Follow the Science Act
Sponsored By: Representative DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
Introduced
Summary
Prevent political influence over NIH and ARPA‑H funding and research. This bill would set new limits on political appointees' roles in NIH governance and funding decisions and add stricter rules for changing or ending NIH awards.
Show full summary
- Many "political employees" would be defined broadly to include Executive Schedule officers, noncareer Senior Executive Service appointees, Schedule C and Schedule G excepted service roles, and those acting on their behalf. Those people would be barred from NIH employment and from taking part in general NIH management policies, with narrow exceptions for the NIH Director, the National Cancer Institute Director, and the ARPA‑H Director.
- Political employees would be prohibited from soliciting, reviewing, scoring, selecting, or awarding NIH and ARPA‑H grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, or other funding transactions. The Secretary, acting through the NIH Director, must ensure compliance.
- Agencies would be blocked from cancelling, delaying, or suspending covered agreements unless the Secretary issues written findings of financial mismanagement, research fraud, debarment, or malfeasance and notifies specified congressional committees within 30 days with a copy of the findings. Covered agreements include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other transactions and must run for the full period agreed.
- A report to Congress would be required within 30 days after enactment detailing political employee participation in NIH funding activities from January 20, 2021 through the enactment date.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Protect NIH grant funding agreements
If enacted, the bill would define a “covered agreement” as any grant, contract, cooperative agreement, or other transaction. It would require NIH to run covered agreements according to their terms for the full period. The Secretary, through the NIH Director, could not cancel, delay, or suspend a covered agreement. An exception would allow cancellation or suspension only if the Secretary issues written findings of financial mismanagement, research fraud, debarment, or malfeasance. If NIH cancels or suspends an agreement, the Secretary would have to send notice and the written findings to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee within 30 days. This ban would include actions taken through the Payment Management System or its successor.
Bar political appointees from NIH
If enacted, the bill would define "political employee" to include Executive Schedule officials and noncareer Senior Executive Service appointees. It would also include Schedule C and Schedule G hires, other excepted-service officials, and people acting for them. The bill would bar political employees from being employed by NIH, with three named director exceptions. The bill would bar political employees from taking part in general NIH management. It would also bar them from soliciting, reviewing, scoring, selecting, or awarding NIH or ARPA-H funding. Participation is allowed if the person works for another federal department and this title specifically requires their role. The bill would preserve existing requirements in sections 406 and 492 of the Public Health Service Act.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
DeGette, Diana [D-CO-1]
CO • D
Cosponsors
Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large]
DC • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
McClellan
VA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6]
MI • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Davis (IL)
IL • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Carter, Troy A. [D-LA-2]
LA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Johnson (GA)
GA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12]
MI • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32]
TX • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Ocasio-Cortez
NY • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Mullin
CA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Amo, Gabe [D-RI-1]
RI • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14]
FL • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Carson
IN • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2]
IL • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Watson Coleman, Bonnie [D-NJ-12]
NJ • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7]
NY • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1]
OH • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. McClain Delaney, April [D-MD-6]
MD • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Morrison, Kelly [D-MN-3]
MN • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12]
PA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Elfreth
MD • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Cohen
TN • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
McCollum
MN • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13]
MI • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Dexter, Maxine [D-OR-3]
OR • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Trahan
MA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Schrier
WA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9]
NY • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Casten
IL • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
CO • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Simon
CA • D
Sponsored 1/21/2026
Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8]
CA • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]
MI • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6]
OR • D
Sponsored 1/27/2026
Rep. Frankel, Lois [D-FL-22]
FL • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
McBride
DE • D
Sponsored 2/2/2026
Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]
CA • D
Sponsored 3/18/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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