S. 4545

[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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