[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 27 Enrolled Bill (ENR)]

        H.Con.Res.27
                                         Agreed to March 1, 2001        

                      One Hundred Seventh Congress

                                 of the

                        United States of America


                          AT THE FIRST SESSION

         Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
             the third day of January, two thousand and one


                          Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology was founded 
  on March 3, 1901, originally as the National Bureau of Standards, and 
  is our Nation's oldest Federal laboratory;

Whereas, prior to formal establishment in 1901, the National Institute 
  of Standards and Technology's mission was first stated in the 
  Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of these United 
  States, and is as old as the Republic itself;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology strengthens 
  the United States economy and improves the quality of life by working 
  with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and 
  standards;

Whereas in the past 100 years, the National Institute of Standards and 
  Technology has helped to maintain United States technology at the 
  leading edge, while also making solid contributions to our economy 
  and international competitiveness;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has served 
  as a behind-the-scenes specialist, with its research, measurement 
  tools, and technical services integrated deeply into many of the 
  systems and operations that, collectively, drive the economy, 
  including manufacturing cells, satellite systems, communication and 
  transportation networks, laboratories, factories, hospitals, 
  businesses, and the extended enterprises of the new economy;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has also 
  made solid contributions to improving our lives by helping develop 
  image processing, DNA diagnostic ``chips'', smoke detectors, 
  automated error correcting software for machine tools, atomic clocks, 
  X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling microscopy, 
  pollution control technology, and high-speed dental drills;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology plays a 
  major role in the National Conference on Weights and Measures, the 
  organization of State and local officials who ensure fairness in 
  sales of more than $4,000,000,000,000 worth of goods and services--
  from deli meats to gasoline to railroad freight;

Whereas National Institute of Standards and Technology research has 
  additionally provided a broad and varied stream of benefits, such as 
  decreases in train derailments as a result of standards ensuring the 
  quality of steel, smoother riding, lower maintenance automobiles as a 
  result of technology that improves the fit of assembled parts, and 
  reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions as a result of improved 
  measurements in the oil industry;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has been a 
  leader in helping small manufacturing companies in all 50 States to 
  modernize and prepare for the 21st Century;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology, through its 
  Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program, has helped define best 
  practices in business, in education, and in health care, and has 
  helped leading companies become even more competitive;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology employs 
  about 3,300 people, and operates primarily in 2 locations, 
  Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, with some of our 
  Nation's finest and most dedicated Federal scientists, including 
  Nobel Prize winners;

Whereas the lack of laboratory space led to the establishment of a 
  cryogenic engineering laboratory and radio facilities on land donated 
  by citizens of Boulder, Colorado, in 1950, and the eventual 
  partnership with the University of Colorado of the Joint Institute 
  for Laboratory Astrophysics;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is poised to 
  embark on its second century with 2 new state-of-the-art 
  laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory and the 
  Advanced Measurement Laboratory at its Gaithersburg, Maryland, 
  headquarters, to fulfill its mission; and

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is committed 
  to building the advanced science and technology infrastructure needed 
  to ensure future prosperity and the global competitiveness of United 
  States industry in the 21st century and beyond: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
        (1) recognizes the historical significance of the centennial of 
    the founding of the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
        (2) acknowledges 100 years of achievement and service by the 
    National Bureau of Standards and the National Institute of 
    Standards and Technology to the United States; and
        (3) reaffirms its commitment to support during the next 100 
    years the research, technological advancements, and discoveries 
    made at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a crown 
    jewel in the Federal Government.
  Attest:

                                 Clerk of the House of Representatives.

  Attest:

                                               Secretary of the Senate.