Committee advances Royalty Transparency Act after members cite NIH royalty payments

The committee approved S.855, the Royalty Transparency Act, a reporting measure intended to increase disclosure of royalties received by government scientists. The sponsor said a Freedom of Information Act review found about 2,400 National Institutes of Health scientists received more than $300 million in royalty payments over the last decade, and argued public knowledge of royalty sources can reveal potential conflicts when scientists serve on advisory bodies.

The sponsor described the bill as a reporting requirement that passed the committee in the prior Congress without amendment and urged unanimous consideration. The clerk read the roll; the clerk announced the vote as yeas 13, nays 0 (with proxy yeas noted separately) and the motion was agreed to.

No amendments or extended debate were recorded in the transcript; the discussion focused on transparency of financial ties between researchers and outside entities. The transcript did not list implementation dates, enforcement mechanisms, or the specific reporting format to be used; those details would be developed later in committee or during floor consideration.

The transcript shows the committee moved through a series of additional bills after the Royalty Transparency Act vote.