Washington Update August 4-8, 2014
Congress Has Adjourned Until September 8, 2104
CONGRESSIONAL ISSUES

‘Startup Day Across America’ on August 5
On August 5, 2014, Representative Jared Polis (D-CO) and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), co-chairs
of the Congressional Caucus on Innovation and Entrepreneuriship, along with Senator Jerry Moran (RKS) and Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) are organizing the second annual ‘Startup Day Across America’.
This day is meant to connect elected officials with startups in their district in an effort to learn more about
some of the difficulties startups face, highlight the importance of entrepreneurship and encourage
Members to visit startups in their district over the August recess.
CGA are encouraged to write a letter or reach out to their Member of Congress to explain the importance
of supporting startups and the regional innovation ecosystem. This is also a good opportunity for CGA to
ask their Senators to co-sponsor the TRANSFER Act (S.2551). As you may know, the TRANSFER Act
accelerates the transition of technology developed at universities, federal laboratories and non-profit
research institutions to the private sector. This legislation creates grant opportunities for proof-of-concept
research and other innovative technology transfer activities at universities, research institutes and federal
laboratories to accelerate the commercialization of federally-funded research and technologies.
For further information on the TRANSFER Act, please contact Jim Woodell at APLU. He can be reached
at jwoodell@aplu.org. To see a list of Members who participated in last year’s Startup Day Across
America, please click here. Or, for more information on Startup Day Across America, you can visit the
website.

APLU Joins Other Higher Education Groups in Submitting Comments on USPTO Guidance
Memorandum
On July 28, APLU joined with the Association of University Technology Managers, the Council on
Governmental Relations, and the Association of American Universities in submitting the attached
comments on the USPTO’s Guidance Memorandum for Determining Subject Matter Eligibility of Claims
Reciting or Involving Laws of Nature, Natural Phenomena, & Natural Products. The groups expressed
concern about the memorandum’s broad changes, including re-interpreting Supreme Court case law
without opportunity for public comment.

Manufacturing Universities Act Introduced in the Senate; APLU Endorses
On July 31, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) introduced the
Manufacturing Universities Act of 2014. This legislation, which APLU has endorsed, would incentivize
engineering programs to continue to focus on preparing engineers for careers in innovation and advanced
manufacturing. If enacted, this bill would authorize the Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) to establish a program to designate 25 institutions as “Manufacturing Universities”.
The designated universities would be awarded $5 million each year, for four years to accomplish the
goals of this legislation. Attached is a summary and copy of the bill.

House Passes Veterans' Affairs Conference Agreement Including In-State Tuition Provision
As you know, the Congressional conference committee for HR 3230, the Veterans' Access to Care
through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014, announced earlier this week they reached
an agreement, Conference report to accompany H.R. 3230. While the legislation primarily deals
with medical care for veterans, it also includes an in-state tuition provision. Institutions must comply with
the in-state provisions in order to remain eligible for participation in GI tuition assistance programs.
Yesterday, the House adopted the conference report to accompany H.R. 3230 by a vote of 420 to 5. The
Senate is expected to possibly bring the conference report to the floor tonight. After waiving a potential
budget point of order that Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) has stated he will raise, the Senate is expected to
adopt the agreement.
BUDGET and APPROPRIATIONS ISSUES

CONGRESS PUNTS FY15 FUNDING DECISIONS TO THE FALL NEW
As Congress prepares to begin its five-week summer recess, it does so without having approved any of
the FY15 appropriations bills. The ongoing impasse between the House and Senate is expected to require
approval of a short-term continuing resolution (CR), which would carry federal spending at its current
levels into early December, following the mid-term November elections.
So far, the Senate Appropriations Committee has approved eight of its 12 FY15 funding bills, but none
has been approved by the full Senate. The Interior-Environment bill has not been considered in
subcommittee, but the Senate panel has released draft subcommittee bills and reports for the Energy &
Water, Labor-HHS-Education, and Financial Services bills.
The House Appropriations Committee has approved 11 of its bills—all but Labor-HHS-Education—with
full House approval of seven: Commerce-Justice-Science, Defense, Energy & Water, Financial Services,
Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans, and Transportation.