Schneider Legislation on Election Security, Research Commercialization, and Iran Signed into Law

Today, President Trump signed H.R. 5515, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019, which contains three pieces of legislation authored by Congressman Brad Schneider (D-IL) to promote election security, support small business research, and hold Iran accountable.

Section 1284 of the NDAA clarifies responsibilities for the Global Engagement Center, the State Department office tasked with countering foreign disinformation and propaganda campaigns, to expand its hiring authorities, and establish stronger congressional oversight requirements. Schenider and Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) first introduced this language in May 2018 as H.R. 5681, the Global Engagement Center Authorities Act of 2018.

Also included was an amendment Schneider introduced (no. 12) with Reps. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) and Dan Lipinski (D-IL) to provide more flexibility for successful innovators to turn federally-funded research into viable commercial products by increasing the amount of SBIR and Tech Transfer funding they can use towards commercialization. The amendment also clarified that this funding can be used towards market research, development of manufacturing plans, protections for intellectual property, and developing regulatory plans.

Finally, also signed into law was a second amendment (no.72) to strengthen a new national security strategy to counter Iran's destabilizing activities by requiring the report to specifically identify countries in which Iran and its entities are operating in the region and the implications of their actions. This bipartisan amendment was offered with Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC).