DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act

Bill Number

S. 3029

Origin Chamber

Senate

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Science, Technology, Communications

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-10-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Last Updated

2025-12-08T15:07:39Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The legislation aims to strengthen collaboration between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by authorizing joint research and development (R&D) activities. This coordination is intended to advance shared mission priorities, such as space exploration, energy innovation, environmental monitoring, and scientific education, while improving efficiency and resource sharing between the agencies.

Key Provisions

• Authorization for Joint R&D: The DOE Secretary and NASA Administrator are authorized to conduct collaborative R&D activities, including making competitive awards to external entities, focusing on cross-cutting technologies that support both agencies' goals.
• Coordination Mechanisms: Activities must be managed through one or more memoranda of understanding (MOUs) or similar interagency agreements. This includes:
• Collaborative efforts in specific areas like propulsion systems (e.g., nuclear thermal propulsion, radioisotope power), advanced computing and data analytics (e.g., machine learning, predictive modeling), fundamental sciences (e.g., high energy physics, astrophysics, Earth and environmental sciences), quantum information sciences, radiation health effects, space-based solar energy transmission, Arctic science and infrastructure resilience, wildfire mitigation, space weather forecasting, satellite data infrastructure, and STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workforce development in underserved regions.
• Developing tools to handle large datasets on high-performance computing systems.
• Promoting data sharing between DOE, NASA, National Laboratories (DOE's research facilities), and other partners, with secure access.
• Providing NASA access to DOE's research infrastructure where feasible.
• Agreements and Collaboration: Allows reimbursable (cost-sharing) and nonreimbursable agreements between DOE and NASA, as well as partnerships with other federal agencies.
• Merit-Based Awards: Competitive awards must follow merit-review processes, open to federal agencies, National Laboratories, universities, nonprofits, and others, in line with existing laws and policies.
• Reporting Requirements:
• A joint report to Congress within 2 years of enactment, covering coordinated activities, technical expansions, achievements, future collaboration areas (e.g., clean energy like marine energy, Arctic science, wildfire and space weather resilience, STEM pipelines), and plans for ongoing coordination.
• Annual budget justification materials from NASA (starting 2 years after enactment) detailing fund transfers under a new authority.
• A separate report to Congress 3 years after enactment evaluating the value of fund transfer authority, its benefits to NASA missions, and any implementation barriers.
• Research Security: All activities must comply with existing federal laws on protecting research from security risks (e.g., foreign interference).
• Fund Transfer Authority: Amends federal law (51 U.S.C. § 20113(f)) to allow other federal agencies to transfer funds to NASA specifically for space exploration-related scientific or engineering research, education, or facilities. Transferred funds are merged into NASA's budget but limited to grants or cooperative agreements (partnerships where NASA and recipients share work).

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Expands NASA's ability to receive transferred funds from other federal agencies under 51 U.S.C. § 20113(f), previously limited in scope. The new provision explicitly ties transfers to space exploration and related R&D/education, with requirements for transparency in annual budget reports and a future evaluation report.
• Builds on prior laws like the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act, National Quantum Initiative Act, and Energy Policy Act of 2005 by integrating them into DOE-NASA coordination without altering their core requirements.

Potential Impacts

• On Government Agencies: Enhances efficiency for DOE and NASA by pooling resources, reducing duplication in R&D, and enabling access to specialized facilities (e.g., DOE's computing power for NASA's data needs). Could extend to other agencies through collaborations, improving federal responses to challenges like climate change, national security, and space missions.
• On Citizens: May lead to practical benefits such as improved wildfire prediction and mitigation tools, better space weather forecasts protecting power grids and aviation, advanced clean energy technologies (e.g., space solar power), and expanded STEM training opportunities, particularly in remote areas like the Arctic, fostering job growth in science and engineering fields.
• On International Relations: Indirectly supports U.S. leadership in global science by advancing technologies like quantum computing and Earth observation, potentially aiding international partnerships in space and climate research, though the bill focuses domestically.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Federal Agencies: Primarily DOE and NASA, including DOE's National Laboratories; secondarily other agencies contributing funds or collaborating (e.g., on environmental or defense-related R&D).
• Research and Educational Institutions: Universities, nonprofits, and federal labs eligible for competitive awards and grants.
• Workforce and Communities: STEM students and professionals, especially in underserved or remote regions (e.g., Arctic communities benefiting from training in aerospace, Earth modeling, and remote sensing).
• Broader Public: Entities reliant on related technologies, such as energy providers (for grid resilience), aviation and satellite operators (for space weather data), and wildfire-prone areas (for mitigation methods).

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal: Ensures compliance with merit-review standards and research security laws, minimizing risks of misuse. The fund transfer amendment promotes fiscal flexibility but includes safeguards like head-of-agency approval and detailed reporting to prevent unauthorized diversions.
• Constitutional: Aligns with Congress's authority under Article I to appropriate funds and regulate federal agencies, without infringing on executive branch operations; emphasizes interagency cooperation, which is standard in U.S. governance.
• Political: Signals bipartisan support for science investment (introduced by Senators Sullivan and Schiff), potentially influencing future budgets by highlighting interagency successes. Could face scrutiny over fund transfers if perceived as reallocating resources from other priorities, but the 2- and 3-year reporting timelines provide oversight to address concerns.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK]

Cosponsors (1)

Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA]

Recent Actions

• 2025-10-22: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• 2025-10-22: Introduced in Senate

Bill Versions

• DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act — issued 2025-10-22 — PDF (12 pages)