Science, Space, and Technology Committee

The Tropospheric Ozone Research Act of 2026 directs the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a competitive grant program for universities, national laboratories, and nonprofit research organizations. The program funds studies on how ground-level ozone affects global temperatures, regional heat stress, crop yields, and forest health, as well as improvements to monitoring infrastructure and climate models. Grantees must submit annual findings that are made public, and the agency is required to collaborate with international scientific bodies. After four years, the EPA must deliver a comprehensive report to Congress detailing current impacts, future scenarios, mitigation options, and policy recommendations. The bill authorizes $10.5 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 and an additional $1 million in 2030 specifically for the final report.

Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

This House resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the public rollout of Space Shuttle Enterprise from a Rockwell International plant in Palmdale, California. It honors the engineers and workers in the Antelope Valley region who contributed to the shuttle's design, construction, and testing. The bill also recognizes the broader contributions of the Space Shuttle program to American science and space exploration.

The STARS Act of 2026 establishes the United States Space Academy as a new institution within NASA, designed to provide undergraduate technical education and leadership training for future space professionals. The bill mandates that the academy's permanent campus be located in Florida, prioritizing sites near major launch facilities like Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Within 180 days of enactment, the NASA Administrator must submit a report to Congress detailing the specific site selection, proposed curriculum, graduate service obligations, and budget estimates. The legislation authorizes necessary federal funds for the acquisition, design, and construction of the academy's facilities.

The Equity in Research Act directs the National Science Foundation to create a grant program that provides financial assistance to specific institutions of higher education for improving their research capabilities. These grants, ranging from $1 million to $5 million per institution, can be used to upgrade building infrastructure, purchase materials and equipment, and cover personnel costs related to research activities. The bill targets a defined group of schools, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal colleges, and various other minority-serving and land-grant universities. To fund this initiative, the legislation authorizes $50 million in appropriations for fiscal year 2027 and each subsequent year.