KICK-OFF OF CONFERENCE CMTE ON U.S. INNOVATION & COMPETITION/AMERICA COMPETES ACT, May 12, 2022, DC,10:00 am ET

The conference committee on the Senate-passed U.S. Innovation & Competition Act (USICA) and the House-passed America COMPETES Act will meet for the first time on May 12, 2022 at 10:00 am ET in the Kennedy Caucus Room, 325 Russell Senate Office Building.

It will be webcast on the Senate Commerce Committee’s website.

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, will chair the meeting. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), chair of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, will lead the House delegation.

The conference commitee has 107 members collectively from the House and Senate, Democrats and Republicans.

The bill, H.R. 4521, is also called the “chip act” because one focus is support for the U.S. semiconductor industry.

As passed by the Senate, it includes a NASA authorization bill and a bill (the SPACE Act, sponsored by Sen. Wicker) on space situational awareness.  The House version says virtually nothing about space.

The Senate Commerce Committee’s May 10, 2022 announcement about this first meeting is reproduced below:

Cantwell to Chair Conference Committee on Bipartisan Innovation and Competition Legislation

Kickoff Meeting Thursday, May 12

 House Committee on Science, Space, & Technology Chair Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson to lead House delegation

 Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell, (D-Wash.), Chair of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, will chair the kickoff meeting of the Conference Committee on H.R. 4521, bipartisan innovation and competition legislation, on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. in the Kennedy Caucus Room. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas-30), Chair of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, will lead the House delegation.

The 107-member Conference Committee is tasked with reconciling differences between the Senate’s United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and the House’s America COMPETES Act, which will culminate in a conference report. During the meeting, conference committee members will each have an opportunity to speak about their priorities for this legislation.

WHAT:         Conference Committee Meeting on Bipartisan Innovation and Competition Legislation

 WHEN:         Thursday, May 12, 2022

                                10:00 a.m. EDT            

WHERE:       Kennedy Caucus Room

                                325 Russell 

RSVP:          There will be a limited number of press seats available.

Members of the media planning to attend, please RSVP to Maurie_Mueller@commerce.senate.gov

 LIVE STREAM:       www.commerce.senate.gov