House Science Subcommittees on Basic Research, Technology

The Science Committee is the authorizing committee on the House side for most of the federal government’s civilian science and technology policies and programs, particularly those related to physics. Its counterpart in the Senate is the Commerce Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space. Agencies under the House Science Committee’s jurisdiction in the 106th Congress include the National Science Foundation, NASA, NIST, and the Department of Energy’s non-military R&D programs. See http://www.house.gov/MemberWWW.html for the Web sites for all representatives.

Congress deals primarily with two types of bills, authorization and appropriations. Authorizing legislation gives a federal department or agency permission to spend money and sets policy direction; appropriations provide the actual money. The rosters of the Subcommittees on Basic Research, and on Technology, which are authorizing subcommittees, are listed below. The rosters for the subcommittees on Space and Aeronautics, and on Energy and Environment, are provided in a separate FYI.

HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE 2320 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-6371 James Sensenbrenner (WI),Chair Ralph Hall (TX), Ranking (Both are ex-officio members of each subcommittee.) SUBCOMMITTEE ON BASIC RESEARCH B-374 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202- 225-7858 Legislative jurisdiction and general and special oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to science policy including: Office of Science and Technology Policy; all scientific research, and scientific and engineering resources (including human resources), math, science and engineering education; intergovernmental mechanisms for research, development, and demonstration and cross-cutting programs; international scientific cooperation; National Science Foundation; university research policy, including infrastructure, overhead and partnerships; science scholarships; government-owned, contractor-operated Department of Energy laboratories; computer, communications, and information science; earthquake and fire research programs; research and development relating to health, biomedical, and nutritional programs; and to the extent appropriate, agricultural, geological, biological and life sciences research. Chair - Nick Smith (Michigan) Republicans: Democrats: Sherwood Boehlert (N.Y.) Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas) Constance A. Morella (Md.) -- ranking member Lamar Smith (Texas) Bob Etheridge (N.C.) Gil Gutknecht (Minn.) Lynn Rivers (Mich.) Thomas W. Ewing (Ill.) John Larson (Conn.) Frank Lucas (Okla.) Mike Doyle (Pa.) Judy Biggert (Ill.) Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) SUBCOMMITTEE ON TECHNOLOGY 2319 Rayburn House Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-8844 Legislative jurisdiction and general and special oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to competitiveness including: standards and standardization of measurement; the National Institute of Standards and Technology; the National Technical Information Service; competitiveness, including small business competitiveness; tax, antitrust, regulatory and other legal and governmental policies as they relate to technological development and commercialization; technology transfer; patent and intellectual property policy; international technology trade; research, development, and demonstration activities of the Department of Transportation; civil aviation research, development, and demonstration; research, development, and demonstration programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; surface and water transportation research, development, and demonstration programs; materials research, development, and demonstration and policy; and biotechnology policy. Constance A. Morella (R-Md.) -- chairman