[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4429 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4429

  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
  Technology to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers and other 
   such businesses to successfully integrate and utilize electronic 
             commerce technologies and business practices.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 11, 2000

  Mr. Barcia (for himself, Mr. Doyle, Mr. Udall of Colorado, and Mr. 
   Calvert) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                          Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
  Technology to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers and other 
   such businesses to successfully integrate and utilize electronic 
             commerce technologies and business practices.

    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 ``Electronic Commerce Enhancement Act 
of 2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Commercial transactions on the Internet, whether retail 
        business-to-customer or business-to-business, are commonly 
        called electronic commerce.
            (2) One of the fastest growing sectors of electronic 
        commerce is business-to-business transactions. By 2003 it is 
        expected that business-to-business transactions will amount to 
        more than 10 times the amount of $131,000,000,000 estimated to 
        have been reached in 1999.
            (3) In the United States, business-to-business transactions 
        between small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
        businesses and their suppliers is rapidly growing, as many of 
        these businesses begin to use Internet connections for supply-
        chain management, after-sales support, and payments.
            (4) Small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
        businesses play a critical role in the United States economy. 
        The Federal Government should assist, as appropriate, small and 
        medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses in 
        implementing electronic commerce technologies and business 
        practices so they can be competitive in international markets.
            (5) Electronic commerce can help small and medium-sized 
        manufacturers and other such businesses develop new products 
        and markets, interact more quickly and efficiently with 
        suppliers and customers, and improve productivity by increasing 
        efficiency and reducing transaction costs and paperwork. Small 
        and medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses who 
        fully exploit the potential of electronic commerce activities 
        can use it to interact with customers, suppliers, and the 
        public, and for external support functions such as personnel 
        services and employee training.
            (6) The National Institute of Standards and Technology's 
        Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has a successful 
        record of assisting small and medium-sized manufacturers and 
        other such businesses. In addition, the Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership program, working with the Small Business 
        Administration, successfully assisted United States small 
        enterprises in remediating their Y2K computer problems.
            (7) A critical element of electronic commerce is the 
        ability of different electronic commerce systems to exchange 
        information. The continued growth of electronic commerce will 
        be enhanced by the development of private voluntary 
        interoperability standards and testbeds to ensure the 
        compatibility of different systems.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON THE UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE.

    (a) Advisory Panel.--The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (in this Act referred to as the ``Director'') 
shall establish an Advisory Panel to report on the challenges facing 
small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses in 
integrating and utilizing electronic commerce technologies and business 
practices. The Advisory Panel shall be comprised of representatives of 
the Technology Administration, the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology's Manufacturing Extension Partnership program established 
under sections 25 and 26 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l), the Small Business 
Administration, the Modernization Forum, the United States Chamber of 
Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, and other relevant 
parties as identified by the Director.
    (b) Initial Report.--Within 12 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall report to the Director and to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the immediate 
requirements of small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
businesses to integrate and utilize electronic commerce technologies 
and business practices. The report shall--
            (1) describe the current utilization of electronic commerce 
        practices by small and medium-sized manufacturers and other 
        such businesses, detailing the different levels between 
        business-to-retail customer and business-to-business 
        transactions;
            (2) describe and assess the utilization and need for 
        encryption and electronic authentication components and 
        electronically stored data security in electronic commerce for 
        small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses;
            (3) identify the impact and problems of interoperability to 
        electronic commerce, and include an economic assessment; and
            (4) include a preliminary assessment of the appropriate 
        role of, and recommendations for, the Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership program to assist small and medium-sized 
        manufacturers and other such businesses to integrate and 
        utilize electronic commerce technologies and business 
        practices.
    (c) Final Report.--Within 18 months after the date of enactment of 
this Act, the Advisory Panel shall report to the Director and to the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 3-year 
assessment of the needs of small and medium-sized manufacturers and 
other such businesses to integrate and utilize electronic commerce 
technologies and business practices. The report shall include--
            (1) a 3-year planning document for the Manufacturing 
        Extension Partnership program in the field of electronic 
        commerce; and
            (2) recommendations, if necessary, for the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology to address 
        interoperability issues in the field of electronic commerce.

SEC. 4. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PILOT PROGRAM.

    The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership program, in consultation with the Small Business 
Administration, shall establish a pilot program to assist small and 
medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses in integrating and 
utilizing electronic commerce technologies and business practices. Such 
program shall be implemented through a competitive grants program for 
existing Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology 
established under section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k). In carrying out this section, the 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership program shall consult with the 
Advisory Panel and utilize the Advisory Panel's reports.
                                 <all>