The University of Washington has joined dozens of institutions of higher education in calling on Congress to continue the investments in research and STEM education that were authorized in the America COMPETES Act of 2007. Both the House and Senate are on a path to reauthorize the legislation before the July 4th congressional recess. The House is slightly ahead of the Senate in its work on the legislation, as a draft bill was released late last week. The House bill (HR 515 – Amendment in the Nature of a Subsitute) continues the doubling path for three core science agencies (National Science Foundation, Department of Energy Office of Science, and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology). Additionally, the legislation proposes a 5-year authorization period in order to give more predictability of R&D/STEM education funding. A full committte markup on the House bill is scheduled for April 28th, with a vote on the floor of the House around May 12th.