Committee advances Tillis’ RISE Act to support U.S. research

Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) to authorize appropriations for offsetting the costs related to reductions in research productivity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic recently passed out of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

“The bipartisan support for the RISE Act from the Commerce Committee is an important step in the right direction and I will continue to fight for the passage of the bill to ensure that the medical and scientific research community can resume operations, restore progress to pre-pandemic levels, and deliver innovative solutions moving forward,” Sen. Tillis said.

The Senate committee on Sept. 16 amended and advanced the Research Investment to Spark the Economy (RISE) Act, S. 4286, which Sen. Tillis cosponsored in July with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) to provide $26 billion to U.S. researchers who have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. The bill now moves to the full Senate floor for action.

“Our world-class medical researchers, scientists, research institutions and labs in North Carolina and across the United States continue to work tirelessly to improve the health and economic growth of the country,” said Sen. Tillis. 

The bill authorizes the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, the Interior, and Health and Human Services, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Science Foundation, and the Environmental Protection Agency to provide support for research regarding COVID-19 or research disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the congressional record bill summary.

More than 300 organizations have endorsed the bill, including the Association of American Universities, The American Council on Education, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. 

The identical bill, H.R. 7308, introduced in June by U.S. Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), has 130 other cosponsors and remains under consideration in several House committees.