WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a White House ceremony today, President George W. Bush signed into law far-reaching legislation to put the National Science Foundation (NSF) on a track to double its budget over five years and to create new mathematics and science education initiatives at both the pre-college and undergraduate level.

“This is landmark legislation,” said Science Committee Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), who championed the bill in the House.   “From our nation’s students, to our economy, and to our security, the fruits of this effort will be enjoyed for many years to come.”

“This is truly an historic piece of legislation for science policy in the United States that will have profound and lasting effect on the future prosperity of our nation. I am proud that the bill contains three specific provisions I have championed during this Congress. Most significantly, this legislation begins the process of doubling NSF’s budget, which was the goal of H.R. 1472, the NSF authorization bill I introduced in April of 2001. The conference report also improves math and science education and bolsters plant genome research. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in the other body to ensure that NSF is fully funded under these new authorization levels,” said Research Subcommittee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX).

The final version of H.R. 4664 includes language from five House-passed Science Committee bills — H.R. 4664 (the NSF authorization); H.R. 1858 (on K-12 math and science education); H.R. 100 (on master teachers); H.R. 3130 (“The Tech Talent Act,” on undergraduate education); and H.R. 2051 (on biotechnology research) — and from the Senate NSF authorization (S. 2817).

Major elements of H.R. 4664 include:

  • Authorizes increases of about 15 percent in the NSF budget in each of the next five years, while imposing strict, new management requirements to ensure that NSF continues to use taxpayer money wisely.  The last two increases are contingent on NSF demonstrating management excellence;

  • Authorizes the President’s Math and Science Education Partnership Program. The bill language comes predominantly from H.R. 1858, Chairman Boehlert’s bill to improve science and math education in elementary and secondary schools; 

  • Authorizes the training of master teachers from H.R. 100, Rep. Vernon Ehlers’ (R-MI) education bill, as part of the Partnership program;

  • Authorizes new research into plant biotechnology by adapting language from H.R. 2051, which was sponsored by Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX);

  • Authorizes the Tech Talent program from H.R. 3130, to address the decline in the technical workforce and to improve undergraduate math and science education.  Chairman Boehlert and Rep. John Larson (D-CT) sponsored the original House bill and funding for this program;

Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett (R-MD), Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee said, “As a scientist who worked on aspects of America’s successful Gemini and Apollo programs, I have observed a twenty year decline in science and math education with growing alarm.  America’s future prosperity will be at risk and our ability to win the war against terrorism will be compromised if we fail to reclaim our world leadership in educating and inspiring our young people to become scientists, engineers and mathematicians.”