This resolution recognizes and expresses support for the efforts of democracy and human rights activists in Cuba.
Department of Energy Science for the Future Act This bill supports specified research and development activities of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The bill establishes various programs, including a basic energy sciences research and development program; a program of research and development for the application of advanced computing practices to foundational and emerging research problems in chemistry and materials science; a web-based platform to develop and provide access to a database of computed information on known and predicted materials properties and computational tools to accelerate breakthroughs in materials discovery and design; a biological systems science and climate and environmental science research and development program; research and development activities in biomolecular characterization and imaging science; earth and environmental systems science research; a coastal zone research initiative; an initiative focused on the development of engineered ecosystems; a program to implement a strategy for achieving computing systems with capabilities beyond exascale computing systems; a program of fundamental research and development of energy efficient computing and data center technologies relevant to advanced computing applications; a Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology program or QUEST program; a collaborative research and development program of fusion energy technologies; a research program in elementary particle physics and advanced technology research and development to improve the understanding of the fundamental properties of the universe, including constituents of matter and energy and the nature of space and time; research activities on the nature of the primary contents of the universe, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter; a research program to discover and understand various forms of nuclear matter; a program across the DOE for the production of isotopes, including the development of techniques to produce isotopes, that the DOE determines are needed for research, medical, industrial, or related purposes; a midscale instrumentation program to enable the development and acquisition of novel, state-of-the-art instruments ranging in cost from $1 million to $20 million each that would significantly accelerate scientific breakthroughs at user facilities; and a high intensity laser research initiative. The DOE Office of Science shall continue to leverage U.S. participation in the Large Hadron Collider and prioritize expanding international partnerships and investments in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. DOE shall support construction of a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams to advance the understanding of rare nuclear isotopes and the evolution of the cosmos. DOE shall expand opportunities to increase the number, diversity, equity, and inclusion of highly skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals working in DOE mission-relevant disciplines and broaden the recruitment pool to increase diversity, including expanded partnerships with Historically Black Colleges, Tribal Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, emerging research institutions, and scientific societies. DOE shall establish within the DOE Office of Science, a cross-cutting research initiative to leverage the federal government's innovative analytical resources and tools, user facilities, and advanced computational and networking capabilities in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19. DOE may not carry out gain-of-function research of concern.
National Science Foundation for the Future Act This bill reauthorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) through FY2026 and authorizes programs and activities at the NSF. The bill establishes requirements for the NSF, including to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to assess the status and opportunities for Pre-K through 12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science, (STEM) education research; award grants to establish no fewer than three multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education Research and Translation to support research and development of STEM education innovations; provide grants for research on programming that engages students in grades Pre-K through 8, including underrepresented and rural students, in STEM in order to prepare such students to pursue degrees or careers in STEM; award grants to support research and development activities to encourage greater collaboration and coordination between institutions of higher education and industry to enhance education, foster hands-on learning experiences, and improve alignment with workforce needs; award grants to establish a network of centers for science and technical education; award grants to advance research on the nature of learning and teaching at community colleges; award grants to establish traineeship programs for graduate students who pursue artificial intelligence-related research leading to a masters or doctorate degree; award grants to carry out research on the cyber workforce; establish a cybersecurity workforce data initiative; carry out a national initiative to facilitate the development of networks and partnerships to broaden participation in STEM studies and careers of groups historically underrepresented in such studies and careers; maintain a Research Security and Policy office to coordinate all research security policy issues across the NSF; award grants to support research to improve our understanding of the climate system and related human and environmental systems; support research to significantly advance our understanding of the food-energy-water system; award grants to advance knowledge of risk assessment and predictability to improve our ability to predict extreme events and natural hazards, including pandemics; and award grants to support basic research that will accelerate innovation to advance critical minerals mining strategies and technologies. The bill also establishes within the NSF a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development solutions to address societal and national challenges.
Increasing Investor Opportunities Act This bill allows a closed-end fund—a portfolio of pooled assets with a limited number of shares traded on an exchange—to increase their investments in private investment funds.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that, if it creates a presumption of service-connection between the occurrence of a disease and exposure to an herbicide agent while serving in the Armed Forces between January 9, 1962, and June 30, 1976, at a military base in Thailand, such presumption must also apply to exposure at any military base in Thailand, regardless of where on the base the veteran was located or what military job specialty the veteran performed.
Twenty-First Century Nuclear Security Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to report on matters related to global nuclear safety, nuclear security, and nuclear nonproliferation, as well as the risks posed by Russia and China to the global nuclear energy market.
Debt Bondage Repair Act This bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from reporting adverse credit information about a consumer that is the result of severe human trafficking or sex trafficking. A court of competent jurisdiction or a federal or state government entity must determine that the consumer is a victim of trafficking.
Trillion Trees Act This bills establishes a variety of requirements and incentives to plant trees and conduct other land management practices for the purposes of capturing and storing carbon in domestic and international trees and forests. Additionally, the bill provides incentives to research or develop other carbon sequestration tools. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set targets to increase forest carbon stock through January 1, 2100, for the purposes of sequestering and storing carbon in U.S. forests. It also establishes and provides funding for the Trillion Trees Challenge Fund to provide grants to nonfederal entities for activities related to reforestation efforts on public or private lands. In addition, it raises the cap on the Reforestation Trust Fund to enhance forest health in the National Forest System and requires the USDA to establish a Tree City USA Grant Program. The bill also allows the U.S. Agency for International Development to enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization to establish an International Forest Foundation to promote reforestation and prevent deforestation. Additionally, it establishes requirements and incentives to address seedling shortages and support nurseries. Finally, the bill provides market incentives to research or develop other carbon sequestration tools relating to biochar, sustainable building practices, biochemical and bioplastic products, and biomass energy.
Flexible Financing for Rural America Act This bill allows rural utility service providers to submit to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a request to adjust the interest rate or modify the terms of certain loans. The request shall include a report summarizing how the adjustment or modification will assist the borrower in providing critical utility services to a rural community. Specifically, on receipt of a request, USDA or the Department of the Treasury (in the case of a loan owned by the Federal Financing Bank) must adjust the interest rate on the loan to match certain interest rates for obligations of comparable maturity to the term remaining on the loan (or a higher rate requested by the borrower), and make modifications to the loan terms as necessary to address changes in the financial position of the borrower due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and to promote the financial sustainability of the borrower. In carrying out the adjustments or modifications, USDA or Treasury shall not impose or collect any fee from, or impose any penalty on, a borrower. The bill also provides funding to implement the adjustments and modifications and for the liquidation of residual intragovernmental amounts owed by the Federal Financing Bank in connection with certain loans.
Teacher Education for Computer Science Act or the Teach CS Act This bill authorizes the Department of Education to award grants to institutions of higher education for establishing and maintaining teacher education programs for computer science. It also includes computer science as an eligible education category with respect to receiving various teacher preparation grants and graduate fellowships.
