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Calendar No. 310
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 935
[Report No. 106-179]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 to authorize research to promote the conversion of
biomass into biobased industrial products, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 8, 1999
Reported with an amendment
Calendar No. 310
106th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 935
[Report No. 106-179]
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 to authorize research to promote the conversion of
biomass into biobased industrial products, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 30, 1999
Mr. Lugar (for himself, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Jeffords, Mr.
Murkowski, Mr. Allard, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Kerrey, Mr.
Leahy, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Craig, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Fitzgerald, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Bayh, Mr. Burns, and Mr.
Bingaman) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
October 8, 1999
Reported by Mr. Lugar, with an amendment
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the National Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
Policy Act of 1977 to authorize research to promote the conversion of
biomass into biobased industrial products, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>
<DELETED> This Act may be cited as the ``National Sustainable Fuels
and Chemicals Act of 1999''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 2. FINDINGS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Congress finds that--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (1) conversion of biomass into biobased industrial
products offers outstanding potential for benefit to the
national interest through improved strategic security and
balance of payments, healthier rural economies, improved
environmental quality, near-zero net greenhouse gas emissions,
technology export, and sustainable resource supply;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (2)(A) biomass is widely available at prices that
are competitive with low cost petroleum; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) the key technical challenge to be overcome in
order for biobased industrial products to be cost competitive
is reducing the cost of technology for converting biomass into
desired biobased industrial products;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (3) biobased fuels, such as ethanol, have the
clear potential to be sustainable, low cost, and high
performance fuels that are compatible with both current and
future transportation systems and provide near zero net
greenhouse gas emissions;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (4) biobased chemicals--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) can provide functional replacements
for essentially all organic chemicals that are
currently derived from petroleum; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) have the clear potential for
environmentally benign product life cycles;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (5) many biomass feedstocks suitable for
industrial processing show the clear potential for sustainable
production, in some cases resulting in improved soil fertility
and carbon sequestration;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (6)(A) grain processing mills are biorefineries
that produce a diversity of useful food, chemical, feed, and
fuel products; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) technologies that result in further
diversification of the range of value-added biobased industrial
products can meet a key need for the grain processing
industry;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (7)(A) cellulosic feedstocks are attractive
because of their low cost and widespread availability;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) research resulting in cost-effective
technology to overcome the recalcitrance of cellulosic biomass
would allow biorefineries to produce fuels and bulk chemicals
on a very large scale, with a commensurately large realization
of the benefit described in paragraph (1);</DELETED>
<DELETED> (8) research into the fundamentals to understand
important mechanisms of biomass conversion processes can be
expected to accelerate the application and advancement of
biomass processing technology by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> (A) increasing the confidence and speed
with which new technologies can be scaled up;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) giving rise to processing innovations
based on new knowledge;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (9) the utility of biotechnology allows the design
of feedstocks that will meet future needs more
effectively;</DELETED>
<DELETED> (10)(A) because of the relatively short-term time
horizon characteristic of private sector investments, and
because many benefits of biomass processing are in the national
interest, it is appropriate for the Federal Government to
provide precommercial investment in fundamental and research-
driven innovation in the biomass processing area; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (B) such an investment would provide a valuable
complement to ongoing and past governmental support in the
biomass processing area; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> (11) several prominent studies, including studies
by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and
Technology and the National Research Council, support the
potential for large research-driven advances in technologies
for production of biobased industrial products as well as
associated benefits.</DELETED>
<DELETED>SEC. 3. CONVERSION OF BIOMASS INTO BIOBASED INDUSTRIAL
PRODUCTS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> Title XIV of the National Agricultural Research,
Extension, and Teaching Policy Act of 1977 (7 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
<DELETED>``Subtitle N--Conversion of Biomass Into Biobased Industrial
Products</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 1490. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``In this subtitle:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) Advisory committee.--The term `Advisory
Committee' means the Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Technical
Advisory Committee established by section 1490C.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Biobased industrial product.--The term
`biobased industrial product' means any power, fuel, feed,
chemical product, or other consumer good derived from
biomass.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) Biomass.--The term `biomass' means any
organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring
