H.R. 1106: Scientific Integrity Act
Sponsor
Paul Tonko
Democrat · NY-20
Bill Progress
Latest Action · Feb 6, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Federal science gets anti-interference rules
Why it matters
Within 90 days, federal agencies that fund or oversee research would have to adopt public scientific integrity rules and name a career officer to enforce them. That changes how quickly agencies must respond when science is delayed, edited, or pressured for political reasons.
H.R. 1106 sets a government-wide baseline for how federal agencies handle science. If an agency funds, conducts, or oversees research, it would need a formal policy that says what staff and contractors can do, what misconduct is off-limits, and how complaints get investigated.
The bill gives agencies 90 days to adopt those rules and appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer who is a career employee with technical expertise. After the White House science office approves the policy, the agency has 30 days to post it publicly and send it to Congress.
The policy must bar things like suppressing findings, altering results without scientific merit, delaying release of research, or pressuring someone to censor conclusions. At the same time, it protects routine scientific work, including publishing research, attending conferences, serving on advisory boards, and taking part in peer review when allowed by law.
Within 180 days, agencies also have to build a complaint process, an appeal process, and training for employees and contractors. New covered employees must get training within 1 month of starting.
The bill also creates a paper trail. Agencies would have to publish annual complaint statistics and anonymized summaries, and if a Scientific Integrity Officer is overruled outside normal channels, that incident must be reported to the White House science office and Congress within 30 days.
H.R. 1106 does not include a new spending figure in the bill text provided. It is mainly an oversight and compliance bill: new rules, new reporting, new training, and named officials responsible for enforcing them.
H.R. 1106 Bill Summary
What H.R. 1106 actually does.
Agencies must publish science integrity rules fast
Each covered agency would have 90 days after enactment to adopt and enforce a scientific integrity policy, then submit it for approval. Once approved, the policy must be posted publicly and sent to Congress within 30 days.
A career science official must oversee complaints
Each covered agency would have to appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer within 90 days. That officer must be a career employee with technical expertise and work with the agency inspector general as appropriate.
Research findings cannot be buried or altered without merit
The policy must prohibit dishonesty, fraud, coercive manipulation, and the suppression, alteration, interference with, or delay of scientific findings without scientific merit. It also bars retaliation against people who refuse to censor findings.
Scientists keep the ability to publish and participate
Covered staff and contractors could still share findings, attend scientific conferences, seek publication, serve on advisory boards, join professional organizations, and contribute to peer review, subject to existing law.
Agencies need a formal complaint and appeal system
Within 180 days, agencies would have to create an administrative process and appeal process for scientific integrity disputes, along with regular ethics and integrity training.
Congress gets notice if an integrity ruling is overruled
If someone outside established channels overrules a Scientific Integrity Officer's decision on a violation, the agency must report that incident to the White House science office and the relevant congressional committees within 30 days.
Who benefits from H.R. 1106?
Federal scientists whose work can be delayed or edited
If you work on research inside the federal government, the bill gives you written protections against pressure to alter, suppress, or censor findings without scientific merit.
Contractors, communicators, and analysts tied to agency science
The bill is broader than lab researchers. It also covers people who manage scientific work, communicate findings publicly, or use scientific analysis in policy and regulatory decisions.
People who rely on federal health, environmental, and safety decisions
You would get more visibility into how agencies handle science, including public policies, annual complaint counts, and summaries of how disputes are resolved.
Whistleblowers and outside collaborators
The bill requires agencies to create a reporting path for people outside the agency too, including grantees, collaborators, partners, and volunteers.
Who is affected by H.R. 1106?
Federal agencies across the research system
Agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee research would need to write policies, appoint officers, train staff, set up complaint systems, and issue annual public reports on a tight timeline.
Agency managers handling politically sensitive science
Managers would face clearer rules on what they cannot do with scientific findings, including delaying release or pressuring staff to change conclusions without scientific merit.
