[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 626 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 626

To establish a Small Business Manufacturing Extension Service, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 26, 1993

  Mr. Olver introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Science, Space, and Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a Small Business Manufacturing Extension Service, and for 
                            other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Manufacturing 
Extension Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT.

    The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
(in this Act referred to as the ``Director'') shall establish a Small 
Business Manufacturing Extension Service (in this Act referred to as 
the ``Extension Service'').

SEC. 3. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of the Extension Service shall be to coordinate and 
improve efforts to help small and medium-sized manufacturers to 
increase their competitiveness and efficiency through improved 
equipment, processes, and practices. In order to achieve such purpose, 
the Extension Service shall--
            (1) assess the needs of manufacturers;
            (2) serve as a central clearinghouse, in order to make 
        available to such manufacturers in a coordinated manner 
        relevant Federal and other resources, including--
                    (A) available manufacturing equipment and processes 
                encompassing the highest level of technology 
                appropriate to the manufacturer;
                    (B) appropriate energy efficiency technologies;
                    (C) technologies and practices to achieve waste 
                reduction;
                    (D) workforce development programs and other 
                educational resources;
                    (E) modern management techniques to improve 
                productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction; and
                    (F) financing; and
            (3) encourage sources of credit by informing lending 
        institutions of appropriate opportunities for investment in the 
        manufacturing industry and by matching lending institutions 
        with manufacturers.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OFFICES.

    (a) Public Notice.--Within 6 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall issue a public notice soliciting 
applications under this section.
    (b) Eligible Applicants.--Eligible applicants for grants under this 
section shall be regional groups that shall include substantial 
participation by private manufacturing industries and may include--
            (1) educational institutions;
            (2) Manufacturing Technology Centers established under 
        section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k);
            (3) Small Business Development Centers;
            (4) lending institutions;
            (5) labor organizations; and
            (6) State and local government officials.
    (c) Applications.--Each application under this section shall 
outline a strategy for efficiently accomplishing the purpose stated in 
section 3 through one or more extension agents, who shall be full-time 
employees and may be located at educational institutions, State or 
local agencies, or nonprofit organizations.
    (d) Grants.--Within one year after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Director shall award grants on a competitive basis to at 
least--
            (1) 50 applicants; or
            (2) one half of the bona fide applicants under this 
        section,
for establishing extension offices. Each such grant shall be for a 
period of 2 years.

SEC. 5. REPORT TO CONGRESS.

    Within 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and at 
least once every 2 years thereafter, the Director shall submit a report 
to Congress evaluating the effectiveness of the Extension Service.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director for 
carrying out this Act $120,000,000 for the period encompassing fiscal 
years 1994 through 1998.

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