evaluating the learning and achievement of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12 in STEM subjects;

(2) understanding how computer-based and online professional development courses and mentor experiences can be integrated to meet the needs of educators of rural students in grades Pre-K through 12;

(3) combining computer-based and online STEM education and training with apprenticeships, mentoring, or other applied learning arrangements;

(4) leveraging online programs to supplement STEM studies for rural students that need physical and academic accommodation; and

(5) any other activity the Director determines will accomplish the goals of this subsection.

(c) Evaluations.--All proposals for grants under this section shall include an evaluation plan that includes the use of outcome oriented measures to assess the impact and efficacy of the grant. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall include results from these evaluative activities in annual and final projects.

(d) Accountability and Dissemination.--

(1) Evaluation required.--The Director shall evaluate the portfolio of grants awarded under this section. Such evaluation shall--

(A) use a common set of benchmarks and tools to assess the results of research conducted under such grants and identify best practices; and

(B) to the extent practicable, integrate findings from activities carried out pursuant to research conducted under this section, with respect to the pursuit of careers and degrees in STEM, with those activities carried our pursuant to other research on serving rural students and communities.

(A) the results of the evaluation; and

(B) any recommendations for administrative and legislative action that could optimize the effectiveness of the grants awarded under this section.

(e) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall, for purposes of enhancing program effectiveness and avoiding duplication of activities, consult, cooperate, and coordinate with the programs and policies of other relevant Federal agencies.

SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the National Science Foundation established under section 2 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).

(2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).

(3) Foundation.--The term ``Foundation'' means the National Science Foundation established under section 2 of the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861).

(4) Institution of higher education.--The term

``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)).

(5) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).

(6) STEM education.--The term ``STEM education'' has the meaning given the term in section 2 of the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 6621 note).

Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act

H.R. 240

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act''.

SEC. 2. PRIORITY UNDER HOMELESS VETERANS REINTEGRATION

PROGRAMS FOR HOMELESS VETERANS WITH DEPENDENTS.

(a) Priority for Homeless Veterans With Dependent Children.--Subsection (a) of section 2021 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking ``Subject to'' and inserting ``(1) Subject to'';

(2) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as subparagraphs (A) through (E), respectively; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(2) In conducting programs under this section, the Secretary shall prioritize the provision of services to homeless veterans with dependents.''.

(b) Additional Reporting Requirements.--Subsection (d) of such section is amended--

(1) by striking ``the report an evaluation of services'' and all that follows and inserting ``each such report--''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(1) an evaluation of services furnished to veterans under this section and an analysis of the information collected under subsection (b);

``(2) an analysis of any gaps in access to shelter, safety, and services for homeless veterans with dependent children; and

``(3) recommendations for improving any gaps identified under paragraph (2).''.

Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act

H.R. 707

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress finds the following:

(1) The 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, comprised of the 23d Headquarters and Headquarters Company, Special Troops, the 603d Engineer Camouflage Battalion, the 406th Combat Engineer Company, the 3132d Signal Service Company and the Signal Company, Special, 23d Headquarters, Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company were top-secret units of the United States Army that served in Europe during World War II.

(2) The 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, was actively engaged in battlefield operations from June of 1944 through March of 1945. The 3133d Signal Service Company was engaged in operations in Italy in 1945.

(3) The deceptive activities of these units were integral to several Allied victories across Europe and reduced American casualties.

(4) In evaluating the performance of these units after the War, a U.S. Army analysis found that ``Rarely, if ever, has there been a group of such a few men which had so great an influence on the outcome of a major military campaign.''.

(5) Many Ghost Army soldiers were citizen-soldiers recruited from art schools, advertising agencies, communications companies, and other creative and technical professions.

(6) The first four members of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, landed on D-Day and two became casualties while creating false beach landing sites.

(7) The 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, secret deception operations commenced in France on June 14, 1944, when Task Force Mason, a 17-man detachment of the 23d led by First Lieutenant Bernard Mason, landed at Omaha Beach. Task Force Mason conducted Operation ELEPHANT between 1 and 4 July, 1944, to draw enemy fire and protect the 980th Field Artillery Battalion (VIII Corps) as part of the Normandy Campaign.

(8) Operation ELEPHANT was a prelude to 21 full-scale tactical deceptions completed by the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops.

(9) Often operating on or near the front lines, the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, used inflatable tanks, artillery, airplanes and other vehicles, advanced engineered soundtracks, and skillfully crafted radio trickery to create the illusion of sizable American forces where there were none and to draw the enemy away from Allied troops.

(10) The 3132d and the 3133d Signal Service Companies, activated in Pine Camp (now Fort Drum), New York, at the Army Experimental Station in March 1944, were the only two active duty ``sonic deception'' ground combat units in World War II.

(11) Soldiers of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, impersonated other, larger Army units by sewing counterfeit patches onto their uniforms, painting false markings on their vehicles, and creating phony headquarters staffed by fake generals, all in an effort to feed false information to Axis spies.

(12) During the Battle of the Bulge, the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, created counterfeit radio traffic to mask the efforts of General George Patton's Third Army as it mobilized to break through to the 101st Airborne and elements of 10th Armored Division in the besieged Belgian town of Bastogne.

(13) In its final mission, Operation VIERSEN, in March 1945, the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, conducted a tactical deception that drew German units down the Rhine River and away from the Ninth Army, allowing the Ninth Army to cross the Rhine into Germany. On this mission, the 1,100 men of the Ghost Army, with the assistance of other units, impersonated forty thousand men, or two complete divisions of American forces, by using fabricated radio networks, soundtracks of construction work and artillery fire, and more than 600 inflatable vehicles. According to a military intelligence officer of the 79th Infantry, ``There is no doubt that Operation VIERSEN materially assisted in deceiving the enemy with regard to the real dispositions and intentions of this Army.''.

(14) Three soldiers of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, gave their lives and dozens were injured in carrying out their mission.

(15) In April 1945, the 3133d Signal Service Company conducted Operation CRAFTSMAN in support of Operation SECOND WIND, the successful allied effort to break through the German defensive position to the north of Florence, Italy, known as the Gothic Line. Along with an attached platoon of British engineers, who were inflatable decoy specialists, the 3133d Signal Service Company used sonic deception to misrepresent troop locations along this defensive line.

(16) The activities of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company remained highly classified for more than forty years after the war and were never formally recognized. The extraordinary accomplishments of this unit are deserving of belated official recognition.

(17) The United States is eternally grateful to the soldiers of the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops and the 3133d Signal Service Company for their proficient use of innovative tactics throughout World War II, which saved lives and made significant contributions to the defeat of the Axis powers.

SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL.

(a) Award Authorized.--The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall make appropriate arrangements for the award, on behalf of the Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to the 23d Headquarters, Special Troops, and the 3133d Signal Service Company, known as the ``Ghost Army'', collectively, in recognition of its unique and incredible service during World War II.

(b) Design and Striking.--For the purposes of the award referred to in subsection (a), the Secretary of the Treasury

(in this Act referred to as the ``Secretary'') shall strike the gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary.

(1) In general.--Following the award of the gold medal in honor of the Ghost Army, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution, where it will be available for display as appropriate and available for research.

(2) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of the Congress that the Smithsonian Institution should make the gold medal awarded pursuant to this Act available for display elsewhere, particularly at appropriate locations associated with the Ghost Army, and that preference should be given to locations affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution.

SEC. 4. DUPLICATE MEDALS.

The Secretary may strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medal struck under section 3, at a price sufficient to cover the costs of the medal, including labor, materials, dies, use of machinery, and overhead expenses.

SEC. 5. NATIONAL MEDAL.

The gold medal struck pursuant to this Act is a national medal for purposes of chapter 51 of title 31, United States Code.

SEC. 6. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021

H.R. 711

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``West Los Angeles VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. TREATMENT OF LAND USE REVENUES UNDER WEST LOS ANGELES

LEASING ACT OF 2016.

(a) In General.--Subsection (d) of section 2 of the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 (Public Law 114- 226; 130 Stat. 927) is amended to read as follows:

``(d) Land Use Revenues at the Campus.--

``(1) In general.--Any land use revenues received by the Secretary shall be credited to the applicable Department medical facilities accounts or minor construction accounts and shall be available, without fiscal year limitation and without further appropriation, exclusively for any of the following:

``(A) Supporting construction, maintenance, and services at the Campus relating to temporary or permanent supportive housing for homeless or at-risk veterans and their families.

``(B) Renovating and maintaining the land and facilities at the Campus.

``(C) Carrying out minor construction projects at the Campus.

``(D) Carrying out community operations at the Campus that support the development of emergency shelter or supportive housing for homeless or at-risk veterans and their families.

``(2) Land use revenue defined.--In this subsection, the term `land use revenue' means--

``(A) any funds received by the Secretary under a lease described in subsection (b); and

``(B) any funds received as proceeds from any assets seized or forfeited, and any restitution paid, in connection with any third-party land use at the Campus.''.

(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to funds received by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs after the date of the enactment of the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-226; 130 Stat. 927).

SEC. 3. MODIFICATION TO ENHANCED USE LEASES AT THE DEPARTMENT

OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WEST LOS ANGELES CAMPUS.

Paragraph (1) of section 2(b) of the West Los Angeles Leasing Act of 2016 (Public Law 114-226; 130 Stat. 927), is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence:

``Notwithstanding section 8162(b)(2) of such title, the term of such an enhanced-use lease at the Campus may not exceed 99 years.''.

SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

Department of State Authorization Act of 2021

H.R. 1157

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Department of State Authorization Act of 2021''.

(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Definitions.

Sec. 3. Determination of budgetary effects.

TITLE I--ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Sec. 1001. Diplomatic Programs.

Sec. 1002. Sense of Congress on importance of Department of State's work.

Sec. 1003. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.

Sec. 1004. Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law

Enforcement Affairs.

Sec. 1005. Bureau of Consular Affairs; Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.

Sec. 1006. Office of International Disability Rights.

Sec. 1007. Anti-piracy information sharing.

Sec. 1008. Importance of foreign affairs training to national security.

Sec. 1009. Classification and assignment of Foreign Service officers.

Sec. 1010. Energy diplomacy and security within the Department of

State.

Sec. 1011. National Museum of American Diplomacy.

Sec. 1012. Extension of period for reimbursement of fishermen for costs incurred from the illegal seizure and detention of U.S.-

flag fishing vessels by foreign governments.

Sec. 1013. Art in embassies.

Sec. 1014. Amendment or repeal of reporting requirements.

Sec. 1015. Reporting on implementation of GAO recommendations.

Sec. 1016. Office of Global Criminal Justice.

TITLE II--EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION

Sec. 1201. Embassy security, construction, and maintenance.

Sec. 1202. Standard design in capital construction.

Sec. 1203. Capital construction transparency.

Sec. 1204. Contractor performance information.

Sec. 1205. Growth projections for new embassies and consulates.

Sec. 1206. Long-range planning process.

Sec. 1207. Value engineering and risk assessment.

Sec. 1208. Business volume.

Sec. 1209. Embassy security requests and deficiencies.

Sec. 1210. Overseas security briefings.

Sec. 1211. Contracting methods in capital construction.

Sec. 1212. Competition in embassy construction.

Sec. 1213. Statement of policy.

Sec. 1214. Definitions.

TITLE III--PERSONNEL ISSUES

Sec. 1301. Defense Base Act insurance waivers.

Sec. 1302. Study on Foreign Service allowances.

Sec. 1303. Science and technology fellowships.

Sec. 1304. Travel for separated families.

Sec. 1305. Home leave travel for separated families.

Sec. 1306. Sense of Congress regarding certain fellowship programs.

Sec. 1307. Technical correction.

Sec. 1308. Foreign Service awards.

Sec. 1309. Workforce actions.

Sec. 1310. Sense of Congress regarding veterans employment at the

Department of State.

Sec. 1311. Employee assignment restrictions and preclusions.

Sec. 1312. Recall and reemployment of career members.

Sec. 1313. Strategic staffing plan for the Department of State.

Sec. 1314. Consulting services.

Sec. 1315. Incentives for critical posts.

Sec. 1316. Extension of authority for certain accountability review boards.

Sec. 1317. Foreign Service suspension without pay.

Sec. 1318. Foreign Affairs Manual and Foreign Affairs Handbook changes.

Sec. 1319. Waiver authority for individual occupational requirements of certain positions.

Sec. 1320. Appointment of employees to the Global Engagement Center. Sec. 1321. Rest and recuperation and overseas operations leave for

Federal employees.

Sec. 1322. Emergency medical services authority.

Sec. 1323. Department of State Student Internship Program.

Sec. 1324. Competitive status for certain employees hired by Inspectors

General to support the lead IG mission.

Sec. 1325. Cooperation with Office of the Inspector General.

Sec. 1326. Information on educational opportunities for children with special educational needs consistent with the Individuals

With Disabilities Education Act.

Sec. 1327. Implementation of gap memorandum in selection board process.

TITLE IV--A DIVERSE WORKFORCE: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION

Sec. 1401. Definitions.

Sec. 1402. Collection, analysis, and dissemination of workforce data.

Sec. 1403. Exit interviews for workforce.

Sec. 1404. Recruitment and retention.

Sec. 1405. Promoting diversity and inclusion in the national security workforce.

Sec. 1406. Leadership engagement and accountability.

Sec. 1407. Professional development opportunities and tools.

Sec. 1408. Examination and oral assessment for the Foreign Service.

Sec. 1409. Payne fellowship authorization.

Sec. 1410. Voluntary participation.

TITLE V--INFORMATION SECURITY

Sec. 1501. Definitions.

Sec. 1502. List of certain telecommunications providers.

Sec. 1503. Preserving records of electronic communications conducted related to official duties of positions in the public trust of the American people.

Sec. 1504. Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS) series and declassification.

Sec. 1505. Vulnerability Disclosure Policy and Bug Bounty Pilot

Program.

TITLE VI--PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

Sec. 1601. Short title.

Sec. 1602. Avoiding duplication of programs and efforts.

Sec. 1603. Improving research and evaluation of public diplomacy.

Sec. 1604. Permanent reauthorization of the United States Advisory

Commission on Public Diplomacy.

Sec. 1605. Streamlining of support functions.

Sec. 1606. Guidance for closure of public diplomacy facilities.

Sec. 1607. Definitions.

TITLE VII--COMBATING PUBLIC CORRUPTION

Sec. 1701. Sense of congress.

Sec. 1702. Annual assessment.

Sec. 1703. Transparency and accountability.

Sec. 1704. Designation of embassy anti-corruption points of contact.

TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS

Sec. 1801. Case-Zablocki Act Reform.

Sec. 1802. Limitation on assistance to countries in default.

Sec. 1803. Sean and David Goldman Child Abduction Prevention and Return

Act of 2014 amendment.

Sec. 1804. Modification of authorities of Commission for the

Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad.

Sec. 1805. Chief of mission concurrence.

Sec. 1806. Report on efforts of the Coronavirus Repatriation Task

Force.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term

``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.

(2) Department.--If not otherwise specified, the term

``Department'' means the Department of State.

(3) Secretary.--If not otherwise specified, the term

``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.

SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

TITLE I--ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE

SEC. 1001. DIPLOMATIC PROGRAMS.

For ``Diplomatic Programs'', there is authorized to be appropriated $9,170,013,000 for fiscal year 2022.

SEC. 1002. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON IMPORTANCE OF DEPARTMENT OF

STATE'S WORK.

It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) United States global engagement is key to a stable and prosperous world;

(2) United States leadership is indispensable in light of the many complex and interconnected threats facing the United States and the world;

(3) diplomacy and development are critical tools of national power, and full deployment of these tools is vital to United States national security;

(4) challenges such as the global refugee and migration crises, terrorism, historic famine and food insecurity, and fragile or repressive societies cannot be addressed without sustained and robust United States diplomatic and development leadership;

(5) the United States Government must use all of the instruments of national security and foreign policy at its disposal to protect United States citizens, promote United States interests and values, and support global stability and prosperity;

(6) United States security and prosperity depend on having partners and allies that share our interests and values, and these partnerships are nurtured and our shared interests and values are promoted through United States diplomatic engagement, security cooperation, economic statecraft, and assistance that helps further economic development, good governance, including the rule of law and democratic institutions, and the development of shared responses to natural and humanitarian disasters;

(7) as the United States Government agencies primarily charged with conducting diplomacy and development, the Department and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) require sustained and robust funding to carry out this important work, which is essential to our ability to project United States leadership and values and to advance United States interests around the world;

(8) the work of the Department and USAID makes the United States and the world safer and more prosperous by alleviating global poverty and hunger, fighting HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases, strengthening alliances, expanding educational opportunities for women and girls, promoting good governance and democracy, supporting anti-corruption efforts, driving economic development and trade, preventing armed conflicts and humanitarian crises, and creating American jobs and export opportunities;

(9) the Department and USAID are vital national security agencies, whose work is critical to the projection of United States power and leadership worldwide, and without which Americans would be less safe, United States economic power would be diminished, and global stability and prosperity would suffer;

(10) investing in diplomacy and development before conflicts break out saves American lives while also being cost-effective; and

(11) the contributions of personnel working at the Department and USAID are extraordinarily valuable and allow the United States to maintain its leadership around the world.

SEC. 1003. BUREAU OF DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND LABOR.

Paragraph (2) of section 1(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (A), by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``All special envoys, ambassadors, and coordinators located within the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor shall report directly to the Assistant Secretary unless otherwise provided by law.'';

(2) in subparagraph (B)(ii)--

(A) by striking ``section'' and inserting ``sections 116 and''; and

(B) by inserting before the period at the end the following: ``(commonly referred to as the annual `Country Reports on Human Rights Practices')''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

``(C) Authorities.--In addition to the duties, functions, and responsibilities specified in this paragraph, the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor is authorized to--

``(i) promote democracy and actively support human rights throughout the world;

``(ii) promote the rule of law and good governance throughout the world;

``(iii) strengthen, empower, and protect civil society representatives, programs, and organizations, and facilitate their ability to engage in dialogue with governments and other civil society entities;

``(iv) work with regional bureaus to ensure adequate personnel at diplomatic posts are assigned responsibilities relating to advancing democracy, human rights, labor rights, women's equal participation in society, and the rule of law, with particular attention paid to adequate oversight and engagement on such issues by senior officials at such posts;

``(v) review and, as appropriate, make recommendations to the Secretary of State regarding the proposed transfer of--

``(I) defense articles and defense services authorized under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) or the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.); and

``(II) military items listed on the `600 series' of the Commerce Control List contained in Supplement No. 1 to part 774 of subtitle B of title 15, Code of Federal Regulations;

``(vi) coordinate programs and activities that protect and advance the exercise of human rights and internet freedom in cyberspace; and

``(vii) implement other relevant policies and provisions of law.

``(D) Local oversight.--United States missions, when executing DRL programming, to the extent practicable, should assist in exercising oversight authority and coordinate with the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor to ensure that funds are appropriately used and comply with anti-corruption practices.''.

SEC. 1004. ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS

AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--Section 1(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a(c)) is amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as paragraphs

(4) and (5), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraph:

``(3) Assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs.--

``(A) In general.--There is authorized to be in the Department of State an Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, who shall be responsible to the Secretary of State for all matters, programs, and related activities pertaining to international narcotics, anti-crime, and law enforcement affairs in the conduct of foreign policy by the Department, including, as appropriate, leading the coordination of programs carried out by United States Government agencies abroad, and such other related duties as the Secretary may from time to time designate.

``(B) Areas of responsibility.--The Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs shall maintain continuous observation and coordination of all matters pertaining to international narcotics, anti-crime, and law enforcement affairs in the conduct of foreign policy, including programs carried out by other United States Government agencies when such programs pertain to the following matters:

``(i) Combating international narcotics production and trafficking.

``(ii) Strengthening foreign justice systems, including judicial and prosecutorial capacity, appeals systems, law enforcement agencies, prison systems, and the sharing of recovered assets.

``(iii) Training and equipping foreign police, border control, other government officials, and other civilian law enforcement authorities for anti-crime purposes, including ensuring that no foreign security unit or member of such unit shall receive such assistance from the United States Government absent appropriate vetting.

``(iv) Ensuring the inclusion of human rights and women's participation issues in law enforcement programs, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, and other senior officials in regional and thematic bureaus and offices.

``(v) Combating, in conjunction with other relevant bureaus of the Department of State and other United States Government agencies, all forms of transnational organized crime, including human trafficking, illicit trafficking in arms, wildlife, and cultural property, migrant smuggling, corruption, money laundering, the illicit smuggling of bulk cash, the licit use of financial systems for malign purposes, and other new and emerging forms of crime.

``(vi) Identifying and responding to global corruption, including strengthening the capacity of foreign government institutions responsible for addressing financial crimes and engaging with multilateral organizations responsible for monitoring and supporting foreign governments' anti- corruption efforts.

``(C) Additional duties.--In addition to the responsibilities specified in subparagraph (B), the Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs shall also--

``(i) carry out timely and substantive consultation with chiefs of mission and, as appropriate, the heads of other United States Government agencies to ensure effective coordination of all international narcotics and law enforcement programs carried out overseas by the Department and such other agencies;

``(ii) coordinate with the Office of National Drug Control Policy to ensure lessons learned from other United States Government agencies are available to the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of the Department;

``(iii) develop standard requirements for monitoring and evaluation of Bureau programs, including metrics for success that do not rely solely on the amounts of illegal drugs that are produced or seized;

``(iv) in coordination with the Secretary of State, annually certify in writing to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate that United States law enforcement personnel posted abroad whose activities are funded to any extent by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs are complying with section 207 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3927); and

``(v) carry out such other relevant duties as the Secretary may assign.

``(D) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this paragraph may be construed to limit or impair the authority or responsibility of any other Federal agency with respect to law enforcement, domestic security operations, or intelligence activities as defined in Executive Order 12333.''.

(b) Modification of Annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.--Subsection (a) of section 489 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2291h) is amended by inserting after paragraph (9) the following new paragraph:

``(10) A separate section that contains an identification of all United States Government-supported units funded by the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs and any Bureau-funded operations by such units in which United States law enforcement personnel have been physically present.''.

SEC. 1005. BUREAU OF CONSULAR AFFAIRS; BUREAU OF POPULATION,

REFUGEES, AND MIGRATION.

Section 1 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a) is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (g) and (h) as subsections

(i) and (j), respectively; and

(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following new subsections:

``(g) Bureau of Consular Affairs.--There is in the Department of State the Bureau of Consular Affairs, which shall be headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.

``(h) Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.--There is in the Department of State the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, which shall be headed by the Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration.''.

SEC. 1006. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL DISABILITY RIGHTS.

(a) Establishment.--There should be established in the Department of State an Office of International Disability Rights (referred to in this section as the ``Office'').

(b) Duties.--The Office should--

(1) seek to ensure that all United States foreign operations are accessible to, and inclusive of, persons with disabilities;

(2) promote the human rights and full participation in international development activities of all persons with disabilities;

(3) promote disability inclusive practices and the training of Department of State staff on soliciting quality programs that are fully inclusive of people with disabilities;

(4) represent the United States in diplomatic and multilateral fora on matters relevant to the rights of persons with disabilities, and work to raise the profile of disability across a broader range of organizations contributing to international development efforts;

(5) conduct regular consultation with civil society organizations working to advance international disability rights and empower persons with disabilities internationally;

(6) consult with other relevant offices at the Department that are responsible for drafting annual reports documenting progress on human rights, including, wherever applicable, references to instances of discrimination, prejudice, or abuses of persons with disabilities;

(7) advise the Bureau of Human Resources or its equivalent within the Department regarding the hiring and recruitment and overseas practices of civil service employees and Foreign Service officers with disabilities and their family members with chronic medical conditions or disabilities; and

(8) carry out such other relevant duties as the Secretary of State may assign.

(1) a senior advisor to the appropriate Assistant Secretary of State; or

(2) an officer exercising significant authority who reports to the President or Secretary of State, appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

(d) Consultation.--The Secretary of State should direct Ambassadors at Large, Representatives, Special Envoys, and coordinators working on human rights to consult with the Office to promote the human rights and full participation in international development activities of all persons with disabilities.

SEC. 1007. ANTI-PIRACY INFORMATION SHARING.

The Secretary is authorized to provide for the participation by the United States in the Information Sharing Centre located in Singapore, as established by the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

SEC. 1008. IMPORTANCE OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TRAINING TO NATIONAL

SECURITY.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the Department is a crucial national security agency, whose employees, both Foreign and Civil Service, require the best possible training at every stage of their careers to prepare them to promote and defend United States national interests and the health and safety of United States citizens abroad;

(2) the Department of State's investment of time and resources with respect to the training and education of its personnel is considerably below the level of other Federal departments and agencies in the national security field, and falls well below the investments many allied and adversarial countries make in the development of their diplomats;

(3) the Department faces increasingly complex and rapidly evolving challenges, many of which are science and technology-driven, and which demand the continual, high- quality training and education of its personnel;

(4) the Department must move beyond reliance on ``on-the- job training'' and other informal mentorship practices, which lead to an inequality in skillset development and career advancement opportunities, often particularly for minority personnel, and towards a robust professional tradecraft training continuum that will provide for greater equality in career advancement and increase minority participation in the senior ranks;

(5) the Department's Foreign Service Institute and other training facilities should seek to substantially increase its educational and training offerings to Department personnel, including developing new and innovative educational and training courses, methods, programs, and opportunities; and

(6) consistent with existing Department gift acceptance authority and other applicable laws, the Department and Foreign Service Institute may accept funds and other resources from foundations, not-for-profit corporations, and other appropriate sources to help the Department and the Institute enhance the quantity and quality of training offerings, especially in the introduction of new, innovative, and pilot model courses.

