Tonko Reintroduces Bipartisan Scientific Integrity Act

SARATOGA — Congressman Paul Tonko has reintroduced his Scientific Integrity Act, bipartisan legislation that sets clear, enforceable standards for federal agencies and federally-funded research to keep public science independent from political and special interest meddling.

Tonko introduced the legislation alongside Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, Zoe Lofgren

(D-CA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Don Beyer (D-VA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

“Public science must be about the pursuit of truth—not about serving political objectives,” Tonko said, in a statement. “The Scientific Integrity Act provides much-needed protections for our federal scientists, helps repair public trust, and better enables us to address and solve the pressing challenges our communities face.”

The Scientific Integrity Act requires federal agencies that fund or direct public science to establish and maintain clear scientific integrity principles, formalizing and strengthening these policies with the force of law; Clarifies that science should determine policy, free from inappropriate politics, ideology, or financial conflicts of interest, and holds public scientists to the highest standards while guaranteeing their rights and protections under the law.