[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 450 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 450

  To advance the development and transfer of environmental and other 
           nonmilitary technologies, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

             February 25 (legislative day, January 5), 1993

  Mrs. Boxer introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
       referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To advance the development and transfer of environmental and other 
           nonmilitary technologies, 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 ``American Technology Advancement Act 
of 1993''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    As used in this Act:
            (1) Agreement.--The term ``agreement'' means an agreement 
        entered into pursuant to section 3.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the director of 
        a national laboratory that enters into an agreement for a 
        project.
            (3) Industrial organization.--The term ``industrial 
        organization'' means an industrial organization as described in 
        section 12(a)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation 
        Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a(a)(1)).
            (4) National laboratory.--The term ``national laboratory'' 
        means a facility operated by or on behalf of the Department of 
        Energy that is a laboratory as the term is defined in section 
        12(d)(2) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 
        1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710a(d)(2)).
            (5) Project.--The term ``project'' means a project 
        consisting of environmental research, or other research in 
        technology that has a nonmilitary commercial application, that 
        is conducted pursuant to an agreement.
            (6) Secretary.--Except as otherwise provided, the term 
        ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.

SEC. 3. NONMILITARY TECHNOLOGY FUNDING.

    Of the funds made available for fiscal year 1993 to the Department 
of Energy for the activities of the national laboratories, the 
Secretary--
            (1) shall make available to the Directors not less than 20 
        percent for environmental research, and other research in 
        technology that has nonmilitary commercial applications, that 
        is conducted pursuant to cooperative research and development 
        agreements entered into by and between the national 
        laboratories and industrial organizations pursuant to section 
        12(a) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 
        (15 U.S.C. 3710a(a)); and
            (2) in consultation with the Secretary of Commerce, may 
        make available to the Directors not more than an additional 30 
        percent for environmental research, and other research in 
        technology that has nonmilitary commercial applications, of the 
        national laboratories.

SEC. 4. AGENCY APPROVAL.

    (a) In General.--Subject to section 5, each agreement shall be 
entered into at the discretion of the Director. Section 12(c)(5) of the 
Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
3710a(c)(5)) shall not apply to an agreement.
    (b) Research Pending Review.--At the discretion of the Director, a 
project may be conducted during the period prior to approval or 
disapproval of the project pursuant to section 5.

SEC. 5. REVIEW BY THE SECRETARY.

    (a) Review.--
            (1) In general.--Not less than 1 year after the date on 
        which a Director approves initial funding for a project and in 
        accordance with the standards developed and published under 
        subsection (b), the Secretary shall review and approve, request 
        a specific modification to, or disapprove the project.
            (2) Approval.--If the Secretary approves a project pursuant 
        to paragraph (1), the Director may approve further funding for 
        the project.
            (3) Request for modifications.--If the Secretary requests a 
        specific modification pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary 
        shall transmit to the Director as soon as practicable a written 
        explanation of the modification.
            (4) Disapproval.--If the Secretary disapproves a project 
        pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director may not approve any 
        further funding for the project.
    (b) Standards for Review.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Commerce, shall develop and publish standards of technical 
excellence, feasibility, and potential commercial viability to be used 
in the review under subsection (a).
    (c) Failure to Review.--If the Secretary fails to complete a review 
of a project under subsection (a) by the date that is 18 months after 
the date referred to in subsection (a)(1), the project shall be deemed 
to be approved and the Director may approve further funding for the 
project.

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