(b) Training Float.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop and submit to the appropriate congressional committees a strategy to establish a ``training float'' to allow for up to 15 percent of the Civil and Foreign Service to participate in long-term training at any given time. The strategy should identify steps necessary to ensure implementation of the training priorities identified in subsection (c), sufficient training capacity and opportunities are available to Civil and Foreign Service officers, equitable distribution of long-term training opportunities to Civil and Foreign Service officers, and any additional resources or authorities necessary to facilitate such a training float, including programs at the George P. Schultz National Foreign Affairs Training Center, the Foreign Service Institute, the Foreign Affairs Security Training Center, and other facilities or programs operated by the Department of State. The strategy shall identify which types of training would be prioritized, the extent (if any) to which such training is already being provided to Civil and Foreign Service officers by the Department of State, any factors incentivizing or disincentivizing such training, and why such training cannot be achieved without Civil and Foreign Service officers leaving the workforce. In addition to training opportunities provided by the Department, the strategy shall consider training that could be provided by the other United States Government training institutions, as well as non-governmental educational institutions. The strategy shall consider approaches to overcome disincentives to pursuing long-term training.

(c) Prioritization.--In order to provide the Civil and Foreign Service with the level of education and training needed to effectively advance United States interests across the globe, the Department of State should--

(1) increase its offerings--

(A) of virtual instruction to make training more accessible to personnel deployed throughout the world; or

(B) at partner organizations to provide useful outside perspectives to Department personnel;

(2) offer courses utilizing computer-based or assisted simulations, allowing civilian officers to lead decision- making in a crisis environment; and

(3) consider increasing the duration and expanding the focus of certain training courses, including--

(A) the A-100 orientation course for Foreign Service officers, and

(B) the chief of mission course to more accurately reflect the significant responsibilities accompanying such role.

(d) Other Agency Responsibilities.--Other national security agencies should increase the enrollment of their personnel in courses at the Foreign Service Institute and other Department of State training facilities to promote a whole-of-government approach to mitigating national security challenges.

SEC. 1009. CLASSIFICATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF FOREIGN SERVICE

OFFICERS.

The Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended--

(1) in section 501 (22 U.S.C. 3981), by inserting ``If a position designated under this section is unfilled for more than 365 calendar days, such position may be filled, as appropriate, on a temporary basis, in accordance with section 309.'' after ``Positions designated under this section are excepted from the competitive service.''; and

(2) in paragraph (2) of section 502(a) (22 U.S.C. 3982(a)), by inserting ``, or domestically, in a position working on issues relating to a particular country or geographic area,'' after ``geographic area''.

SEC. 1010. ENERGY DIPLOMACY AND SECURITY WITHIN THE

DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

Section 1(c) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2651a), as amended by section 1004 of this Act, is further amended--

(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) (as redesignated pursuant to such section 1004) as paragraphs (5) and (6); and

(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) (as added pursuant to such section 1004) the following new paragraph:

``(4) Energy resources.--

``(A) Authorization for assistant secretary.--Subject to the numerical limitation specified in paragraph (1), there is authorized to be established in the Department of State an Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources.

``(B) Personnel.--If the Department establishes an Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources in accordance with the authorization provided in subparagraph

(A), the Secretary of State shall ensure there are sufficient personnel dedicated to energy matters within the Department of State whose responsibilities shall include--

``(i) formulating and implementing international policies aimed at protecting and advancing United States energy security interests by effectively managing United States bilateral and multilateral relations;

``(ii) ensuring that analyses of the national security implications of global energy and environmental developments are reflected in the decision making process within the Department;

``(iii) incorporating energy security priorities into the activities of the Department;

``(iv) coordinating energy activities of the Department with relevant Federal departments and agencies;

``(v) coordinating with the Office of Sanctions Coordination on economic sanctions pertaining to the international energy sector; and

``(vi) working internationally to--

``(I) support the development of energy resources and the distribution of such resources for the benefit of the United States and United States allies and trading partners for their energy security and economic development needs;

``(II) promote availability of diversified energy supplies and a well-functioning global market for energy resources, technologies, and expertise for the benefit of the United States and United States allies and trading partners;

``(III) resolve international disputes regarding the exploration, development, production, or distribution of energy resources;

``(IV) support the economic and commercial interests of United States persons operating in the energy markets of foreign countries;

``(V) support and coordinate international efforts to alleviate energy poverty;

``(VI) leading the United States commitment to the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative; and

``(VII) coordinating energy security and other relevant functions within the Department currently undertaken by--

``(aa) the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs;

``(bb) the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs; and

``(cc) other offices within the Department of State.''.

SEC. 1011. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY.

Title I of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended by adding after section 63 (22 U.S.C. 2735) the following new section:

``SEC. 64. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN DIPLOMACY.

``(a) Activities.--

``(1) Support authorized.--The Secretary of State is authorized to provide, by contract, grant, or otherwise, for the performance of appropriate museum visitor and educational outreach services and related events, including organizing programs and conference activities, museum shop services and food services in the public exhibition and related space utilized by the National Museum of American Diplomacy.

``(2) Recovery of costs.--The Secretary of State is authorized to recover any revenues generated under the authority of paragraph (1) for visitor and outreach services and related events referred to in such paragraph, including fees for use of facilities at the National Museum for American Diplomacy. Any such revenues may be retained as a recovery of the costs of operating the museum.

``(b) Disposition of National Museum of American Diplomacy Documents, Artifacts, and Other Articles.--

``(1) Property.--All historic documents, artifacts, or other articles permanently acquired by the Department of State and determined by the Secretary of State to be suitable for display by the National Museum of American Diplomacy shall be considered to be the property of the United States Government and shall be subject to disposition solely in accordance with this subsection.

``(2) Sale, trade, or transfer.--Whenever the Secretary of State makes the determination described in paragraph (3) with respect to a document, artifact, or other article under paragraph (1), the Secretary may sell at fair market value, trade, or transfer such document, artifact, or other article without regard to the requirements of subtitle I of title 40, United States Code. The proceeds of any such sale may be used solely for the advancement of the mission of the National Museum of American Diplomacy and may not be used for any purpose other than the acquisition and direct care of the collections of the museum.

``(3) Determinations prior to sale, trade, or transfer.-- The determination described in this paragraph with respect to a document, artifact, or other article under paragraph (1), is a determination that--

``(A) such document, artifact, or other article no longer serves to further the purposes of the National Museum of American Diplomacy as set forth in the collections management policy of the museum;

``(B) the sale, trade, or transfer of such document, artifact, or other article would serve to maintain the standards of the collection of the museum; or

``(C) sale, trade, or transfer of such document, artifact, or other article would be in the best interests of the United States.

``(4) Loans.--In addition to the authorization under paragraph (2) relating to the sale, trade, or transfer of documents, artifacts, or other articles under paragraph (1), the Secretary of State may loan such documents, artifacts, or other articles, when not needed for use or display by the National Museum of American Diplomacy to the Smithsonian Institution or a similar institution for repair, study, or exhibition.''.

SEC. 1012. EXTENSION OF PERIOD FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF FISHERMEN

FOR COSTS INCURRED FROM THE ILLEGAL SEIZURE AND

DETENTION OF U.S.-FLAG FISHING VESSELS BY

FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS.

(a) In General.--Subsection (e) of section 7 of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 (22 U.S.C. 1977) is amended to read as follows:

``(e) Amounts.--Payments may be made under this section only to such extent and in such amounts as are provided in advance in appropriation Acts.''.

(b) Retroactive Applicability.--

(1) Effective date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply as if the date specified in subsection (e) of section 7 of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, were the day after such date of enactment.

(2) Agreements and payments.--The Secretary of State is authorized to--

(A) enter into agreements pursuant to section 7 of the Fishermen's Protective Act of 1967 for any claims to which such section would otherwise apply but for the date specified in subsection (e) of such section, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act; and

(B) make payments in accordance with agreements entered into pursuant to such section if any such payments have not been made as a result of the expiration of the date specified in such section, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1013. ART IN EMBASSIES.

(a) In General.--No funds are authorized to be appropriated for the purchase of any piece of art for the purposes of installation or display in any embassy, consulate, or other foreign mission of the United States if the purchase price of such piece of art is in excess of $25,000, unless such purchase is subject to prior consultation with, and the regular notification procedures of, the appropriate congressional committees.

(b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report on the costs of the Art in Embassies Program for fiscal years 2012 through 2020.

(d) Definition.--In this section, the term ``art'' includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, industrial design, and craft art.

SEC. 1014. AMENDMENT OR REPEAL OF REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) Burma.--

(1) In general.--Section 570 of Public Law 104-208 is amended--

(A) by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

``(c) Multilateral Strategy.--The President shall develop, in coordination with like-minded countries, a comprehensive, multilateral strategy to--

``(1) assist Burma in addressing corrosive malign influence of the People's Republic of China; and

``(2) support democratic, constitutional, economic, and security sector reforms in Burma designed to--

``(A) advance democratic development and improve human rights practices and the quality of life; and

``(B) promote genuine national reconciliation.''; and

(B) in subsection (d)--

(i) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking

``six months'' and inserting ``year'';

(ii) by redesignating paragraph (3) as paragraph (7); and

(iii) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following new paragraphs:

``(3) improvements in human rights practices;

``(4) progress toward broad-based and inclusive economic growth;

``(5) progress toward genuine national reconciliation;

``(6) progress on improving the quality of life of the Burmese people, including progress relating to market reforms, living standards, labor standards, use of forced labor in the tourism industry, and environmental quality; and''.

(2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and apply with respect to the first report required under subsection (d) of section 570 of Public Law 104-208 that is required after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Repeals.--The following provisions of law are hereby repealed:

(1) Subsection (b) of section 804 of Public Law 101-246.

(2) Section 6 of Public Law 104-45.

(3) Subsection (c) of section 702 of Public Law 96-465 (22 U.S.C. 4022).

(4) Section 404 of the Arms Control and Disarmament Act (22 U.S.C. 2593b).

(5) Section 5 of Public Law 94-304 (22 U.S.C. 3005).

(6) Subsection (b) of section 502 of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985 (22 U.S.C. 2349aa-7).

(c) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 502 of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act of 1985 (22 U.S.C. 2349aa-7) is amended by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (b).

SEC. 1015. REPORTING ON IMPLEMENTATION OF GAO

RECOMMENDATIONS.

(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that lists all of the Government Accountability Office's recommendations relating to the Department that have not been fully implemented.

(b) Implementation Report.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the submission of the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the implementation status of each recommendation from the Government Accountability Office included in such report.

(2) Justification.--The report under paragraph (1) shall include--

(A) a detailed justification for each decision not to fully implement a recommendation or to implement a recommendation in a different manner than specified by the Government Accountability Office;

(B) a timeline for the full implementation of any recommendation the Secretary has decided to adopt, but has not yet fully implemented; and

(c) Form.--The information required in each report under this section shall be submitted in unclassified form, to the maximum extent practicable, but may be included in a classified annex to the extent necessary.

SEC. 1016. OFFICE OF GLOBAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE.

(a) In General.--There should be established within the Department of State an Office of Global Criminal Justice

(referred to in this section as the ``Office''), which may be placed within the organizational structure of the Department at the discretion of the Secretary.

(b) Duties.--The Office should carry out the following:

(1) Advise the Secretary of State and other relevant senior officials on issues related to atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

(2) Assist in formulating United States policy on the prevention of, responses to, and accountability for atrocities.

(3) Coordinate, as appropriate and with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, United States Government positions relating to the international and hybrid courts currently prosecuting persons suspected of atrocities around the world.

(4) Work with other governments, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations, as appropriate, to establish and assist international and domestic commissions of inquiry, fact-finding missions, and tribunals to investigate, document, and prosecute atrocities around the world.

(5) Coordinate, as appropriate and with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, the deployment of diplomatic, legal, economic, military, and other tools to help collect evidence of atrocities, judge those responsible, protect and assist victims, enable reconciliation, prevent and deter atrocities, and promote the rule of law.

(6) Provide advice and expertise on transitional justice mechanisms to United States personnel operating in conflict and post-conflict environments.

(7) Act as a point of contact for international, hybrid, and domestic tribunals exercising jurisdiction over atrocities committed around the world.

(8) Represent the Department on any interagency whole-of- government coordinating entities addressing genocide and other atrocities.

(9) Perform any additional duties and exercise such powers as the Secretary of State may prescribe.

(c) Supervision.--If established, the Office shall be led by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice who is nominated by the President and appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

TITLE II--EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION

SEC. 1201. EMBASSY SECURITY, CONSTRUCTION, AND MAINTENANCE.

For ``Embassy Security, Construction, and Maintenance'', there is authorized to be appropriated $1,950,449,000 for fiscal year 2022.

SEC. 1202. STANDARD DESIGN IN CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Department's Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (OBO) or successor office should give appropriate consideration to standardization in construction, in which each new United States embassy and consulate starts with a standard design and keeps customization to a minimum.

(b) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall carry out any new United States embassy compound or new consulate compound project that utilizes a non-standard design, including those projects that are in the design or pre-design phase as of the date of the enactment of this Act, only in consultation with the appropriate congressional committees. The Secretary shall provide the appropriate congressional committees, for each such project, the following documentation:

(1) A comparison of the estimated full lifecycle costs of the project to the estimated full lifecycle costs of such project if it were to use a standard design.

(2) A comparison of the estimated completion date of such project to the estimated completion date of such project if it were to use a standard design.

(3) A comparison of the security of the completed project to the security of such completed project if it were to use a standard design.

(4) A justification for the Secretary's selection of a non- standard design over a standard design for such project.

(5) A written explanation if any of the documentation necessary to support the comparisons and justification, as the case may be, described in paragraphs (1) through (4) cannot be provided.

(b) shall expire on the date that is 4 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1203. CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION TRANSPARENCY.

(a) In General.--Section 118 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 304) is amended--

(1) in the section heading, by striking ``annual report on embassy construction costs'' and inserting ``biannual report on overseas capital construction projects''; and

(2) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following new subsections:

``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection and every 180 days thereafter until the date that is four years after such date of enactment, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive report regarding all ongoing overseas capital construction projects and major embassy security upgrade projects.

``(b) Contents.--Each report required under subsection (a) shall include the following with respect to each ongoing overseas capital construction project and major embassy security upgrade project:

``(1) The initial cost estimate as specified in the proposed allocation of capital construction and maintenance funds required by the Committees on Appropriations for Acts making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs.

``(2) The current cost estimate.

``(3) The value of each request for equitable adjustment received by the Department to date.

``(4) The value of each certified claim received by the Department to date.

``(5) The value of any usage of the project's contingency fund to date and the value of the remainder of the project's contingency fund.

``(6) An enumerated list of each request for adjustment and certified claim that remains outstanding or unresolved.

``(7) An enumerated list of each request for equitable adjustment and certified claim that has been fully adjudicated or that the Department has settled, and the final dollar amount of each adjudication or settlement.

``(8) The date of estimated completion specified in the proposed allocation of capital construction and maintenance funds required by the Committees on Appropriations not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of an Act making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs.

``(9) The current date of estimated completion.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 is amended by amending the item relating to section 118 to read as follows:

``Sec. 118. Biannual report on overseas capital construction projects.''.

SEC. 1204. CONTRACTOR PERFORMANCE INFORMATION.

(a) Deadline for Completion.--The Secretary of State shall complete all contractor performance evaluations outstanding as of the date of the enactment of this Act required by subpart 42.15 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation for those contractors engaged in construction of new embassy or new consulate compounds by April 1, 2022.

(b) Prioritization System.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall develop a prioritization system for clearing the current backlog of required evaluations referred to in subsection

(a).

(2) Elements.--The system required under paragraph (1) should prioritize the evaluations as follows:

(A) Project completion evaluations should be prioritized over annual evaluations.

(B) Evaluations for relatively large contracts should have priority.

(c) Briefing.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall brief the appropriate congressional committees on the Department's plan for completing all evaluations by April 1, 2022, in accordance with subsection (a) and the prioritization system developed pursuant to subsection (b).

(d) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) contractors deciding whether to bid on Department contracts would benefit from greater understanding of the Department as a client; and

(2) the Department should develop a forum where contractors can comment on the Department's project management performance.

SEC. 1205. GROWTH PROJECTIONS FOR NEW EMBASSIES AND

CONSULATES.

(a) In General.--For each new United States embassy compound (NEC) and new consulate compound project (NCC) in or not yet in the design phase as of the date of the enactment of this Act, the Department of State shall project growth over the estimated life of the facility using all available and relevant data, including the following:

(1) Relevant historical trends for Department personnel and personnel from other agencies represented at the NEC or NCC that is to be constructed.

(2) An analysis of the tradeoffs between risk and the needs of United States Government policy conducted as part of the most recent Vital Presence Validation Process, if applicable.

(3) Reasonable assumptions about the strategic importance of the NEC or NCC, as the case may be, over the life of the building at issue.

(4) Any other data that would be helpful in projecting the future growth of NEC or NCC.

(b) Other Federal Agencies.--The head of each Federal agency represented at a United States embassy or consulate shall provide to the Secretary, upon request, growth projections for the personnel of each such agency over the estimated life of each embassy or consulate, as the case may be.

(c) Basis for Estimates.--The Department of State shall base its growth assumption for all NECs and NCCs on the estimates required under subsections (a) and (b).

(d) Congressional Notification.--Any congressional notification of site selection for a NEC or NCC submitted after the date of the enactment of this Act shall include the growth assumption used pursuant to subsection (c).

SEC. 1206. LONG-RANGE PLANNING PROCESS.

(a) Plans Required.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter for the next five years as the Secretary of State considers appropriate, the Secretary shall develop--

(A) a comprehensive 6-year plan documenting the Department's overseas building program for the replacement of overseas diplomatic posts taking into account security factors under the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 and other relevant statutes and regulations, as well as occupational safety and health factors pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and other relevant statutes and regulations, including environmental factors such as indoor air quality that impact employee health and safety; and

(B) a comprehensive 6-year plan detailing the Department's long-term planning for the maintenance and sustainment of completed diplomatic posts, which takes into account security factors under the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 and other relevant statutes and regulations, as well as occupational safety and health factors pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and other relevant statutes and regulations, including environmental factors such as indoor air quality that impact employee health and safety.

(2) Initial report.--The first plan developed pursuant to paragraph (1)(A) shall also include a one-time status report on existing small diplomatic posts and a strategy for establishing a physical diplomatic presence in countries in which there is no current physical diplomatic presence and with which the United States maintains diplomatic relations. Such report, which may include a classified annex, shall include the following:

(A) A description of the extent to which each small diplomatic post furthers the national interest of the United States.

(B) A description of how each small diplomatic post provides American Citizen Services, including data on specific services provided and the number of Americans receiving services over the previous year.

(D) A description of the full financial cost of maintaining each small diplomatic post.

(E) Input from the relevant chiefs of mission on any unique operational or policy value the small diplomatic post provides.

(F) A recommendation of whether any small diplomatic posts should be closed.

(3) Updated information.--The annual updates of each of the plans developed pursuant to paragraph (1) shall highlight any changes from the previous year's plan to the ordering of construction and maintenance projects.

(b) Reporting Requirements.--

(1) Submission of plans to congress.--Not later than 60 days after the completion of each plan required under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall submit the plans to the appropriate congressional committees.

(2) Reference in budget justification materials.--In the budget justification materials submitted to the appropriate congressional committees in support of the Department of State's budget for any fiscal year (as submitted with the budget of the President under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code), the plans required under subsection (a) shall be referenced to justify funding requested for building and maintenance projects overseas.

(3) Form of report.--Each report required under paragraph

(1) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex.

(c) Small Diplomatic Post Defined.--In this section, the term ``small diplomatic post'' means any United States embassy or consulate that has employed five or fewer United States Government employees or contractors on average over the 36 months prior to the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1207. VALUE ENGINEERING AND RISK ASSESSMENT.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Federal departments and agencies are required to use value engineering (VE) as a management tool, where appropriate, to reduce program and acquisition costs pursuant to OMB Circular A-131, Value Engineering, dated December 31, 2013.

(2) OBO has a Policy Directive and Standard Operation Procedure, dated May 24, 2017, on conducting risk management studies on all international construction projects.

(b) Notification Requirements.--

(1) Submission to authorizing committees.--Any notification that includes the allocation of capital construction and maintenance funds shall be submitted to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.

(2) Requirement to confirm completion of value engineering and risk assessment studies.--The notifications required under paragraph (1) shall include confirmation that the Department has completed the requisite VE and risk management process described in subsection (a), or applicable successor process.

(c) Reporting and Briefing Requirements.--The Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees upon request--

(1) a description of each risk management study referred to in subsection (a)(2) and a table detailing which recommendations related to each such study were accepted and which were rejected; and

(2) a report or briefing detailing the rationale for not implementing any such recommendations that may otherwise yield significant cost savings to the Department if implemented.

SEC. 1208. BUSINESS VOLUME.

Section 402(c)(2)(E) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4852(c)(2)(E)) is amended by striking ``in 3 years'' and inserting

``cumulatively over 3 years''.

SEC. 1209. EMBASSY SECURITY REQUESTS AND DEFICIENCIES.

The Secretary of State shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate upon request information on physical security deficiencies at United States diplomatic posts, including relating to the following:

(1) Requests made over the previous year by United States diplomatic posts for security upgrades.

(2) Significant security deficiencies at United States diplomatic posts that are not operating out of a new embassy compound or new consulate compound.

SEC. 1210. OVERSEAS SECURITY BRIEFINGS.

Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall revise the Foreign Affairs Manual to stipulate that information on the current threat environment shall be provided to all United States Government employees under chief of mission authority traveling to a foreign country on official business. To the extent practicable, such material shall be provided to such employees prior to their arrival at a United States diplomatic post or as soon as possible thereafter.

SEC. 1211. CONTRACTING METHODS IN CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION.

(a) Delivery.--Unless the Secretary of State notifies the appropriate congressional committees that the use of the design-build project delivery method would not be appropriate, the Secretary shall make use of such method at United States diplomatic posts that have not yet received design or capital construction contracts as of the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Notification.--Before executing a contract for a delivery method other than design-build in accordance with subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall notify the appropriate congressional committees in writing of the decision, including the reasons therefor. The notification required by this subsection may be included in any other report regarding a new United States diplomatic post that is required to be submitted to the appropriate congressional committees.

(c) Performance Evaluation.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall report to the appropriate congressional committees regarding performance evaluation measures in accordance with GAO's ``Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government'' that will be applicable to design and construction, lifecycle cost, and building maintenance programs of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations of the Department.

SEC. 1212. COMPETITION IN EMBASSY CONSTRUCTION.

Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committee a report detailing steps the Department of State is taking to expand the embassy construction contractor base in order to increase competition and maximize value.

SEC. 1213. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

It is the policy of the United States that the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations of the Department or its successor office shall continue to balance functionality and security with accessibility, as defined by guidelines established by the United States Access Board in constructing embassies and consulates, and shall ensure compliance with the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 4151 et seq.) to the fullest extent possible.

SEC. 1214. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Design-build.--The term ``design-build'' means a method of project delivery in which one entity works under a single contract with the Department to provide design and construction services.

(2) Non-standard design.--The term ``non-standard design'' means a design for a new embassy compound project or new consulate compound project that does not utilize a standardized design for the structural, spatial, or security requirements of such embassy compound or consulate compound, as the case may be.

TITLE III--PERSONNEL ISSUES

SEC. 1301. DEFENSE BASE ACT INSURANCE WAIVERS.

(a) Application for Waivers.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall apply to the Department of Labor for a waiver from insurance requirements under the Defense Base Act (42 U.S.C. 1651 et seq.) for all countries with respect to which the requirement was waived prior to January 2017, and for which there is not currently a waiver.

(b) Certification Requirement.--Not later than 45 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall certify to the appropriate congressional committees that the requirement in subsection (a) has been met.

SEC. 1302. STUDY ON FOREIGN SERVICE ALLOWANCES.

(a) Report Required.--

(1) In general.--Not later than one year after date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing an empirical analysis on the effect of overseas allowances on the foreign assignment of Foreign Service officers (FSOs), to be conducted by a federally-funded research and development center with appropriate expertise in labor economics and military compensation.

