[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3598 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3598

      To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal 
   manufacturing research and development efforts in manufacturing, 
  strengthen existing programs to assist manufacturing innovation and 
  education, and expand outreach programs for small and medium-sized 
                 manufacturers, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal 
   manufacturing research and development efforts in manufacturing, 
  strengthen existing programs to assist manufacturing innovation and 
  education, and expand outreach programs for small and medium-sized 
                 manufacturers, 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 ``Manufacturing Technology 
Competitiveness Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) Interagency Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--The President shall establish an 
        interagency committee on manufacturing research and 
        development, which shall include representatives from the 
        Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Institute 
        of Standards and Technology, the Small Business Administration, 
        the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of 
        Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, the 
        Department of Energy's Office of Industrial Technology, a 
        representative of the Department of Energy National 
        Laboratories with expertise in manufacturing research, and any 
        other agency that the President may designate. The Interagency 
        Committee shall be chaired by the Under Secretary of Commerce 
        for Manufacturing and Technology.
            (2) Functions.--The Interagency Committee shall be 
        responsible for the planning and coordination of Federal 
        efforts in manufacturing research and development through--
                    (A) establishing goals and priorities for 
                coordinated manufacturing research and development, 
                including the strengthening of United States 
                manufacturing through the support and coordination of 
                Federal manufacturing research, development, technology 
                transfer, standards, and technical training;
                    (B) propose a coordinated interagency budget for 
                manufacturing research and development to the Office of 
                Management and Budget that will ensure the maintenance 
                of a balanced research portfolio and ensure that each 
                agency is allocated the level of funding required to 
                meet the goals and priorities established for 
                manufacturing research and development; and
                    (C) developing, within 6 months after the date of 
                enactment of this Act, and updating every 3 years, a 
                strategic plan, to be transmitted to the Committee on 
                Science of the House of Representatives and the 
                Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
                the Senate, and to the President, for manufacturing 
                research and development that includes--
                            (i) an analysis of the research, 
                        development, technology transfer, standards, 
                        technical training, and integration needs of 
                        the manufacturing sector important to ensuring 
                        and maintaining United States competitiveness;
                            (ii) a report on the various Federal 
                        programs involved in manufacturing research, 
                        development, technical training, standards, and 
                        integration, their funding levels, and the 
                        degree to which they meet the needs identified 
                        under clause (i);
                            (iii) an analysis of the gaps that exist in 
                        those Federal programs and recommendations of 
                        changes that should be made to fill those gaps; 
                        and
                            (iv) a plan on how to better coordinate and 
                        strengthen federally supported manufacturing 
                        research, development, technical training, and 
                        integration activities.
            (3) Recommendations and views.--In carrying out its 
        functions under paragraph (2), the Interagency Committee shall 
        consider the input and recommendations of the Advisory 
        Committee and the views of academic, State, industry, and other 
        entities in the manufacturing research and development 
        community.
            (4) Coordination of grant programs.--To ensure the 
        effective implementation of the collaborative grant program 
        under section 33 of the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology Act, the member agencies of the Interagency 
        Committee shall, where practicable, coordinate their 
        manufacturing grant activities with that program.
    (b) Advisory Committee.--
            (1) Establishment.--Not later than 6 months after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the President shall establish an 
        advisory committee to provide advice and information to the 
        Interagency Committee from the non-Federal manufacturing 
        research and development community. The Advisory Committee 
        shall be composed of no more than 25 members appointed by the 
        President, including the following:
                    (A) 4 members from outside the Federal Government 
                who are eminent in the manufacturing industry, at least 
                2 of whom are representatives of small and medium-sized 
                companies in such industry.
                    (B) 4 members from the academic research community 
                who are eminent in their field and have expertise in 
                the manufacturing sciences.
                    (C) 3 members from labor unions, a majority of 
                whose membership have manufacturing jobs.
            (2) Input and recommendations.--The Advisory Committee 
        shall assist the Interagency Committee by providing it with 
        input and recommendations on--
                    (A) the goals and priorities for manufacturing 
                research and development; and
                    (B) the strategic plan, including proposals for 
                focus areas for research, development, technology 
                transfer, standards, technical training, supply chain 
                integration, and the identification and proposal of 
                technological or organizational solutions to challenges 
                such as outsourcing.
            (3) Report.--The Advisory Committee shall also assist the 
        Interagency Committee in the update of its strategic plan by 
        providing a report every 3 years, which shall also be 
        transmitted to the Committee on Science of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate, and to the President, that shall 
        assess--
                    (A) the progress made in implementing the strategic 
                plan and challenges to this progress;
                    (B) the management, coordination, implementation of 
                activities under the strategic plan;
                    (C) the effectiveness of these activities in 
                improving United States manufacturing competitiveness;
                    (D) the need to revise the goals and priorities 
                established by the Interagency Committee; and
                    (E) new and emerging problems and opportunities 
                affecting the manufacturing research community, 
                including workforce issues, education, research 
                infrastructure, and the measurement and statistical 
                analysis of manufacturing that may need to be 
                considered by the Interagency Committee.
            (4) Federal advisory committee act application.--Section 14 
        of the Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the 
        Advisory Committee.

