Congress ups Defense's '92 R&D funding 10% The last and largest piece of fiscal 1992 federal research and development funding is now in place, with Congress' approval of $39.3 billion for the Department of Defense's R&D program. That figure represents a 10% increase over fiscal 1991 funding levels but is 2% less than the Administration requested. Funding for Air Force R&D is up 18% to $14.1 billion. The Army's R&D budget is up 17% to $6.6 billion, and that for the defense agencies is up 9% to $10 billion. Only the Navy's R&D budget is less than it was in fiscal 1991, down 5% to $8.6 billion. Congress approved the full amount, $4.15 billion, requested for the Strategic Defense Initiative, whose fiscal 1991 funding was $2.9 billion. Support for university research initiatives, funded out of the defense agencies' R&D account, is set at $226 million—a somewhat surprising figure. Programs don't usually come out of a House-Senate conference committee with more money than they had going in, but that's what happened this year to this program. The Administration had requested only $87.4 million, even though it was funded at a level of $231 million in fiscal 1991. The House allocated $182 million for it, and the Senate approved just half that amount. Out of the $226 million, conferees specifically allotted $50 million for augmentation awards for science and engineering research training; $10 million for the experimental program to stimulate competitive research; $10 million for the Institute for Advanced Science & Technology; $10 million for SEM ATECH, the semiconductor industry consortium formed to advance the manufacture of semiconductor materials; and $63 million for various unspecified research initiatives, which the conferees nevertheless maintain "will provide DOD with additional critical research capabilities." In addition, the conferees expect DOD to save $30 million in fiscal 1992 because of revised auditing standards for contracts with institutes of higher education. Janice Long
Federal Alert— new legislation This C&EN listing highlights legislation introduced between Nov. 8 and Nov. 22,1991. House and Senate bills are listed under subject area by bill number, primary sponsor, and the committee(s) to which they were referred. HOUSE Environment. H.R. 3756—Gilman (R.-N.Y.). Establishes 14-member commission charged with assessing threats posed to U.S. national security by global environmental threats. Foreign Affairs; Armed Services; Merchant Marine & Fisheries. H.R. 3758—Boxer (D.-Calif.). Designates metham-sodium as hazardous substance. Public Works & Transportation; Energy & Commerce. Pesticides. H.R. 3742—Rose (D.-N.C). Requires EPA to set priorities for reregistration of pesticide's active ingredients based on risks they pose to human health or environment, consider both risks and benefits of pesticide's use during cancellation proceedings. Agriculture; Energy & Commerce.
SENATE Drugs. S. 1946—D'Amato (R.-N.Y.). Allows individuals diagnosed as having lifethreatening or seriously debilitating illness access to drugs and biologies that have passed FDA's toxicity tests. Labor & Human Resources. S. 1982—Metzenbaum (D.-Ohio). Gives FDA authority to debar both individuals and corporations from involvement with FDAregulated products for violations of federal law, temporarily deny approval of product applications, or halt product distribution during an investigation. Labor & Human Resources. Environment. S. 1965—Gorton (R.-Wash.). Imposes import fees on all goods imported from countries that do not impose water pollution standards as stringent as those imposed by U.S. Finance. Health. S. 1956—Mitchell (D.-Me.). Requires EPA to establish national program of long-term monitoring of human exposure to hazardous substances, including establishment of baseline exposure levels. Environment & Public Works. Liability. S. 1979—McConnell (R.-Ky.). Makes defendant's share of damages in liability suit proportional to share of responsibility for causing harm; requires liability suit loser to pay winner's legal costs. Judiciary.
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