(2) Contents.--The analysis required under paragraph (1) shall--

(A) identify all allowances paid to FSOs assigned permanently or on temporary duty to foreign areas;

(B) examine the efficiency of the Foreign Service bidding system in determining foreign assignments;

(C) examine the factors that incentivize FSOs to bid on particular assignments, including danger levels and hardship conditions;

(D) examine the Department's strategy and process for incentivizing FSOs to bid on assignments that are historically in lower demand, including with monetary compensation, and whether monetary compensation is necessary for assignments in higher demand;

(E) make any relevant comparisons to military compensation and allowances, noting which allowances are shared or based on the same regulations;

(F) recommend options for restructuring allowances to improve the efficiency of the assignments system and better align FSO incentives with the needs of the Foreign Service, including any cost savings associated with such restructuring;

(G) recommend any statutory changes necessary to implement subparagraph (F), such as consolidating existing legal authorities for the provision of hardship and danger pay; and

(H) detail any effects of recommendations made pursuant to subparagraphs (F) and (G) on other United States Government departments and agencies with civilian employees permanently assigned or on temporary duty in foreign areas, following consultation with such departments and agencies.

(b) Briefing Requirement.--Before initiating the analysis required under subsection (a)(1), and not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall provide to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the House of Representatives a briefing on the implementation of this section that includes the following:

(1) The name of the federally funded research and development center that will conduct such analysis.

(2) The scope of such analysis and terms of reference for such analysis as specified between the Department of State and such federally funded research and development center.

(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall make available to the federally-funded research and development center carrying out the analysis required under subsection

(a)(1) all necessary and relevant information to allow such center to conduct such analysis in a quantitative and analytical manner, including historical data on the number of bids for each foreign assignment and any survey data collected by the Department of State from eligible bidders on their bid decision-making.

(2) Cooperation.--The Secretary of State shall work with the heads of other relevant United States Government departments and agencies to ensure such departments and agencies provide all necessary and relevant information to the federally-funded research and development center carrying out the analysis required under subsection (a)(1).

(d) Interim Report to Congress.--The Secretary of State shall require that the chief executive officer of the federally-funded research and development center that carries out the analysis required under subsection (a)(1) submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives an interim report on such analysis not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 1303. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY FELLOWSHIPS.

Section 504 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (22 U.S.C. 2656d) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(e) Grants and Cooperative Agreements Related to Science and Technology Fellowship Programs.--

``(1) In general.--The Secretary of State is authorized to make grants or enter into cooperative agreements related to Department of State science and technology fellowship programs, including for assistance in recruiting fellows and the payment of stipends, travel, and other appropriate expenses to fellows.

``(2) Exclusion from consideration as compensation.-- Stipends under paragraph (1) shall not be considered compensation for purposes of section 209 of title 18, United States Code.

``(3) Maximum annual amount.--The total amount of grants made pursuant to this subsection may not exceed $500,000 in any fiscal year.''.

SEC. 1304. TRAVEL FOR SEPARATED FAMILIES.

Section 901(15) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4081(15)) is amended--

(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking

``1 round-trip per year for each child below age 21 of a member of the Service assigned abroad'' and inserting ``in the case of one or more children below age 21 of a member of the Service assigned abroad, one round-trip per year'';

(2) in subparagraph (A)--

(A) by inserting ``for each child'' before ``to visit the member abroad''; and

(B) by striking ``; or'' and inserting a comma;

(3) in subparagraph (B)--

(A) by inserting ``for each child'' before ``to visit the other parent''; and

(B) by inserting ``or'' after ``resides,'';

(4) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:

``(C) for one of the child's parents to visit the child or children abroad if the child or children do not regularly reside with that parent and that parent is not receiving an education allowance or educational travel allowance for the child or children under section 5924(4) of title 5, United States Code,''; and

(5) in the matter following subparagraph (C), as added by paragraph (4) of this section, by striking ``a payment'' and inserting ``the cost of round-trip travel''.

SEC. 1305. HOME LEAVE TRAVEL FOR SEPARATED FAMILIES.

Section 903(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4083(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: ``In cases in which a member of the Service has official orders to an unaccompanied post and in which the family members of the member reside apart from the member at authorized locations outside the United States, the member may take the leave ordered under this section where that member's family members reside, notwithstanding section 6305 of title 5, United States Code.''.

SEC. 1306. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING CERTAIN FELLOWSHIP

PROGRAMS.

It is the sense of Congress that Department fellowships that promote the employment of candidates belonging to under- represented groups, including the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program, the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program, and the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program, represent smart investments vital for building a strong, capable, and representative national security workforce.

SEC. 1307. TECHNICAL CORRECTION.

Subparagraph (A) of section 601(c)(6) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4001(c)(6)) is amended, in the matter preceding clause (i), by--

(1) striking ``promotion'' and inserting ``promotion, on or after January 1, 2017,''; and

(2) striking ``individual joining the Service on or after January 1, 2017,'' and inserting ``Foreign Service officer, appointed under section 302(a)(1), who has general responsibility for carrying out the functions of the Service''.

SEC. 1308. FOREIGN SERVICE AWARDS.

(a) In General.--Section 614 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4013) is amended--

(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:

``department awards''; and

(2) in the first sentence, by inserting ``or Civil Service'' after ``the Service''.

(b) Conforming Amendment.--The item relating to section 614 in the table of contents of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is amended to read as follows:

``Sec. 614. Department awards.''.

SEC. 1309. WORKFORCE ACTIONS.

(a) Sense of Congress on Workforce Recruitment.--It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State should continue to hold entry-level classes for Foreign Service officers and specialists and continue to recruit civil servants through programs such as the Presidential Management Fellows Program and Pathways Internship Programs in a manner and at a frequency consistent with prior years and consistent with the need to maintain a pool of experienced personnel effectively distributed across skill codes and ranks. It is further the sense of Congress that absent continuous recruitment and training of Foreign Service officers and civil servants, the Department of State will lack experienced, qualified personnel in the short, medium, and long terms.

(b) Limitation.--The Secretary of State should not implement any reduction-in-force action under section 3502 or 3595 of title 5, United States Code, or for any incentive payments for early separation or retirement under any other provision of law unless--

(1) the appropriate congressional committees are notified not less than 15 days in advance of such obligation or expenditure; and

(2) the Secretary has provided to the appropriate congressional committees a detailed report that describes the Department of State's strategic staffing goals, including--

(A) a justification that describes how any proposed workforce reduction enhances the effectiveness of the Department;

(B) a certification that such workforce reduction is in the national interest of the United States;

(C) a comprehensive strategic staffing plan for the Department, including 5-year workforce forecasting and a description of the anticipated impact of any proposed workforce reduction; and

(D) a dataset displaying comprehensive workforce data for all current and planned employees of the Department, disaggregated by--

(i) Foreign Service officer and Foreign Service specialist rank;

(ii) civil service job skill code, grade level, and bureau of assignment;

(iii) contracted employees, including the equivalent job skill code and bureau of assignment; and

(iv) employees hired under schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, including their equivalent grade and job skill code and bureau of assignment.

SEC. 1310. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING VETERANS EMPLOYMENT AT

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE.

It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) the Department of State should continue to promote the employment of veterans, in accordance with section 301 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3941), as amended by section 1407 of this Act, including those veterans belonging to traditionally under-represented groups at the Department;

(2) veterans employed by the Department have made significant contributions to United States foreign policy in a variety of regional and global affairs bureaus and diplomatic posts overseas; and

(3) the Department should continue to encourage veteran employment and facilitate their participation in the workforce.

SEC. 1311. EMPLOYEE ASSIGNMENT RESTRICTIONS AND PRECLUSIONS.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Department of State should expand the appeal process it makes available to employees related to assignment preclusions and restrictions.

(b) Appeal of Assignment Restriction or Preclusion.-- Subsection (a) of section 414 of the Department of State Authorities Act, Fiscal Year 2017 (22 U.S.C. 2734c(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentences:

``Such right and process shall ensure that any employee subjected to an assignment restriction or preclusion shall have the same appeal rights as provided by the Department regarding denial or revocation of a security clearance. Any such appeal shall be resolved not later than 60 days after such appeal is filed.''.

(c) Notice and Certification.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall revise, and certify to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate regarding such revision, the Foreign Affairs Manual guidance regarding denial or revocation of a security clearance to expressly state that all review and appeal rights relating thereto shall also apply to any recommendation or decision to impose an assignment restriction or preclusion to an employee.

SEC. 1312. RECALL AND REEMPLOYMENT OF CAREER MEMBERS.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) career Department of State employees provide invaluable service to the United States as nonpartisan professionals who contribute subject matter expertise and professional skills to the successful development and execution of United States foreign policy; and

(2) reemployment of skilled former members of the Foreign and civil service who have voluntarily separated from the Foreign or civil service due to family reasons or to obtain professional skills outside government is of benefit to the Department.

(b) Notice of Employment Opportunities for Department of State and USAID Positions.--

(1) In general.--Title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 102 the following new chapter:

``CHAPTER 103--NOTICE OF EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEPARTMENT OF

STATE AND USAID POSITIONS

``Sec.

``10301. Notice of employment opportunities for Department of State and

USAID positions.

``Sec. 10301. Notice of employment opportunities for

Department of State and USAID positions

``To ensure that individuals who have separated from the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development and who are eligible for reappointment are aware of such opportunities, the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development shall publicize notice of all employment opportunities, including positions for which the relevant agency is accepting applications from individuals within the agency's workforce under merit promotion procedures, on publicly accessible sites, including www.usajobs.gov. If using merit promotion procedures, the notice shall expressly state that former employees eligible for reinstatement may apply.''.

(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of chapters at the beginning of part III of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end of subpart I the following:

``103. Notice of employment opportunities for Department of State and

USAID positions........................................10301''.....

SEC. 1313. STRATEGIC STAFFING PLAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF

STATE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a comprehensive 5-year strategic staffing plan for the Department of State that is aligned with and furthers the objectives of the National Security Strategy of the United States of America issued in December 2017, or any subsequent strategy issued not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, which shall include the following:

(1) A dataset displaying comprehensive workforce data, including all shortages in bureaus described in GAO report GAO-19-220, for all current and planned employees of the Department, disaggregated by--

(A) Foreign Service officer and Foreign Service specialist rank;

(B) civil service job skill code, grade level, and bureau of assignment;

(D) employees hired under schedule C of subpart C of part 213 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, including the equivalent grade and job skill code and bureau of assignment of such employee; and

(E) overseas region.

(2) Recommendations on the number of Foreign Service officers disaggregated by service cone that should be posted at each United States diplomatic post and in the District of Columbia, with a detailed basis for such recommendations.

(3) Recommendations on the number of civil service officers that should be employed by the Department, with a detailed basis for such recommendations.

(b) Maintenance.--The dataset required under subsection

(a)(1) shall be maintained and updated on a regular basis.

(c) Consultation.--The Secretary of State shall lead the development of the plan required under subsection (a) but may consult or partner with private sector entities with expertise in labor economics, management, or human resources, as well as organizations familiar with the demands and needs of the Department of State's workforce.

(d) Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding root causes of Foreign Service and civil service shortages, the effect of such shortages on national security objectives, and the Department of State 's plan to implement recommendations described in GAO-19-220.

SEC. 1314. CONSULTING SERVICES.

(a) In General.--Chapter 103 of title 5, United States Code, as added by section 1312(b) of this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``Sec. 10302. Consulting services for the Department of State

``Any consulting service obtained by the Department of State through procurement contract pursuant to section 3109 of title 5, United States Code, shall be limited to those contracts with respect to which expenditures are a matter of public record and available for public inspection, except if otherwise provided under existing law, or under existing Executive order issued pursuant to existing law.''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 103 of title 5, United States Code, as added by section 1312(b) of this Act, is amended by adding after the item relating to section 10301 the following new item:

``10302. Consulting services for the Department of State''.

SEC. 1315. INCENTIVES FOR CRITICAL POSTS.

Section 1115(d) of the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2009 (Public Law 111-32) is amended by striking the last sentence.

SEC. 1316. EXTENSION OF AUTHORITY FOR CERTAIN ACCOUNTABILITY

REVIEW BOARDS.

Section 301(a)(3) of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4831(a)(3)) is amended--

(1) in the heading, by striking ``afghanistan and'' and inserting ``afghanistan, yemen, syria, and''; and

(2) in subparagraph (A)--

(A) in clause (i), by striking ``Afghanistan or'' and inserting ``Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, or''; and

(B) in clause (ii), by striking ``beginning on October 1, 2005, and ending on September 30, 2009'' and inserting

``beginning on October 1, 2020, and ending on September 30, 2022''.

SEC. 1317. FOREIGN SERVICE SUSPENSION WITHOUT PAY.

Subsection (c) of section 610 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4010) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding subparagraph

(A), by striking ``suspend'' and inserting ``indefinitely suspend without duties'';

(2) by redesignating paragraph (5) as paragraph (7);

(3) by inserting after paragraph (4) the following new paragraphs:

``(5) For each member of the Service suspended under paragraph (1)(A) whose security clearance remains suspended for more than one calendar year, not later than 30 days after the end of such calendar year the Secretary of State shall report to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate in writing regarding the specific reasons relating to the duration of each such suspension.

``(6) Any member of the Service suspended under paragraph

(1)(B) may be suspended without pay only after a final written decision is provided to such member pursuant to paragraph (2).''; and

(4) in paragraph (7), as so redesignated--

(A) by striking ``(7) In this subsection:'';

(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``(A) The term'' and inserting the following:

``(7) In this subsection, the term--'';

(A) and (B), respectively, and moving such subparagraphs 2 ems to the left; and

(D) by striking subparagraph (B) (relating to the definition of ``suspend'' and ``suspension'').

SEC. 1318. FOREIGN AFFAIRS MANUAL AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS

HANDBOOK CHANGES.

(a) Applicability.--The Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook apply with equal force and effect and without exception to all Department of State personnel, including the Secretary of State, Department employees, and political appointees, regardless of an individual's status as a Foreign Service officer, Civil Service employee, or political appointee hired under any legal authority.

(b) Certification.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a certification in unclassified form that the applicability described in subsection (a) has been communicated to all Department personnel, including the personnel referred to in such subsection.

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and every 180 days thereafter for five years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report detailing all significant changes made to the Foreign Affairs Manual or the Foreign Affairs Handbook.

(2) Covered periods.--The first report required under paragraph (1) shall cover the 5-year period preceding the submission of such report. Each subsequent report shall cover the 180-day period preceding submission.

(3) Contents.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall contain the following:

(A) The location within the Foreign Affairs Manual or the Foreign Affairs Handbook where a change has been made.

(B) The statutory basis for each such change, as applicable.

(D) A summary of such changes displayed in spreadsheet form.

SEC. 1319. WAIVER AUTHORITY FOR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL

REQUIREMENTS OF CERTAIN POSITIONS.

The Secretary of State may waive any or all of the individual occupational requirements with respect to an employee or prospective employee of the Department of State for a civilian position categorized under the GS-0130 occupational series if the Secretary determines that the individual possesses significant scientific, technological, engineering, or mathematical expertise that is integral to performing the duties of the applicable position, based on demonstrated job performance and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this subsection, the Secretary shall set forth in a written document that is transmitted to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management the rationale for the decision of the Secretary to waive such requirements.

SEC. 1320. APPOINTMENT OF EMPLOYEES TO THE GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT

CENTER.

The Secretary of State may appoint, for a 3-year period that may be extended for up to an additional two years, solely to carry out the functions of the Global Engagement Center, employees of the Department of State without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointment in the competitive service, and may fix the basic compensation of such employees without regard to chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title.

SEC. 1321. REST AND RECUPERATION AND OVERSEAS OPERATIONS

LEAVE FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES.

(a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new sections:

``Sec. 6329d. Rest and recuperation leave

``(a) Definitions.--In this section--

``(1) the term `agency' means an Executive agency (as that term is defined in section 105), but does not include the Government Accountability Office;

``(2) the term `combat zone' means a geographic area designated by an Executive order of the President as an area in which the Armed Forces are engaging or have engaged in combat, an area designated by law to be treated as a combat zone, or a location the Department of Defense has certified for combat zone tax benefits due to its direct support of military operations;

``(3) the term `employee' has the meaning given that term in section 6301;

``(4) the term `high risk, high threat post' has the meaning given that term in section 104 of the Omnibus Diplomatic Security and Antiterrorism Act of 1986 (22 U.S.C. 4803); and

``(5) the term `leave year' means the period beginning on the first day of the first complete pay period in a calendar year and ending on the day immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in the following calendar year.

``(b) Leave for Rest and Recuperation.--The head of an agency may prescribe regulations to grant up to 20 days of paid leave, per leave year, for the purposes of rest and recuperation to an employee of the agency serving in a combat zone, any other high risk, high threat post, or any other location presenting significant security or operational challenges.

``(c) Discretionary Authority of Agency Head.--Use of the authority under subsection (b) is at the sole and exclusive discretion of the head of the agency concerned.

``(d) Records.--An agency shall record leave provided under this section separately from leave authorized under any other provision of law.

``Sec. 6329e. Overseas operations leave

``(a) Definitions.--In this section--

``(1) the term `agency' means an Executive agency (as that term is defined in section 105), but does not include the Government Accountability Office;

``(2) the term `employee' has the meaning given that term in section 6301; and

``(3) the term `leave year' means the period beginning with the first day of the first complete pay period in a calendar year and ending with the day immediately before the first day of the first complete pay period in the following calendar year.

``(b) Leave for Overseas Operations.--The head of an agency may prescribe regulations to grant up to 10 days of paid leave, per leave year, to an employee of the agency serving abroad where the conduct of business could pose potential security or safety related risks or would be inconsistent with host-country practice. Such regulations may provide that additional leave days may be granted during such leave year if the head of the agency determines that to do so is necessary to advance the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States.

``(c) Discretionary Authority of Agency Head.--Use of the authority under subsection (b) is at the sole and exclusive discretion of the head of the agency concerned.

``(d) Records.--An agency shall record leave provided under this section separately from leave authorized under any other provision of law.''.

(b) Clerical Amendments.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 6329c the following new items:

``6329d. Rest and recuperation leave

``6329e. Overseas operations leave''.

SEC. 1322. EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES AUTHORITY.

Section 3 of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 (22 U.S.C. 2670) is amended--

(1) in subsection (l), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon;

(2) in subsection (m), by striking the period and inserting

``; and''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(n) in exigent circumstances, as determined by the Secretary, provide emergency medical services or related support for private United States citizens, nationals, and permanent resident aliens abroad, or third country nationals connected to such persons or to the diplomatic or development missions of the United States abroad, who are unable to obtain such services or support otherwise, with such assistance provided on a reimbursable basis to the extent feasible.''.

SEC. 1323. DEPARTMENT OF STATE STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall establish the Department of State Student Internship Program (in this section referred to as the ``Program'') to offer internship opportunities at the Department of State to eligible students to raise awareness of the essential role of diplomacy in the conduct of United States foreign policy and the realization of United States foreign policy objectives.

(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate in the Program, an applicant shall--

(1) be enrolled, not less than half-time, at--

(A) an institution of higher education (as such term is defined section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)); or

(B) an institution of higher education based outside the United States, as determined by the Secretary of State;

(2) be able to receive and hold an appropriate security clearance; and

(3) satisfy such other criteria as established by the Secretary.

(c) Selection.--The Secretary of State shall establish selection criteria for students to be admitted into the Program that includes the following:

(1) Demonstrable interest in a career in foreign affairs.

(2) Academic performance.

(3) Such other criteria as determined by the Secretary.

(d) Outreach.--The Secretary of State shall advertise the Program widely, including on the internet, through the Department of State's Diplomats in Residence program, and through other outreach and recruiting initiatives targeting undergraduate and graduate students. The Secretary shall actively encourage people belonging to traditionally under- represented groups in terms of racial, ethnic, geographic, and gender diversity, and disability status to apply to the Program, including by conducting targeted outreach at minority serving institutions (as such term is described in section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).

(e) Compensation.--

(1) In general.--Students participating in the Program shall be paid at least--

(A) the amount specified in section 6(a)(1) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)(1)), or

(B) the minimum wage of the jurisdiction in which the internship is located, whichever is greater.

(2) Housing assistance.--

(A) Abroad.--The Secretary of State shall provide housing assistance to a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States if the location of the internship in which such student is participating is outside the United States.

(B) Domestic.--The Secretary of State is authorized to provide housing assistance to a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States if the location of the internship in which such student is participating is more than 50 miles away from such student's permanent address.

(3) Travel assistance.--The Secretary of State shall provide a student participating in the Program whose permanent address is within the United States financial assistance to cover the costs of travel once to and once from the location of the internship in which such student is participating, including travel by air, train, bus, or other transit as appropriate, if the location of such internship is--

(A) more than 50 miles from such student's permanent address; or

(B) outside the United States.

(f) Working With Institutions of Higher Education.--The Secretary of State is authorized to enter into agreements with institutions of higher education to structure internships to ensure such internships satisfy criteria for academic programs in which participants in such internships are enrolled.

(g) Transition Period.--

(1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall transition all unpaid internship programs of the Department, including the Foreign Service Internship Program, to internship programs that offer compensation. Upon selection as a candidate for entry into an internship program of the Department after such date, a participant in such internship program shall be afforded the opportunity to forgo compensation, including if doing so allows such participant to receive college or university curricular credit.

(2) Exception.--The transition required under paragraph (1) shall not apply in the case of unpaid internship programs of the Department of State that are part of the Virtual Student Federal Service internship program.

(3) Waiver.--

(A) In general.--The Secretary may waive the requirement under this subsection to transition an unpaid internship program of the Department to an internship program that offers compensation if the Secretary determines and not later than 30 days after any such determination submits to the appropriate congressional committees a report that to do so would not be consistent with effective management goals.

(B) Report.--The report required under subparagraph (A) shall describe the reason why transitioning an unpaid internship program of the Department to an internship program that offers compensation would not be consistent with effective management goals, including any justification for maintaining such unpaid status indefinitely, or any additional authorities or resources necessary to transition such unpaid program to offer compensation in the future.

(h) Reports.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of a Senate a report that includes the following:

(1) Data, to the extent collection of such information is permissible by law, regarding the number of students, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, gender, institution of higher learning, home State, State where each student graduated from high school, and disability status, who applied to the Program, were offered a position, and participated.

(2) Data on the number of security clearance investigations started for such students and the timeline for such investigations, including whether such investigations were completed or if, and when, an interim security clearance was granted.

(3) Information on expenditures on the Program.

(4) Information regarding the Department of State's compliance with subsection (g).

(i) Voluntary Participation.--

(1) In general.--Nothing in this section may be construed to compel any student who is a participant in an internship program of the Department of State to participate in the collection of the data or divulge any personal information. Such students shall be informed that their participation in the data collection contemplated by this section is voluntary.

(2) Privacy protection.--Any data collected under this section shall be subject to the relevant privacy protection statutes and regulations applicable to Federal employees.

(j) Special Hiring Authority.--The Department of State may offer compensated internships for not more than 52 weeks, and select, appoint, employ, and remove individuals in such compensated internships without regard to the provisions of law governing appointments in the competitive service.

(k) Use of Funds.--Internships offered and compensated by the Department subject to this section shall be funded by amounts appropriated pursuant to--

(1) the authorization of appropriations under section 1001; and

(2) any other Act.

SEC. 1324. COMPETITIVE STATUS FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES HIRED BY

INSPECTORS GENERAL TO SUPPORT THE LEAD IG

MISSION.

Subparagraph (A) of section 8L(d)(5) of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App.) is amended by striking

``a lead Inspector General for'' and inserting ``any of the Inspectors General specified in subsection (c) for oversight of''.

SEC. 1325. COOPERATION WITH OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

(a) Administrative Discipline.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall make explicit in writing to all Department of State personnel, including the Secretary of State, Department employees, contractors, and political appointees, and shall consider updating the Foreign Affairs Manual and the Foreign Affairs Handbook to explicitly specify, that if any of such personnel does not comply within 60 days with a request for an interview or access to documents from the Office of the Inspector General of the Department such personnel may be subject to appropriate administrative discipline including, when circumstances warrant, suspension without pay or removal.

(b) Report.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and on a quarterly basis thereafter, the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the United States Agency for Global Media shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and the Secretary of State a report in unclassified form detailing the following:

(A) The number of individuals who have failed to comply within 60 days with a request for an interview or access to documents from the Office of the Inspector General pertaining to a non-criminal matter.

(B) The date on which such requests were initially made.

(D) The general subject matters regarding which the Office of the Inspector General has requested of such individuals.

(2) Form.--Additional information pertaining solely to the subject matter of a request described in paragraph (1) may be provided in a supplemental classified annex, if necessary, but all other information required by the reports required under such paragraph shall be provided in unclassified form.

SEC. 1326. INFORMATION ON EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR

CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

CONSISTENT WITH THE INDIVIDUALS WITH

DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT.

Not later than March 31, 2022, and annually thereafter, the Director of the Office of Overseas Schools of the Department of State shall maintain and update a list of overseas schools receiving assistance from the Office and detailing the extent to which each such school provides special education and related services to children with disabilities in accordance with part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1411 et seq.). Each list required under this section shall be posted on the public website of the Office for access by members of the Foreign Service, Senior Foreign Service, and their eligible family members.

