Bill Summary
This bill, known as the "Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 Amendment," seeks to improve the way the United States conducts international diplomacy through the use of science and technology agreements. It aims to protect the intellectual property rights of the US, provide access to research and development opportunities, ensure equitable and reciprocal sharing of scientific and technological information, and promote US scientific values in international collaborations. The bill also calls for the establishment of a digital repository of US government science and technology agreements and for coordination with federal agencies to identify and address vulnerabilities in international cooperation. The bill also requires a biennial report on the compliance of science and technology agreements with the values and guidelines outlined in this legislation.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation may affect people who work in industries that involve scientific research and development, as it sets guidelines for international collaborations and agreements that protect intellectual property rights and ensure fair access to research opportunities.
2. People who work in government agencies and organizations involved in science and technology may be affected by this legislation, as it requires them to coordinate and report on international partnerships and agreements, and to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in these collaborations.
3. This legislation may also impact the general public, as it aims to promote and uphold the values of openness, transparency, and fair competition in international scientific collaborations, which can ultimately benefit society as a whole.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3996 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3996
To amend the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979,
relating to the conduct of knowledge diplomacy.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 18, 2020
Mr. Portman (for himself, Mr. Carper, Mr. Barrasso, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr.
Braun, Mr. Coons, Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Hawley, Mr.
Manchin, Mr. Risch, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Scott of Florida, Mrs. Shaheen, and
Mr. Tillis) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979,
relating to the conduct of knowledge diplomacy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENTS.
The Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (Public
Law 95-426) is amended--
(1) in section 502 (22 U.S.C. 2656b), by amending paragraph
(5) to read as follows:
``(5) Federally supported international science and
technology agreements should serve United States national
security and economic interests by--
``(A) properly protecting intellectual property
rights;
``(B) providing United States researchers with
access to research and development opportunities and
facilities;
``(C) ensuring that the flow of scientific and
technological information between the United States and
foreign countries, international organizations, and
commissions of which the United States and 1 or more
foreign countries are members is equitable and
reciprocal, to the maximum extent practicable;
``(D) requiring foreign countries, international
organizations, and commissions of which the United
States and 1 or more foreign countries are members to
adhere to United States scientific values, including
openness, transparency, reciprocity, integrity, and
merit-based competition; and
``(E) ensuring that the exchange of scientific and
technological information between the United States and
foreign countries, international organizations, and
commissions of which the United States and 1 or more
foreign countries are members is not contrary to United
States foreign policy interests.''; and
(2) in section 504(a) (22 U.S.C. 2656d(a))--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) In coordinating and overseeing agreements described
in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider--
``(A) scientific merit;
``(B) equity of access (as described in section
502(5));
``(C) possible commercial or trade linkages with
the United States that may flow from the agreement or
activity;
``(D) national security concerns; and
``(E) any other factors that the Secretary deems
appropriate.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) In furtherance of sections 501(3) and 502, the
Secretary shall provide Federal science agencies, Federal law
enforcement agencies, the Office of Science and Technology
Policy, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Director
of National Intelligence with access to a digital repository of
United States Government bilateral and multilateral science and
technology agreements, subagreements, and other unclassified or
sensitive information provided by Federal agencies, in
accordance with section 503(a)(1).
``(5) The Secretary, in coordination with the Office of
Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Defense, the
Department of Homeland Security, the Director of National
Intelligence, Federal science agencies, Federal law enforcement
agencies, and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall--
``(A) identify United States vulnerabilities in
international cooperation that may place research
funded by the United States Government at risk;
``(B) strengthen the security and integrity of
United States scientific and research collaborations
with key foreign partners; and
``(C) encourage the international scientific
community to adopt and adhere to United States
scientific values, including openness, transparency,
reciprocity, integrity, and merit-based competition.
``(6) As used in this subsection, the term `Federal science
agency' means any Federal department or agency to which more
than $100,000,000 in research and development funds were
appropriated for fiscal year 2020.''.
SEC. 2. COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
PARTNERSHIPS BIENNIAL REPORT.
Subsection (e) of the International Science and Technology
Cooperation Act of 2016 (42 U.S.C. 6625) is amended by striking the
period at the end and inserting the following: ``, which shall
include--
``(1) an assessment of whether United States science and
technology agreements are in compliance with section 502(5) of
the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1979 (22
U.S.C. 2656b(5));
``(2) a summary of science and technology agreements that
are not in compliance with such section 502(5), and actions the
United States Government has taken to bring such agreements
into compliance; and
``(3) a description of the measures that have been taken by
the United States Government, in accordance with section
504(a)(5) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal
Year 1979 (22 U.S.C. 2656d(a)(5)).''.
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