Scientific Integrity Act

This bill aims to keep federal science honest and free from political pressure. It makes every federal agency that funds or does research set and enforce a “scientific integrity” policy. These policies must stop political influence over scientific conclusions, ban the suppression or delay of findings without scientific reason, and allow researchers to share their work and take part in the scientific community as appropriate .

Agencies must get their policies approved by the White House science office, post them online, and review them regularly. They must appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, set up a fair way to resolve disputes, provide training for staff and contractors, and allow non-employees (like grantees and partners) to report violations. Agencies must publish yearly reports on complaints, and serious incidents where someone overrules the Scientific Integrity Officer must be reported within 30 days. A federal watchdog will review how agencies carry out these rules, and existing agency policies can stay in place if they meet the new standards .

Key points

• Who is affected: Federal science agencies; federal employees and contractors who do research; the public and grantees who may report issues.
• What changes: Agencies must adopt integrity policies; ban political meddling and suppression of findings; allow scientists to publish and engage with peers; appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer; provide training; and report complaints and incidents publicly .
• When: Within 90 days, agencies must adopt policies and name a Scientific Integrity Officer; within 30 days of approval, policies must be posted; within 180 days, training and a dispute process must be in place; every 5 years, policies are reviewed; within 2 years, a federal review checks implementation; serious incidents must be reported within 30 days .