SEC. 1327. IMPLEMENTATION OF GAP MEMORANDUM IN SELECTION

BOARD PROCESS.

(a) In General.--Section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4003) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(c)(1) A member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by a selection board may submit to such selection board a gap memo in advance of such evaluation.

``(2) Members of a selection board may not consider as negative the submission of a gap memo by a member described in paragraph (1) when evaluating the performance of such member.

``(3) In this subsection, the term `gap memo' means a written record, submitted to a selection board in a standard format established by the Director General of the Foreign Service, which indicates and explains a gap in the record of a member of the Service or member of the Senior Foreign Service whose performance will be evaluated by such selection board, which gap is due to personal circumstances, including for health, family, or other reason as determined by the Director General in consultation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate.''.

(b) Consultation and Guidance.--

(1) Consultation.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director General of the Foreign Service shall consult with the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate regarding the development of the gap memo under subsection (c) of section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980, as added by subsection (a).

(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``gap memo'' has the meaning given such term in subsection (c) of section 603 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980.

TITLE IV--A DIVERSE WORKFORCE: RECRUITMENT, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION

SEC. 1401. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Applicant flow data.--The term ``applicant flow data'' means data that tracks the rate of applications for job positions among demographic categories.

(2) Demographic data.--The term ``demographic data'' means facts or statistics relating to the demographic categories specified in the Office of Management and Budget statistical policy directive entitled ``Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity'' (81 Fed. Reg. 67398).

(3) Diversity.--The term ``diversity'' means those classes of persons protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et seq.) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.).

(4) Workforce.--The term ``workforce'' means--

(A) individuals serving in a position in the civil service

(as such term is defined in section 2101 of title 5, United States Code);

(B) individuals who are members of the Foreign Service (as such term defined in section 103 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3902));

(D) all individuals serving under a Foreign Service limited appointment under section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3949); or

(E) individuals other than Locally Employed Staff working in the Department of State under any other authority.

SEC. 1402. COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATION OF

WORKFORCE DATA.

(a) Initial Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report, which shall also be published on a publicly available website of the Department in a searchable database format, that includes disaggregated demographic data and other information regarding the diversity of the workforce of the Department of State.

(b) Data.--The report under subsection (a) shall include the following data to the maximum extent collection of such data is permissible by law:

(1) Demographic data on each element of the workforce of the Department of State, disaggregated by rank and grade or grade-equivalent, with respect to the following groups:

(A) Applicants for positions in the Department.

(B) Individuals hired to join the workforce.

(C) Individuals promoted during the 5-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act, including promotions to and within the Senior Executive Service or the Senior Foreign Service.

(D) Individuals serving during the 5-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act as special assistants in any of the offices of the Secretary of State, the Deputy Secretary of State, the Counselor of the Department of State, the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, the Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights, the Under Secretary for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, the Undersecretary for Management, the Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, and the Undersecretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs.

(E) Individuals serving in the 5-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act in each bureau's front office.

(F) Individuals serving in the 5-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act as detailees to the National Security Council.

(G) Individuals serving on applicable selection boards.

(H) Members of any external advisory committee or board who are subject to appointment by individuals at senior positions in the Department.

(I) Individuals participating in professional development programs of the Department, and the extent to which such participants have been placed into senior positions within the Department after such participation.

(J) Individuals participating in mentorship or retention programs.

(K) Individuals who separated from the agency during the 5- year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act, including individuals in the Senior Executive Service or the Senior Foreign Service.

(2) An assessment of agency compliance with the essential elements identified in Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Management Directive 715, effective October 1, 2003.

(3) Data on the overall number of individuals who are part of the workforce, the percentages of such workforce corresponding to each element specified in section 1401(4), and the percentages corresponding to each rank, grade, or grade-equivalent.

(c) Recommendation.--The Secretary of State may include in the report under subsection (a) a recommendation to the Director of Office of Management and Budget and to the appropriate congressional committees regarding whether the Department of State should be permitted to collect more detailed data on demographic categories in addition to the race and ethnicity categories specified in the Office of Management and Budget statistical policy directive entitled

``Standards for Maintaining, Collecting, and Presenting Federal Data on Race and Ethnicity'' (81 Fed. Reg. 67398), in order to comply with the intent and requirements of this Act.

(d) Other Contents.--The report under subsection (a) shall also describe and assess the effectiveness of the efforts of the Department of State--

(1) to propagate fairness, impartiality, and inclusion in the work environment, both domestically and abroad;

(2) to enforce anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policies, both domestically and at posts overseas;

(3) to refrain from engaging in unlawful discrimination in any phase of the employment process, including recruitment, hiring, evaluation, assignments, promotion, retention, and training;

(4) to prevent retaliation against employees for participating in a protected equal employment opportunity activity or for reporting sexual harassment or sexual assault;

(5) to provide reasonable accommodation for qualified employees and applicants with disabilities; and

(6) to recruit a representative workforce by--

(A) recruiting women, persons with disabilities, and minorities;

(B) recruiting at women's colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and other institutions serving a significant percentage of minority students;

(D) sponsoring and recruiting at job fairs in urban and rural communities and land-grant colleges or universities;

(E) providing opportunities through the Foreign Service Internship Program under chapter 12 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 4141 et seq.) and other hiring initiatives;

(F) recruiting mid-level and senior-level professionals through programs designed to increase representation in international affairs of people belonging to traditionally under-represented groups;

(G) offering the Foreign Service written and oral assessment examinations in several locations throughout the United States to reduce the burden of applicants having to travel at their own expense to take either or both such examinations;

(H) expanding the use of paid internships; and

(I) supporting recruiting and hiring opportunities through--

(i) the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellowship Program;

(ii) the Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program; and

(iii) other initiatives, including agency-wide policy initiatives.

(e) Annual Updates.--Not later than one year after the publication of the report required under subsection (a) and annually thereafter for the following five years, the Secretary of State shall work with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to provide a report to the appropriate congressional committees, which shall be posted on the Department's website, which may be included in another annual report required under another provision of law, that includes--

(1) disaggregated demographic data, to the maximum extent collection of such data is permissible by law, relating to the workforce and information on the status of diversity and inclusion efforts of the Department;

(2) an analysis of applicant flow data, to the maximum extent collection of such data is permissible by law,; and

(3) disaggregated demographic data relating to participants in professional development programs of the Department and the rate of placement into senior positions for participants in such programs.

SEC. 1403. EXIT INTERVIEWS FOR WORKFORCE.

(a) Retained Members.--The Director General of the Foreign Service and the Director of the Bureau of Human Resources or its equivalent shall conduct periodic interviews with a representative and diverse cross-section of the workforce of the Department of State--

(1) to understand the reasons of individuals in such workforce for remaining in a position in the Department; and

(2) to receive feedback on workplace policies, professional development opportunities, and other issues affecting the decision of individuals in the workforce to remain in the Department.

(b) Departing Members.--The Director General of the Foreign Service and the Director of the Bureau of Human Resources or its equivalent shall provide an opportunity for an exit interview to each individual in the workforce of the Department of State who separates from service with the Department to better understand the reasons of such individual for leaving such service.

(c) Use of Analysis From Interviews.--The Director General of the Foreign Service and the Director of the Bureau of Human Resources or its equivalent shall analyze demographic data and other information obtained through interviews under subsections (a) and (b) to determine--

(1) to what extent, if any, the diversity of those participating in such interviews impacts the results; and

(2) whether to implement any policy changes or include any recommendations in a report required under subsection (a) or

(e) of section 1402 relating to the determination reached pursuant to paragraph (1).

(d) Tracking Data.--The Department of State shall--

(1) track demographic data relating to participants in professional development programs and the rate of placement into senior positions for participants in such programs;

(2) annually evaluate such data--

(A) to identify ways to improve outreach and recruitment for such programs, consistent with merit system principles; and

(B) to understand the extent to which participation in any professional development program offered or sponsored by the Department differs among the demographic categories of the workforce; and

(3) actively encourage participation from a range of demographic categories, especially from categories with consistently low participation, in such professional development programs.

SEC. 1404. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall--

(1) continue to seek a diverse and talented pool of applicants; and

(2) instruct the Director General of the Foreign Service and the Director of the Bureau of Human Resources of the Department of State to have a recruitment plan of action for the recruitment of people belonging to traditionally under- represented groups, which should include outreach at appropriate colleges, universities, affinity groups, and professional associations.

(b) Scope.--The diversity recruitment initiatives described in subsection (a) shall include--

(1) recruiting at women's colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and other institutions serving a significant percentage of minority students;

(2) placing job advertisements in newspapers, magazines, and job sites oriented toward diverse groups;

(3) sponsoring and recruiting at job fairs in urban and rural communities and land-grant colleges or universities;

(4) providing opportunities through highly respected, international leadership programs, that focus on diversity recruitment and retention;

(5) expanding the use of paid internships; and

(6) cultivating partnerships with organizations dedicated to the advancement of the profession of international affairs and national security to advance shared diversity goals.

(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall, through the Foreign Service Institute and other educational and training opportunities--

(A) ensure the provision to all individuals in the workforce of training on anti-harassment and anti- discrimination information and policies, including in existing Foreign Service Institute courses or modules prioritized in the Department of State's Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan for 2016-2020 to promote diversity in Bureau awards or mitigate unconscious bias;

(B) expand the provision of training on workplace rights and responsibilities to focus on anti-harassment and anti- discrimination information and policies, including policies relating to sexual assault prevention and response; and

(i) individuals in senior and supervisory positions;

(ii) individuals having responsibilities related to recruitment, retention, or promotion of employees; and

(iii) any other individual determined by the Department who needs such training based on analysis by the Department or OPM analysis.

(2) Best practices.--The Department of State shall give special attention to ensuring the continuous incorporation of research-based best practices in training provided under this subsection.

SEC. 1405. PROMOTING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN THE NATIONAL

SECURITY WORKFORCE.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that individuals in senior and supervisory positions of the Department of State, or Department individuals having responsibilities related to recruitment, retention, or promotion of employees, should have a demonstrated commitment to equal opportunity, diversity, and inclusion.

(b) Consideration.--In making any recommendations on nominations, conducting interviews, identifying or selecting candidates, or appointing acting individuals for positions equivalent to an Assistant Secretary or above, the Secretary of State shall use best efforts to consider at least one individual reflective of diversity.

(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall establish a mechanism to ensure that appointments or details of Department of State employees to staff positions in the Offices of the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, the Counselor of the Department, the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff, or any of the Undersecretaries of State, and details to the National Security Council, are transparent, competitive, equitable, and inclusive, and made without regard to an individual's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, transgender status, or sexual orientation), national origin, age (if 40 or older), disability, or genetic information.

(2) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report regarding the mechanism required under paragraph (1).

(d) Availability.--The Secretary of State shall use best efforts to consider at least one individual reflective of diversity for the staff positions specified in subsection

(c)(1) and ensure such positions are equitably available to employees of the civil service and Foreign Service.

SEC. 1406. LEADERSHIP ENGAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

(a) Reward and Recognize Efforts to Promote Diversity and Inclusion.--

(1) In general.--The Secretary of State shall implement performance and advancement requirements that reward and recognize the efforts of individuals in senior positions and supervisors in the Department of State in fostering an inclusive environment and cultivating talent consistent with merit system principles, such as through participation in mentoring programs or sponsorship initiatives, recruitment events, and other similar opportunities.

(2) Outreach events.--The Secretary of State shall create opportunities for individuals in senior positions and supervisors in the Department of State to participate in outreach events and to discuss issues relating to diversity and inclusion with the workforce on a regular basis, including with employee resource groups.

(b) External Advisory Committees and Boards.--For each external advisory committee or board to which individuals in senior positions in the Department of State appoint members, the Secretary of State is strongly encouraged by Congress to ensure such external advisory committee or board is developed, reviewed, and carried out by qualified teams that represent the diversity of the organization.

SEC. 1407. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND TOOLS.

(a) Expand Provision of Professional Development and Career Advancement Opportunities.--

(1) In general.--The Secretary of State is authorized to expand professional development opportunities that support the mission needs of the Department of State, such as--

(A) academic programs;

(B) private-public exchanges; and

(i) private or international organizations;

(ii) State, local, and Tribal governments;

(iii) other branches of the Federal Government; or

(iv) professional schools of international affairs.

(2) Training for senior positions.--

(A) In general.--The Secretary of State shall offer, or sponsor members of the workforce to participate in, a Senior Executive Service candidate development program or other program that trains members on the skills required for appointment to senior positions in the Department of State.

(B) Requirements.--In determining which members of the workforce are granted professional development or career advancement opportunities under subparagraph (A), the Secretary of State shall--

(i) ensure any program offered or sponsored by the Department of State under such subparagraph comports with the requirements of subpart C of part 412 of title 5, Code of Federal Regulations, or any successor thereto, including merit staffing and assessment requirements;

(ii) consider the number of expected vacancies in senior positions as a factor in determining the number of candidates to select for such programs;

(iii) understand how participation in any program offered or sponsored by the Department under such subparagraph differs by gender, race, national origin, disability status, or other demographic categories; and

(iv) actively encourage participation from a range of demographic categories, especially from categories with consistently low participation.

SEC. 1408. EXAMINATION AND ORAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE FOREIGN

SERVICE.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Department of State should offer both the Foreign Service written examination and oral assessment in more locations throughout the United States. Doing so would ease the financial burden on potential candidates who do not currently reside in and must travel at their own expense to one of the few locations where these assessments are offered.

(b) Foreign Service Examinations.--Section 301(b) of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 (22 U.S.C. 3941) is amended--

(1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting: ``(1) The Secretary''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the Board of Examiners for the Foreign Service annually offers the oral assessment examinations described in paragraph (1) in cities, chosen on a rotating basis, located in at least three different time zones across the United States.''.

SEC. 1409. PAYNE FELLOWSHIP AUTHORIZATION.

(a) In General.--Undergraduate and graduate components of the Donald M. Payne International Development Fellowship Program may conduct outreach to attract outstanding students with an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career who represent diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

(b) Review of Past Programs.--The Secretary of State shall review past programs designed to increase minority representation in international affairs positions.

SEC. 1410. VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION.

(a) In General.--Nothing in this title should be construed so as to compel any employee to participate in the collection of the data or divulge any personal information. Department of State employees shall be informed that their participation in the data collection contemplated by this title is voluntary.

(b) Privacy Protection.--Any data collected under this title shall be subject to the relevant privacy protection statutes and regulations applicable to Federal employees.

TITLE V--INFORMATION SECURITY

SEC. 1501. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence community'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).

(2) Relevant congressional committees.--The term ``relevant congressional committees'' means--

(A) the appropriate congressional committees;

(B) the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate; and

SEC. 1502. LIST OF CERTAIN TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROVIDERS.

(a) List of Covered Contractors.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Director of National Intelligence, shall develop or maintain, as the case may be, and update as frequently as the Secretary determines appropriate, a list of covered contractors with respect to which the Department should seek to avoid entering into contracts. Not later than 30 days after the initial development of the list under this subsection, any update thereto, and annually thereafter for five years after such initial 30 day period, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a copy of such list.

(b) Covered Contractor Defined.--In this section, the term

``covered contractor'' means a provider of telecommunications, telecommunications equipment, or information technology equipment, including hardware, software, or services, that has knowingly assisted or facilitated a cyber attack or conducted surveillance, including passive or active monitoring, carried out against--

(1) the United States by, or on behalf of, any government, or persons associated with such government, listed as a cyber threat actor in the intelligence community's 2017 assessment of worldwide threats to United States national security or any subsequent worldwide threat assessment of the intelligence community; or

(2) individuals, including activists, journalists, opposition politicians, or other individuals for the purposes of suppressing dissent or intimidating critics, on behalf of a country included in the annual country reports on human rights practices of the Department for systematic acts of political repression, including arbitrary arrest or detention, torture, extrajudicial or politically motivated killing, or other gross violations of human rights.

SEC. 1503. PRESERVING RECORDS OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

CONDUCTED RELATED TO OFFICIAL DUTIES OF

POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC TRUST OF THE AMERICAN

PEOPLE.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that all officers and employees of the Department and the United States Agency for International Development are obligated under chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code (popularly referred to as the Federal Records Act of 1950), to create and preserve records containing adequate and proper documentation of the organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures, and essential transactions or operations of the Department and United States embassies, consulates, and missions abroad, including records of official communications with foreign government officials or other foreign entities.

(b) Certification.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a certification in unclassified form that Secretary has communicated to all Department personnel, including the Secretary of State and all political appointees, that such personnel are obligated under chapter 31 of title 44, United States Code, to treat electronic messaging systems, software, and applications as equivalent to electronic mail for the purpose of identifying Federal records.

SEC. 1504. FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES (FRUS)

SERIES AND DECLASSIFICATION.

The State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956 is amended--

(1) in section 402(a)(2) (22 U.S.C. 4352(a)(2)), by striking ``26'' and inserting ``20''; and

(2) in section 404 (22 U.S.C. 4354)--

(A) in subsection (a)(1), by striking ``30''and inserting

``25''; and

(B) in subsection (c)(1)(C), by striking ``30'' and inserting ``25''.

SEC. 1505. VULNERABILITY DISCLOSURE POLICY AND BUG BOUNTY

PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) Bug bounty program.--The term ``bug bounty program'' means a program under which an approved individual, organization, or company is temporarily authorized to identify and report vulnerabilities of internet-facing information technology of the Department of State in exchange for compensation.

(2) Information technology.--The term ``information technology'' has the meaning given such term in section 11101 of title 40, United States Code.

(b) Vulnerability Disclosure Process.--

(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall design, establish, and make publicly known a Vulnerability Disclosure Process (VDP) to improve Department of State cybersecurity by--

(A) providing security researchers with clear guidelines for--

(i) conducting vulnerability discovery activities directed at Department information technology; and

(ii) submitting discovered security vulnerabilities to the Department; and

(B) creating Department procedures and infrastructure to receive and fix discovered vulnerabilities.

(2) Requirements.--In establishing the VDP pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall--

(A) identify which Department of State information technology should be included in the process;

(B) determine whether the process should differentiate among and specify the types of security vulnerabilities that may be targeted;

(C) provide a readily available means of reporting discovered security vulnerabilities and the form in which such vulnerabilities should be reported;

(D) identify which Department offices and positions will be responsible for receiving, prioritizing, and addressing security vulnerability disclosure reports;

(E) consult with the Attorney General regarding how to ensure that individuals, organizations, and companies that comply with the requirements of the process are protected from prosecution under section 1030 of title 18, United States Code, and similar provisions of law for specific activities authorized under the process;

(F) consult with the relevant offices at the Department of Defense that were responsible for launching the 2016 Vulnerability Disclosure Program, ``Hack the Pentagon'', and subsequent Department of Defense bug bounty programs;

(G) engage qualified interested persons, including nongovernmental sector representatives, about the structure of the process as constructive and to the extent practicable; and

(H) award contracts to entities, as necessary, to manage the process and implement the remediation of discovered security vulnerabilities.

(3) Annual reports.--Not later than 180 days after the establishment of the VDP under paragraph (1) and annually thereafter for the next five years, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report on the VDP, including information relating to the following:

(A) The number and severity of all security vulnerabilities reported.

(B) The number of previously unidentified security vulnerabilities remediated as a result.

(C) The current number of outstanding previously unidentified security vulnerabilities and Department of State remediation plans.

(D) The average length of time between the reporting of security vulnerabilities and remediation of such vulnerabilities.

(E) The resources, surge staffing, roles, and responsibilities within the Department used to implement the VDP and complete security vulnerability remediation.

(F) Any other information the Secretary determines relevant.

(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a bug bounty pilot program to minimize security vulnerabilities of internet-facing information technology of the Department of State.

(2) Requirements.--In establishing the pilot program described in paragraph (1), the Secretary of State shall--

(A) provide compensation for reports of previously unidentified security vulnerabilities within the websites, applications, and other internet-facing information technology of the Department of State that are accessible to the public;

(B) award contracts to entities, as necessary, to manage such pilot program and for executing the remediation of security vulnerabilities identified pursuant to subparagraph

(A);

(D) consult with the Attorney General on how to ensure that individuals, organizations, or companies that comply with the requirements of such pilot program are protected from prosecution under section 1030 of title 18, United States Code, and similar provisions of law for specific activities authorized under such pilot program;

(E) consult with the relevant offices at the Department of Defense that were responsible for launching the 2016 ``Hack the Pentagon'' pilot program and subsequent Department of Defense bug bounty programs;

(F) develop a process by which an approved individual, organization, or company can register with the entity referred to in subparagraph (B), submit to a background check as determined by the Department of State, and receive a determination as to eligibility for participation in such pilot program;

(G) engage qualified interested persons, including nongovernmental sector representatives, about the structure of such pilot program as constructive and to the extent practicable; and

(H) consult with relevant United States Government officials to ensure that such pilot program complements persistent network and vulnerability scans of the Department of State's internet-accessible systems, such as the scans conducted pursuant to Binding Operational Directive BOD-19-02 or successor directive.

(3) Duration.--The pilot program established under paragraph (1) should be short-term in duration and not last longer than one year.

(4) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date on which the bug bounty pilot program under subsection (a) is completed, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on such pilot program, including information relating to--

(A) the number of approved individuals, organizations, or companies involved in such pilot program, broken down by the number of approved individuals, organizations, or companies that--

(i) registered;

(ii) were approved;

(iii) submitted security vulnerabilities; and

(iv) received compensation;

(B) the number and severity of all security vulnerabilities reported as part of such pilot program;

(D) the current number of outstanding previously unidentified security vulnerabilities and Department remediation plans;

(E) the average length of time between the reporting of security vulnerabilities and remediation of such vulnerabilities;

(F) the types of compensation provided under such pilot program; and

(G) the lessons learned from such pilot program.

(d) Use of Funds.--Compensation offered by the Department subject to this section shall be funded by amounts appropriated pursuant to--

(1) the authorization of appropriations under section 1001; and

(2) any other Act.

TITLE VI--PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

SEC. 1601. SHORT TITLE.

This title may be cited as the ``Public Diplomacy Modernization Act of 2021''.

SEC. 1602. AVOIDING DUPLICATION OF PROGRAMS AND EFFORTS.

The Secretary of State shall--

(1) identify opportunities for greater efficiency of operations, including through improved coordination of efforts across public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department of State; and

(2) maximize shared use of resources between, and within, such public diplomacy bureaus and offices in cases in which programs, facilities, or administrative functions are duplicative or substantially overlapping.

SEC. 1603. IMPROVING RESEARCH AND EVALUATION OF PUBLIC

DIPLOMACY.

(a) Research and Evaluation Activities.--The Secretary of State, acting through the Director of Research and Evaluation appointed pursuant to subsection (b), shall--

(1) conduct regular research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department, including through the routine use of audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations, to plan and execute such programs and activities; and

(2) make available to Congress the findings of the research and evaluations conducted under paragraph (1).

(b) Director of Research and Evaluation.--

(1) Appointment.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall appoint a Director of Research and Evaluation (referred to in this subsection as the ``Director'') in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the Department.

(2) Limitation on appointment.--The appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1) shall not result in an increase in the overall full-time equivalent positions within the Department of State.

(3) Responsibilities.--The Director shall--

(A) coordinate and oversee the research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department of State in order to--

(i) improve public diplomacy strategies and tactics; and

(ii) ensure that such programs and activities are increasing the knowledge, understanding, and trust of the United States by relevant target audiences;

(B) routinely organize and oversee audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department;

(D) share appropriate public diplomacy research and evaluation information within the Department and with other appropriate Federal departments and agencies;

(E) regularly design and coordinate standardized research questions, methodologies, and procedures to ensure that public diplomacy programs and activities across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices are designed to meet appropriate foreign policy objectives; and

(F) report biannually to the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, through the Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established pursuant to subsection

(f), regarding the research and evaluation of all public diplomacy bureaus and offices.

(4) Guidance and training.--Not later than one year after the appointment of the Director pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director shall develop guidance and training, including curriculum for use by the Foreign Service Institute, for all public diplomacy officers of the Department regarding the reading and interpretation of public diplomacy program and activity evaluation findings to ensure that such findings and related lessons learned are implemented in the planning and evaluation of all public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department.

(1) In general.--The head of the Office of Policy, Planning, and Resources for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs of the Department of State shall ensure that research and evaluation of public diplomacy and activities of the Department, as coordinated and overseen by the Director pursuant to subsection (b), supports strategic planning and resource allocation across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department.

(2) Allocation of resources.--Amounts allocated for the purpose of research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department of State pursuant to subsection (b) shall be made available to be disbursed at the direction of the Director of Research and Evaluation among the research and evaluation staff across all public diplomacy bureaus and offices of the Department.

(3) Sense of congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the Department of State should gradually increase its allocation of funds made available under the headings

``Educational and Cultural Exchange Programs'' and

``Diplomatic Programs'' for research and evaluation of public diplomacy programs and activities of the Department pursuant to subsection (b) to a percentage of program funds that is commensurate with Federal Government best practices.

