[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1664 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1664
To require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
to develop a consistent set of policy guidelines for Federal research
agencies to address financial instability of graduate researchers and
postdoctoral researchers, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 7, 2025
Mr. Padilla (for himself and Mr. Moran) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy
to develop a consistent set of policy guidelines for Federal research
agencies to address financial instability of graduate researchers and
postdoctoral researchers, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance
American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and
Research Act'' or the ``RESEARCHER Act''.
SEC. 2. POLICY GUIDELINES FOR FEDERAL RESEARCH AGENCIES TO ADDRESS
FINANCIAL INSTABILITY OF GRADUATE RESEARCHERS AND
POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS.
(a) Definition.--In this section:
(1) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(2) Graduate researchers.--The term ``graduate
researchers'' means individuals enrolled in a degree program
leading to an advanced degree who receive stipends or other
compensation to conduct research in any discipline at an
institution of higher education that is a recipient of Federal
funding.
(3) Postdoctoral researchers.--The term ``postdoctoral
researchers'' means individuals in training-focused positions
who have received a doctoral degree or equivalent and receive
stipends or other compensation to conduct research in any
discipline at an institution of higher education that is a
recipient of Federal funding.
(b) OSTP Guidelines.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the Office of Science
and Technology Policy, in consultation with the National
Science and Technology Council, the Committee on Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math Education of the National
Science and Technology Council, the President's Council of
Advisors on Science and Technology, institutions of higher
education, graduate and postdoctoral organizations, and other
relevant stakeholders, shall develop a consistent set of policy
guidelines for Federal research agencies to address financial
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral
researchers.
(2) Requirements.--In developing the policy guidelines
under paragraph (1), the Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall include guidelines that address, to the
extent practicable, the following:
(A) Opportunities to increase stipends for graduate
researchers and postdoctoral researchers, including
indexing based on location.
(B) An additional consideration for increasing
stipends for postdoctoral researchers conducting
research in rural or underserved areas, or in States
eligible to receive funding from the Established
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research under section
113 of the National Science Foundation Authorization
Act of 1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862g), to support the
recruitment and retention of researchers in such
regions.
(C) Opportunities to increase access to quality,
affordable medical, dental, and vision care.
(D) Opportunities to increase access to affordable
housing and transportation.
(E) Opportunities to reduce food insecurity.
(F) Opportunities to address costs of caring for
family members, including child care.
(3) Application.--
(A) In general.--The Director of the Office of
Science and Technology Policy shall encourage and
monitor efforts of Federal research agencies to develop
and implement policies based on the policy guidelines
under paragraph (1).
(B) Federal research agency implementation.--Not
later than 6 months after receiving the policy
guidelines under paragraph (1), the head of each
Federal research agency shall--
(i) develop and implement policies with
respect to financial instability of graduate
researchers and postdoctoral researchers that
are consistent with such policy guidelines; and
(ii) broadly disseminate such policies to
current and potential recipients of research
and development awards made by such agency.
(4) Updates.--The Director of the Office of Science and
Technology Policy shall update the policy guidelines under
paragraph (1) as the Director determines necessary.
(5) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date after the
guidelines are submitted and every 5 years thereafter, the
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology, the Committee on Education and Workforce, and
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives, a report containing information relating to
the following:
(A) The policy guidelines under paragraph (1).
(B) Progress on the implementation of such
guidelines by Federal research agencies.
(c) Data Collection.--The Research and Development, Competition,
and Innovation Act (42 U.S.C. 18901 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in section 10314(b)--
(A) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking
``and'' after the semicolon;
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as
subparagraph (F); and
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph (D)
the following new subparagraph:
``(E) graduate researcher and postdoctoral
researcher stipend amounts and financial instability
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by
demographics); and''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Institution of higher education.--The term
`institution of higher education' has the meaning given
such term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).
``(B) Graduate researchers.--The term `graduate
researchers' means individuals enrolled in a degree
program leading to an advanced degree who receive
stipends or other compensation to conduct research in
any discipline at an institution of higher education
that is a recipient of Federal funding.
``(C) Postdoctoral researchers.--The term
`postdoctoral researchers' means individuals in
training-focused positions who have received a doctoral
degree or equivalent and receive stipends or other
compensation to conduct research in any discipline at
an institution of higher education that is a recipient
of Federal funding.''; and
(2) in paragraph (1) of section 10502(a), by inserting
``graduate and postdoctoral research stipend amounts
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demographics),''
before ``and awarded budget''.
(d) Data on Financial Instability of Graduate Researchers and
Postdoctoral Researchers.--The Director of the National Science
Foundation shall make awards, on a competitive basis, to institutions
of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or consortia of such
institutions or organizations) to collect and analyze data on financial
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral researchers
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demographics).
(e) National Academies Assessment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science
Foundation shall enter into an agreement with the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to undertake a
study and issue a report on the status of financial instability
of graduate researchers and postdoctoral researchers. To the
extent feasible, the study shall include an assessment
(disaggregated, to the extent practicable, by demographics) at
a minimum of the immediately preceding 5 years of the
following:
(A) Stipends relative to average local medical,
dental, and vision expenses.
(B) Stipends relative to average local housing and
transportation costs.
(C) Stipends relative to average local food costs.
(D) Stipends relative to average local costs of
caring for family members, including child care costs.
(2) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which
the agreement between the Director of the National Science
Foundation and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering,
and Medicine is entered into pursuant to paragraph (1), the
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine shall
submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space,
and Technology, the Committee on Education and Workforce, and
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report containing the results of the
assessment under such paragraph and recommendations relating
thereto regarding how Federal agencies, Congress, institutions
of higher education, and other relevant entities may address
financial instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral
researchers.
(f) GAO Study.--Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and
the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on
Education and Workforce, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of
the House of Representatives a report that--
(1) assesses the degree to which Federal research agencies
have implemented the policy guidelines under subsection (b) and
the effectiveness of such implementation;
(2) includes recommendations on potential changes to
practices and policies to improve such guidelines and such
implementation; and
(3) includes recommendations on additional data collection
and research needed to monitor progress on reducing financial
instability of graduate researchers and postdoctoral
researchers.
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