	Introduction

Enacted in response to concerns that the United States could lose its historical advantages in scientific and technological innovation, the 2007 America COMPETES Act ( P.L. Containing eight titles and dozens of provisions affecting at least a half-dozen federal agencies, the principal policy contributions of the America COMPETES Act were the establishment of the doubling path policy for certain federal physical sciences and engineering (PS&E) research accounts and the authorization (or reauthorization) of various federal science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education programs. 111-358 ), have expired. Most of the funding authorizations in the America COMPETES Act spanned the three-year period between FY2008 and FY2010. Bills were introduced, but not enacted, in the 113 th Congress. This report provides an overview of the COMPETES Acts for readers seeking background and legislative context. It was written to serve as both a primer and a reference document. It includes a description and legislative history of the acts, a summary of the broad policy debate, and an examination of the implementation status of selected COMPETES-related programs and policies. This report also provides analysis of major bills to reauthorize the COMPETES Acts from the 113 th and 114 th Congresses. For authorized and appropriated funding for COMPETES-related accounts through FY2013, see CRS Report R42779, America COMPETES Acts: FY2008 to FY2013 Funding Tables , by [author name scrubbed]. The possibility that the United States has or could lose its historic strengths in scientific and technological advancement—and therefore has or could lose the prosperity and security attributed to that advancement—has become the central rationale for a portfolio of otherwise disparate federal programs, policies, and activities. In particular, the law established what is commonly referred to as the "doubling path policy" for PS&E research. Some of the STEM education and innovation-related programs and policies authorized by the act include the Math Now program at the Department of Education (ED), the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program at NIST, and the Advanced Research Project Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) at DOE. Other provisions in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 allow federal agencies to offer innovation prizes and direct the Department of Commerce (DOC) to establish a new loan guarantee program for manufacturers, as well as a regional innovation program. For example, they noted that changes in the industrial bases and educational attainment rates of rapidly developing countries like China and India have led many analysts to conclude that these countries are able to compete for a growing percentage of the world's high-value jobs and industries. For the most part, actual appropriations to the targeted accounts did not reach authorized levels during either of the COMPETES Acts' authorization periods. 110-69 ). 111-358 ). America COMPETES Act

In general, the America COMPETES Act ( P.L. NSF's implementation of America COMPETES Act-authorized STEM education programs was also mixed. The DOE has implemented ARPA-E. Public Access to Federally Funded Research

Section 103 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 ( P.L. Efforts to Reauthorize in the 114th Congress

At least three bills have been introduced to reauthorize selected provisions of the COMPETES Acts in the 114 th Congress: H.R. STEM Education . 4159 ) was introduced to "provide for investment in innovation through research and development and STEM education, to improve the competitiveness of the United States, and for other purposes." Funding for Targeted Accounts.
Scientific and technological advancement played a central role in ensuring U.S. prosperity and power in the 20th century. From the first flight of the Wright brothers in 1903 to the creation of Google in the 1990s, U.S. scientific and technological innovations have reshaped the global economy and provided both economic mobility and national security for generations of Americans.
Whether the United States will maintain its preeminence over the course of the 21st century is an open question. Some observers assert that U.S. leadership is at risk. They argue that the United States underinvests in physical sciences and engineering (PS&E) research and underperforms in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. (PS&E research and STEM education are believed to be central pillars in the foundation supporting U.S. scientific and technological achievement.) At the same time, other nations are increasing their commitments to research and education in the STEM fields and, as a result, can compete for a growing percentage of the world's high-value jobs and industries.
Concern that the United States has fallen or could fall behind in the global race to innovate propelled passage of the 2007 America COMPETES Act (P.L. 110-69) and its successor, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (P.L. 111-358). The COMPETES Acts authorized increasing funding for targeted federal accounts that support PS&E research (commonly referred to as the "doubling path policy") and authorized (or reauthorized) certain federal STEM education programs. The acts also established the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), allowed federal agencies to use prize competitions to spur innovation, and directed the executive branch to coordinate policies providing access to federally funded research—among many other provisions.
Neither of the COMPETES Acts has been fully funded or implemented. Actual funding for the targeted PS&E research accounts did not reach authorized levels, and most of the STEM education programs established by the acts were not realized. On the other hand, existing STEM education programs that were reauthorized by the acts generally continued to operate. ARPA-E, which was established by the acts, was implemented and continues to operate. Federal agencies are also using the act's prize authority—at least 100 competitions have been initiated under the authority of P.L. 111-358.
Most of the funding authorizations in the COMPETES Acts have expired. Legislation to reauthorize all or portions of the acts was introduced, but not enacted, in the 113th Congress. Legislators have introduced bills to reauthorize all or portions of the acts in the 114th Congress. This report provides an overview of the acts for readers seeking background and legislative context. It serves both as a primer and a reference document, including a description and legislative history of the acts, a summary of the broad policy debate, and an examination of the implementation status of selected COMPETES-related programs and policies. This report also highlights major bills to reauthorize the acts from the 113th and 114th Congresses.
For authorized and appropriated funding for COMPETES-related accounts, see CRS Report R42779, America COMPETES Acts: FY2008 to FY2013 Funding Tables, by [author name scrubbed].