(d) Limited Exemption Relating to the Paperwork Reduction Act.--Chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly known as the ``Paperwork Reduction Act'') shall not apply to the collection of information directed at any individuals conducted by, or on behalf of, the Department of State for the purpose of audience research, monitoring, and evaluations, and in connection with the Department's activities conducted pursuant to any of the following:

(1) The Mutual Educational and Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.).

(2) Section 1287 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 22 U.S.C. 2656 note).

(3) The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.).

(e) Limited Exemption Relating to the Privacy Act.--

(1) In general.--The Department of State shall maintain, collect, use, and disseminate records (as such term is defined in section 552a(a)(4) of title 5, United States Code) for audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluation of communications related to public diplomacy efforts intended for foreign audiences.

(2) Conditions.--Audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations under paragraph (1) shall be--

(A) reasonably tailored to meet the purposes of this subsection; and

(B) carried out with due regard for privacy and civil liberties guidance and oversight.

(f) United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy.--

(1) Subcommittee for research and evaluation.--The United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy shall establish a Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation to monitor and advise regarding audience research, digital analytics, and impact evaluations carried out by the Department of State and the United States Agency for Global Media.

(2) Annual report.--The Subcommittee on Research and Evaluation established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report, in conjunction with the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy's Comprehensive Annual Report on the performance of the Department and the United States Agency for Global Media, describing all actions taken by the Subcommittee pursuant to paragraph (1) and any findings made as a result of such actions.

SEC. 1604. PERMANENT REAUTHORIZATION OF THE UNITED STATES

ADVISORY COMMISSION ON PUBLIC DIPLOMACY.

(a) In General.--Section 1334 of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6553) is amended--

(1) in the section heading, by striking ``sunset'' and inserting ``continuation''; and

(2) by striking ``until October 1, 2021''.

(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1002(b) of the Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act of 1998 is amended by amending the item relating to section 1334 to read as follows:

``Sec. 1334. Continuation of United States Advisory Commission on

Public Diplomacy.''.

SEC. 1605. STREAMLINING OF SUPPORT FUNCTIONS.

(a) Working Group Established.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall establish a working group to explore the possibilities and cost-benefit analysis of transitioning to a shared services model as such pertains to human resources, travel, purchasing, budgetary planning, and all other executive support functions for all bureaus of the Department that report to the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy of the Department.

(b) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a plan to implement any such findings of the working group established under subsection (a).

SEC. 1606. GUIDANCE FOR CLOSURE OF PUBLIC DIPLOMACY

FACILITIES.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall adopt, and include in the Foreign Affairs Manual, guidelines to collect and utilize information from each diplomatic post at which the construction of a new embassy compound or new consulate compound would result in the closure or co-location of an American Space, American Center, American Corner, or any other public diplomacy facility under the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 (22 U.S.C. 4865 et seq.).

(b) Requirements.--The guidelines required by subsection

(a) shall include the following:

(1) Standardized notification to each chief of mission at a diplomatic post describing the requirements of the Secure Embassy Construction and Counterterrorism Act of 1999 and the impact on the mission footprint of such requirements.

(2) An assessment and recommendations from each chief of mission of potential impacts to public diplomacy programming at such diplomatic post if any public diplomacy facility referred to in subsection (a) is closed or staff is co- located in accordance with such Act.

(3) A process by which assessments and recommendations under paragraph (2) are considered by the Secretary of State and the appropriate Under Secretaries and Assistant Secretaries of the Department.

(4) Notification to the appropriate congressional committees, prior to the initiation of a new embassy compound or new consulate compound design, of the intent to close any such public diplomacy facility or co-locate public diplomacy staff in accordance with such Act.

(c) Report.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report containing the guidelines required under subsection (a) and any recommendations for any modifications to such guidelines.

SEC. 1607. DEFINITIONS.

In this title:

(1) Audience research.--The term ``audience research'' means research conducted at the outset of a public diplomacy program or the outset of campaign planning and design regarding specific audience segments to understand the attitudes, interests, knowledge, and behaviors of such audience segments.

(2) Digital analytics.--The term ``digital analytics'' means the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, accumulated in digital format, to indicate the outputs and outcomes of a public diplomacy program or campaign.

(3) Impact evaluation.--The term ``impact evaluation'' means an assessment of the changes in the audience targeted by a public diplomacy program or campaign that can be attributed to such program or campaign.

(4) Public diplomacy bureaus and offices.--The term

``public diplomacy bureaus and offices'' means, with respect to the Department, the following:

(A) The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

(B) The Bureau of Global Public Affairs.

(D) The Global Engagement Center.

(E) The public diplomacy functions within the regional and functional bureaus.

TITLE VII--COMBATING PUBLIC CORRUPTION

SEC. 1701. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) it is in the foreign policy interest of the United States to help foreign countries promote good governance and combat public corruption;

(2) multiple Federal departments and agencies operate programs that promote good governance in foreign countries and enhance such countries' ability to combat public corruption; and

(3) the Department of State should--

(A) promote coordination among the Federal departments and agencies implementing programs to promote good governance and combat public corruption in foreign countries in order to improve effectiveness and efficiency; and

(B) identify areas in which United States efforts to help other countries promote good governance and combat public corruption could be enhanced.

SEC. 1702. ANNUAL ASSESSMENT.

(a) In General.--For each of fiscal years 2022 through 2027, the Secretary of State shall assess the capacity and commitment of foreign governments to which the United States provides foreign assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) or the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) to combat public corruption. Each such assessment shall--

(1) utilize independent, third party indicators that measure transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector in such countries, including the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, to identify those countries that are most vulnerable to public corruption;

(2) consider, to the extent reliable information is available, whether the government of a country identified under paragraph (1)--

(A) has adopted measures to prevent public corruption, such as measures to inform and educate the public, including potential victims, about the causes and consequences of public corruption;

(B) has enacted laws and established government structures, policies, and practices that prohibit public corruption;

(D) vigorously investigates, prosecutes, convicts, and sentences public officials who participate in or facilitate public corruption, including nationals of such country who are deployed in foreign military assignments, trade delegations abroad, or other similar missions who engage in or facilitate public corruption;

(E) prescribes appropriate punishment for serious and significant corruption that is commensurate with the punishment prescribed for serious crimes;

(F) prescribes appropriate punishment for significant corruption that provides a sufficiently stringent deterrent and adequately reflects the nature of the offense;

(G) convicts and sentences persons responsible for such acts that take place wholly or partly within the country of such government, including, as appropriate, requiring the incarceration of individuals convicted of such acts;

(H) holds private sector representatives accountable for their role in public corruption; and

(I) addresses threats for civil society to monitor anti- corruption efforts;

(3) further consider--

(A) verifiable measures taken by the government of a country identified under paragraph (1) to prohibit government officials from participating in, facilitating, or condoning public corruption, including the investigation, prosecution, and conviction of such officials;

(B) the extent to which such government provides access, or, as appropriate, makes adequate resources available, to civil society organizations and other institutions to combat public corruption, including reporting, investigating, and monitoring;

(C) the extent to which an independent judiciary or judicial body in such country is responsible for, and effectively capable of, deciding public corruption cases impartially, on the basis of facts and in accordance with law, without any improper restrictions, influences, inducements, pressures, threats, or interferences, whether direct or indirect, from any source or for any reason;

(D) the extent to which such government cooperates meaningfully with the United States to strengthen government and judicial institutions and the rule of law to prevent, prohibit, and punish public corruption; and

(E) the extent to which such government--

(i) is assisting in international investigations of transnational public corruption networks and in other cooperative efforts to combat serious, significant corruption, including cooperating with the governments of other countries to extradite corrupt actors;

(ii) recognizes the rights of victims of public corruption, ensures their access to justice, and takes steps to prevent such victims from being further victimized or persecuted by corrupt actors, government officials, or others; and

(iii) refrains from prosecuting legitimate victims of public corruption or whistleblowers due to such persons having assisted in exposing public corruption, and refrains from other discriminatory treatment of such persons; and

(4) contain such other information relating to public corruption as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

(b) Identification.--After conducting each assessment under subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall identify, of the countries described in subsection (a)(1)--

(1) which countries are meeting minimum standards to combat public corruption;

(2) which countries are not meeting such minimum standards but are making significant efforts to do so; and

(3) which countries are not meeting such minimum standards and are not making significant efforts to do so.

(c) Report.--Except as provided in subsection (d), not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter through fiscal year 2027, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report, and make such report publicly available, that--

(1) identifies the countries described in subsection (a)(1) and paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b);

(2) describes the methodology and data utilized in the assessments under subsection (a); and

(3) identifies the reasons for the identifications referred to in paragraph (1).

(d) Briefing in Lieu of Report.--The Secretary of State may waive the requirement to submit and make publicly available a written report under subsection (c) if the Secretary--

(1) determines that publication of such report would--

(A) undermine existing United States anti-corruption efforts in one or more countries; or

(B) threaten the national interests of the United States; and

(2) provides to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing that--

(A) identifies the countries described in subsection (a)(1) and paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (b);

(B) describes the methodology and data utilized in the assessment under subsection (a); and

SEC. 1703. TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.

For each country identified under paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 1702(b), the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, as appropriate, shall--

(1) ensure that a corruption risk assessment and mitigation strategy is included in the integrated country strategy for such country; and

(2) utilize appropriate mechanisms to combat corruption in such countries, including by ensuring--

(A) the inclusion of anti-corruption clauses in contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements entered into by the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development for or in such countries, which allow for the termination of such contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, as the case may be, without penalty if credible indicators of public corruption are discovered;

(B) the inclusion of appropriate clawback or flowdown clauses within the procurement instruments of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development that provide for the recovery of funds misappropriated through corruption;

(C) the appropriate disclosure to the United States Government, in confidential form, if necessary, of the beneficial ownership of contractors, subcontractors, grantees, cooperative agreement participants, and other organizations implementing programs on behalf of the Department of State or the United States Agency for International Development; and

(D) the establishment of mechanisms for investigating allegations of misappropriated resources and equipment.

SEC. 1704. DESIGNATION OF EMBASSY ANTI-CORRUPTION POINTS OF

CONTACT.

(a) In General.--The Secretary of State shall annually designate an anti-corruption point of contact at the United States diplomatic post to each country identified under paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 1702(b), or which the Secretary otherwise determines is in need of such a point of contact. The point of contact shall be the chief of mission or the chief of mission's designee.

(b) Responsibilities.--Each anti-corruption point of contact designated under subsection (a) shall be responsible for coordinating and overseeing the implementation of a whole-of-government approach among the relevant Federal departments and agencies operating programs that--

(1) promote good governance in foreign countries; and

(2) enhance the ability of such countries to--

(A) combat public corruption; and

(B) develop and implement corruption risk assessment tools and mitigation strategies.

(c) Training.--The Secretary of State shall implement appropriate training for anti-corruption points of contact designated under subsection (a).

TITLE VIII--OTHER MATTERS

SEC. 1801. CASE-ZABLOCKI ACT REFORM.

Section 112b of title 1, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)--

(A) in the first sentence, by striking ``sixty'' and inserting ``30''; and

(B) in the second sentence, by striking ``Committee on International Relations'' and inserting ``Committee on Foreign Affairs''; and

(2) by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

``(b) Each department or agency of the United States Government that enters into any international agreement described in subsection (a) on behalf of the United States, shall designate a Chief International Agreements Officer, who--

``(1) shall be a current employee of such department or agency;

``(2) shall serve concurrently as Chief International Agreements Officer; and

``(3) subject to the authority of the head of such department or agency, shall have department or agency-wide responsibility for efficient and appropriate compliance with subsection (a) to transmit the text of any international agreement to the Department of State expeditiously after such agreement has been signed.''.

SEC. 1802. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES IN DEFAULT.

Section 620(q) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2370(q)) is amended--

(1) by striking ``No assistance'' and inserting the following ``(1) No assistance'';

(2) by inserting ``the government of'' before ``any country'';

(3) by inserting ``the government of'' before ``such country'' each place it appears;

(4) by striking ``determines'' and all that follows and inserting ``determines, after consultation with the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, that assistance for such country is in the national interest of the United States.''; and

(5) by adding at the end the following:

``(2) No assistance shall be furnished under this Act, the Peace Corps Act, the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, the African Development Foundation Act, the BUILD Act of 2018, section 504 of the FREEDOM Support Act, or section 23 of the Arms Export Control Act to the government of any country which is in default during a period in excess of 1 calendar year in payment to the United States of principal or interest or any loan made to the government of such country by the United States unless the President determines, following consultation with the congressional committees specified in paragraph (1), that assistance for such country is in the national interest of the United States.''.

SEC. 1803. SEAN AND DAVID GOLDMAN CHILD ABDUCTION PREVENTION

AND RETURN ACT OF 2014 AMENDMENT.

Subsection (b) of section 101 of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act of 2014 (22 U.S.C. 9111; Public Law 113-150) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (2)--

(A) in subparagraph (A)--

(i) by inserting ``, respectively,'' after ``access cases''; and

(ii) by inserting ``and the number of children involved'' before the semicolon at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``respectively, the number of children involved,'' after ``access cases,'';

(2) in paragraph (7), by inserting ``, and number of children involved in such cases'' before the semicolon at the end;

(3) in paragraph (8), by striking ``and'' after the semicolon at the end;

(4) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

(5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(10) the total number of pending cases the Department of State has assigned to case officers and number of children involved for each country and as a total for all countries.''.

SEC. 1804. MODIFICATION OF AUTHORITIES OF COMMISSION FOR THE

PRESERVATION OF AMERICA'S HERITAGE ABROAD.

(a) In General.--Chapter 3123 of title 54, United States Code, is amended as follows:

(1) In section 312302, by inserting ``, and unimpeded access to those sites,'' after ``and historic buildings''.

(2) In section 312304(a)--

(A) in paragraph (2)--

(i) by striking ``and historic buildings'' and inserting

``and historic buildings, and unimpeded access to those sites''; and

(ii) by striking ``and protected'' and inserting ``, protected, and made accessible''; and

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and protecting'' and inserting ``, protecting, and making accessible''.

(3) In section 312305, by inserting ``and to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate'' after

``President''.

(b) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission for the Preservation of America's Heritage Abroad shall submit to the President and to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report that contains an evaluation of the extent to which the Commission is prepared to continue its activities and accomplishments with respect to the foreign heritage of United States citizens from eastern and central Europe, were the Commission's duties and powers extended to include other regions, including the Middle East and North Africa, and any additional resources or personnel the Commission would require.

SEC. 1805. CHIEF OF MISSION CONCURRENCE.

In the course of providing concurrence to the exercise of the authority pursuant to section 127e of title 10, United State Code, or section 1202 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018--

(1) each relevant chief of mission shall inform and consult in a timely manner with relevant individuals at relevant missions or bureaus of the Department of State; and

(2) the Secretary of State shall take such steps as may be necessary to ensure that such relevant individuals have the security clearances necessary and access to relevant compartmented and special programs to so consult in a timely manner with respect to such concurrence.

SEC. 1806. REPORT ON EFFORTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS REPATRIATION

TASK FORCE.

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees, the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate a report evaluating the efforts of the Coronavirus Repatriation Task Force of the Department of State to repatriate United States citizens and legal permanent residents in response to the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. The report shall identify--

(1) the most significant impediments to repatriating such persons;

(2) the lessons learned from such repatriations; and

(3) any changes planned to future repatriation efforts of the Department of State to incorporate such lessons learned.

Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of

2021

H.R. 1447

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of 2021'' or the ``COAST Research Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

(a) In General.--Section 12402(a) of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3701(a)) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1)--

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking

``development and coordination'' and inserting ``coordination and implementation'';

(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``acidification on marine organisms'' and inserting ``acidification and coastal acidification on marine organisms''; and

(C) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``establish'' and all that follows through the semicolon and inserting ``maintain and advise an interagency research, monitoring, and public outreach program on ocean acidification and coastal acidification;'';

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``establishment'' and inserting ``maintenance'';

(3) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after ``ocean acidification''; and

(4) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``and coastal acidification that take into account other environmental and anthropogenic stressors'' after ``ocean acidification''.

(b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--Section 12402 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3701(a)) is amended by striking ``(a) Purposes.--''.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

Section 12403 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3702) is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``of the Earth's oceans'' and all that follows before the period at the end and inserting ``and changes in the water chemistry of the Earth's oceans, coastal estuaries, and waterways caused by carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and the breakdown of organic matter'';

(2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council'' and inserting ``National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology'';

(3) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) as paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), respectively;

(4) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following new paragraph:

``(1) Coastal acidification.--The term `coastal acidification' means the combined decrease in pH and changes in the water chemistry of coastal oceans, estuaries, and other bodies of water from chemical inputs (including carbon dioxide from the atmosphere), freshwater inputs, and excess nutrient run-off from land and coastal atmospheric pollution that result in processes that release carbon dioxide, acidic nitrogen, and sulfur compounds as byproducts which end up in coastal waters.''; and

(5) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(5) State.--The term `State' means each State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands of the United States, and any other territory or possession of the United States.''.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

Section 12404 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3703) is amended--

(1) in the heading, by striking ``subcommittee'' and inserting ``working group'';

(2) in subsection (a)--

(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council shall coordinate Federal activities on ocean acidification and establish'' and insert ``Subcommittee shall establish and maintain'';

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Wildlife Service,'' and inserting ``Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of State, the Department of Energy, the Department of the Navy, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Smithsonian Institution,''; and

``Chairman'' and inserting ``Chair'';

(3) in subsection (b)--

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including the efforts of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to facilitate such implementation'' after ``of the plan'';

(B) in paragraph (2)--

(i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after ``ocean acidification''; and

(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after ``ocean acidification'';

(D) in paragraph (5)--

(i) by striking ``developed'' and inserting ``and coastal acidification developed''; and

(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting ``and coastal acidification; and''; and

(E) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(6) ensure that each of the Federal agencies represented on the interagency working group--

``(A) participates in the Ocean Acidification Information Exchange established under paragraph (5); and

``(B) delivers data and information to support the data archive system established under section 12406(d).'';

(4) in subsection (c), in paragraph (2)--

(A) by inserting ``, and to the Office of Management and Budget,'' after ``House of Representatives''; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``the interagency research'' and inserting ``interagency strategic research'';

(5) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d); and

(6) by inserting after subsection (b) the following:

``(c) Advisory Board.--

``(1) Establishment.--The Chair of the Subcommittee shall establish an Ocean Acidification Advisory Board.

``(2) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall--

``(A) not later than 180 days before the Subcommittee submits the most recent report under subsection (d)(2)--

``(i) review such report;

``(ii) submit an analysis of such report to the Subcommittee for consideration in the final report submitted under subsection (d)(2); and

``(iii) concurrently with the Subcommittee's final submission of the report under subsection (d)(2), the Advisory Board shall submit a copy of the analysis provided to the Subcommittee to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives;

``(B) not later than 180 days before the Subcommittee submits the most recent strategic research plan under subsection (d)(3) to Congress--

``(i) review such plan;

``(ii) submit an analysis of such plan and the implementation thereof to the Subcommittee for consideration in the final strategic research plan submitted under subsection (d)(3); and

``(iii) concurrently with the Subcommittee's final submission of the strategic research plan under subsection

(d)(3), the Advisory Board shall submit a copy of the analysis provided to the Subcommittee to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives;

``(C) provide ongoing advice to the Subcommittee and the interagency working group on matters related to Federal activities on ocean acidification and coastal acidification;

``(D) advise the Subcommittee and the interagency working group on--

``(i) efforts to coordinate research and monitoring activities related to ocean acidification and coastal acidification; and

``(ii) the best practices for the standards developed for data archiving under section 12406(e);

``(E) publish in the Federal Register a charter;

``(F) provide the Library of Congress with--

``(i) the charter described in subparagraph (E);

``(ii) any schedules and minutes for meetings of the Advisory Board;

``(iii) any documents that are approved by the Advisory Board; and

``(iv) any reports and analysis prepared by the Advisory Board; and

``(G) establish a publicly accessible web page on the website of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, that contains the information described in clauses (i) through (iv) of subparagraph (F).

``(3) Membership.--The Advisory Board shall consist of 24 members as follows:

``(A) Two representatives of the shellfish and crab industry.

``(B) One representative of the finfish industry.

``(C) One representative of seafood processors.

``(D) Three representatives from academia, including both natural and social sciences.

``(E) One representative of recreational fishing.

``(F) One representative of a relevant nongovernmental organization.

``(G) Six representatives from relevant State, local, and Tribal governments.

``(H) One representative from the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(I) One representative from the California Current Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(J) One representative from the Northeast Coastal Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(K) One representative from the Southeast Coastal Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(L) One representative from the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(M) One representative from the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network or a subsequent entity that represents the same geographical region and has a similar purpose.

``(N) One representative from the Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System or a subsequent entity that represents the island territories and possessions of the United States in the Pacific Ocean, and the State of Hawaii and has a similar purpose.

``(O) One representative from the Caribbean Regional Association for Coastal Ocean Observing or a subsequent entity that represents Puerto Rico and the United States Virgin Islands and has a similar purpose.

``(P) One representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall serve as an ex-officio member of the Advisory Board without a vote.

``(4) Appointment of members.--The Chair of the Subcommittee shall--

``(A) appoint members to the Advisory Board (taking into account the geographical interests of each individual to be appointed as a member of the Advisory Board to ensure that an appropriate balance of geographical interests are represented by the members of the Advisory Board) who--

``(i) represent the interest group for which each seat is designated;

``(ii) demonstrate expertise on ocean acidification or coastal acidification and its scientific, economic, industry, cultural, and community impacts; and

``(iii) have a record of distinguished service with respect to ocean acidification or coastal acidification, and such impacts;

``(B) give consideration to nominations and recommendations from the members of the interagency working group and the public for such appointments; and

``(C) ensure that an appropriate balance of scientific, industry, and geographical interests are represented by the members of the Advisory Board.

``(5) Term of membership.--Each member of the Advisory Board--

``(A) shall be appointed for a 5-year term; and

``(B) may be appointed to more than one term.

``(6) Chair.--The Chair of the Subcommittee shall appoint one member of the Advisory Board to serve as the Chair of the Advisory Board.

``(7) Meetings.--Not less than once each calendar year, the Advisory Board shall meet at such times and places as may be designated by the Chair of the Advisory Board, in consultation with the Chair of the Subcommittee and the Chair of the interagency working group.

``(8) Briefing.--The Chair of the Advisory Board shall brief the Subcommittee and the interagency working group on the progress of the Advisory Board as necessary or at the request of the Subcommittee.

``(9) Federal advisory committee act.--Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Board.''.

SEC. 5. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN.

Section 12405 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3704) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)--

(A) by striking ``acidification'' each place it appears and inserting ``acidification and coastal acidification'';

(B) in the first sentence--

(i) by inserting ``, and not later than every 5 years thereafter'' after ``the date of enactment of this Act'';

(ii) by inserting ``address the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification and coastal acidification and to'' after

``mitigation strategies to''; and

(iii) by striking ``marine ecosystems'' each place it appears and inserting ``ecosystems''; and

(C) in the second sentence, by inserting ``and recommendations made by the Advisory Board in the review of the plan required under section 12404(c)(2)(B)(i)'' after

``subsection (d)'';

(2) in subsection (b)--

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``and social sciences'' after ``among the ocean sciences'';

(B) in paragraph (2)--

(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``impacts'' and inserting ``impacts, including trends of changes in ocean chemistry,'';

(ii) in subparagraph (B)--

(I) by striking ``improve the ability to assess the'' and inserting ``assess the short-term and long-term''; and

(II) by striking ``; and'' at the end and inserting a semicolon;

(iii) by amending subparagraph (C) to read as follows:

``(C) provide information for the--

``(i) development of adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification and coastal acidification;

``(ii) conservation of marine organisms and ecosystems;

``(iii) assessment of the effectiveness of such adaptation and mitigation strategies; and''; and

(iv) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

``(D) improve research on--

``(i) ocean acidification and coastal acidification;

``(ii) the interactions between and effects of multiple combined stressors including changes in water chemistry, changes in sediment delivery, hypoxia, and harmful algal blooms, on ocean acidification and coastal acidification; and

``(iii) the effect of environmental stressors on marine resources and ecosystems;'';

(i) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``database development'' and inserting ``data management'';

(ii) in subparagraph (H) by striking ``and'' at the end; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraphs:

``(J) assessment of adaptation and mitigation strategies; and

``(K) education and outreach activities;'';

(D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``set forth'' and inserting ``ensure an appropriate balance of contribution in establishing'';

(E) in paragraph (5), by striking ``reports'' and inserting

``the best available peer-reviewed scientific reports'';

(F) in paragraph (6)--

(i) by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after

``ocean acidification''; and

(ii) by striking ``of the United States'' and inserting

``within the United States'';

(G) in paragraph (7), by striking ``outline budget requirements'' and inserting ``estimate costs associated for full implementation of each element of the plan by fiscal year'';

(H) in paragraph (8)--

(i) by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after

``ocean acidification'' each place it appears;

(ii) by striking ``its'' and inserting ``their''; and

(iii) by striking ``; and'' at the end and inserting a semicolon;

(I) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and

(J) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(11) describe monitoring needs necessary to support potentially affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, fishery management councils and commissions, non-Federal resource managers, and scientific experts on decision-making and adaptation related to ocean acidification and coastal acidification.'';

(3) in subsection (c)--

(A) in paragraph (1)(C), by striking ``surface'';

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after ``ocean acidification'' each place it appears;

(i) by striking ``input, and'' and inserting ``inputs,'';

(ii) by inserting ``, marine food webs,'' after ``marine ecosystems''; and

(iii) by inserting ``, and modeling that supports fisheries management'' after ``marine organisms'';

(D) in paragraph (5), by inserting ``and coastal acidification'' after ``ocean acidification''; and

(E) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(8) Research to understand related and cumulative stressors and other biogeochemical processes occurring in conjunction with ocean acidification and coastal acidification.''; and

(4) by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following:

``(e) Advisory Board Evaluation.--Not later than 180 days before a plan is submitted to Congress, the Subcommittee shall provide the Advisory Board established under section 12404(c) a copy of the plan for purposes of review under paragraph (2)(B)(i) of such section.

