Research and Development Authorization Estimates Act
Latest action. Referred jointly to Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Labor and Human Resources.
Research and Development Authorization Estimates Act - Amends the Presidential Science and Technology Advisory Organization Act to require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to advise the President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget every other fiscal year in preparing an estimate of the appropriate funding levels for research and development for each Federal department, agency and instrumentality for at least that and the following fiscal years. Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation to identify and describe situations and conditions which warrant special attention within the next four years, rather than the next five years as is now required, including the significant effects of current and projected trends in science and technology on the requirements of the Nation and existing and projected scientific and technological resources. Requires the director to consult with the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology concerning programs and responsibilities relating to the problems, constraints, and opportunities so identified, and to recommend legislation which will contribute to the resolution of such problems. Requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to study on a continuing basis the impact of inflation on the conduct of federally-supported research and development. Amends the National Science Foundation Act of 1950 to require the Foundation to annually submit to Congress an analysis of all Federal research and development funding by function.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on June 27, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on July 23, 1980: Referred jointly to Senate Committees on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; and Labor and Human Resources.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
DON FUQUA (D-FL) introduced it on June 27, 1980, and 19 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 14 Democrats, 5 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 27, 1980, 16876 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16850 days ago, on July 23, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers