Rep. Swalwell’s First Amendment Adopted at Science, Space, and Technology Committee Markup of EPA Bill

WASHINGTON, DC – Yesterday, an amendment introduced by U.S. Representative Eric Swalwell (CA-15) to H.R. 1422, the EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act of 2013, passed unanimously in the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology markup of the bill. Rep. Swalwell's amendment, the first he has passed as a Member of Congress, improves transparency and strengthens the disclosure requirements for the EPA's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) nominees. However, Rep. Swalwell joined all Democrats present to vote against passage, which increases industry-funded scientists on EPA's board.

"I am proud that my amendment to H.R. 1422 was adopted, so we may ensure that any previous contract work by EPA Science Advisory Board nominees is disclosed. Americans deserve to know the background of a scientist with influence over environmental rules and any potential biases," said Swalwell. "However, I could not support the overall bill which weakens the scientific integrity of the Science Advisory Board by increasing the number of industry lobbyists at the expensive of independent scientists."

H.R. 1422 will skew the composition of EPA's Science Advisory Board by increasing the number of industry-funded scientists at the expense of independent scientists from academic and research institutions. The bill contains provisions that require the EPA to treat scientists who conduct EPA funded research and who may have had a past contractual relationship with the EPA as having a financial conflict of interest. At the same time, the bill loosens the financial conflict of interest standards for industry-funded experts. The bill also creates a number of requirements for the Board without allocating additional resources to the EPA SAB to carry out these additional requirements.

The bill was reported out of Committee on a party-line vote of 21-16