``(f) Publication and Public Comment.--Not later than 90 days before the strategic research plan, or any revision thereof, is submitted to Congress, the Subcommittee shall publish the plan in the Federal Register and provide an opportunity for submission of public comments for a period of not less than 60 days.''.

SEC. 6. NOAA OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACTIVITIES.

Section 12406 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3705) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a)--

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by inserting

``coordination,'' after ``research, monitoring,'';

(B) in paragraph (1)--

(i) in subparagraph (B)--

(I) by inserting ``including the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the ocean observing assets of other Federal, State, and Tribal agencies,'' after ``ocean observing assets,''; and

(II) by inserting ``and agency and department missions, prioritizing the location of monitoring instruments, assets, and projects to maximize the efficiency of resources and to optimize understanding of socioeconomic impacts and ecosystem health'' after ``research program'';

(ii) in subparagraph (C)--

(I) by striking ``adaptation'' and inserting ``adaptation and mitigation''; and

(II) by inserting ``and supporting socioeconomically vulnerable States, local governments, Tribes, communities, and industries through technical assistance and mitigation strategies'' after ``marine ecosystems'';

(iii) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``its impacts'' and inserting ``their respective impacts'';

(iv) in subparagraph (F), by striking ``monitoring and impacts research'' and inserting ``research, monitoring, and adaptation and mitigation strategies''; and

(v) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

``(G) research to improve understanding of the effect of--

``(i) other environmental stressors on ocean acidification and coastal acidification;

``(ii) multiple environmental stressors on living marine resources and coastal ecosystems; and

``(iii) adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification and coastal acidification.'';

(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``critical research projects that explore'' and inserting ``critical research, education, and outreach projects that explore and communicate''; and

(D) in paragraphs (1) and (2), by striking

``acidification'' each place it appears and inserting

``acidification and coastal acidification''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsections:

``(c) Relationship to Interagency Working Group.--The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shall serve as the lead Federal agency responsible for coordinating the Federal response to ocean acidification and coastal acidification, by--

``(1) leading the interagency working group in implementing the strategic research plan under section 12405;

``(2) coordinating monitoring and research efforts among Federal agencies in cooperation with State, local, and Tribal government and international partners;

``(3) maintaining an Ocean Acidification Information Exchange described under section 12404(b)(5) to allow for information to be electronically accessible, including information--

``(A) on ocean acidification developed through or used by the ocean acidification program described under section 12406(a); or

``(B) that would be useful to State governments, local governments, Tribal governments, resource managers, policymakers, researchers, and other stakeholders in mitigating or adapting to the impacts of ocean acidification and coastal acidification; and

``(4) establishing and maintaining the data archive system under subsection (d).

``(d) Data Archive System.--

``(1) Management.--The Secretary, in coordination with members of the interagency working group, shall provide for the long-term stewardship of, and access to, data relating to ocean acidification and coastal acidification by establishing and maintaining a data archive system that the National Center for Environmental Information uses to process, store, archive, provide access to, and incorporate to the extent possible, such data collected--

``(A) through relevant federally-funded research; and

``(B) by a Federal agency, State agency, local agency, Tribe, academic scientist, citizen scientist, or industry organization.

``(2) Existing global or national data assets.--In establishing and maintaining the data archive system under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall ensure that existing global or national data assets (including the data assets maintained by the National Centers for Environmental Information, the Integrated Ocean Observing System, and other existing data systems within Federal agencies) are incorporated to the greatest extent possible.

``(e) Standards, Protocols, and Procedures.--With respect to the data described in subsection (d), the Secretary, in coordination with members of the interagency working group, shall establish and revise as necessary the standards, protocols, or procedures for--

``(1) processing, storing, archiving, and providing access to such data;

``(2) the interoperability and intercalibration of such data;

``(3) the collection of any metadata underlying such data; and

``(4) sharing such data with State, local, and Tribal government programs, potentially affected industry members, coastal stakeholders, fishery management councils and commissions, non-Federal resource managers, and academia.

``(f) Dissemination of Ocean Acidification Data and Coastal Acidification Data.--The Secretary, in coordination with members of the interagency working group, shall disseminate the data described under subsection (d) to the greatest extent practicable by sharing such data on full and open access exchanges.

``(g) Requirement.--Recipients of grants from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under this subtitle that collect data described under subsection (d) shall--

``(1) collect such data in accordance with the standards, protocols, or procedures established pursuant to subsection

(e); and

``(2) submit such data to the data archive system under subsection (d) after publication, in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Secretary.''.

SEC. 7. NSF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACTIVITIES.

Section 12407 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3706) is amended--

(1) by striking ``ocean acidification'' each place it appears and inserting ``ocean acidification and coastal acidification'';

(2) in subsection (a)--

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking

``its impacts'' and inserting ``their respective impacts'';

(B) in paragraph (3), by striking ``and its impacts'' and inserting ``and their respective impacts'';

(D) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(5) adaptation and mitigation strategies to address socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification and coastal acidification.''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

``(d) Requirement.--Recipients of grants from the National Science Foundation under this subtitle that collect data described under section 12406(d) shall--

``(1) collect data in accordance with the standards, protocols, or procedures established pursuant to section 12406(e); and

``(2) submit such data to the Director and the Secretary after publication, in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Director or the Secretary.''.

SEC. 8. NASA OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACTIVITIES.

Section 12408 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3707) is amended--

(1) by striking ``ocean acidification'' each place it appears and inserting ``ocean acidification and coastal acidification'';

(2) in subsection (a), by striking ``its impacts'' and inserting ``their respective impacts''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(d) Requirement.--Researchers from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under this subtitle that collect data described under section 12406(d) shall--

``(1) collect such data in accordance with the standards, protocols, or procedures established pursuant to section 12406(e); and

``(2) submit such data to the Administrator and the Secretary, in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Administrator or the Secretary.''.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Section 12409 of the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3708) is amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``subtitle--'' and all that follows through paragraph (4) and inserting the following: ``subtitle--

``(1) $30,500,000 for fiscal year 2022;

``(2) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;

``(3) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2024;

``(4) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2025; and

``(5) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026.''; and

(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``subtitle--'' and all that follows through paragraph (4) and inserting the following: ``subtitle $20,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026.''.

Directing Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Submit a Report on Use of

Cameras in Medical Centers of Department of Veterans Affairs

H.R. 1510

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. REPORT ON USE OF CAMERAS IN MEDICAL FACILITIES OF

THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in collaboration with the Office of Operations, Security, and Preparedness of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, and the Office of Construction and Facilities Management of the Department, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report analyzing the policies, use, and maintenance of cameras deployed by the Department for patient safety and law enforcement at medical facilities of the Department.

(b) Elements.--The report required by subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1) A comprehensive review of the policies and procedures of the Department regarding the use and maintenance of cameras with respect to the following:

(A) Patient safety, including--

(i) an analysis of how cameras are used to monitor staff and patients;

(ii) an analysis of the specific units within medical facilities in which the use of cameras is prioritized to protect patient safety;

(iii) an analysis of the procedures regarding the positioning of cameras;

(iv) an analysis of the extent to which cameras monitor locations where drugs are stored to ensure that drugs are accounted for, and an assessment of whether this is a widely used practice; and

(v) an analysis of the actions taken to preserve and protect patient privacy.

(B) Law enforcement of medical facilities of the Department, including--

(i) how exterior cameras are used;

(ii) how interior cameras are used; and

(iii) an analysis of locations, interior and exterior, in which camera use is prioritized.

(2) Recommendations of the Secretary to improve patient safety and law enforcement, including--

(A) the placement and maintenance of cameras;

(B) the storage of data from such cameras;

(D) the number of staff required to monitor live footage from cameras at each medical facility of the Department;

(E) the funding necessary to address shortfalls with respect to cameras and the specific uses for such funding;

(F) any additional actions required to preserve and protect patient privacy; and

(G) such other matters the Secretary determines appropriate.

(c) Camera Defined.--In this section, the term ``camera'' means any video camera used in a medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of patient safety or law enforcement, but does not include cameras used solely by the Inspector General of the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist in criminal investigations conducted by the Inspector General.

Financial Inclusion in Banking Act of 2021

H.R. 1711

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Financial Inclusion in Banking Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS DUTIES WITH RESPECT TO

UNDER-BANKED, UN-BANKED, AND UNDERSERVED

CONSUMERS.

Section 1013(b)(2) of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 (12 U.S.C. 5493(b)(2)) is amended--

(1) by striking ``The Director shall establish a unit'' and inserting the following:

``(A) In general.--The Director shall establish a unit to be known as the `Office of Community Affairs' ''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following:

``(B) Duties related to under-banked, un-banked, and underserved consumers.--

``(i) In general.--The Office of Community Affairs shall--

``(I) lead coordination of research to identify any causes and challenges contributing to the decision of individuals who, and households that, do not initiate or maintain on- going and sustainable relationships with depository institutions, including consulting with trade associations representing depository institutions, trade associations representing minority depository institutions, organizations representing the interests of traditionally underserved consumers and communities, organizations representing the interests of consumers (particularly low- and moderate-income individuals), civil rights groups, community groups, consumer advocates, and the Consumer Advisory Board about this matter;

``(II) identify subject matter experts within the Bureau to work on the issues identified under subclause (I);

``(III) lead coordination efforts between other Federal departments and agencies to better assess the reasons for the lack of, and help increase the participation of, under- banked, un-banked, and underserved consumers in the banking system; and

``(IV) identify and develop strategies to increase financial education to under-banked, un-banked, and underserved consumers.

``(ii) Coordination with other bureau offices.--In carrying out this paragraph, the Office of Community Affairs shall consult with and coordinate with the research unit established under subsection (b)(1) and such other offices of the Bureau as the Director may determine appropriate.

``(iii) Reporting.--

``(I) In general.--The Office of Community Affairs shall submit a report to Congress, within two years of the date of enactment of this subparagraph and every 2 years thereafter, that identifies any factors impeding the ability of, or limiting the option for, individuals or households to have access to fair, on-going, and sustainable relationships with depository institutions to meet their financial needs, discusses any regulatory, legal, or structural barriers to enhancing participation of under-banked, un-banked, and underserved consumers with depository institutions, and contains recommendations to promote better participation for all consumers with the banking system.

``(II) Timing of report.--To the extent possible, the Office shall submit each report required under subclause (I) during a year in which the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation does not issue the report on encouraging use of depository institutions by the unbanked required under section 49 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.''.

SEC. 3. DISCRETIONARY SURPLUS FUNDS.

(a) In General.--The dollar amount specified under section 7(a)(3)(A) of the Federal Reserve Act (12 U.S.C. 289(a)(3)(A)) is reduced by $10,000,000.

(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect on September 30, 2031.

SEC. 4. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

MSI STEM Achievement Act

H.R. 2027

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``MSI STEM Achievement Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) Evidence suggests that the supply of STEM workers is not keeping pace with the rapidly evolving needs of the public and private sector, resulting in a deficit often referred to as a STEM skills shortage.

(2) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need one million additional STEM professionals than it is on track to produce in the coming decade.

(3) STEM occupations offer higher wages, more opportunities for advancement, and a higher degree of job security than non-STEM occupations.

(4) The composition of the STEM workforce does not reflect the current or projected diversity of the Nation, with Hispanics, African Americans, and other racial and ethnic minorities, significantly underrepresented in the STEM workforce compared to their presence in the workforce more generally.

(5) A stronger national commitment to increasing the diversity of the STEM workforce is needed to help address the STEM skills shortage.

(6) According to a 2019 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report entitled ``Minority Serving Institutions: America's Underutilized Resource for Strengthening the STEM Workforce'', 2- and 4-year minority serving institutions enroll nearly 30 percent of all undergraduate students--a percentage that is expected to grow in the coming years--in the United States higher education system and play a critical role in providing important pathways to STEM-related education, training, and careers for students of color.

(7) HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs are highly successful at educating underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and can serve as best practice models for other colleges and universities to further expand participation of underrepresented minorities in the STEM workforce.

(8) Increased investment in STEM infrastructure at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs has the potential to increase these institutions' ability to educate even more students in the STEM disciplines.

(9) With the demand for STEM skills exceeding the supply of STEM graduates, success of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in educating and training science and engineering leaders is increasingly important for United States economic growth and competitiveness.

SEC. 3. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REVIEW.

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall report to Congress--

(1) an inventory of competitive funding programs and initiatives carried out by Federal science agencies that are targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs or partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(2) an assessment of Federal science agency outreach activities to increase the participation and competitiveness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in the funding programs and initiatives identified in paragraph (1); and

(3) recommendations of the Comptroller General to increase the participation of and the rate of success of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in competitive funding programs offered by Federal science agencies.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH AND CAPACITY BUILDING.

(a) In General.--The Director of the National Science Foundation shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations

(or consortia thereof) to--

(1) conduct research described in subsection (b) with respect to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(2) conduct activities described in subsection (c) to build the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to graduate students who are competitive in attaining and advancing in the STEM workforce;

(3) build the research capacity and competitiveness of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM disciplines; and

(4) identify and broadly disseminate effective models for programs and practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs that promote the education and workforce preparation of minority students pursuing STEM studies and careers in which such students are underrepresented.

(b) Research.--Research described in this subsection is research on the contribution of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to the education and training of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields and to the meeting of national STEM workforce needs, including--

(1) the diversity with respect to local context, cultural differences, and institutional structure among HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and any associated impact on education and research endeavors;

(2) effective practices at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and associated outcomes on student recruitment, retention, and advancement in STEM fields, including the ability for students to compete for fellowships, employment, and advancement in the workforce;

(3) contributions made by HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to local, regional, and national workforces;

(4) the unique challenges and opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in attaining the resources needed for integrating effective practices in STEM education, including providing research experiences for underrepresented minority students;

(5) the access of students at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to STEM infrastructure and any associated outcomes for STEM competency;

(6) models of STEM curriculum, learning, and teaching successful at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs for increasing participation, retention, and success of underrepresented minority students; and

(7) successful or promising partnerships between HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and other institutions of higher education, private sector and non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions.

(c) Capacity Building.--Activities described in this subsection include the design, development, implementation, expansion, and assessment of--

(1) metrics of success to best capture the achievements of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and students of such institutions to account for institutional context and missions, faculty investment, student populations, student needs, and institutional resource constraints;

(2) enhancements to undergraduate STEM curriculum at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the participation, retention, degree completion, and success of underrepresented students;

(3) professional development programs to increase the numbers and the high-quality preparation of STEM faculty at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including programs to encourage STEM doctoral students to teach at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and

(4) mechanisms for institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs to partner with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs on STEM education, including the facilitation of student transfer, mentoring programs for students and junior faculty, joint research projects, and student access to graduate education.

(d) Research Experiences.--Grants under this section may fund the development or expansion of opportunities for the exchange of students and faculty to conduct research, including through partnerships with institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs, private sector and non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions.

(e) Partnerships.--In awarding grants under this section, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall--

(1) encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and consortia thereof and partnerships with one or more HBCU, TCU, or MSI, to submit proposals;

(2) require proposals submitted in partnership with one or more HBCU, TCU, or MSI include a plan for establishing a sustained partnership that is jointly developed and managed, draws from the capacities of each institution, and is mutually beneficial; and

(3) encourage proposals submitted in partnership with the private sector, non-profit organizations, Federal laboratories, and international research institutions, as appropriate.

(f) MSI Centers of Innovation.--Grants under this section may fund the establishment of no more than five MSI Centers of Innovation to leverage successes of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in STEM education and research training of underrepresented minority students as models for other institutions, including both HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs and institutions of higher education that are not HBCUs, TCUs, or MSIs. Such centers will be located on campuses of selected institutions of higher education and serve as incubators to allow institutions of higher education to experiment, pilot, evaluate, and scale up promising practices.

(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National Science Foundation $170,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2023, $180,000,000 for fiscal year 2024,

$185,000,000 for fiscal year 2025, and $190,000,000 fiscal year 2026 to carry out this section.

SEC. 5. AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES.

(a) In General.--In consultation with outside stakeholders and the heads of the Federal science agencies, the Director shall develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for Federal science agencies to carry out a sustained program of outreach activities to increase clarity, transparency, and accountability for Federal science agency investments in STEM education and research activities at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.

(b) Outreach Activities.--In developing policy guidelines under subsection (a) the Director shall include guidelines that require each Federal science agency--

(1) to designate a liaison for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs responsible for--

(A) enhancing direct communication with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to increase the Federal science agency's understanding of the capacity and needs of such institutions and to raise awareness of available Federal funding opportunities at such institutions;

(B) coordinating programs, activities, and initiatives while accounting for the capacity and needs of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(D) reporting progress toward increasing participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs in grant programs;

(2) to publish annual forecasts of funding opportunities and proposal deadlines, including for grants, contracts, subcontracts, and cooperative agreements;

(3) to conduct on-site reviews of research facilities at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, as practicable, and make recommendations regarding strategies for becoming more competitive in research;

(4) to hold geographically accessible or virtual workshops on research priorities of the Federal science agency and on how to write competitive grant proposals;

(5) to ensure opportunities for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to directly communicate with Federal science agency officials responsible for managing competitive grant programs in order to receive feedback on research ideas and proposals, including guidance on the Federal science agency's peer review process;

(6) to foster mutually beneficial public-private collaboration among Federal science agencies, industry, Federal laboratories, academia, and nonprofit organizations to--

(A) identify alternative sources of funding for STEM education and research at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(B) provide access to high-quality, relevant research experiences for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(D) broaden STEM educational opportunities for students and faculty of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs; and

(E) support the transition of students of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs into the STEM workforce; and

(7) to publish an annual report that provides an account of Federal science agency investments in HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs, including data on the level of participation of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs as prime recipients/contractors or subrecipients/ subcontractors.

(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director, in collaboration with the head of each Federal science agency, shall submit to Congress a report containing a strategic plan for each Federal science agency to increase the capacity of HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to compete effectively for grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements and to encourage HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to participate in Federal programs.

(2) Considerations.--In developing a strategic plan under paragraph (1), the Director and each head of each Federal science agency shall consider--

(A) issuing new or expanding existing funding opportunities targeted to HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(B) modifying existing research and development program solicitations to incentivize effective partnerships with HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs;

(C) offering planning grants for HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to develop or equip grant offices with the requisite depth of knowledge to submit competitive grant proposals and manage awarded grants;

(D) offering additional training programs and individualized and timely guidance to grant officers faculty and postdoctoral researchers at HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs to ensure they understand the requirements for an effective grant proposal; and

(E) other approaches for making current competitive funding models more accessible for under-resourced HBCUs, TCUs, and MSIs.

(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the Director shall report to Congress on the implementation by Federal science agencies of the policy guidelines developed under this section.

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

(2) Federal laboratory.--The term ``Federal laboratory'' has the meaning given such term in section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703).

(3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000.

(4) HBCU.--The term ``HBCU'' has the meaning given the term

``part B institution'' in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).

(5) Institution of higher education.--The term

``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965

(20 U.S.C. 1001).

(6) Minority serving institution.--The term ``minority serving institution'' or ``MSI'' means Hispanic-Serving Institutions as defined in section 502 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1101a); Alaska Native Serving Institutions and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions as defined in section 317 of the Higher Education Act of 1965

(20 U.S.C. 1059d); and Predominantly Black Institutions, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, and Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions as defined in section 371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(c)).

(7) STEM.--The term ``STEM'' has the meaning given the term in the STEM Education Act of 2015 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.).

(8) TCU.--The term ``TCU'' has the meaning given the term

``Tribal College or University'' in section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).

GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act

H.R. 2167

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF TIME LIMITATION FOR USE OF ENTITLEMENT

UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS BY REASON OF

SCHOOL CLOSURES DUE TO EMERGENCY AND OTHER

SITUATIONS.

(a) Montgomery GI Bill.--Section 3031 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``and subsection (i)'' after ``through (g)''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(i)(1) In the case of an individual eligible for educational assistance under this chapter who is prevented from pursuing the individual's chosen program of education before the expiration of the 10-year period for the use of entitlement under this chapter otherwise applicable under this section because of a covered reason, as determined by the Secretary, such 10-year period--

``(A) shall not run during the period the individual is so prevented from pursuing such program; and

``(B) shall again begin running on a date determined by the Secretary that is--

``(i) not earlier than the first day after the individual is able to resume pursuit of a program of education with educational assistance under this chapter; and

``(ii) not later than 90 days after that day.

``(2) In this subsection, a covered reason is--

``(A) the temporary or permanent closure of an educational institution by reason of an emergency situation; or

``(B) another reason that prevents the individual from pursuing the individual's chosen program of education, as determined by the Secretary.''.

(b) Post-9/11 Educational Assistance.-- Section 3321(b)(1) of such title is amended--

(1) by inserting ``(A)'' before ``Subsections'';

(2) by striking ``and (d)'' and inserting ``(d), and (i)''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

``(B) Subsection (i) of section 3031 of this title shall apply with respect to the running of the 15-year period described in paragraphs (4)(A) and (5)(A) of this subsection in the same manner as such subsection (i) applies under such section 3031 with respect to the running of the 10-year period described in subsection (a) of such section.''.

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF PERIOD OF ELIGIBILITY BY REASON OF

SCHOOL CLOSURES DUE TO EMERGENCY AND OTHER

SITUATIONS UNDER DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

TRAINING AND REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR

VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES.

Section 3103 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``or (g)'' and inserting

``(g), or (h)''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(h)(1) In the case of a veteran who is eligible for a vocational rehabilitation program under this chapter and who is prevented from participating in the vocational rehabilitation program within the period of eligibility prescribed in subsection (a) because of a covered reason, as determined by the Secretary, such period of eligibility--

``(A) shall not run during the period the veteran is so prevented from participating in such program; and

``(B) shall again begin running on a date determined by the Secretary that is--

``(i) not earlier than the first day after the veteran is able to resume participation in a vocational rehabilitation program under this chapter; and

``(ii) not later than 90 days after that day.

``(2) In this subsection, a covered reason is--

``(A) the temporary or permanent closure of an educational institution by reason of an emergency situation; or

``(B) another reason that prevents the veteran from participating in the vocational rehabilitation program, as determined by the Secretary.''.

SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS DISAPPROVAL OF COURSES

OFFERED BY PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER

LEARNING THAT DO NOT CHARGE VETERANS THE IN-

STATE TUITION RATE FOR PURPOSES OF SURVIVORS'

AND DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Section 3679(c) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``or 33'' and inserting

``33, or 35'';

(2) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

``(D) An individual who is entitled to assistance under section 3510 of this title.''; and

(3) in paragraph (6), by striking ``and 33'' and inserting

``33, and 35''.

(b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 3679(e) of such title is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1)--

(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or 33'' and inserting ``, 33, or 35''; and

(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``or 33'' and inserting ``33, or 35''; and

(2) in paragraph (2), by striking ``or 33'' and inserting

``33, or 35''.

(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to an academic period that begins on or after August 1, 2022.

SEC. 5. IMPROVEMENTS TO INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES USED

TO PROCESS CLAIMS FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE.

(a) Modern Information Technology Service.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall implement an information technology service to process claims for educational assistance under chapters 30, 33, 35, and 36 of title 38, United States Code, using one or more commercial software systems. The Secretary shall complete such implementation not later than August 1, 2024.

(b) Required Capabilities.--The Secretary shall ensure that the modern information technology service under subsection

(a) has the following capabilities:

(1) As compared to legacy information technology systems--

(A) the ability to process claims faster and in a more efficient manner by improving processing integration and accuracy;

(B) improved data exchange and reporting; and

(2) Timely communication by employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs to individuals and educational institutions using an online portal that can provide real-time information on claims for educational assistance.

