[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 429 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 429
To expand the Manufacturing Extension Program to bring the new economy
to small and medium-sized businesses.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 1, 2001
Mrs. Clinton (for herself, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr.
Corzine, Mr. Dayton, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Lieberman, Ms. Mikulski,
Mr. Rockefeller, and Mr. Schumer) introduced the following bill; which
was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To expand the Manufacturing Extension Program to bring the new economy
to small and medium-sized businesses.
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 ``Technology Extension Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) The Federal Government developed the Agriculture
Extension Program, and more recently, the Manufacturing
Extension Program to help farmers and small manufacturers gain
access to the latest technologies. Today's small and medium-
sized businesses need a technology extension program that
provides access to cutting edge technology.
(2) There is a need to create partnerships to cut the time
it takes for new developments in university laboratories to
reach the manufacturing floor, to help small and medium-sized
businesses transform their innovations into jobs.
(3) There is a need to build upon the Manufacturing
Extension Program to encourage the adoption of advanced
technology.
SEC. 3. TECHNOLOGY EXTENSION PROGRAM.
(a) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section--
(1) to encourage meaningful use of the most advanced
available technologies by small businesses and medium-sized
businesses to the maximum extent possible to improve the
productivity of those businesses and thereby to promote
economic growth; and
(2) to promote regional partnerships between educational
institutions and businesses to develop such technologies and
products in the surrounding areas.
(b) Grant Program.--To achieve the purpose of this section, the
Secretary of Commerce (in this section, referred to as the
``Secretary'') shall carry out a program to provide, through grants,
financial assistance for the establishment and support of regional
centers for the commercial use of advanced technologies by small
businesses and medium-sized businesses.
(c) Eligibility.--An entity is eligible to receive a grant as a
regional center under this section if the entity--
(1) is affiliated with a United States-based institution or
organization that is operated on a not-for-profit basis, or any
combination of two or more of such institutions or
organizations;
(2) offers to enter into an agreement with the Secretary to
function as a regional center for the commercial use of
advanced technologies for the purpose of this section within a
region determined appropriate by the Secretary; and
(3) demonstrates that it has the capabilities necessary to
achieve the purpose of this section through its operations as a
center within that region.
(d) Selection of Applicants.--
(1) Competitive process.--The Secretary shall use a
competitive process for the awarding of grants under this
section and, under that process, select recipients of the
grants on the basis of merit, with priority given to
underserved areas.
(2) Applications for grants.--The Secretary shall prescribe
the form and content of applications required for grants under
this section.
(e) Specific Activities of Regional Centers.--A regional center may
use the proceeds of a grant under this section for any activity that
carries out the purpose of this section, including such activities as
the following:
(1) Assist small businesses and medium-sized businesses to
address their most critical needs for the application of the
latest technology, improvement of infrastructure, and use of
best business practices.
(2) In conjunction with institutions of higher education
and laboratories located in the region, transfer technologies
to small businesses and medium-sized businesses located in such
region to create jobs and increase production in surrounding
areas.
(f) Additional Administrative Authorities.--
(1) Cost-sharing.--The Secretary may require the recipient
of a grant to defray, out of funds available from sources other
than the Federal Government, a specific level of the operating
expenses of the regional center for which the grant is made.
(2) Additional terms and conditions.--The Secretary, in
awarding a grant, may impose any other terms and conditions for
the use of the proceeds of the grant that the Secretary
determines appropriate for carrying out the purposes of this
section and to protect the interests of the United States.
(g) Definitions of Small Business and Medium-Sized Business.--
(1) Secretary to prescribe.--The Secretary shall prescribe
the definitions of the terms ``small business'' and ``medium-
sized business'' for the purpose of this section.
(2) Small business standards.--In defining the term ``small
business'', the Secretary shall apply the standards applicable
for the definition of the term ``small-business concern'' under
section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632).
(h) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe regulations for the
grant program administered under this section.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated for the Department of Commerce for carrying out this
section $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as are
necessary for each fiscal year thereafter.
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