Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1981

Summary

Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1981 - Authorizes appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for environmental research, development, and demonstration activities for fiscal year 1981. Specifies amounts authorized for programs concerning air quality, water quality, water supply, pesticides, solid waste, toxic substances, radiation, energy, program management and support, and interdisciplinary activities. Authorizes the Administrator of the EPA to utilize such funds for appropriate scientific and professional review of research and development grant, contract, and cooperative agreement applications, when such use is in the public interest. Prohibits the transfer of funds, above a specified amount, without prior written approval by the appropriate Congressional committees or the lapse of 30 legislative days after the transmittal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President of the Senate of a written report containing a full and complete statement concerning the nature and reason of the transfer. Directs the Administrator to establish a separately identifiable long-term environmental research and development program to be funded by a percentage of funds appropriated under this Act. Authorizes funds for grants concerning long-term environmental research programs at universities and other research institutions. Authorizes funds to implement the air quality study authorized by the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1977. Directs the Administrator to conduct a study of the use of peer review in research planning, by means of a pilot project involving such review of documents from one or two areas of research at any appropriate time in the EPA planning cycle. Requires that peer review panels be selected by the principal EPA research official in accordance with criteria developed by the Scientific Advisory Board. Directs the Administrator to report on the results of such study to the Board and the Congress. Authorizes the Administrator to award an annual prize of $10,000 for a recognized, outstanding, environmentally-related research contribution, irrespective of research sponsorship. Directs the Board, in consultation with the National Research Council, to establish procedures and criteria for nomination for and award of such prize. Directs the Council to make an annual recommendation to the Administrator with regard to such award. Directs the principal EPA research official to commission annually several critical reviews of the scientific, technical, or engineering literature in various fields of importance to the EPA's mission, and to solicit advice from relevant non-Federal scientific and technical groups in arranging for such reviews. Directs the Board to establish and publish criteria relating to such reviews, for use by such official. Directs the Administrator to develop and promulgate simple procedures, including specified data quality assurance protocols, for assuring that EPA research programs produce data of verifiable accuracy. Requires that reports of such research work state plainly and prominently whether or not such work was performed and reported in accordance with such procedures. Directs the Scientific Advisory Board to provide such scientific advice as the Congress requests (in addition to providing such advice upon request to the Administrator).

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Timeline

1. 21 April 1980

   Introduced

   Referred to House Committee on Science and Technology.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 21 April 1980

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 21 April 1980

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 14 May 1980

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on Science and Technology, H. Rept. 96-959.

   Source: Committee

5. 14 May 1980

   Reported

   Reported to House from the Committee on Science and Technology, H. Rept. 96-959.

   Source: Committee

6. 1 December 1980

   Floor

   Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.

   Source: Floor

7. 1 December 1980

   Passed

   Measure passed House, amended.

   Source: Floor

8. 1 December 1980

   Passed

   Passed/agreed to in House: Measure passed House, amended.

   Source: Floor

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

2 official files

• Passed House amended

  summary · EN · 1 December 1980

  Open at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 21 April 1980

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Ambro, Jerome A. [D-NY-3] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Blanchard, James [D-MI-18] · D · Cosponsor
• Rep. Walker, Robert S. [R-PA-16] · R · Cosponsor
• Rep. Forsythe, Edwin B. [R-NJ-6] · R · Cosponsor
• · hssy00 · Standing

Related records

• related to ← Environmental Research, Development, and Demonstration Authorization Act of 1981