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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4545 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4545
To amend the America COMPETES Act to establish certain scientific
integrity policies for Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee
scientific research, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 14, 2026
Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Hickenlooper,
Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Markey, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Padilla, Ms.
Rosen, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Warner, Mr. Welch, Mr.
Whitehouse, Mr. Wyden, Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Booker, Ms.
Warren, and Ms. Baldwin) introduced the following bill; which was read
twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the America COMPETES Act to establish certain scientific
integrity policies for Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee
scientific research, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Scientific Integrity Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) science and the scientific process should help inform
and guide public policy decisions on a wide range of issues,
including improvement of public health, protection of the
environment, and protection of national security;
(2) the public must be able to trust the science and
scientific process informing public policy decisions;
(3) science, the scientific process, and the communication
of science should be free from politics, ideology, and
financial conflicts of interest;
(4) policies and procedures that ensure the integrity of
the conduct and communication of publicly funded science are
critical to ensuring public trust;
(5) a Federal agency that funds, conducts, or oversees
research should not suppress, alter, interfere with, or
otherwise impede the timely communication and open exchange of
data and findings to other agencies, policymakers, and the
public of research conducted by a scientist or engineer
employed or contracted by a Federal agency that funds,
conducts, or oversees scientific research;
(6) Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee
research should work to prevent the suppression or distortion
of the data and findings;
(7) under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the
United States, citizens of the United States have the right to
``petition the government for a redress of grievances''; and
(8) Congress has further protected those rights under
section 7211 of title 5, United States Code, which states,
``[t]he right of employees, individually or collectively, to
petition Congress or a member of Congress . . . may not be
interfered with or denied''.
SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO AMERICA COMPETES ACT.
Section 1009 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6620) is
amended by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the
following:
``(a) Scientific Integrity Policies.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of the Scientific Integrity Act, the head of each
covered agency shall--
``(A) adopt and enforce a scientific integrity
policy in accordance with subsections (b) and (c); and
``(B) submit such policy to the Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy for approval.
``(2) Publication.--Not later than 30 days after the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
approves the scientific integrity policy under paragraph (1)
with respect to a covered agency, the head of that agency
shall--
``(A) make such policy available to the public on
the website of the agency; and
``(B) submit such policy to the relevant Committees
of Congress.
``(b) Requirements.--A scientific integrity policy under subsection
(a) for a covered agency--
``(1) shall prohibit any covered individual from--
``(A) engaging in dishonesty, fraud, deceit,
misrepresentation, coercive manipulation, or other
scientific or research misconduct;
``(B) suppressing, altering, interfering with,
delaying without scientific merit, or otherwise
impeding the release and communication of, scientific
or technical findings;
``(C) intimidating or coercing an individual to
alter or censor, attempting to intimidate or coerce an
individual to alter or censor, or retaliating against
an individual for failure to alter or censor,
scientific or technical findings; or
``(D) implementing an institutional barrier to
cooperation with scientists outside the covered agency
and the timely communication of scientific or technical
findings;
``(2) shall allow a covered individual to--
``(A) disseminate scientific or technical findings,
subject to existing law, by--
``(i) participating in scientific
conferences; and
``(ii) seeking publication in online and
print publications through peer-reviewed,
professional, or scholarly journals;
``(B) sit on scientific advisory or governing
boards;
``(C) join or hold leadership positions on
scientific councils, societies, unions, and other
professional organizations;
``(D) contribute to the academic peer-review
process as reviewers or editors; and
``(E) participate and engage with the scientific
community;
``(3) may require a covered individual, before
disseminating scientific or technical findings as described in
paragraph (2)(A), to submit such findings to the agency for the
purpose of review by the agency of the data and findings for
technical accuracy if the scientific integrity policy outlines
a clear and consistent process for such review; and
``(4) shall require that--
``(A) scientific conclusions are not made based on
political considerations;
``(B) the selection and retention of candidates for
science and technology positions in the covered agency
are based primarily on the candidate's expertise,
scientific credentials, experience, and integrity;
``(C) personnel actions regarding covered
individuals, except for political appointees, are not
taken on the basis of political consideration or
ideology;
``(D) covered individuals adhere to the highest
ethical and professional standards in conducting their
research and disseminating their findings;
``(E) appropriate rules, procedures, and safeguards
are in place to ensure the integrity of the scientific
process within the covered agency;
``(F) scientific or technological information
considered in policy decisions is subject to well-
established scientific processes, including peer review
as appropriate;
``(G) procedures, including procedures with respect
to applicable whistleblower protections, are in place
as necessary to ensure the integrity of scientific and
technological information and processes on which the
covered agency relies in its decisionmaking or that the
covered agency otherwise uses; and
``(H) enforcement of such policy is consistent with
the processes for an administrative hearing and an
administrative appeal.
``(c) Implementation.--In carrying out subsection (a), the head of
each covered agency shall--
``(1) design the scientific integrity policy under such
subsection to apply with respect to the covered agency;
``(2) ensure that such policy is clear with respect to what
activities are permitted and what activities are not permitted;
``(3) ensure that there is a process for individuals not
employed or contracted by the agency, including grantees,
collaborators, partners, and volunteers, to report violations
of the scientific integrity policy;
``(4) enforce such policy uniformly throughout the covered
agency; and
``(5) make such policy available to the public, employees,
private contractors, and grantees of the covered agency.
