1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Scientific Integrity Act . 2. Definition of covered agency In this Act, the term covered agency means any agency, as defined in section 551 of title 5, United States Code, that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) science and the scientific process should inform and guide public policy decisions on a wide range of issues, including improvement of public health, protection of the environment, and protection of national security; (2) the public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions; (3) science, the scientific process, and the communication of science should be free from politics, ideology, and financial conflicts of interest; (4) policies and procedures that ensure the integrity of the conduct and communication of publicly funded science are critical to ensuring public trust; (5) covered agencies should promote and maximize the communication and open exchange of data and findings to other agencies, policymakers, and the public of research conducted by a scientist or engineer employed or contracted by the covered agency; and (6) covered agencies should work to prevent the suppression or distortion of the data and findings. 4. Principles; implementation and scientific integrity policies Section 1009 of the America COMPETES Act ( 42 U.S.C. 6620 ) is amended to read as follows: (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered agency The term covered agency means any agency, as defined in section 551 of title 5, United States Code, that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research or the analysis of research. (2) Covered individual The term covered individual means a Federal employee or contractor who— (A) is engaged in, supervises, or manages scientific activities; (B) analyzes or publicly communicates information resulting from scientific activities