Scientific Integrity Act

Sponsor: Brian Schatz (Democratic-HI)May 14, 2026

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Introduced

In Committee

Passed One Chamber

Passed Both Chambers

Signed into Law

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Federal agencies would safeguard science from political influence and make findings public.

This bill would make sure federal agencies that do or fund science have clear rules to ensure research is free from political influence. It would require them to share scientific findings openly and safeguard scientists from pressure. This aims to build public trust in government science.

What Would Change

Today, federal agencies may have varying scientific integrity rules, or lack specific, detailed requirements for how science is conducted and communicated. This bill would replace existing rules with new, comprehensive requirements, mandating specific policies, safeguards for scientists, and public reporting. It would also create new oversight roles for a Scientific Integrity Officer within each agency and for the Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Key Provisions

Requires federal agencies that do or fund science to create and enforce clear scientific integrity policies.
Bans federal employees and contractors from altering, suppressing, or delaying scientific findings without good reason.
Lets federal scientists openly share their research, participate in scientific conferences, and join professional organizations.
Requires agencies to appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, a career employee, to oversee these new rules.
Mandates public reports each year on scientific misconduct complaints and their results within each agency.
Requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy to review and approve agency scientific integrity policies and share public reports.

View on Congress.gov

S 4545 · 119th Congress · May 14, 2026 · AI Summary by gemini-2.5-flash · 8/10

Scientific Integrity Act

What Would Change

Key Provisions

Lobbying Activity