Follow the Science Act

This bill would bar political employees, such as political appointees and Schedule C or Schedule G staff, from working at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), except for the NIH Director, the National Cancer Institute Director, and the Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. It would also bar political employees from taking part in reviewing, scoring, selecting, or awarding NIH grants and contracts. Within 30 days, the NIH Director would have to report to Congress on political employees' involvement in these funding decisions since January 20, 2021. The bill would also prohibit NIH from canceling, delaying, or suspending grants and contracts unless it issues written findings of financial mismanagement, research fraud, debarment, or malfeasance and notifies two congressional committees within 30 days.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Diana DeGette Democrat sponsor
• 46 cosponsors