SEC. 3. MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) Amendment.--Section 5 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3704) is amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 5. MANUFACTURING AND TECHNOLOGY.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department of 
Commerce a Manufacturing and Technology Administration, which shall 
operate in accordance with the provisions, findings, and purposes of 
this Act. The Manufacturing and Technology Administration shall 
include--
            ``(1) the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
            ``(2) the National Technical Information Service; and
            ``(3) a policy analysis office, which shall be known as the 
        Office of Manufacturing and Technology Policy.
    ``(b) Undersecretary and Assistant Secretaries.--The President 
shall appoint, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to the 
extent provided for in appropriations Acts--
            ``(1) an Under Secretary of Commerce for Manufacturing and 
        Technology, who shall be an individual with engineering or 
        management experience in manufacturing, including experience 
        with small and medium-sized manufacturing firms, and experience 
        in dealing with public policy matters related to manufacturing, 
        and who shall be compensated at the rate provided for level III 
        of the Executive Schedule in section 5314 of title 5, United 
        States Code;
            ``(2) an Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing who shall 
        serve as a policy analyst for the Under Secretary; and
            ``(3) an Assistant Secretary of Technology who shall serve 
        as a policy analyst for the Under Secretary.
    ``(c) Under Secretary's Duties.--The Secretary, through the Under 
Secretary, as appropriate, shall--
            ``(1) manage the Manufacturing and Technology 
        Administration and supervise its agencies, programs, and 
        activities;
            ``(2) serve as a point of contact on Federal manufacturing 
        research and development, as well as broader policy issues 
        related to manufacturing, for discussions among industry, 
        academic, labor, and other groups;
            ``(3) provide that cooperative efforts to stimulate 
        industrial competitiveness and innovation be undertaken between 
        the Under Secretary and other officials in the Department of 
        Commerce responsible for such areas as trade and economic 
        assistance;
            ``(4) encourage and assist the creation of centers and 
        other joint initiatives by State or local governments, regional 
        organizations, private businesses, institutions of higher 
        education, nonprofit organizations, or Federal laboratories to 
        encourage technology transfer, to encourage innovation, and to 
        promote an appropriate climate for investment in technology-
        related industries;
            ``(5) propose and encourage cooperative research involving 
        appropriate Federal entities, State or local governments, 
        regional organizations, colleges or universities, nonprofit 
        organizations, or private industry to promote the common use of 
        resources, to improve training programs and curricula, to 
        stimulate interest in manufacturing and technology careers, and 
        to encourage the effective dissemination of manufacturing and 
        technology skills within the wider community;
            ``(6) propose and support studies and policy experiments, 
        in cooperation with other Federal agencies, to determine the 
        effectiveness of measures for improving United States 
        manufacturing capabilities and productivity; and
            ``(7) ensure that activities undertaken by the 
        Manufacturing and Technology Administration, where appropriate, 
        take into account the needs of small and medium-sized 
        manufacturers.
    ``(d) Assistant Secretaries' Duties.--The Assistant Secretaries 
described in subsection (b)(2) and (3) shall--
            ``(1) produce periodic manufacturing reports and policy 
        analyses for use by the Advisory Committee described in 
        paragraph (3), Federal agencies, policymakers, and 
        manufacturers, which may include such subjects as technology 
        trends, workforce, education, and the manufacturing economy, to 
        guide improvements in United States industrial productivity;
            ``(2) identify manufacturing and technological needs, 
        problems, and opportunities within and across industrial 
        sectors that, if addressed, could make significant 
        contributions to the economy of the United States;
            ``(3) provide technical and administrative support to the 
        Interagency Committee established or designated under section 
        2(a) of the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 
        2003 and the Advisory Committee established or designated under 
        section 2(b) of the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness 
        Act of 2003; and
            ``(4) conduct public outreach, including the dissemination 
        of findings and recommendations of the Interagency Committee 
        and the Advisory Committee described in paragraph (3), and of 
        the activities of the Manufacturing and Technology 
        Administration.
    ``(e) Report on Foreign Efforts.--Not later than one year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Under Secretary of Commerce for 
Manufacturing and Technology shall submit a report to Congress 
describing the efforts of foreign governments to attract and develop 
technology-based manufacturing, including supporting technical and 
scientific education, research and development, development of 
standards, and encouraging technological investment from overseas.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--Section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler 
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``Manufacturing and'' 
        after ``Office of''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``Manufacturing and'' 
        after ``Under Secretary of Commerce for''.