``(d) Scientific Integrity Officer.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of the enactment of the Scientific Integrity Act, each covered
agency shall appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, who shall--
``(1) be a career employee at the covered agency in a
professional position;
``(2) have technical knowledge and expertise in conducting
and overseeing scientific research;
``(3) direct the activities and duties described in
subsections (e), (f), and (g); and
``(4) work closely with the inspector general of the
covered agency, as appropriate.
``(e) Administrative Process and Training.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the enactment of the Scientific Integrity Act, the
head of each covered agency shall establish--
``(1) an administrative process and administrative appeal
process for dispute resolution consistent with the scientific
integrity policy of the covered agency adopted under subsection
(a); and
``(2) a training program to provide--
``(A) regular scientific integrity and ethics
training to employees and contractors of the covered
agency;
``(B) training to new employees of the covered
agency who are covered individuals within 1 month of
commencing employment;
``(C) information to ensure that covered
individuals are fully aware of their rights and
responsibilities regarding the conduct of scientific
research, publication of scientific research, and
communication with the media and the public regarding
scientific research; and
``(D) information to ensure that covered
individuals are fully aware of their rights and
responsibilities for administrative hearings and
appeals established in the scientific integrity policy
of the covered agency.
``(f) Reporting.--
``(1) Annual report.--Each year, each Scientific Integrity
Officer appointed by a covered agency under subsection (d)
shall post an annual report on the public website of the
covered agency that includes, for the year covered by the
report--
``(A) the number of complaints of misconduct with
respect to the scientific integrity policy adopted
under subsection (a)--
``(i) filed for administrative redress;
``(ii) petitioned for administrative
appeal; and
``(iii) still pending from years prior to
the year covered by the report, if any;
``(B) an anonymized summary of each such complaint
and the results of each such complaint; and
``(C) any changes made to the scientific integrity
policy.
``(2) Incident report.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the
date on which an incident described in subparagraph (B)
occurs, the head of a covered agency shall submit a
report describing the incident to the Office of Science
and Technology Policy and the relevant Committees of
Congress.
``(B) Incident.--An incident described in this
subparagraph is an incident in which an individual,
acting outside the channels established under
subsection (e), overrules the decision of the
Scientific Integrity Officer appointed under subsection
(d) with respect to a dispute regarding a violation of
the scientific integrity policy adopted under
subsection (a).
``(g) Office of Science and Technology Policy.--The Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy shall--
``(1) collate, organize, and publicly share all information
received by the Director under subsection (f) in 1 place on the
website of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; and
``(2) on an annual basis, convene the Scientific Integrity
Officer of each covered agency appointed under subsection (d)
to discuss best practices for implementing the requirements of
this section.
``(h) Periodic Review and Approval.--
``(1) Internal review.--The head of each covered agency
shall periodically conduct a review of the scientific integrity
policy adopted under subsection (a) and change such policy as
appropriate.
``(2) Review by the office of science and technology
policy.--
``(A) Review of substantial updates.--The head of
each covered agency shall submit to the Office of
Science and Technology Policy for approval any
substantial changes to the scientific integrity policy
adopted under subsection (a).
``(B) Quinquennial review.--Not later than 5 years
after the date of the enactment of the Scientific
Integrity Act, and every 5 years thereafter, the head
of each covered agency shall submit the scientific
integrity policy for such agency to the Office of
Science and Technology Policy for review and approval.
``(i) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than 2 years after the
date of the enactment of the Scientific Integrity Act, the Comptroller
General of the United States shall conduct a review of the
implementation of the scientific integrity policy by each covered
agency.
``(j) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Agency.--The term `agency' has the meaning given the
term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
``(2) Covered agency.--The term `covered agency' means an
agency that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research.
``(3) Covered individual.--The term `covered individual'
means a Federal employee or contractor who--
``(A) is engaged in, supervises, or manages
scientific activities;
``(B) analyzes or publicly communicates information
resulting from scientific activities; or
``(C) uses scientific information or analyses in
making bureau, office, or agency policy, management, or
regulatory decisions.
``(4) Relevant committees of congress.--The term `relevant
Committees of Congress' means--
``(A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
``(B) the Committee on Science, Space, and
Technology of the House of Representatives.''.
SEC. 4. EXISTING POLICIES; CLARIFICATION.
(a) Existing Scientific Integrity Policies.--Notwithstanding the
amendments made by this Act, the scientific integrity policy of a
covered agency that was in effect on the day before the date of the
enactment of this Act may satisfy the requirements under the amendments
made by this Act if the head of the covered agency--
(1) makes a written determination that the policy satisfies
such requirements; and
(2) submits the written determination and the policy to the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy for
review and approval.
(b) Clarification.--Nothing in this Act or the amendments made by
this Act shall affect the application of United States copyright law.
(c) Covered Agency Defined.--The term ``covered agency'' has the
meaning given the term in section 1009 of the America COMPETES Act (42
U.S.C. 6620), as amended by section 3.
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