# 119-hr-7173: Follow the Science Act

119-hr-7173, Follow the Science Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] (D-CO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7173
- As of: 2026-10-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7173
- Congress: 119
- Title: Follow the Science Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-01-21
- Sponsor: Rep. DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1] (D-CO)
- Cosponsors: 46
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-21

## Summary

**Shields NIH funding decisions from political influence.** The Follow the Science Act defines who counts as a "political employee" and limits their role in NIH activities to strengthen scientific integrity and guard funding processes. - Scientists and research institutions: Bars political employees from participating in NIH activities such as solicitation, review, scoring, selection, and awarding of funding at the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. - Political appointees and senior officials: Creates a new "political employee" category covering Executive Schedule positions, noncareer Senior Executive Service appointments, Schedule C and Schedule G roles, and other exempted policy-making positions, and prohibits their involvement in NIH grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other funding arrangements while requiring reporting to Congress. - Grant recipients and covered agreements: Limits cancellations or suspensions of covered agreements to cases with findings of financial mismanagement, fraud, debarment, or malfeasance, and requires agencies to notify specified congressional committees within 30 days after a suspension or cancellation.

## Cosponsors (46)

- Rep. Barragán, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44] (D-CA), 2026-10-01T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2026-10-13T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Walkinshaw, James R. [D-VA-11] (D-VA), 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6] (D-MI), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2] (D-LA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14] (D-NY), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1] (D-RI), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] (D-FL), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] (D-IL), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12] (D-NJ), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7] (D-NY), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6] (D-MD), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3] (D-MN), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9] (D-CA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cohen, Steve [D-TN-9] (D-TN), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3] (D-OR), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3] (D-MA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8] (D-WA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] (D-IL), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7] (D-CO), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2026-01-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2026-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI), 2026-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6] (D-OR), 2026-01-27T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22] (D-FL), 2026-02-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large] (D-DE), 2026-02-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2] (D-CA), 2026-03-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA), 2026-06-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lieu, Ted [D-CA-36] (D-CA), 2026-08-03T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7] (D-TX), 2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Bar political appointees from NIH awards: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would require the Secretary, through the NIH Director, to keep political employees out of grant and contract decisions at NIH and ARPA-H. This would cover solicitation, review, scoring, selection, and awarding of grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, other transactions, an…
- Protect NIH grants from sudden cancellation: benefit, medium. If enacted, the bill would define a “covered agreement” as any NIH grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction and require that NIH implement it for the full period and according to its terms. The Secretary would not be allowed to cancel, delay, or suspend a covered agreement unles…
- Ban political employees at NIH: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would bar political employees from being employed by NIH and from taking part in setting or implementing general NIH policies and operations. The rule would still allow the NIH Director, the National Cancer Institute Director, and the ARPA-H Director to serve and participate. I…
- Define who is a political employee: mixed, low. If enacted, the bill would define “political employee” to include people in Executive Schedule positions (5 U.S.C. 5312–5316), noncareer Senior Executive Service appointees, Schedule C confidential or policy-determining positions, Schedule G excepted-service positions (per Executive Order 14317), o…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025
- 119-hr-12: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-7173 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7173)

## Related
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-5390: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5390)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [119-hr-12: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-12)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7173 (as of 2026-10-21).