WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Commerce Committee approved the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act, which includes several of U.S. Senator Chris Coons’ (D-Del.) science, technology and advanced manufacturing priorities. The bill is now ready for consideration by the full Senate.

“I’m thrilled the Commerce committee came together in a bipartisan way to pass this critical legislation to jumpstart America’s innovation economy and sharpen our country’s competitive edge,” said Senator Coons. “I’m pleased many of the priorities I’ve been fighting for in the Senate were included in this bill, from my bill supporting sustainable chemistry that would spur innovation and create jobs, to my proposal to help the government utilize crowdsourcing and citizen science in tackling a range of challenges facing our country. This bipartisan bill also includes my legislation to support and expand two key programs that serve manufacturing companies and train scientists and engineers to start new businesses.  I will continue to push for its passage through Congress to support the critical STEM education, research, and advanced manufacturing activities that keep the U.S. competitive.” 

A list of Senator Coons’ priorities that were included in the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act are below:

Proposal to promote open science, innovation in government
Senator Coons secured his proposal to encourage and increase the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science within the federal government to advance and accelerate scientific research, literacy, and diplomacy. This is the first ever legislation, co-sponsored by Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), to grant explicit authority to the government to use these methods. Specifically, it provides clarification and guidelines for government agencies to utilize crowdsourcing and citizen science methods, harnessing the resourcefulness and innovation of the public to solve problems without requiring any new funding or authorizations. Delaware Nature Society, The Nature Conservancy, Stroud Water, and the National Park Service are all using open science to monitor and improve water quality in Delaware and learn more about Delaware’s environment.

Proposal to improve Manufacturing Extension Partnerships program
Senator Coons secured his proposal, co-sponsored by Senators Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and Angus King (I-Maine), to expand and improve the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program to better serve small and medium-sized manufacturing companies. The MEP program is the premier federal program addressing critical needs of small and medium-sized manufacturers. MEP centers offer resources that enable manufacturers to compete globally, support greater supply chain integration, and provide access to information, training, and technologies that improve efficiency, productivity, and profitability. Built on a nationwide network of centers located in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, the MEP program is a partnership between the federal government and a variety of private sector entities that serve as trusted business advisors and technical experts to thousands of small to medium-sized manufacturers. The Delaware MEP has helped train thousands of employees and helped dozens of Delaware manufacturers—large and small—improve their facilities and save money.

Proposal to strengthen the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) I-Corps program
Senator Coons secured his proposal, co-sponsored by Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), to expand and improve the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) highly successful Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program that trains scientists and engineers with the skills needed to start new businesses and create new jobs. I-Corps connects scientists and engineers with the technological, entrepreneurial, and business communities necessary to move discoveries from the laboratory to the market.  This bill builds on NSF’s recent success with I-Corps to help create regional networks for innovation by providing researchers, students, and universities with the training and resources they need to develop products and services that benefit the economy and society. University of Delaware’s Horn Program and many students hoping to create their own companies have benefited from I-Corps. 

Proposal to bolster the field of sustainable chemistry
Senator Coons secured his proposal, co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), to support innovation in the field of sustainable chemistry.  Sustainable chemistry is a sector that includes goals such as reducing chemical risk to human health and the environment, increasing efficient use of resources, and designing products and processes with consideration of the entire lifecycle. It is creating jobs and spurring economic development in the private sector, but federal efforts in this area are not well-coordinated.  The legislation would require coordination of existing federal efforts in sustainable chemistry and the development of a framework for future efforts to support sustainable chemistry research and development, technology transfer, commercialization, education, training, and public-private partnerships.  It also encourages the inclusion of stakeholder input from industry, academia, defense, state and local governments, and non-governmental organizations. Importantly, the bill does not include any regulatory components, nor does it authorize new spending. Its goal, rather, is to coordinate federal activities in sustainable chemistry in order to maximize our federal research dollars in this area. Delaware is home to a number of chemical companies like Croda and White Dog Labs that are seen as leaders in sustainable chemistry. 

Support for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education programs
Senator Coons strongly urged the Committee to include continued support for STEM education programs at all levels.  The bill calls for continued prioritization, direction, and coordination among key federal agencies to ensure that the U.S. continues to invest in STEM from K-12 through higher education and into workforce development.