(3) The ability to be customized to address future capabilities required by law.

(4) Fully automated to the extent practicable for all original and supplemental claims, including with respect to calculating accurate awards.

(5) The ability for individuals entitled to educational assistance to electronically apply for, withdraw from, and amend such entitlement, and to reallocate a transferred entitlement.

(6) The ability to electronically process changes made by educational institutions.

(7) The ability to verify attendance at an educational institution.

(8) The ability to process validations made by an educational institution.

(c) Initial Report.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing information on the cost, schedule, and performance of the project for implementing such system, including, with respect to such project, the following:

(1) An estimate of acquisition, implementation, and life cycle costs (including all direct and indirect costs to acquire, implement, operate, and maintain such system).

(2) An intended implementation schedule indicating significant milestones, initial operating capability, and full operating capability or completion.

(3) Key business, functional, or performance objectives.

(4) With respect to both original claims and supplemental claims processed on a monthly basis, statistics regarding--

(A) the number of such claims processed using legacy information systems;

(B) the number of such claims that were off-ramped and processed manually; and

(5) The amount of savings that are estimated to be realized from using the modern information technology service rather than legacy information technology systems.

(6) The estimated accuracy of processing claims.

(7) The estimated timeliness for--

(A) processing original claims; and

(B) processing supplemental claims.

(8) A description of how the modern information technology service will--

(A) automate the processing of original claims; and

(B) automate the processing of supplemental claims.

(d) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) The term ``legacy information technology system'' means an information technology system used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to process claims for educational assistance under chapters 30, 33, 35, and 36 of title 38, United States Code, before the date on which the Secretary of Veterans Affairs awards a contract under subsection (a) for the modern information technology service.

(2) The term ``modern information technology service'' means the information technology service implemented under subsection (a) to process claims for educational assistance under chapters 30, 33, 35, and 36 of title 38, United States Code.

SEC. 6. TIME PERIOD FOR ELIGIBILITY UNDER SURVIVORS' AND

DEPENDENTS' EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM OF

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--Section 3512 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (f); and

(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the following persons may be afforded educational assistance under this chapter at any time after August 1, 2023, and without regard to the age of the person:

``(1) A person who first becomes an eligible person on or after August 1, 2023.

``(2) A person who--

``(A) first becomes an eligible person before August 1, 2023; and

``(B) becomes 18 years of age, or completes secondary schooling, on or after August 1, 2023.''.

(b) Conforming Amendments.--Such section is further amended--

(1) in subsection (a), by striking ``The educational'' and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (g), the educational'';

(2) in subsection (b)--

(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``subsection (g) or'' after ``provided in''; and

(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Notwithstanding'' and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (g), notwithstanding''; and

(3) in subsection (e), by striking ``No person'' and inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (g), no person''.

SEC. 7. PILOT PROGRAM ON SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS.

(a) Authority.--The Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans' Employment and Training shall carry out a pilot program under which a State may use a grant or contract under section 4102A(b)(5) of title 38, United States Code, to carry out a short-term fellowship program.

(b) Locations; Agreements.--The Secretary shall select at least three, but not more than five, States to carry out a short-term fellowship program pursuant to subsection (a). Each such State shall enter into an agreement with a non- profit organization to carry out such program.

(c) Short-term Fellowship Program.--Each short-term fellowship program carried out by a State pursuant to subsection (a) shall--

(1) consist of veterans participating as fellows with an employer for a period not exceeding 20 weeks;

(2) provide to such veterans a monthly stipend during such period; and

(3) provide to such veterans an opportunity to be employed on a long-term basis with the employer following such period.

(d) Amount of Stipend.--The amount of the stipend provided to a veteran pursuant to subsection (c)(2) for a month shall be the amount equal to the amount of the wages earned by the veteran during that month for participating in the fellowship.

(e) Comptroller General Report.--Not later than four years after the date on which the pilot program commences under this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the pilot program.

(f) Definition of State.--In this section, the term

``State'' has the meaning given such term in section 4101(6) of title 38, United States Code.

(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--In addition to funds made available under section 4102A(b)(5) of title 38, United States Code, there is authorized to be appropriated to the Assistant Secretary to carry out the pilot program under this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025.

SEC. 8. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021

H.R. 2441

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF RURAL ACCESS NETWORK FOR GROWTH

ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF

VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Expansion.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall establish and maintain three new centers of the RANGE Program.

(b) Locations.--The centers established under subsection

(a) shall be located in areas determined by the Secretary based on--

(1) the need for additional mental health care for rural veterans in such areas; and

(2) interest expressed by personnel at facilities of the Department in such areas.

(d) Funding.--There is authorized to be appropriated

$1,200,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2024 to carry out this section.

SEC. 3. GAO STUDY OF MENTAL HEALTH CARE FURNISHED BY THE

SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO RURAL

VETERANS.

(a) Study Required.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a study to assess whether the Department of Veterans Affairs has sufficient resources to serve rural veterans who need covered mental health care. Such study shall include assessments of--

(1) whether the mental health care furnished by the Secretary (through resources including the RANGE Program, Enhanced RANGE Program, mental health residential rehabilitation treatment programs, inpatient mental health services, and PRR centers) is sufficient to meet the covered mental health care needs of rural veterans;

(2) how best to expand and to appropriately locate resources described in paragraph (1);

(3) whether to require the establishment of a PRR center at a medical facility of the Department that serves 1,000 or more veterans on the National Psychosis Registry;

(4) the demand by rural veterans for mental health resources specified in paragraph (1);

(5) the average wait time for a rural veteran for mental health resources specified in paragraph (1); and

(6) how many rural veterans died by suicide or overdose--

(A) while on a wait list for mental health resources specified in paragraph (1); and

(B) during the term of the study.

(b) Report Required.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report containing the results of the study under this section.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) The term ``covered mental health care'' means mental health care that is more intensive than traditional outpatient therapy.

(2) The term ``PRR center'' means a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(3) The term ``RANGE Program'' means the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(4) The term ``rural veteran'' means a veteran who lives in a rural or highly rural area (including such an area in a Tribal or insular area), as determined through the use of the Rural-Urban Commuting Areas coding system of the Department of Agriculture.

Establishing Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition

Administration

H.R. 2494

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT OF VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND

TRANSITION ADMINISTRATION.

(a) Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.--

(1) In general.--Part V of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

``CHAPTER 80--VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND TRANSITION

ADMINISTRATION

``Sec.

``8001. Organization of Administration.

``8002. Functions of Administration.

``8003. Annual report to Congress.

``Sec. 8001. Organization of Administration

``(a) Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.--There is in the Department of Veterans Affairs a Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration. The primary function of the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration is the administration of the programs of the Department that provide assistance related to economic opportunity to veterans and their dependents and survivors.

``(b) Under Secretary for Economic Opportunity and Transition.--The Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration is under the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition, who is directly responsible to the Secretary for the operations of the Administration.

``Sec. 8002. Functions of Administration

``The Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration is responsible for the administration of the following programs of the Department:

``(1) Vocational rehabilitation and employment programs.

``(2) Educational assistance programs.

``(3) Veterans' housing loan and related programs.

``(4) The verification of small businesses owned and controlled by veterans pursuant to subsection (f) of section 8127 of this title, including the administration of the database of veteran-owned businesses described in such subsection.

``(5) The Transition Assistance Program under section 1144 of title 10.

``(6) Any other program of the Department that the Secretary determines appropriate.

``Sec. 8003. Annual report to Congress

``The Secretary shall include in the annual report to the Congress required by section 529 of this title a report on the programs administered by the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition. Each such report shall include the following with respect to each such program during the fiscal year covered by that report:

``(1) The number of claims received.

``(2) The number of claims decided.

``(3) The average processing time for a claim.

``(4) The number of successful outcomes (as determined by the Secretary).

``(5) The number of full-time equivalent employees.

``(6) The amounts expended for information technology.''.

(2) Clerical amendments.--The tables of chapters at the beginning of title 38, United States Code, and of part V of title 38, United States Code, are each amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 79 the following new item:

``80. Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administ8001''.....

(b) Effective Date.--Chapter 80 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on October 1, 2022.

(c) Authorization for Appropriations for Veterans Benefits Administrations.--There is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 2022 for the General Operating Expenses account of the Veterans Benefits Administration $3,207,000,000.

(d) Labor Rights.--Any labor rights, inclusion in the bargaining unit, and collective bargaining agreement that affects an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs who is transferred to the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, as established under chapter 80 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall apply in the same manner to such employee after such transfer.

SEC. 2. UNDER SECRETARY FOR VETERANS ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND

TRANSITION.

(a) Under Secretary.--

(1) In general.--Chapter 3 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 306 the following new section:

``Sec. 306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic

Opportunity and Transition

``(a) Under Secretary.--There is in the Department an Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition, who is appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation or activity and solely on the basis of demonstrated ability in--

``(1) information technology; and

``(2) the administration of programs within the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration or programs of similar content and scope.

``(b) Responsibilities.--The Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition is the head of, and is directly responsible to the Secretary for the operations of, the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.

``(c) Vacancies.--(1) Whenever a vacancy in the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition occurs or is anticipated, the Secretary shall establish a commission to recommend individuals to the President for appointment to the position.

``(2) A commission established under this subsection shall be composed of the following members appointed by the Secretary:

``(A) Three persons representing education and training, vocational rehabilitation, employment, real estate, mortgage finance and related industries, and survivor benefits activities affected by the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.

``(B) Two persons representing veterans served by the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration.

``(C) Two persons who have experience in the management of private sector benefits programs of similar content and scope to the economic opportunity and transition programs of the Department.

``(D) The Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

``(E) The chairman of the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education formed under section 3692 of this title.

``(F) One person who has held the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition, if the Secretary determines that it is desirable for such person to be a member of the commission.

``(3) A commission established under this subsection shall recommend at least three individuals for appointment to the position of Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition. The commission shall submit all recommendations to the Secretary. The Secretary shall forward the recommendations to the President and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives with any comments the Secretary considers appropriate. Thereafter, the President may request the commission to recommend additional individuals for appointment.

``(4) The Assistant Secretary or Deputy Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs who performs personnel management and labor relations functions shall serve as the executive secretary of a commission established under this subsection.''.

(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 306 the following new item:

``306A. Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and

Transition.''.

(b) Conforming Amendments.--Title 38, United States Code, is further amended--

(1) in section 306(c)(2), by striking subparagraphs (A) and

(E) and redesignating subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), and (F), as subparagraphs (A) through (D), respectively;

(2) in section 317(d)(2), by inserting after ``Under Secretary for Benefits,'' the following: ``the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition,'';

(3) in section 318(d)(2), by inserting after ``Under Secretary for Benefits,'' the following: ``the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition,'';

(4) in section 516(e)(2)(C), by striking ``Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits'' and inserting ``Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition'';

(5) in section 541(a)(2)(B), by striking ``Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits'' and inserting ``Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition'';

(6) in section 542(a)(2)(B)(iii), by striking ``Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits'' and inserting ``Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition'';

(7) in section 544(a)(2)(B)(vi), by striking ``Health and the Under Secretary for Benefits'' and inserting ``Health, the Under Secretary for Benefits, and the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition'';

(8) in section 709(c)(2)(A), by inserting after ``Under Secretary for Benefits,'' the following: ``the Under Secretary for Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition,'';

(9) in section 7701(a), by inserting after ``assistance'' the following: ``, other than assistance related to Economic Opportunity and Transition,''; and

(10) in section 7703, by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively.

(c) Effective Date.--Section 306A of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), and the amendments made by this section, shall take effect on October 1, 2022.

SEC. 3. TRANSFER OF SERVICES.

(a) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report on the progress toward establishing the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, as established under section 8001 of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 4, and the transition of the provision of services to veterans by such Administration.

(b) Certification.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs may not transfer the function of providing any services to veterans to the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, as established under section 8001 of title 38, United States Code, as added by section 4 until the Secretary submits to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives certification that--

(1) the transition of the provision of services to such Administration will not negatively affect the provision of such services to veterans;

(2) such services are ready to be transferred.

(c) Deadline for Certification.--The Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives the certification required by subsection (b)--

(1) no earlier than April 1, 2022; and

(2) no later than September 1, 2022.

(d) Failure To Certify.--If the Secretary fails to submit the certification required by subsection (b) by the date specified in subsection (c)(2), the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report that includes--

(1) the reason why the certification was not made by such date; and

(2) the estimated date when the certification will be made.

National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act of 2021

H.R. 2533

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``National Estuaries and Acidification Research Act of 2021'' or the ``NEAR Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Ocean acidification impacts human health, natural resources, and the environmental, economic, and recreational uses of the coastline.

(2) The current understanding of ocean acidification impacts on estuarine ecosystems is inadequate to fully prepare and manage for changing environmental conditions in nearshore locations.

(3) While pH can be measured with high precision and accuracy in open ocean environments, more understanding of the carbonate system in estuarine ecosystems is needed for precise and accurate measurements and observations.

(4) The interaction of multiple stressors, including salinity, pH, temperature, sea level rise, and nutrient input, within estuarine ecosystems is inadequately understood for managing the health, economic, recreational, and environmental impacts driven by these interactions.

(5) A better understanding is needed of how anthropogenic influences in coastal environments affect estuarine ecosystems.

(6) More integration and coordination is needed among regional, national, and global environmental observations in estuarine environments, supporting prior investments in related topics such as nutrient loading, hypoxia, ocean acidification, and harmful algae bloom research and observational systems.

SEC. 3. STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF OCEAN ACIDIFICATION AND

OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL STRESSORS ON ESTUARINE

ENVIRONMENTS.

(a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall make appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (referred to in this Act as the ``National Academies'') under which the National Academies shall conduct a study that--

(1) examines the existing science of ocean acidification in estuarine environments;

(2) examines the challenges to studying ocean acidification and ocean acidification's interactions with other environment stressors in estuarine environments;

(3) provides recommendations for improving future research with respect to ocean acidification in estuarine environments; and

(4) identifies pathways for applying science in management and mitigation decisions relating to ocean acidification in estuarine environments.

(b) Contents of Study.--The study described under subsection (a) shall include--

(1) the behavior of the carbonate system within estuarine environments;

(2) the interactions of the carbonate system with other biotic and abiotic characteristics of estuarine ecosystems;

(3) how environmental and anthropogenic changes or disturbances could affect abiotic and biotic processes within estuaries;

(4) how estuarine biotic and abiotic processes will be affected under predicted environmental changes;

(5) the current state of data collection, interpretation, storage, and retrieval and observational infrastructure of abiotic and biotic parameters in estuarine ecosystems;

(6) the gaps that exist in understanding the socio-economic and health impacts of ocean acidification in estuaries;

(7) future directions for scientific research; and

(8) pathways for applying science in management and mitigation decisions.

(c) Report.--In entering into an arrangement under subsection (a), the Secretary shall request that the National Academies transmit to Congress a report on the results of the study not later than 24 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000.

Insider Trading Prohibition Act

H.R. 2655

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Insider Trading Prohibition Act''.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON INSIDER TRADING.

(a) In General.--The Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U.S.C. 78a et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 16 the following new section:

``SEC. 16A. PROHIBITION ON INSIDER TRADING.

``(a) Prohibition Against Trading Securities While Aware of Material, Nonpublic Information.--It shall be unlawful for any person, directly or indirectly, to purchase, sell, or enter into, or cause the purchase or sale of or entry into, any security, security-based swap, or security-based swap agreement, while aware of material, nonpublic information relating to such security, security-based swap, or security- based swap agreement, or any nonpublic information, from whatever source, that has, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material effect on the market price of any such security, security-based swap, or security-based swap agreement, if such person knows, or recklessly disregards, that such information has been obtained wrongfully, or that such purchase or sale would constitute a wrongful use of such information.

``(b) Prohibition Against the Wrongful Communication of Certain Material, Nonpublic Information.--It shall be unlawful for any person whose own purchase or sale of a security, security-based swap, or entry into a security-based swap agreement would violate subsection (a), wrongfully to communicate material, nonpublic information relating to such security, security-based swap, or security-based swap agreement, or any nonpublic information, from whatever source, that has, or would reasonably be expected to have, a material effect on the market price of any such security, security-based swap, or security-based swap agreement, to any other person if--

``(1) the other person--

``(A) purchases, sells, or causes the purchase or sale of, any security or security-based swap or enters into or causes the entry into any security-based swap agreement, to which such communication relates; or

``(B) communicates the information to another person who makes or causes such a purchase, sale, or entry while aware of such information; and

``(2) such a purchase, sale, or entry while aware of such information is reasonably foreseeable.

``(c) Standard and Knowledge Requirement.--

``(1) Standard.--For purposes of this section, trading while aware of material, nonpublic information under subsection (a) or communicating material nonpublic information under subsection (b) is wrongful only if the information has been obtained by, or its communication or use would constitute, directly or indirectly--

``(A) theft, bribery, misrepresentation, or espionage

(through electronic or other means);

``(B) a violation of any Federal law protecting computer data or the intellectual property or privacy of computer users;

``(C) conversion, misappropriation, or other unauthorized and deceptive taking of such information; or

``(D) a breach of any fiduciary duty, a breach of a confidentiality agreement, a breach of contract, a breach of any code of conduct or ethics policy, or a breach of any other personal or other relationship of trust and confidence for a direct or indirect personal benefit (including pecuniary gain, reputational benefit, or a gift of confidential information to a trading relative or friend).

``(2) Knowledge requirement.--It shall not be necessary that the person trading while aware of such information (as proscribed by subsection (a)), or making the communication

(as proscribed by subsection (b)), knows the specific means by which the information was obtained or communicated, or whether any personal benefit was paid or promised by or to any person in the chain of communication, so long as the person trading while aware of such information or making the communication, as the case may be, was aware, consciously avoided being aware, or recklessly disregarded that such information was wrongfully obtained, improperly used, or wrongfully communicated.

``(d) Derivative Liability.--Except as provided in section 20(a), no person shall be liable under this section solely by reason of the fact that such person controls or employs a person who has violated this section, if such controlling person or employer did not participate in, or directly or indirectly induce the acts constituting a violation of this section.

``(e) Affirmative Defenses.--

``(1) In general.--The Commission may, by rule or by order, exempt any person, security, or transaction, or any class of persons, securities, or transactions, from any or all of the provisions of this section, upon such terms and conditions as it considers necessary or appropriate in furtherance of the purposes of this title.

``(2) Directed trading.--The prohibitions of this section shall not apply to any person who acts at the specific direction of, and solely for the account of another person whose own securities trading, or communications of material, nonpublic information, would be lawful under this section.

``(3) Rule 10b-5-1 compliant transactions.--The prohibitions of this section shall not apply to any transaction that satisfies the requirements of Rule 10b-5-1

(17 CFR 240.10b5-1), or any successor regulation.''.

(b) Commission Review of Rule 10b-5-1.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission shall review Rule 10b-5-1

(17 CFR 240.10b5-1) and make any modifications the Securities and Exchange Commission determines necessary or appropriate because of the amendment to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 made by this Act.

(1) in section 21(d)(2), by inserting ``, section 16A of this title'' after ``section 10(b) of this title,'';

(2) in section 21A--

(A) in subsection (g)(1), by inserting ``and section 16A,'' after ``thereunder,''; and

(B) in subsection (h)(1), by inserting ``and section 16A,'' after ``thereunder,''; and

(3) in section 21C(f), by inserting ``or section 16A,'' after ``section 10(b)''.

SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act

H.R. 2695

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act''.

(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Findings.

Sec. 3. Definitions.

Sec. 4. Research grants.

Sec. 5. Data collection.

Sec. 6. Responsible conduct guide.

Sec. 7. Interagency working group.

Sec. 8. National academies assessment.

Sec. 9. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress makes the following findings:

(1) According to the report issued by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in 2018 entitled ``Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine''--

(A) sexual harassment is pervasive in institutions of higher education;

(B) the most common type of sexual harassment is gender harassment, which includes verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey insulting, hostile, and degrading attitudes about members of one gender;

(C) 58 percent of individuals in the academic workplace experience sexual harassment, the second highest rate when compared to the military, the private sector, and Federal, State, and local government;

(D) women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups are more likely to experience sexual harassment and to feel unsafe at work than White women, White men, or men who are members of such groups;

(E) the training for each individual who has a doctor of philosophy in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields is estimated to cost approximately

$500,000; and

(F) attrition of an individual so trained results in a loss of talent and money.

(2) Sexual harassment undermines career advancement for women.

(3) According to a 2017 University of Illinois study, among astronomers and planetary scientists, 18 percent of women who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups and 12 percent of White women skipped professional events because they did not feel safe attending.

(4) Many women report leaving employment at institutions of higher education due to sexual harassment.

(5) Research shows the majority of individuals do not formally report experiences of sexual harassment due to a justified fear of retaliation or other negative professional or personal consequences.

(6) Reporting procedures with respect to such harassment are inconsistent among Federal science agencies and have varying degrees of accessibility.

(7) There is not adequate communication among Federal science agencies and between such agencies and grantees regarding reports of sexual harassment, which has resulted in harassers receiving Federal funding after moving to a different institution.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) Academies.--The term ``Academies'' means the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

(2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of the National Science Foundation.

(3) Federal science agency.--The term ``Federal science agency'' means any Federal agency with an annual extramural research expenditure of over $100,000,000.

(4) Finding or determination.--The term ``finding or determination'' means the final disposition of a matter involving a violation of organizational policies and processes, to include the exhaustion of permissible appeals, or a conviction of a sexual offense in a criminal court of law.

(5) Gender harassment.--The term ``gender harassment'' means verbal and nonverbal behaviors that convey hostility, objectification, exclusion, or second-class status about one's gender, gender identity, gender presentation, sexual orientation, or pregnancy status.

(6) Grantee.--The term ``grantee'' means the legal entity to which a grant is awarded and that is accountable to the Federal Government for the use of the funds provided.

(7) Grant personnel.--The term ``grant personnel'' means principal investigators, co-principal investigators, postdoctoral researchers and other employees supported by a grant award, cooperative agreement, or contract under Federal law.

(8) Institution of higher education.--The term

``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965

(20 U.S.C. 1001).

(9) Sexual harassment.--The term ``sexual harassment'' means conduct that encompasses--

(A) unwelcome sexual advances;

(B) unwanted physical contact that is sexual in nature, including assault;

(D) conditioning professional or educational benefits on sexual activity; and

(E) retaliation for rejecting unwanted sexual attention.

(10) Stem.--The term ``STEM'' means science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science.

SEC. 4. RESEARCH GRANTS.

(a) In General.--The Director shall establish a program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such institutions or organizations)--

(1) to expand research efforts to better understand the factors contributing to, and consequences of, sexual harassment and gender harassment affecting individuals in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and

(2) to examine interventions to reduce the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment.

(b) Use of Funds.--Activities funded by a grant under this section may include--

(1) research on the sexual harassment and gender harassment experiences of individuals in underrepresented or vulnerable groups, including racial and ethnic minority groups, disabled individuals, foreign nationals, sexual- and gender-minority individuals, and others;

(2) development and assessment of policies, procedures, trainings, and interventions, with respect to sexual harassment and gender harassment, conflict management, and ways to foster respectful and inclusive climates;

(3) research on approaches for remediating the negative impacts and outcomes of such harassment on individuals experiencing such harassment;

(4) support for institutions of higher education to develop, adapt, and assess the impact of innovative, evidence-based strategies, policies, and approaches to policy implementation to prevent and address sexual harassment and gender harassment;

(5) research on alternatives to the hierarchical and dependent relationships, including but not limited to the mentor-mentee relationship, in academia that have been shown to create higher levels of risk for sexual harassment and gender harassment; and

(6) establishing a center for the ongoing compilation, management, and analysis of campus climate survey data.

SEC. 5. DATA COLLECTION.

Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall convene a working group composed of representatives of Federal statistical agencies--

(1) to develop questions on sexual harassment and gender harassment in STEM departments to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of sexual harassment and gender harassment in institutions of higher education; and

(2) to include such questions as appropriate, with sufficient protections of the privacy of respondents, in relevant surveys conducted by the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics and other relevant entities.

SEC. 6. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT GUIDE.

(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an agreement with the Academies to update the report entitled

``On Being a Scientist: A Guide to Responsible Conduct in Research'' issued by the Academies. The report, as so updated, shall include--

(1) updated professional standards of conduct in research;

(2) standards of treatment individuals can expect to receive under such updated standards of conduct;

(3) evidence-based practices for fostering a climate intolerant of sexual harassment and gender harassment;

(4) methods, including bystander intervention, for identifying and addressing incidents of sexual harassment and gender harassment; and

(5) professional standards for mentorship and teaching with an emphasis on preventing sexual harassment and gender harassment.

(b) Recommendations.--In updating the report under subsection (a), the Academies shall take into account recommendations made in the report issued by the Academies in 2018 entitled ``Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine'' and other relevant studies and evidence.

(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the effective date of the contract under subsection (a), the Academies, as part of such agreement, shall submit to the Director and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate the report referred to in such subsection, as updated pursuant to such subsection.