basis, including plants, trees, grasses, agricultural crops and
residues, wood and wood residues, municipal waste, animal waste
and residues, and aquatic plants.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) Board.--The term `Board' means the
Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Board established by section
1490B.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(5) Initiative.--The term `Initiative' means the
Sustainable Fuels and Chemicals Research Initiative established
under section 1490D.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(6) Point of contact.--The term `point of
contact' means a point of contact designated under section
1490A(d).</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 1490A. COOPERATION AND COORDINATION IN SUSTAINABLE
FUELS AND CHEMICALS RESEARCH.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Agriculture and the
Secretary of Energy shall cooperate with respect to, and coordinate,
policies and procedures that promote research and development leading
to the production of biobased industrial products.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the cooperation and
coordination shall be to promote research and development related to--
</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) understanding the key mechanisms underlying
the recalcitrance of biomass for conversion into biobased
industrial products, including the use of agricultural crops
for conversion into biobased industrial products; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) advanced technologies that will result in
large-scale commercial production of low cost biobased
industrial products.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Areas.--In carrying out this subtitle, the Secretary
of Agriculture and the Secretary of Energy shall promote research and
development to--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) advance the availability and widespread use
of energy efficient, economically competitive, and
environmentally sound biobased industrial products in a manner
that is consistent with the goals of the United States relating
to sustainable and secure supplies of food, chemicals, and
fuel;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) ensure full consideration of Federal land
and land management programs as potential feedstock resources
for biobased industrial products; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) assess the environmental, economic, and
social impact of production of biobased industrial products
from biomass on a large scale.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Points of Contact.--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) In general.--To coordinate research and
development programs and activities relating to biobased
industrial products that are carried out by their respective
Departments--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) the Secretary of Agriculture shall
designate, as the point of contact for the Department
of Agriculture, an officer of the Department of
Agriculture appointed by the President to a position in
the Department before the date of the designation, by
and with the advice and consent of the Senate;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) the Secretary of Energy shall
designate, as the point of contact for the Department
of Energy, an officer of the Department of Energy
appointed by the President to a position in the
Department before the date of the designation, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) Duties.--The points of contact shall
jointly--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) assist in arranging interlaboratory
and site-specific supplemental agreements for research,
development, and demonstration projects relating to
biobased industrial products;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) serve as cochairpersons of the
Board;</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) administer the Initiative;
and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) respond in writing to each
recommendation of the Advisory Committee made under
section 1490C(c)(2).</DELETED>
<DELETED>``SEC. 1490B. SUSTAINABLE FUELS AND CHEMICALS BOARD.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(a) Establishment.--There is established the Sustainable
Fuels and Chemicals Board to coordinate programs within and among
departments and agencies of the Federal Government for the purpose of
promoting the use of biobased industrial products by--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) maximizing the benefits deriving from
Federal grants and assistance; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) bringing coherence to Federal
planning.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(b) Membership.--The Board shall consist of:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) The point of contact of the Department of
Agriculture designated under section 1490A(d)(1)(A), who shall
serve as cochairperson of the Board.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) The point of contact of the Department of
Energy designated under section 1490A(d)(1)(B), who shall serve
as cochairperson of the Board.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(3) A senior officer of each of the following
agencies who is appointed by the head of the agency and who has
a rank that is equivalent to the points of contact:</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) The Department of the
Interior.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) The Environmental Protection
Agency.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(C) The National Science
Foundation.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(D) The Office of Science and Technology
Policy.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(4) At the option of the Secretary of
Agriculture and the Secretary of Energy, other members
appointed by the Secretaries (after consultation with members
described in paragraphs (1) through (3)).</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(c) Duties.--The Board shall--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(1) coordinate research, development, and
demonstration activities relating to biobased industrial
products--</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(A) between the Department of
Agriculture and the Department of Energy; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(B) with other departments and agencies
of the Federal Government; and</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(2) provide recommendations to the points of
contact concerning administration of this subtitle.</DELETED>
<DELETED> ``(d) Funding.--Each agency represented on the Board is
encouraged to provide funds for any purpose under this
subtitle.</DELETED>
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