GeoLawWatch: Tracking Weather & Climate Legislation

Bill Summary:

The Geoengineering Research Evaluation Act of 2017 mandates the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and report on a research agenda concerning albedo modification strategies. The legislation outlines the role of various federal agencies and establishes a two-phase reporting process to advance understanding and governance in this field.

Key Provisions:

1. Research Agenda Development: The Secretary of Energy, in consultation with multiple federal agencies, will contract with the National Academies to develop a report on prioritizing research areas related to albedo modification, which includes atmospheric interventions like marine cloud brightening and stratospheric aerosol modification.

2. Phase I Report: The first report must identify priorities for future laboratory studies, modeling, small-scale field experiments, and the necessary infrastructure such as computing capabilities.

3. Phase II Report: Following the completion of the Phase I report, the Secretary of Energy will again work with the National Academies to generate a report focused on governance mechanisms for the albedo modification research agenda, taking into account legal, ethical, social, and economic implications.

4. Implementation Plan: Within 90 days of the Phase II report's completion, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy must submit an implementation plan addressing geoengineering research and governance to Congress, incorporating recommendations from both Phase I and Phase II reports.

This bill ultimately aims to advance the understanding and governance of albedo modification strategies while ensuring stakeholder input and transparency throughout the research processes. The latest status indicates that the bill "died in committee."