The House approved legislation Monday aimed at bolstering research collaborations at the Department of Energy and making funding more transparent.
The bipartisan bills passed under suspension of the rules, a process designed to fast-track noncontroversial legislation. All of the bills passed the House during the last congressional term but were not taken up by the Senate.
H.R. 359, the “Cost-Share Accountability Act,” passed in a unanimous 405-0 vote. The bill from Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) would require DOE to submit a quarterly report on instances where it has waived cost-share requirements in research grant programs.
The measure is intended to make more transparent instances in which DOE gives research grants that require little financial investment from the recipient — something often reserved for cutting-edge technologies.
