H.R. 3054

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3054 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3054

To require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
to develop a consistent set of policy guidelines for Federal research 
agencies to address financial instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 29, 2025

Ms. McClellan (for herself, Ms. DelBene, Ms. Tlaib, Ms. Pingree, Ms. 
Lee of Pennsylvania, Ms. Tokuda, Mr. Thanedar, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Tonko, 
Ms. Norton, Mrs. Cherfilus-McCormick, Mr. Frost, and Mr. Foster) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy 
to develop a consistent set of policy guidelines for Federal research 
agencies to address financial instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers, 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 ``Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance 
American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and 
Research Act'' or the ``RESEARCHER Act''.

SEC. 2. POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FEDERAL RESEARCH AGENCIES TO ADDRESS 
FINANCIAL INSTABILITY OF GRADUATE RESEARCHERS AND 
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS.

(a) Definition.--In this section:
(1) Institution of higher education.--The term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1001).
(2) Graduate researchers.--The term ``graduate 
researchers'' means individuals enrolled in a degree program 
leading to an advanced degree who receive stipends or other 
compensation to conduct research in any discipline at an 
institution of higher education that is a recipient of Federal 
funding.
(3) Postdoctoral researchers.--The term ``postdoctoral 
researchers'' means individuals in training-focused positions 
who have received a doctoral degree or equivalent and receive 
stipends or other compensation to conduct research in any 
discipline at an institution of higher education that is a 
recipient of Federal funding.
(b) OSTP Guidelines.--
(1) In general.--Not later than six months after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, in consultation with the 
National Science and Technology Council, the Committee on STEM 
Education, PCAST, institutions of higher education, graduate 
and postdoctoral organizations, and other relevant 
stakeholders, shall develop a consistent set of policy 
guidelines for Federal research agencies to address financial 
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral 
researchers.
(2) Requirements.--In developing the policy guidelines 
under paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall include guidelines that address, to the 
extent practicable, the following:
(A) Opportunities to increase stipends for graduate 
researchers and postdoctoral researchers, including 
indexing based on location.
(B) Increasing stipends for postdoctoral 
researchers conducting research in rural or underserved 
areas, or in States eligible to receive funding from 
the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive 
Research under section 113 of the National Science 
Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g), 
to support the recruitment and retention of researchers 
in such regions.
(C) Opportunities to increase access to quality, 
affordable medical, dental, and vision care.
(D) Opportunities to increase access to affordable 
housing and transportation.
(E) Opportunities to reduce food insecurity.
(F) Opportunities to address costs of caring for 
family members, including child care.
(3) Application.--
(A) In general.--The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall encourage and 
monitor efforts of Federal research agencies to develop 
and implement policies based on the policy guidelines 
under paragraph (1).
(B) Federal research agency implementation.--Not 
later than six months after receiving the policy 
guidelines under paragraph (1), the head of each 
Federal research agency shall--
(i) develop and implement policies with 
respect to financial instability of graduate 
researchers and postdoctoral researchers that 
are consistent with such policy guidelines; and
(ii) broadly disseminate such policies to 
current and potential recipients of research 
and development awards made by such agency.
(4) Updates.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall update the policy guidelines under 
paragraph (1) as the Director determines necessary.
(5) Report.--Not later than one year after the date after 
the policy guidelines under paragraph (1) are developed and 
every five years thereafter, the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall submit to the Committee on 
Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce, 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 a report 
containing information relating to the following:
(A) Such policy guidelines.
(B) Progress on the implementation of such 
guidelines by Federal research agencies.
(c) Data Collection.--The Research and Development, Competition, 
and Innovation Act (enacted as division B of Public Law 117-167) is 
amended--
(1) in section 10314(b) (42 U.S.C. 18994)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
``and'' after the semicolon;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as 
subparagraph (F); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D) 
the following new subparagraph:
``(E) graduate researcher and postdoctoral 
researcher stipend amounts and financial instability 
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by 
demographics); and''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Institution of higher education.--The term 
`institution of higher education' has the meaning given 
such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
``(B) Graduate researchers.--The term `graduate 
researchers' means individuals enrolled in a degree 
program leading to an advanced degree who receive 
stipends or other compensation to conduct research in 
any discipline at an institution of higher education 
that is a recipient of Federal funding.
``(C) Postdoctoral researchers.--The term 
`postdoctoral researchers' means individuals in 
training-focused positions who have received a doctoral 
degree or equivalent and receive stipends or other 
compensation to conduct research in any discipline at 
an institution of higher education that is a recipient 
of Federal funding.''; and
(2) in paragraph (1) of section 10502(a) (42 U.S.C. 
19152(a)), by inserting ``graduate and postdoctoral research 
stipend amounts (disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by 
demographics),'' before ``and awarded budget''.
(d) Data on Financial Instability of Graduate Researchers and 
Postdoctoral Researchers.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions 
of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such 
institutions or organizations) to collect and analyze data on financial 
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral researchers 
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demographics).
(e) National Academies Assessment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than two years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall enter into an agreement with the National 
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to undertake a 
study and issue a report on the status of financial instability 
of graduate researchers and postdoctoral researchers. To the 
extent feasible, the study shall include an assessment 
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demographics) at 
a minimum of the immediately preceding five years of the 
following:
(A) Stipends relative to average local medical, 
dental, and vision expenses.
(B) Stipends relative to average local housing and 
transportation costs.
(C) Stipends relative to average local food costs.
(D) Stipends relative to average local costs of 
caring for family members, including child care costs.
(2) Report.--Not later than two years after the date on 
which the agreement between the Director of the National 
Science Foundation and the National Academies of Sciences, 
Engineering, and Medicine is entered into pursuant to paragraph 
(1), the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and 
Medicine shall submit to Committee on Science, Space, and 
Technology, the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 a report containing the results of 
the assessment under such paragraph and recommendations 
relating thereto regarding how Federal agencies, Congress, 
institutions of higher education, and other relevant entities 
may address financial instability of graduate researchers and 
postdoctoral researchers.
(f) GAO Study.--Not later than three years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States 
shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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 a report that--
(1) assesses the degree to which Federal research agencies 
have implemented the policy guidelines under subsection (b) and 
the effectiveness of such implementation;
(2) includes recommendations on potential changes to 
practices and policies to improve such guidelines and such 
implementation; and
(3) includes recommendations on additional data collection 
and research needed to monitor progress on reducing financial 
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral 
researchers.
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