SEC. 7. INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP.

(a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through the National Science and Technology Council, shall establish an interagency working group for the purpose of coordinating Federal science agency efforts to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender harassment involving grant personnel. The working group shall be chaired by the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (or the Director's designee) and shall include a representative from each Federal science agency with annual extramural research expenditures totaling over $1,000,000,000, a representative from the Department of Education, and a representative from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

(b) Responsibilities of Working Group.--The interagency working group established under subsection (a) shall coordinate Federal science agency efforts to implement the policy guidelines developed under subsection (c)(2).

(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an inventory of policies, procedures, and resources dedicated to preventing and responding to reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment at Federal agencies that provide legal definitions to which institutions of higher education must comply; and

(2) not later than 6 months after the date on which the inventory is submitted under paragraph (1)--

(A) in consultation with outside stakeholders and Federal science agencies, develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for Federal science agencies; and

(B) submit a report to the committees referred to in paragraph (1) containing such guidelines;

(3) encourage and monitor efforts of Federal science agencies to develop or maintain and implement policies based on the guidelines developed under paragraph (2), including the extent to which Federal science agency policies depart from the uniform policy guidelines;

(4) not later than 1 year after the date on which the inventory under paragraph (1) is submitted, and every 5 years thereafter, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report to Congress on the implementation by Federal science agencies of the policy guidelines developed under paragraph (2); and

(5) update such policy guidelines as needed.

(d) Requirements.--In developing policy guidelines under subsection (c)(2), the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall include guidelines that require--

(1) grantees to submit to the Federal science agency or agencies from which the grantees receive funding reports relating to--

(A) administrative action, related to an allegation against grant personnel of any sexual harassment or gender harassment, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders, that affects the ability of grant personnel or their trainees to carry out the activities of the grant; and

(B) findings or determinations against grant personnel of sexual harassment or gender harassment, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders, including any findings or determinations related to reports submitted under subparagraph (A) and any disciplinary action that was taken;

(2) the sharing, updating, and archiving of reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment from grantees submitted under paragraph (1)(B) with relevant Federal science agencies on a quarterly basis; and

(3) to the extent practicable, ensure consistency among Federal agencies with regards to the policies and procedures for receiving reports submitted pursuant to paragraph (1), which may include the designation of a single agency to field reports so submitted.

(e) Considerations.--In developing policy guidelines under subsection (c)(2), the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall consider guidelines that require or incentivize--

(1) grantees to periodically assess their organizational climate, which may include the use of climate surveys, focus groups, or exit interviews;

(2) grantees to publish on a publicly available internet website the results of assessments conducted pursuant to paragraph (1), disaggregated by gender and, if possible, race, ethnicity, disability status, and sexual orientation;

(3) grantees to make public on an annual basis the number of reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment at each such institution;

(4) grantees to regularly assess and improve policies, procedures, and interventions to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender harassment;

(5) each grantee to demonstrate in its proposal for a grant award, cooperative agreement, or contract that a code of conduct is in place for maintaining a healthy and welcoming workplace for grant personnel and their trainees;

(6) the diffusion of the hierarchical and dependent relationships between grant personnel and their trainees;

(7) each grantee and Federal science agency to have in place mechanisms for the re-integration of individuals who have experienced sexual harassment and gender harassment; and

(8) grantees to work to create a climate intolerant of sexual harassment and gender harassment.

(f) Federal Science Agency Implementation.--Each Federal science agency shall--

(1) develop or maintain and implement policies with respect to sexual harassment and gender harassment that are consistent with policy guidelines under subsection (c)(2) and that protect the privacy of all parties involved in any report and investigation of sexual harassment and gender harassment, except to the extent necessary to carry out an investigation; and

(2) broadly disseminate such policies to current and potential recipients of research grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts awarded by such agency.

(g) FERPA.--The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that such guidelines and requirements are consistent with the requirements of section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1232g)

(commonly referred to as the ``Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974'').

(h) Sunset.--The interagency working group established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 8. NATIONAL ACADEMIES ASSESSMENT.

(a) In General.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall enter into an agreement with the Academies to undertake a study of the influence of sexual harassment and gender harassment in institutions of higher education on the career advancement of individuals in the STEM workforce. The study shall assess--

(1) the state of research on sexual harassment and gender harassment in such workforce;

(2) whether research demonstrates a change in the prevalence of sexual harassment and gender harassment in such workforce;

(3) the progress made with respect to implementing recommendations promulgated in the Academies consensus study report entitled ``Sexual Harassment of Women: Climate, Culture, and Consequences in Academic Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine''; and

(4) where to focus future efforts with respect to decreasing sexual harassment and gender harassment in such institutions.

SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to the Director to carry out this Act, $17,500,000.

Improving VA Accountability To Prevent Sexual Harassment and

Discrimination Act of 2021

H.R. 2704

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Improving VA Accountability To Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

FUNCTIONS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.

(a) Alignment of EEO Director.--

(1) Reporting and duties.--Subsection (h) of section 516 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(A) by striking ``The provisions'' and inserting ``(1) The provisions''; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(2) Beginning not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this paragraph, in carrying out paragraph

(1), the Secretary shall ensure that the official of the Department who serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity Director of the Department--

``(A) reports directly to the Deputy Secretary with respect to the functions under this section; and

``(B) does not also serve in a position that has responsibility over personnel functions of the Department or other functions that conflict with the functions under this section.''.

(2) Conforming amendments.--Such section is further amended--

(A) in subsection (b)(1), by inserting ``, in accordance with subsection (h)(2),'' after ``an Assistant Secretary or a Deputy Assistant Secretary''; and

(B) in subsection (e)(1)(A), by striking ``the Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration'' and inserting ``the Secretary''.

(b) Alignment of EEO Program Managers.--Such section is further amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

``(i) In accordance with subsection (b), not later than December 31, 2021, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall ensure that each Equal Employment Opportunity program manager of the Department at the facility level reports to the head of the Office of Resolution Management, or such successor office established pursuant to subsection (a), with respect to the equal employment functions of the program manager.''.

(1) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting ``(1) The Secretary''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(2) The Secretary shall ensure that the employment discrimination complaint resolution system established under paragraph (1) requires that any manager of the Department who receives a sexual or other harassment or employment discrimination complaint reports such complaint to the Office of Resolution Management, or such successor office, immediately, or if such immediate reporting is impracticable, not later than two business days after the date on which the manager receives the complaint.''.

(d) Training.--Subsection (c) of such section 516 is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence:

``Beginning not later than September 30, 2021, the Secretary shall provide to each employee of the Department mandatory annual training on identifying and addressing sexual and other harassment and employment discrimination, including with respect to processes under the Harassment Prevention Program of the Department, or such successor program. An employee of the Department who is hired on or after such date shall receive the first such mandatory annual training not later than 60 days after being hired.''.

(e) Harassment and Employment Discrimination Policies and Directives.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall--

(1) by not later than September 30, 2021, and on a regular basis thereafter, review the policies relating to sexual and other harassment and employment discrimination of the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that such policies are complete and in accordance with the sexual and other harassment and employment discrimination policies established by the Office of Resolution Management of the Department, or such successor office; and

(2) by not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, issue a final directive and a handbook for the Harassment Prevention Program of the Department.

(f) Reports.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, and semiannually thereafter for one year, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report on the progress the Secretary has made in carrying out this section and section 516 of title 38, United States Code, as amended by this section, including with respect to reporting sexual and other harassment and employment discrimination complaints pursuant to subsection (a)(2) of such section 516.

VA Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor Modernization Act

H.R. 2788

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``VA Equal Employment Opportunity Counselor Modernization Act''.

SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CAP ON FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OF THE

DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS WHO PROVIDE

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COUNSELING.

(a) In General.--Section 516 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking subsection (g); and

(2) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (g).

(b) Report.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of Representatives a report regarding the effect of the amendment under subsection (a).

Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act

H.R. 2878

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIVE VETSUCCESS AT TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

PILOT PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out a five-year pilot program, to be known as the

``Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program''. Under such pilot program the Secretary shall--

(1) identify three regional Native VetSuccess service areas consisting of at least two participating Tribal colleges or universities;

(2) assign to each regional Native VetSuccess service area a VetSuccess on Campus counselor and a full-time Vet Center outreach coordinator, both of whom shall be based on one or more of the participating Tribal colleges or universities in the service area; and

(3) provide for eligible students at such participating colleges and universities with all services for which such students would be eligible under the VetSuccess on Campus program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(b) Eligible Students.--For purposes of the pilot program, an eligible student is a student who is a veteran, member of the Armed Forces, or dependent of a veteran or member of the Armed Forces who is eligible for any service or benefit under the VetSuccess on Campus program of the Department.

(c) Consultation Requirement.--In developing the pilot program under this section, the Secretary, acting through the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs and in coordination with the Office of Tribal Government Relations of the Department, shall consult with Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and veterans service organizations regarding each of the following:

(1) The design of the pilot program.

(2) The selection of the three regional Native VetSuccess service areas and participating Tribal colleges and universities, taking into consideration--

(A) the number of eligible students enrolled in the college or university and in the regional service area;

(B) the capacity of the colleges and universities in the regional service area to accommodate a full-time VetSuccess on Campus counselor and a full-time Vet Center outreach coordinator;

(C) the lack of information available at the colleges and universities in the regional service area about and lack of access to benefits and services under the laws administered by the Secretary; and

(D) any other factor that the Secretary or the Indian tribes, Tribal organizations, and veterans service organizations identify as relevant.

(3) The most effective way to provide culturally competent outreach and services to eligible students at Tribal colleges and universities.

(d) Outreach to Colleges and Universities.--The Secretary shall provide notice of the pilot program to all Tribal colleges and universities and encourage all Tribal colleges and universities to coordinate with each other to create regional service areas to participate in the pilot program.

(e) Briefings and Reports.--

(1) Implementation briefing.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide for the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the Committee on Indian Affairs of the Senate a briefing on--

(A) the design, structure, and objectives of the pilot program; and

(B) the three regional Native Vet Success service areas and the Tribal colleges and universities selected for participation in the pilot program and the reason for the selection of such service areas and such colleges and universities.

(2) Report.--Not later than four years after the date on which the Secretary establishes the pilot program, the Secretary shall submit to such Committees a report on the pilot program. Such report shall include each of the following:

(A) The number of eligible students provided services through the pilot program.

(B) The types of services that eligible students received through the pilot program.

(D) The rate of employment within one year of graduation for eligible students who received services through the pilot program.

(E) Feedback from each Tribal college or university that participated in the pilot program, including on the regional nature of the program.

(F) Analysis of the feasibility of expanding a regionally based Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Program, including an explanation of the challenges of such a model due to issues with distance, communication, and coordination, and to the level of unmet services.

(G) A detailed legislative proposal regarding a long-term extension of the pilot program, including a budget, if the Secretary determines that such an extension is appropriate.

(f) Definitions.--In this section:

(1) The term ``Tribal college or university'' has the meaning given such term under section 316 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c).

(2) The term ``tribal organization'' has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).

(3) The term ``culturally competent'' means considerate of the unique values, customs, traditions, cultures, and languages of Native American veterans.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR HIGH TECHNOLOGY

PILOT PROGRAM.

Subsection (g) of section 116 of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017 (Public Law 115- 48; 38 U.S.C. 3001 note), as amended by section 4302 of the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 (Public Law 116-315), is amended to read as follows:

``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Funds shall be made available for carrying out the pilot program under this section from funds appropriated to, or otherwise made available to, the Department for the payment of readjustment benefits, in the following amounts for a fiscal year in which the Secretary carries out the pilot program:

``(1) For fiscal year 2019, $62,000,000.

``(2) For fiscal year 2020, $63,000,000.

``(3) For fiscal year 2021, $90,000,000.

``(4) For fiscal year 2022, $90,000,000.

``(5) For fiscal year 2023, $60,000,000.

``(6) For fiscal year 2024, $0.''.

SEC. 4. PROVISION OF EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS WHO

ARE ``ROUNDING OUT'' UNDER EDUCATIONAL

ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS.

(a) In General.--Section 3680(a) of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``paragraphs (2) and (3)''; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

``(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), in the case of an eligible veteran or eligible person who is pursuing a program of education on less than a half-time basis during a period that is the last semester, term, or academic period the veteran or person will be enrolled in the program of education because the veteran or person will complete the program of education at the end of that semester, term or academic period, the Secretary may, pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary shall prescribe, provide to the veteran or person educational assistance under chapter 30, 32, 33, 34, or 35 of this title or under chapter 1606 of title 10, including a monthly housing stipend described in section 3313(c) of this title, on the basis of the total number of credits or courses in which the veteran or person is enrolled, if--

``(A) the number of credits the veteran or person needs to complete the program of education is less than the number of credits that would constitute enrollment on a more than half- time basis for that last semester, term, or academic period; and

``(B) the veteran or person--

``(i) is enrolled in, or has completed, every course offered by the program of education during the last semester, term, or academic period in which the veteran or person is enrolled in the program of education; and

``(ii) enrolls in an additional course that is not required for the completion of such program of education and the enrollment in the non-required course in addition to the required course or courses in which the veteran or person is enrolled constitutes enrollment on more than a half-time basis.''.

(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on August 1, 2021, and apply with respect to any semester, term, or academic period that begins on or after that date.

SEC. 5. EXTENSION OF CERTAIN HOUSING LOAN FEES.

Section 3729(b)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by striking ``October 1, 2030'' each place it appears and inserting ``December 9, 2030''.

SEC. 6. EXPANSION AND EXTENSION OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS

AFFAIRS ASSISTANCE FOR HOMELESS VETERANS.

(a) Expansion.--Subsection (a) of section 2041 of title 38, United States Code, is amended--

(1) in paragraph (1)--

(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting

``or permanent housing'' after ``shelter'';

(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``named in, or approved by the Secretary under, section 5902 of this title'' and inserting ``that is the recipient of a grant under section 2011, 2013, 2044, or 2061 of this title''; and

(2) in paragraph (3)(B)--

(A) in clause (i), by inserting ``or to sell or rent the property directly to homeless veterans or veterans at-risk of homelessness'' after ``families''; and

(B) in each of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), by striking the comma and inserting a semicolon.

(b) Extension.--Subsection (c) of such section is amended by striking ``September 30, 2017'' and inserting ``September 30, 2025''.

SEC. 7. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS.

The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, shall be determined by reference to the latest statement titled

Homebuyer Assistance Act of 2021

H.R. 3008

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Homebuyer Assistance Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. APPRAISAL STANDARDS FOR SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSING

MORTGAGES.

(a) Certification or Licensing.--Paragraph (5) of section 202(g) of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1708(g)) is amended--

(1) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following new subparagraph:

``(A)(i) in the case of an appraiser for a mortgage for single-family housing, be certified or licensed by the State in which the property to be appraised is located; and

``(ii) in the case of an appraiser for a mortgage for multifamily housing, be certified by the State in which the property to be appraised is located; and''; and

(2) in subparagraph (B), by inserting before the period at the end the following: ``, which, in the case of appraisers for any mortgage for single-family housing, shall include completion of a course or seminar that consists of not less than 7 hours of training regarding such appraisal requirements that is approved by the Course Approval Program of the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation or a State appraiser certifying and licensing agency''.

(b) Compliance With Verifiable Education Requirements; Grandfathering.--Effective beginning on the date of the effectiveness of the mortgagee letter or other guidance issued pursuant to subsection (c) of this section, notwithstanding any choice or approval of any appraiser made before such date of enactment, no appraiser may conduct an appraisal for any mortgage for single-family housing insured under title II of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1707 et seq.) unless such appraiser is, as of such date of effectiveness, in compliance with--

(1) all of the requirements under section 202(g)(5) of such Act (12 U.S.C. 1708(g)(5)), as amended by subsection (a) of this section, including the requirement under subparagraph

(B) of such section 202(g)(5) (relating to demonstrated verifiable education in appraisal requirements); or

(2) all of the requirements under section 202(g)(5) of such Act as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Implementation.--Not later than the expiration of the 240-day period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development shall issue a mortgagee letter or other guidance that shall--

(1) implement the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section;

(2) clearly set forth all of the specific requirements under section 202(g)(5) of the National Housing Act (as amended by subsection (a) of this section) for approval to conduct appraisals under title II of such Act for mortgages for single-family housing, which shall include--

(A) providing that the completion, prior to the effective date of such mortgagee letter or guidance, of training meeting the requirements under subparagraph (B) of such section 202(g)(5) (as amended by subsection (a) of this section) shall be considered to fulfill the requirement under such subparagraph; and

(B) providing a method for appraisers to demonstrate such prior completion; and

(3) take effect not later than the expiration of the 180- day period beginning upon issuance of such mortgagee letter or guidance.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 403, the ordering of the yeas and nays on postponed motions to suspend the rules with respect to such measures is vacated to the end that all such motions are considered as withdrawn.

The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Maryland

(Mr. Hoyer) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bills.

The question was taken.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.

Mr. HARRIS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.

The vote was taken by electronic device, and there were--yeas 350, nays 75, not voting 4, as follows:

YEAS--350

Adams Aderholt Aguilar Allred Amodei Auchincloss Axne Bacon Baird Balderson Barr Barragan Bass Beatty Bentz Bera Bergman Beyer Bice (OK) Bilirakis Bishop (GA) Blumenauer Blunt Rochester Bonamici Bost Bourdeaux Bowman Boyle, Brendan F. Brady Brown Brownley Buchanan Bucshon Bustos Butterfield Calvert Carbajal Cardenas Carl Carson Carter (LA) Carter (TX) Cartwright Case Casten Castor (FL) Castro (TX) Cawthorn Chabot Cheney Chu Cicilline Clark (MA) Clarke (NY) Cleaver Clyburn Cohen Cole Comer Connolly Cooper Correa Costa Courtney Craig Crenshaw Crist Crow Cuellar Davids (KS) Davis, Danny K. Davis, Rodney Dean DeFazio DeGette DeLauro DelBene Delgado Demings DeSaulnier DesJarlais Deutch Diaz-Balart Dingell Doggett Doyle, Michael F. Dunn Emmer Escobar Eshoo Espaillat Evans Feenstra Ferguson Fischbach Fitzgerald Fitzpatrick Fleischmann Fletcher Fortenberry Foster Frankel, Lois Gallagher Gallego Garamendi Garbarino Garcia (CA) Garcia (IL) Garcia (TX) Gibbs Gimenez Gomez Gonzales, Tony Gonzalez (OH) Gonzalez, Vicente Gottheimer Graves (LA) Graves (MO) Green, Al (TX) Grijalva Guthrie Hagedorn Harder (CA) Hartzler Hayes Herrera Beutler Higgins (NY) Hill Himes Hinson Hollingsworth Horsford Houlahan Hoyer Hudson Huffman Issa Jackson Lee Jacobs (CA) Jacobs (NY) Jayapal Jeffries Johnson (GA) Johnson (OH) Johnson (SD) Johnson (TX) Jones Joyce (OH) Joyce (PA) Kahele Kaptur Katko Keating Keller Kelly (IL) Kelly (PA) Khanna Kildee Kilmer Kim (CA) Kim (NJ) Kind Kinzinger Kirkpatrick Krishnamoorthi Kuster Kustoff LaHood Lamb Lamborn Langevin Larsen (WA) Larson (CT) Latta LaTurner Lawrence Lawson (FL) Lee (CA) Lee (NV) Leger Fernandez Letlow Levin (CA) Levin (MI) Lieu Lofgren Long Lowenthal Lucas Luetkemeyer Luria Lynch Mace Malinowski Malliotakis Maloney, Carolyn B. Maloney, Sean Mann Manning Mast Matsui McBath McCarthy McCaul McClain McCollum McEachin McGovern McHenry McKinley McNerney Meeks Meijer Meng Meuser Mfume Miller (WV) Miller-Meeks Moolenaar Mooney Moore (AL) Moore (UT) Moore (WI) Morelle Moulton Mrvan Mullin Murphy (FL) Murphy (NC) Nadler Napolitano Neal Neguse Nehls Newhouse Newman Norcross Nunes O'Halleran Obernolte Ocasio-Cortez Omar Owens Pallone Panetta Pappas Pascrell Payne Perlmutter Peters Phillips Pingree Pocan Porter Posey Pressley Price (NC) Quigley Raskin Reschenthaler Rice (NY) Rodgers (WA) Rogers (AL) Rogers (KY) Ross Roybal-Allard Ruiz Ruppersberger Rush Ryan Salazar Sanchez Sarbanes Scalise Scanlon Schakowsky Schiff Schneider Schrader Schrier Schweikert Scott (VA) Scott, Austin Scott, David Sewell Sherman Sherrill Simpson Sires Slotkin Smith (MO) Smith (NE) Smith (NJ) Smith (WA) Smucker Soto Spanberger Spartz Speier Stanton Stauber Steel Stefanik Steil Stevens Stewart Strickland Suozzi Swalwell Takano Tenney Thompson (CA) Thompson (MS) Thompson (PA) Timmons Titus Tlaib Tonko Torres (CA) Torres (NY) Trahan Trone Turner Underwood Upton Valadao Van Drew Vargas Veasey Vela Velazquez Wagner Walberg Walorski Waltz Wasserman Schultz Waters Watson Coleman Welch Wenstrup Wexton Wild Williams (GA) Williams (TX) Wilson (FL) Wilson (SC) Wittman Womack Yarmuth Young Zeldin

NAYS--75

Allen Armstrong Arrington Babin Banks Biggs Bishop (NC) Boebert Brooks Buck Budd Burchett Burgess Bush Cammack Cline Cloud Clyde Crawford Curtis Davidson Donalds Duncan Estes Fallon Foxx Franklin, C. Scott Fulcher Gaetz Gohmert Good (VA) Gooden (TX) Gosar Granger Green (TN) Greene (GA) Griffith Grothman Guest Harris Harshbarger Hern Herrell Hice (GA) Higgins (LA) Huizenga Jackson Johnson (LA) Jordan Kelly (MS) LaMalfa Lesko Loudermilk Massie McClintock Miller (IL) Norman Palazzo Palmer

Pence Perry Pfluger Rice (SC) Rose Rosendale Rouzer Roy Rutherford Sessions Steube Taylor Tiffany Van Duyne Weber (TX) Westerman

NOT VOTING--4

Carter (GA) Golden Reed Webster (FL)

{time} 1819

Mr. PFLUGER and Ms. VAN DUYNE changed their vote from ``yea'' to

``nay.''

So (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bills were passed.

The result of the vote was announced as above recorded.

The title of H.R. 1510 was amended so as to read: ``A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.''.

The title of H.R. 2878 was amended so as to read: ``A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a Native VetSuccess at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program, and for other purposes.''.

A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

personal explanation

Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 145, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 146, ``nay'' on rollcall No. 147, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 148.

MEMBERS RECORDED PURSUANT TO HOUSE RESOLUTION 8, 117TH CONGRESS

Allred (Wexton) Beatty (Kelly (IL)) Buchanan (Dunn) Cardenas (Gallego) Carter (TX) (Calvert) Crenshaw (Pfluger) DesJarlais (Fleischmann) Deutch (Rice (NY)) Dingell (Kuster) Frankel, Lois (Clark (MA)) Grijalva (Garcia (IL)) Kildee (Kilmer) Kirkpatrick (Stanton) Lawrence (Watson Coleman) Lawson (FL) (Evans) Levin (MI) (Raskin) Lieu (Beyer) Lowenthal (Beyer) McEachin (Wexton) McHenry (Banks) Napolitano (Correa) Ocasio-Cortez (Bush) Pascrell (Pallone) Payne (Pallone) Ruppersberger (Raskin) Rush (Underwood) Sewell (DelBene) Slotkin (Axne) Stevens (Axne) Tlaib (Garcia (IL)) Waters (Barragan) Wilson (FL) (Hayes) Wilson (SC) (Timmons) Young (Mast)

____________________

SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 86

The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.

House Representatives' salaries are historically higher than the median US income.

ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS STORY

State of Tennessee

!RECEIVE ALERTS

The next time we write about any of these orgs, we’ll email you a link to the story. You may edit your settings or unsubscribe at any time.

Sign-up

DONATE

Help support the Metric Media Foundation's mission to restore community based news.

Donate

MORE NEWS

Politics

Congressional Record publishes “RECOGNIZING THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE HOLSTON ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT.....” in the Extensions of Remarks section on Oct. 25

Politics

“HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF MR. TOM WENNOGLE.....” published by Congressional Record in the Extensions of Remarks section on Oct. 25

Politics

Congressional Record publishes “HONORING THE 2022 IKE ZERINGUE ENGINEER OF THE YEAR CHRIS SAUCIER.....” in the Extensions of Remarks section on Oct. 25

Politics

Congressional Record publishes “HONORING THE LIFE AND SERVICE OF SANDY AND ANDY SMITH.....” in the Extensions of Remarks section on Oct. 25

Politics

Congressional Record publishes “HONORING THE 2022 TENNESSEE AVIATION HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE RICHARD A. BLEVINS.....” in the Extensions of Remarks section on Oct. 25

Johnson City Times