New House Bills to Reinforce Energy Department Partnerships With NASA, NSF

Members of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee have proposed legislation that would strengthen the Department of Energy’s existing research partnerships with NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Reps. Brandon Williams and Eric Sorensen put forward the DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act to facilitate ongoing efforts to develop lunar surface infrastructure and the tools to send astronauts to Mars. Williams and Sorensen said the bill would codify the relationship between the Energy Department and NASA.

Meanwhile, Reps. Haley Stevens and Jim Baird sponsored the DOE and NSF Interagency Research Act to support joint studies on emerging technologies and the development of a science, technology, engineering and mathematics workforce.

According to Stevens, the legislation would advance the formation of a collaborative research environment. Baird emphasized that strengthening the Energy Department and NSF’s relationship is key to maintaining U.S. leadership in science and engineering innovation, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee said Thursday.

In March, Congress passed two bills that reinforced Energy Department research efforts with the Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.