IEEE-USA Policy Activities and 2013 Legislative Overview Russ Harrison Senior Legislative Rep., Grassroots Activities Chris Brantley Managing Director IEEE-USA 2013 Annual Meeting
Topics Introduction K-12 STEM Education R&D/Innovation Patent Reform & Software Patents Communications Energy Cybersecurity Immigration Federal Conferences Q&A 2
K-12 STEM EDUCATION 3
ESEA Reauthorization Goal: To encourage K-12 schools to add engineering to their curricula. The moment we ve all been waiting for! Student Success Act (H.R. 5) Engineering amendments passed Engineering amendments not passed No new money Next steps: Senate and Republicans 4
Education Policy Fly-Ins in 2010 & 2011 Formally endorsed Educating Tomorrow s Engineers Act (H.R. 2426 and S. 1178) Joined coalition in favor of broadening Science and Math to STEM Broad support for our goals, but partisan politics greatly complicate our process 5
RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT & INNOVATION 6
R&D/Innovation Reauthorization of the America COMPETES Act is stalled in the House. House Science Chair Lamar Smith (TX) pushed draft High Quality Research Act over objections of S&T community. Sequestration Imperative: To meet sequestration targets requires annual cuts of approx. $85 billion through 2021. Differing Approach to FY 2014 Appropriations: Senate rolling spending back to pre-sequester levels while House keeps sequestration cuts intact. Only 4 of 12 appropriations bills have cleared the House through 28 July. Continuing Resolution is highly likely. R&D tax credit expires at year end. 7
R&D/Innovation Status of Appropriations (28 July 2013) Agency DoD S&T 6.1-6.3a DoD 6.3b-6.6 House (FY12-14) Senate (FY12-14) 2.8% TBD -9.0% TBD DOE -4.6% 13.8% NASA -4.3% 5.4% NSF -0.1% 6.2% NIST 9.5% 26.6% Source: AAAS R&D Budget Project 8
PATENT REFORM AND SOFTWARE PATENTS 9
Patent Reform Goal: To make the U.S. patent system more transparent, functional and accessible Protecting small and independent inventors AIA implementation complete, waiting to evaluate the impact Early efforts to further reform Patents, overhaul Copyrights IEEE-USA remains concerned that the legislative process is tilted too far in favor of large corporations, at the expense of smaller interests 10
COMMUNICATIONS POLICY 11
Communications Change-Over at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Acting Chair and Two Vacancies (Tom Wheeler appointment pending) Improving FCC s Process House Energy & Commerce hearing (7/11). IEEE-USA statement on Improving Spectrum Policy Management 95Ghz : IEEE-USA petition to FCC to classify frequency spectrum above 95 GHz as a new technology or service. Harmful Interference. IEEE-USA whitepaper on need for greater transparency and clarity. 12
ENERGY POLICY 13
Goal: To support a diversified energy portfolio and robust energy system Congress has tried to do little on energy policy since 2009 Minor bills promoting alternative energy possible Nuclear and incentives for alternative energy unpopular Some legislation promoting the smart grid possible 14
CYBERSECURITY 15
Cybersecurity IEEE-USA supports enhanced planning, R&D, education, standards and information-sharing to reduce the vulnerability of computer networks and critical U.S. infrastructures to cyber-attacks. Efforts by Sen. Lieberman to move comprehensive cybersecurity legislation failed in 2012 due to industry issues with mandates, standards, and information-sharing expectations. IEEE-USA has endorsed the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act (HR 756), by Rep. McCaul (Tx) which passed the House on 17 April. Mandates development of a national strategic cybersecurity R&D (and workforce) plan Authorizes NSF funding for network/software security research, scholarships and graduate traineeships Directs NIST to coordinate development of technical standards for cybersecurity(including cloud security) 16
Cybersecurity (continued) Executive Order 13636 (February 2013) focuses on voluntary participation in DHS cyberthreat information sharing system and development/sharing of voluntary consensus standards and best practices under NIST. On 24 July, Senators Rockefeller and Thune introduced a comprehensive cybersecurity bill (S 1353), which is pending in the Senate Commerce Committee: Tracks closely the voluntary public-private approach taken in the Executive Order Tasks NIST to develop voluntary cybersecurity standards and disseminate best practices for protection of critical infrastructure Authorizes support for cybersecurity R&D, workforce development and education, and public awareness and preparedness 17
