Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act Passed as Part of National Defense Authorization Act

January 20, 2021

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(Bergeson & Campbell) On December 28, 2020, the House overrode President Trump’s veto and passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (H.R. 6395) by a vote of 322 to 87, and the Senate passed the bill on January 1, 2021, by a vote of 81 to 13. Subtitle E of Title II of the Act (Subtitle E) includes the text of the bipartisan Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act of 2019. Subtitle E will establish an interagency working group led by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to coordinate federal programs and activities in support of sustainable chemistry (also called green chemistry).

Overview

No later than 180 days after enactment, an interagency working group will be convened to oversee the coordination of federal programs and activities in support of sustainable chemistry. To be terminated ten years after the date of the enactment, the working group would be co-chaired by the Director of OSTP and a representative from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Science Foundation (NSF), or the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as selected by the Director of OSTP.

Implementation

Subtitle E also includes a roadmap for the working group to follow no later than two years after the date of enactment. According to Subtitle E, the working group will have to consult with relevant stakeholders, including industry and academia representatives, national labs, the federal government, and international entities, to develop and update, as necessary, a consensus definition of “sustainable chemistry” that will guide the activities under Subtitle E. In addition, the working group will develop a working framework of attributes characterizing, and metrics for assessing, sustainable chemistry. In developing the framework, the working group shall:

Seek advice and input from stakeholders (including business and industry representatives; the scientific community; the defense community; the defense community; state, tribal, and local governments; non-governmental organizations (NGO); and other appropriate organizations);
Consider existing definitions of, or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing, sustainable chemistry already in use at federal agencies;
Consider existing definitions of, or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing, sustainable chemistry already in use by international organizations of which the United States is a member; and
Consider any other appropriate existing definitions of, or frameworks characterizing and metrics for assessing, sustainable chemistry.

As part of Subtitle E’s implementation roadmap, the working group will assess the state of sustainable chemistry in the United States as a key benchmark from which progress under described activities can be measured, including assessing key sectors of the U.S. economy, key technology platforms, commercial priorities, and barriers to innovation. Subtitle E would require the working group to coordinate and support federal research, development, demonstration, technology transfer, commercialization, education, and training efforts in sustainable chemistry, including budget coordination and support for public-private partnerships, as appropriate. READ MORE