Biomass Research and Development Act of 1999

Requires the Secretaries to each designate a high-level officer as a point of contact from their respective Departments and provides for such points of contact to jointly: (1) assist in arranging interlaboratory, interagency, and site-specific supplemental agreements for research, development, and demonstration projects relating to biobased products; (2) administer the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (Initiative); and (3) respond in writing to each recommendation made by the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretaries to establish a Biomass Research and Development Board to coordinate programs within and among the departments and agencies of the Federal Government to promote the use of biobased products by maximizing the benefits deriving from Federal grants, research and development agreements, and other assistance, and bringing coherence to Federal planning.

(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretaries to establish a Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) to advise the Secretaries concerning the technical focus and direction of requests for proposals issued under the Initiative and procedures for reviewing such proposals and facilitate consultations and partnerships among Federal agencies, the research community, agricultural and forestry producers, industry, consumers, and other interested groups to carry out program activities relating to the Initiative, and evaluate and perform strategic planning on such program activities. Requires the Advisory Committee to: (1) advise the points of contact respecting the Initiative and evaluate and make written recommendations to the Board to ensure that funds appropriated for the Initiative are distributed and used consistently for grants, contracts, and other financial assistance under this Act; (2) ensure that the points of contact are funding proposals that are selected on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis, as determined by an independent panel of scientific and technical peers; and (3) ensure that activities are carried out in accordance with this Act. Provides for the Advisory Committee to coordinate its activities with other Federal advisory committees working in related areas to avoid duplication of effort.

(Sec. 7) Directs the Secretaries, acting through their respective points of contact and in consultation with the Board, to establish and carry out the Initiative under which competitively awarded grants, contracts, and other financial assistance are provided to, or entered into with, eligible entities to carry out research, development, and demonstration respecting biobased products. Specifies the purposes for which such grants, contracts, and other financial assistance shall be provided. Requires Federal agencies to issue regulations establishing procedures to ensure that no class of applicants has an unfair advantage in competing for an award.

Requires the points of contact, after consultation with the Board, to: (1) publish annually a joint request for proposals for such grants, contracts, and other financial assistance; (2) provide a preference in such grants, contracts, and other financial assistance to consortia involving experts from multiple institutions and academic disciplines working on cross-cutting or integrative research, development, and demonstration challenges; and (3) require that such assistance be awarded competitively after the establishment of procedures that provide for scientific peer review by an independent panel of scientific and technical peers.

Requires such grants, contracts, or other financial assistance to be used to conduct: (1) research and development in technologies or processes determined by the Advisory Committee to be consistent with the purposes specified under this Act; (2) research into the sustainability and long-term environmental impacts of the technologies or processes; (3) research into the economic viability (including the cost, net energy and comparative energy uses) of the technologies or processes; or (4) pilot projects of processes and technologies that lead to a better understanding of the energy or environmental impacts or performance characteristics of a biobased product. Prohibits the provision of such financial assistance for a demonstration project unless at least an equal amount of funding is obtained for such project from non-Federal sources.

Authorizes appropriations.

(Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary of Energy to provide such administrative support and funds to the Board and the Advisory Committee as are necessary to enable them to carry out this Act. Declares that the Secretary of Agriculture and the heads of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Science Foundation, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of the Interior may, and are encouraged to, provide such support and funds to the Board and the Advisory Committee.

(Sec. 9) Requires the Secretaries to transmit to Congress specified initial and final reports.