---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 19195"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "19195"
heading: "Interagency working group"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/19195"
units:
  - "Chapter 163 — Research and Development, Competition, and Innovation"
  - "Subchapter V — Broadening Participation in Science"
  - "Part D — Combating Sexual Harassment in Science"
---

# §19195. Interagency working group

- (a) **In general—** The [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through the National Science and Technology Council, shall establish or designate an interagency working group for the purpose of coordinating [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) efforts to reduce the prevalence of sex-based and sexual harassment involving [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3). In coordination with the working group on inclusion in [STEM](/usc/42/18901.md?p=27) fields established under [section 6626 of this title](/usc/42/6626.md) and the Safe Inclusive Research Environments Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council, and in consultation with representatives from each [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10), the Office for Civil Rights at the [Department](/usc/42/19291.md?p=2) of Health and Human Services, the Office for Civil Rights at the [Department](/usc/42/19291.md?p=2) of Education, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the working group shall—
  - (1) not later than 90 days after August 9, 2022, submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate an inventory of [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) policies, procedures, and resources dedicated to preventing and responding to reports of sex-based and sexual harassment;
  - (2) not later than 6 months after the date on which the inventory is submitted under [paragraph (1)](#a-1)—
    - (A) in consultation with outside stakeholders, develop a consistent set of policy guidelines for [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10); and
    - (B) submit a report to the committees referred to in [paragraph (1)](#a-1) containing such guidelines;
  - (3) encourage and monitor efforts of [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) to develop or maintain and implement policies based on the guidelines developed under [paragraph (2)](#a-2);
  - (4) not later than 1 year after the date on which the inventory under [paragraph (1)](#a-1) is submitted, and every 5 years thereafter, the [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall report to Congress on the implementation by [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) of the policy guidelines developed under [paragraph (2)](#a-2); and
  - (5) update such policy guidelines as needed.
- (b) **Requirements—** In developing policy guidelines under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2), the [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall include guidelines that require, to the extent practicable—
  - (1) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to submit to the [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) or [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) from which the [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) receive funding reports relating to—
    - (A) any decision made to launch a formal investigation of sex-based or sexual harassment, including bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions by, or of, [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3);
    - (B) administrative action, related to an allegation against [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3) of any such harassment, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or executive orders, that affects the ability of [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3) or their trainees to carry out the activities of the award;
    - (C) the total number of investigations with no findings or determinations of misconduct including such harassment;
    - (D) findings or determinations of such harassment, as set forth in organizational policies or codes of conduct, statutes, regulations, or Executive orders by, or of, [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3), including the final disposition of a matter involving a [violation](/usc/42/2000e–16a.md?p=c) of organizational policies and processes, to include the exhaustion of permissible appeals, or a determination of a sexual offense in a court of law, or any other disciplinary action taken;
  - (2) the sharing, updating, and archiving of reports of sex- based and sexual harassment from [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) submitted under [paragraph (1)](#b-1) with relevant [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10), on a yearly basis and by [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) request; and
  - (3) consistency among [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) with regard to the policies and procedures for receiving reports submitted pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#b-1).
  - (4) **FERPA—** The [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that such guidelines and requirements are consistent with the requirements of [section 1232g of title 20](/usc/20/1232g.md) (commonly referred to as the “Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974”).
  - (5) **Privacy protections—** The [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall ensure that such guidelines and requirements—
    - (A) do not infringe upon the privacy rights of individuals associated with reports submitted to [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10); and
    - (B) do not require [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to provide interim reports to [Federal research agencies](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10).
- (c) **Considerations—** In carrying out [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2), the [Director](/usc/42/19184.md?p=1) of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall consider issuing guidelines that require or incent—
  - (1) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to periodically assess their organizational climate, which may include the use of climate surveys, focus groups, or exit interviews;
  - (2) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to publish on a publicly available internet website the results of assessments conducted pursuant to [paragraph (1)](#c-1), disaggregated by sex and, if practicable, race, ethnicity, disability status, and sexual orientation, and in a manner that does not include personally identifiable information;
  - (3) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to make public on an annual basis the number of reports of sex-based and sexual harassment at that institution or organization;
  - (4) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to regularly assess and improve policies, procedures, and interventions to reduce the prevalence of and improve the reporting of sex-based and sexual harassment;
  - (5) each entity applying for a [research and development award](/usc/42/18901.md?p=25) certify that a code of conduct is in place for maintaining a healthy and welcoming workplace for [award personnel](/usc/42/18901.md?p=3) and posted on their public website;
  - (6) each [recipient](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) and [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) to have in place mechanisms for addressing the needs of individuals who have experienced sex-based and sexual harassment, including those individuals seeking to reintegrate at the [recipient](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) entity; and
  - (7) [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) to work to create a climate intolerant of sex-based and sexual harassment and that values and promotes diversity and inclusion.
- (d) **Federal research agency implementation—** Not later than 270 days after receiving the guidelines under paragraph (a)(2), each [Federal research agency](/usc/42/18901.md?p=10) shall—
  - (1) develop or maintain and implement policies with respect to sex-based and sexual harassment that are consistent with policy guidelines under [subsection (a)(2)](#a-2) and that protect the privacy of all parties involved in any report and investigation of sex-based or sexual harassment, to the maximum extent practicable; and
  - (2) broadly disseminate such policies to current and potential [recipients](/usc/42/18901.md?p=24) of [research and development awards](/usc/42/18901.md?p=25) made by such [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title V, § 10536, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1629.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

Committee on Education and Labor of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Education and the Workforce of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.