SEC. 4. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH GRANTS.

     The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act is 
amended--
            (1) by redesignating the first section 32 as section 34 and 
        moving it to the end of the Act; and
            (2) by inserting before the section moved by paragraph (1) 
        the following new section:

``SEC. 33. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH GRANTS.

    ``(a) Authority.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish a 
        program of awards to partnerships among participants described 
        in paragraph (2) for the purposes described in paragraph (3). 
        Awards shall be made on a peer-reviewed, competitive basis.
            ``(2) Participants.--Such partnerships shall include at 
        least--
                    ``(A) 1 manufacturing industry partner; and
                    ``(B) 1 nonindustry partner.
            ``(3) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this 
        section is to foster collaborations among firms, educational 
        institutions, research institutions, State agencies, and 
        nonprofit organizations to encourage the development of 
        innovative, multidisciplinary manufacturing technologies. 
        Partnerships receiving awards under this section shall conduct 
        applied research to develop new manufacturing processes, 
        techniques, or materials that would contribute to improved 
        performance, productivity, and competitiveness of United States 
        manufacturing, and build lasting alliances among collaborators.
    ``(b) Program Contribution.--Awards under this section shall 
provide for not more than one-third of the costs of a partnership. Not 
more than an additional one-third of such costs may be obtained 
directly or indirectly from other Federal sources.
    ``(c) Applications.--Applications for awards under this section 
shall be submitted in such manner, at such time, and containing such 
information as the Director shall require. Such applications shall 
describe at a minimum--
            ``(1) how each partner will participate in developing and 
        carrying out the research agenda of the partnership;
            ``(2) the work that the grant would fund; and
            ``(3) how the work to be funded with the award would 
        contribute to improved performance, productivity, and 
        competitiveness of the United States manufacturing industry.
    ``(d) Selection Criteria.--In selecting applications for awards 
under this section, the Director shall consider at a minimum--
            ``(1) the degree to which projects will have a broad impact 
        on manufacturing;
            ``(2) the novelty and scientific and technical merit of the 
        proposed projects;
            ``(3) the demonstrated capabilities of the applicants to 
        successfully carry out the proposed research; and
            ``(4) any other criteria the Director may require.
    ``(e) Distribution.--In selecting applications under this section 
the Director shall ensure, to the extent practicable a distribution of 
overall awards among a variety of manufacturing industry sectors and a 
range of firm sizes.
    ``(f) Preference.--The Director shall give preference to the 
selection of applicants whose proposals include training of qualified 
candidates at educational institutions or industrial facilities.
    ``(g) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Director shall transmit to Congress a report on the 
performance of the program under this section.''.

