H.R. 2051 — what changed

Establishment— Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall convene an interagency entity (referred to in this Act as the “Entity”) under the National Science and Technology Council with the responsibility to coordinate Federal programs and activities in support of sustainable chemistry, including those described in sections 5 and 6.

Coordination with existing groups— In convening the Entity, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall consider overlap and possible coordination with existing committees, subcommittees, or other groups of the National Science and Technology Council, such as—

the Committee on Environment;

the Committee on Technology;

the Committee on Science; or

related groups or subcommittees.

Termination— The Entity shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Roadmap— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Entity shall—

consult with relevant stakeholders including representatives from industry, academia, the Federal Government, and international entities to develop and update as needed a consensus definition of “sustainable chemistry” to guide the activities under this Act;

develop a working framework of attributes characterizing and metrics for assessing sustainable chemistry, as described in subsection (b);

assess the state of sustainable chemistry in the United States as a key benchmark from which progress under the activities described in this Act can be measured, including assessing key sectors of the United States economy, key technology platforms, commercial priorities, and barriers to innovation;

coordinate and support Federal research, development, demonstration, technology transfer, commercialization, education, and training efforts in sustainable chemistry, including budget coordination and support for public-private partnerships, as appropriate;

identify methods by which the Federal agencies can facilitate the development of incentives for development, consideration and use of sustainable chemistry processes and products, including innovative financing mechanisms;

identify major scientific challenges, roadblocks, or hurdles to transformational progress in improving the sustainability of the chemical sciences; and

identify other opportunities for expanding Federal efforts in support of sustainable chemistry.

Characterizing and assessing sustainable chemistry— The Entity shall develop a working framework of attributes characterizing and metrics for assessing sustainable chemistry for the purposes of carrying out the Act. In developing this framework, the Entity shall—

seek advice and input from stakeholders as described in subsection (c);

consider existing definitions of or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing sustainable chemistry already in use at Federal agencies;

consider existing definitions of or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing sustainable chemistry already in use by international organizations of which the United States is a member, such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; and

consider any other appropriate existing definitions of or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing sustainable chemistry.

Consultation— In carrying out the duties described in subsections (a) and (b), the Entity shall consult with stakeholders qualified to provide advice and information to guide Federal activities related to sustainable chemistry through workshops, requests for information, and other mechanisms as necessary. The stakeholders shall include representatives from—

business and industry (including trade associations and small- and medium-sized enterprises from across the value chain);

the scientific community (including the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, scientific professional societies, and academia);

the defense community;

State, tribal, and local governments, including nonregulatory State or regional sustainable chemistry programs, as appropriate;

nongovernmental organizations; and

other appropriate organizations.

In general— Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Entity shall submit a report to the Committee on Environment and Public Works, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives. In addition to the elements described in subsections (a) and (b), the report shall include—

a summary of federally funded, sustainable chemistry research, development, demonstration, technology transfer, commercialization, education, and training activities;

a summary of the financial resources allocated to sustainable chemistry initiatives;

an assessment of the current state of sustainable chemistry in the United States, including the role that Federal agencies are playing in supporting it;

an analysis of the progress made toward achieving the goals and priorities of this Act, and recommendations for future program activities;

an evaluation of steps taken and future strategies to avoid duplication of efforts, streamline interagency coordination, facilitate information sharing, and spread best practices among participating agencies.

Submission to GAO— The Entity shall also submit the report described in paragraph (1) to the Comptroller General of the United States for consideration in future Congressional inquiries.