IMMIGRATION REFORM 18
High-Skill Immigration Reform Goal: More green cards, fewer H-1Bs, more worker protections Green cards, not guest workers! Covered in detail earlier today 19
S. 744: Comprehensive Immigration Reform Green cards for international students H-1b Cap increased to 250,000 New H-1B worker protections Hire American * Non-displacement * Stronger wage rules 50% rule * Outsourcing ban * Key exemptions for large multinational companies 20
What s Next Senate bill is dead Unconstitutional? But it defines the debate House has passed four smaller bills But Senate says it won t consider them House Republican leadership says they will draft a comprehensive bill by October But It is not clear the rank and file will support something the Democrats will support 21
GOVERNMENT CONFERENCES AND TRAVEL ISSUES 22
Government Conferences/Travel GSA/IRS Conferences Scandals Amendments by Senator Coburn (S.1789) and Rep. Issa (H.R. 2146) Limit federal agency support to one conference per agency per year Gov t Spending Accountability (GSA) Act of 2012 (H.R. 4631), GSA Act of 2013 (H.R. 313) 30% cut in federal reimbursements for travel through 2017; caps & waivers; open access for federal materials Senate Amendment 67 to the Continuing Budget Resolution (HR 933) (by Sen. Coburn) Limit gov t participation in any meeting/event to 25 persons. 23
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Response Directive M-12-12 Promoting Efficient Spending To Support Gov t Operations (11 May 2012) Travel Support Agencies to cut travel spending by 30% over FY 2010 levels FY 2014 Budgets to include plans to make reductions sustainable through FY 2016 Conferences - New approval/waiver policies established: Senior level review of all planned conferences Senior level approval of all future conference expenses > $100K Prohibition of expenses > $500K on single conference without national interest waiver Public reporting of all conferences expenses > $100K Agencies respond with internal guidance; establish internal processes and new bureaucracies 24
IEEE/IEEE-USA Advocacy 10 Direct/Coalition letters to U.S. Congress since 7 May 2012 successfully opposing various restrictive legislation/ amendments 1 Coalition Letter to OMB proposing an S&T conference exemption. Provided input to, and endorsed testimony by Rep. Rush Holt in support of community interests before House Gov t Reform and Oversight Com. Hearing (Feb. 2013) 29 April Meeting with The President s Office of Science and Technology Policy to share views and information on impacts of the OMB Directive (and follow-on communications) Briefings and updates to IEEE Conferences Committee and society EDs. Member Education: Today s Engineer stories (Dec. 2012/June 2013) 25
U.S. Controllers Alert (28 May 2013) it is critical for each agency to continue to recognize the important role that mission-related travel and conferences can often play in Government operations. Given the unique travel and conference needs of each agency, there are circumstances in which physical collocation is necessary to complete the mission. These circumstances may include, but are not limited to, collaborations in the scientific community bringing together Federal employees at a single location- such as for program reviews or technical evaluations, presentation of scientific findings, oversight boards or advisory group meetings, international engagements, and standards-setting committees may be the most efficient and cost-effective means for reviewing Government-sponsored efforts, issues, or challenges. while an agency should not interpret the recent guidance as a moratorium on all conference events, agencies and related stakeholders should anticipate a continued reduction in conference and travel activity for the duration of the sequestration order. 26
Current Legislation House to consider GSA Act (HR 313) under suspension of the rules. Other bills include: A bill to provide transparency, accountability, and limitations of Government sponsored conferences (S. 1347) by Sen. Tom Coburn (Ok) One conference per agency per year Stay in Place, Cut the Waste Act (H.R. 2643) by Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (PA) Require training by videoconference whenever feasible Mandate plan to cut travel spending by 50% over FY 2013 levels. Various FY 2014 Appropriations Bills Mandatory reports to agency inspector generals of conference spending over $100K. 27
28