New Innovation Legislation Introduced
In December, a National Innovation Act was introduced,
based on the Council on Competitiveness’s Innovate
America, the report from its National Innovation Initiative.
Provisions call for: a Presidential Council on Innovation,
grants for high-risk research, doubling the NSF budget for
basic research, a permanent R&E tax credit, more support for
developing science and engineering talent, and promotion of
advanced manufacturing and regional clusters.
The Protecting America’s Competitive Edge Act, introduced
in January in both the House and Senate, is based on
the Gathering Storm report. The Act would: significantly
boost the Department of Energy’s role in math and science
education, establish a DARPA-like agency in the Energy
Department, boost basic research, boost teacher training in
math and science, fund grants for planning science parks,
reform foreign student and skilled worker visa programs,
establish a Presidential Innovation Award, expand the R&E
tax credit, and provide employer tax credits for investing in
employee science and engineering education. The President's new Competitiveness Initiative embraced a few of these program elements. |
