[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1425 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1425

To enhance the defense nanotechnology research and development program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 17, 2007

  Mr. Pryor (for himself, Ms. Collins, and Mr. Warner) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To enhance the defense nanotechnology research and development program.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. ENHANCEMENT OF DEFENSE NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
              DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Program Purposes.--Subsection (b) of section 246 of the Bob 
Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003 (Public 
Law 107-314; 116 Stat. 2500; 10 U.S.C. 2358 note) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``in nanoscale research 
        and development'' and inserting ``in the National 
        Nanotechnology Initiative and with the National Nanotechnology 
        Coordination Office under section 3 of the 21st Century 
        Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7502)''; 
        and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``portfolio of 
        fundamental and applied nanoscience and engineering research 
        initiatives'' and inserting ``portfolio of nanotechnology 
        research and development initiatives''.
    (b) Program Administration.--
            (1) Administration through under secretary of defense for 
        acquisition, technology, and logistics.--Subsection (c) of such 
        section is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``the Director of Defense Research 
                and Engineering'' and inserting ``the Under Secretary 
                of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and 
                Logistics''; and
                    (B) by striking ``The Director'' and inserting 
                ``The Under Secretary''.
            (2) Other administrative matters.--Such subsection is 
        further amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the 
                Department's increased investment in nanotechnology and 
                the National Nanotechnology Initiative; and'' and 
                inserting ``investments by the Department and other 
                departments and agencies participating in the National 
                Nanotechnology Initiative in nanotechnology research 
                and development;'';
                    (B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the 
                end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(4) oversee interagency coordination of the program with 
        other departments and agencies participating in the National 
        Nanotechnology Initiative, including providing appropriate 
        funds to support the National Nanotechnology Coordination 
        Office.''.
    (c) Program Activities.--Such section is further amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (d); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new subsection (d):
    ``(d) Activities.--Activities under the program shall include the 
following:
            ``(1) The development of a strategic plan for defense 
        nanotechnology research and development that is integrated with 
        the strategic plan for the National Nanotechnology Initiative.
            ``(2) The issuance on an annual basis of policy guidance to 
        the military departments and the Defense Agencies that--
                    ``(A) establishes research priorities under the 
                program;
                    ``(B) provides for the determination and 
                documentation of the benefits to the Department of 
                Defense of research under the program; and
                    ``(C) sets forth a clear strategy for transitioning 
                the research into products needed by the Department.
            ``(3) Advocating for the transition of nanotechnologies in 
        defense acquisition programs, including the development of 
        nanomanufacturing capabilities and a nanotechnology defense 
        industrial base.''.
    (d) Reports.--Such section is further amended by adding at the end 
the following new subsection:
    ``(e) Reports.--(1) Not later than March 1 of each of 2009, 2011, 
and 2013, the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, 
and Logistics shall submit to the congressional defense committees a 
report on the program.
    ``(2) Each report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
            ``(A) A review of--
                    ``(i) the long-term challenges and specific 
                technical goals of the program; and
                    ``(ii) the progress made toward meeting such 
                challenges and achieving such goals.
            ``(B) An assessment of current and proposed funding levels 
        for the program, including an assessment of the adequacy of 
        such funding levels to support program activities.
            ``(C) A review of the coordination of activities under the 
        program within the Department of Defense, with other 
        departments and agencies of the United States, and with the 
        National Nanotechnology Initiative.
            ``(D) A review and analysis of the findings and 
        recommendations relating to the Department of Defense of the 
        most recent triennial external review of the National 
        Nanotechnology Program under section 5 of the 21st Century 
        Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 1704), 
        and a description of initiatives of the Department to implement 
        such recommendations.
            ``(E) An assessment of technology transition from 
        nanotechnology research and development to enhanced warfighting 
        capabilities, including contributions from the Department of 
        Defense Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business 
        Technology Transfer Research programs, and the Department of 
        Defense Manufacturing Technology program, and an identification 
        of acquisition programs and deployed defense systems that are 
        incorporating nanotechnologies.
            ``(F) An assessment of global nanotechnology research and 
        development in areas of interest to the Department, including 
        an identification of the use of nanotechnologies in any foreign 
        defense systems.
            ``(G) An assessment of the defense nanotechnology 
        manufacturing and industrial base and its capability to meet 
        the near and far term requirements of the Department.
            ``(H) Such recommendations for additional activities under 
        the program to meet emerging national security requirements as 
        the Under Secretary considers appropriate.
    ``(3) Each report under paragraph (1) shall be submitted in 
unclassified form, but may include a classified annex.''.
    (e) Comptroller General Report on Program.--Not later than March 
31, 2010, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to 
the congressional defense committees a report setting forth the 
assessment of the Comptroller General of the progress made by the 
Department of Defense in achieving the purposes of the defense 
nanotechnology research and development program required by section 246 
of the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2003 (as amended by this section).
                                 <all>