SEC. 6. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) In General.—The President, acting through the Office of Science and Technology Policy, shall designate or establish an advisory committee on engineering biology research and development (in this section referred to as the “advisory committee”) to be composed of not fewer than 12 members, including representatives of research and academic institutions, industry, and nongovernmental entities, who are qualified to provide advice on the Initiative.
(b) Assessment.—The advisory committee shall assess—
(1) the current state of United States competitiveness in engineering biology, including the scope and scale of United States investments in engineering biology research and development in the international context;
(2) current market barriers to commercialization of engineering biology products, processes, and tools in the United States;
(3) progress made in implementing the Initiative;
(4) the need to revise the Initiative;
(5) the balance of activities and funding across the Initiative;
(6) whether the strategic plan developed or updated by the interagency committee established under section 5 is helping to maintain United States leadership in engineering biology;
(7) the management, coordination, implementation, and activities of the Initiative; and
(8) whether ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues are adequately addressed by the Initiative.
(c) Reports.—Beginning not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 3 years thereafter, the advisory committee shall submit to the President, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on—
(1) the findings of the advisory committee’s assessment under subsection (b); and
(2) the advisory committee’s recommendations for ways to improve the Initiative.
(d) Application Of Federal Advisory Committee Act.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the Advisory Committee.
SEC. 7. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF ETHICAL, LEGAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIETAL ISSUES.
(a) In General.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a review, and make recommendations with respect to, the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development. The review shall include—
(1) an assessment of the current research on such issues;
(2) a description of the research gaps relating to such issues;
(3) recommendations on how the Initiative can address the research needs identified pursuant to paragraph (2); and
(4) recommendations on how engineering biology researchers can best incorporate considerations of ethical, legal, environmental, and other societal issues into the development of research proposals and the conduct of research.
(b) Report To Congress.—The agreement entered into under subsection (a) shall require the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to, not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act—
(1) 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 a report containing the findings and recommendations of the review conducted under subsection (a); and
(2) make a copy of such report available on a publicly accessible website.
SEC. 8. AGENCY ACTIVITIES.
(a) National Science Foundation.—As part of the Initiative, the National Science Foundation shall—
(1) support basic research in engineering biology through individual grants and through interdisciplinary research centers;
(2) support research on the environmental, legal, and social implications of engineering biology;
(3) provide support for research instrumentation for engineering biology disciplines, including support for research, development, optimization and validation of novel technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ;
(4) support curriculum development and research experiences for secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students in engineering biology and biomanufacturing; and
(5) award grants, on a competitive basis, to enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.
(b) Department Of Commerce.—As part of the Initiative, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall—
(1) establish a bioscience research program to advance the development of standard reference materials and measurements and to create new data tools, techniques, and processes necessary to advance engineering biology and biomanufacturing;
(2) provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing; and
(3) provide technical expertise to inform the potential development of guidelines or safeguards for new products, processes, and systems of engineering biology.
(c) Department Of Energy.—As part of the Initiative, the Secretary of Energy shall—
(1) conduct and support research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities in engineering biology, including in the areas of synthetic biology, advanced biofuel development, biobased materials, and environmental remediation;
(2) support the development, optimization and validation of novel, scalable tools and technologies to enable the dynamic study of molecular processes in situ; and
(3) provide access to user facilities with advanced or unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources, as appropriate, to industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to perform research and testing.
(d) National Aeronautics And Space Administration.—As part of the Initiative, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall—
(1) conduct and support basic and applied research in engineering biology, including in synthetic biology, and related to Earth and space sciences, aeronautics, space technology, and space exploration and experimentation, consistent with the priorities established in the National Academies’ decadal surveys; and
(2) award grants, on a competitive basis, that enable institutions to support graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who perform some of their engineering biology research in an industry setting.
(e) Environmental Protection Agency.—As part of the Initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency shall support research on how products, processes, and systems of engineering biology will affect or can protect the environment.