Political appointees
The bill says scientific conclusions cannot be based on political considerations. It also says the separate restriction on personnel actions based on political consideration or ideology does not apply to political appointees.
Congress and oversight offices
Congress and the White House science office would receive agency policies and overrule reports, while GAO would review implementation within 2 years under the bill text.
HR1106 Legislative Journey
House: Committee Action
Feb 6, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
About the Sponsor
Paul Tonko
Democrat, New York's 20th congressional district · 17 years in Congress
Committees: Energy and Commerce, the Budget
View full profile →
Cosponsors (136)
This bill has 136 cosponsors: 135 Democrats, 1 Republican. Cosponsors represent 34 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, and 31 more.
Zoe Lofgren
Democrat · CA
Donald Beyer
Democrat · VA
Suzanne Bonamici
Democrat · OR
Haley Stevens
Democrat · MI
Alma Adams
Democrat · NC
Gabe Amo
Democrat · RI
Yassamin Ansari
Democrat · AZ
Nanette Barragán
Democrat · CA
Joyce Beatty
Democrat · OH
Brendan Boyle
Democrat · PA
Julia Brownley
Democrat · CA
Salud Carbajal
Democrat · CA
Cosponsor Coverage Map
Committee Sponsors
Science, Space, and Technology Committee
14 of 39 committee members cosponsored
4 Democrats across this committee haven't cosponsored yet. Mobilize their constituents
What laws does H.R. 1106 change?
1 changes
Sections Amended
Section 1009 of America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 6620)
striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following: ``(a) Scientific Integrity Policies
H.R. 1106 Quick Facts
- Committee
- Science, Space, and Technology
- Chamber
- House
- Policy
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Introduced
- Feb 6, 2025
Referred to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
Feb 6, 2025
Official Sources
The official Congress.gov page is the primary source for the bill’s status, text, actions, and cosponsors.
H.R. 1106 amends Section 1009 of the America COMPETES Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. 6620.
The bill text cites 5 U.S.C. 7211 on the right of federal employees to petition Congress, making this official government source relevant to employee protections.
GAO is assigned an implementation review role in the bill, and GAO’s official reports page can provide oversight background on scientific integrity issues.
The bill would require agencies to publish scientific integrity policies publicly, and the Federal Register is an official source for many agency policy documents and notices.
H.R. 1106 Common Questions
What would H.R. 1106 actually do?
It would require federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee research to adopt public scientific integrity rules, name a Scientific Integrity Officer, and create complaint and appeal systems.
How fast would agencies have to comply?
Pretty fast. H.R. 1106 gives agencies 90 days to adopt a policy and appoint an officer, then 180 days to set up dispute procedures and training.
Does H.R. 1106 stop agencies from burying scientific findings?
Yes. The bill says agency policies must prohibit suppressing, altering, interfering with, or delaying scientific findings without scientific merit.
Can federal scientists still publish research and attend conferences?
Yes. H.R. 1106 says covered individuals may share findings, attend scientific conferences, seek publication, serve on advisory boards, and take part in peer review when allowed by law.
Who is covered by H.R. 1106?
It covers more than scientists. The bill applies to federal employees and contractors who conduct, manage, communicate, or use scientific work in policy, management, or regulatory decisions.
Would agency science policies have to be public?
Yes. After approval by the White House science office, each agency would have 30 days to post its policy online and send it to Congress.
What happens if a Scientific Integrity Officer gets overruled?
The agency would have to report that overrule to the White House science office and the relevant congressional committees within 30 days if it happened outside normal channels.
Does H.R. 1106 create new funding for research?
Not in the bill text provided. H.R. 1106 is mainly about rules, oversight, training, and reporting rather than new research funding.
Based on H.R. 1106 bill text
H.R. 1106 Bill Text
“To amend the America COMPETES Act to establish certain scientific integrity policies for Federal agencies that fund, conduct, or oversee scientific research, and for other purposes.”
Source: U.S. Government Publishing Office
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