SEC. 5. MANUFACTURING FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--In order to promote the development of a robust 
research community working at the leading edge of manufacturing 
sciences, the Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology shall establish a program to award--
            (1) postdoctoral research fellowships to individuals who 
        are seeking research positions at institutions, including the 
        National Institute of Standards and Technology, engaged in 
        research activities related to manufacturing sciences; and
            (2) senior research fellowships to individuals seeking 
        research positions at institutions, including the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology, engaged in research 
        activities related to manufacturing sciences.
    (b) Applications.--To be eligible for an award under this section, 
an individual shall submit an application to the Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Director may require.
    (c) Stipend Levels.--Under this section, the Director shall provide 
stipends for postdoctoral research fellowships at a level consistent 
with the National Institute of Standards and Technology Postdoctoral 
Research Fellowship Program, and senior research fellowships at levels 
consistent with support for a faculty member in a sabbatical position.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Commerce for the Collaborative Manufacturing Research Grants program 
under section 33 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act and for Manufacturing Fellowships at the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology under section 5 of this Act--
            (1) $41,500,000 for fiscal year 2005, of which $40,000,000 
        shall be for the program under section 33 of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act and $1,500,000 shall 
        be for the program under section 5 of this Act;
            (2) $45,750,000 for fiscal year 2006, of which $44,000,000 
        shall be for the program under section 33 of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act and $1,750,000 shall 
        be for the program under section 5 of this Act;
            (3) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2007, of which $48,000,000 
        shall be for the program under section 33 of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act and $2,000,000 shall 
        be for the program under section 5 of this Act; and
            (4) $54,250,000 for fiscal year 2008, of which $52,000,000 
        shall be for the program under section 33 of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act and $2,250,000 shall 
        be for the program under section 5 of this Act.

SEC. 7. MANUFACTURING EXTENSION.

    (a) Manufacturing Center Evaluation.--Section 25(c)(5) of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
278k(c)(5)) is amended by inserting ``A Center that has not received a 
positive evaluation by the evaluation panel shall be notified by the 
panel of the deficiencies in its performance and placed on probation 
for one year, after which time the panel shall reevaluate the Center. 
If the Center has not addressed the deficiencies identified by the 
panel, or shown a significant improvement in its performance, the 
Director shall conduct a new competition to select an operator for the 
Center.'' after ``sixth year at declining levels.''.
    (b) Manufacturing Extension Center Competitive Grant Program.--
Section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
subsection:
    ``(e) Competitive Grant Program.--
            ``(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish, within 
        the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program under this 
        section and section 26 of this Act, a program of competitive 
        awards among participants described in paragraph (2) for the 
        purposes described in paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Participants.--Participants receiving awards under 
        this subsection shall be the Centers, or a consortium of such 
        Centers.
            ``(3) Purpose.--The purpose of the program under this 
        subsection is to develop projects to solve new or emerging 
        manufacturing problems as determined by the Director, in 
        consultation with the Director of the Manufacturing Extension 
        Partnership program, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
        National Advisory Board, and small and medium-sized 
        manufacturers. One or more themes for the competition may be 
        identified, which may vary from year to year, depending on the 
        needs of manufacturers and the success of previous 
        competitions. These themes may be related to projects 
        associated with manufacturing extension activities, including 
        workforce training, supply chain integration, and quality 
        management, or extend beyond these traditional areas.
            ``(4) Applications.--Applications for awards under this 
        subsection shall be submitted in such manner, at such time, and 
        containing such information as the Director shall require, in 
        consultation with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
        National Advisory Board.
            ``(5) Selection.--Awards under this subsection shall be 
        peer reviewed and competitively awarded. The Director shall 
        select proposals to receive awards--
                    ``(A) that utilize innovative or collaborative 
                approaches to solving the problem described in the 
                competition;
                    ``(B) that will improve the competitiveness of 
                industries in the region in which the Center or Centers 
                are located; and
                    ``(C) that will contribute to the long-term 
                economic stability of that region.
            ``(6) Program contribution.--Recipients of awards under 
        this subsection shall not be required to provide a matching 
        contribution.
            ``(7) Report.--Not later than two years after the first 
        awards under this subsection, the Director shall transmit to 
        Congress a report on the program describing the grants that 
        were awarded, their recipients, the success to date of the 
        program to meet the purposes of this subsection, lessons 
        learned, and the challenges and opportunities facing the future 
        success of the program.
            ``(8) Funding.--Funding for the program under this 
        subsection shall not be available unless amounts remain 
        available after financial assistance is provided to Centers as 
        specified under this section.''.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary of Commerce for the Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership program under sections 25 and 26 of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k and 278l)--
            (1) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
            (2) $125,000,000 for fiscal year 2006;
            (3) $132,000,000 for fiscal year 2007; and
            (4) $137,000,000 for fiscal year 2008.
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