[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3620 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3620

To require the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the economic 
  competitiveness and innovative capacity of the United States and to 
  develop a national economic competitiveness strategy, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 20, 2010

 Mr. Warner (for himself, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, and 
  Mr. Begich) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to conduct a study on the economic 
  competitiveness and innovative capacity of the United States and to 
  develop a national economic competitiveness strategy, 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 ``National Competitiveness and 
Innovation Strategy Act of 2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The United States has not undertaken a national 
        economic competitiveness strategy since 1978.
            (2) Major economic competitors of the United States are 
        engaged in nationally coordinated efforts to improve their own 
        competitiveness.
            (3) The world economy is at a turning point in the face of 
        economic challenges, energy constraints, infrastructure, and 
        manufacturing sector changes.
            (4) The United States needs to position itself to take 
        advantage of the turning point described in paragraph (3) to 
        ensure the continued economic success of the United States for 
        the next 50 years.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that the United 
States should engage the private sector in order to maximize Government 
efforts to improve national competitiveness and further innovation 
within specific economic sectors in order to reassert leadership in key 
sectors and to improve the quality of, and increase the quantity of, 
high-value jobs in the United States.

SEC. 3. STUDY ON ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS AND INNOVATIVE CAPACITY OF 
              UNITED STATES AND DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL ECONOMIC 
              COMPETITIVENESS STRATEGY.

    (a) Study.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce shall 
        complete a comprehensive study of the economic competitiveness 
        and innovative capacity of the United States.
            (2) Matters covered.--The study required by paragraph (1) 
        shall include the following:
                    (A) An analysis of the United States economy and 
                innovation infrastructure.
                    (B) An assessment of the following:
                            (i) The current competitive and innovation 
                        performance of the United States economy 
                        relative to other countries that compete 
                        economically with the United States.
                            (ii) Economic competitiveness and domestic 
                        innovation in the current business climate, 
                        including tax and Federal regulatory policy.
                            (iii) The business climate of the United 
                        States and those of other countries that 
                        compete economically with the United States.
                            (iv) Regional issues that influence the 
                        economic competitiveness and innovation 
                        capacity of the United States, including--
                                    (I) the roles of State and local 
                                governments and institutions of higher 
                                education; and
                                    (II) regional factors that 
                                contribute positively to innovation.
                            (v) The effectiveness of the Federal 
                        Government in supporting and promoting economic 
                        competitiveness and innovation, including any 
                        duplicative efforts of, or gaps in coverage 
                        between, Federal agencies and departments.
                            (vi) Barriers to competitiveness in newly 
                        emerging business or technology sectors, 
                        factors influencing underperforming economic 
                        sectors, unique issues facing small and medium 
                        enterprises, and barriers to the development 
                        and evolution of start-ups, firms, and 
                        industries.
                            (vii) The effects of domestic and 
                        international trade policy on the 
                        competitiveness of the United States and the 
                        United States economy.
                            (viii) United States export promotion and 
                        export finance programs relative to export 
                        promotion and export finance programs of other 
                        countries that compete economically with the 
                        United States, including Canada, France, 
                        Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, and the United 
                        Kingdom, with noting of export promotion and 
                        export finance programs carried out by such 
                        countries that are not analogous to any 
                        programs carried out by the United States.
                            (ix) The effectiveness of current policies 
                        and programs affecting exports, including an 
                        assessment of Federal trade restrictions and 
                        State and Federal export promotion activities.
                            (x) The effectiveness of the Federal 
                        Government and federally funded research and 
                        development centers in supporting and promoting 
                        technology commercialization and technology 
                        transfer.
                            (xi) Domestic and international 
                        intellectual property policies and practices.
                            (xii) Manufacturing capacity, logistics, 
                        and supply chain dynamics of major export 
                        sectors, including access to a skilled 
                        workforce, physical infrastructure, and 
                        broadband network infrastructure.
                            (xiii) Federal and State policies relating 
                        to science, technology, and education and other 
                        relevant Federal and State policies designed to 
                        promote commercial innovation, including 
                        immigration policies.
                    (C) Development of recommendations on the 
                following:
                            (i) How the United States should invest in 
                        human capital.
                            (ii) How the United States should 
                        facilitate entrepreneurship and innovation.
                            (iii) How best to develop opportunities for 
                        locally and regionally driven innovation by 
                        providing Federal support.
                            (iv) How best to strengthen the economic 
                        infrastructure and industrial base of the 
                        United States.
                            (v) How to improve the international 
                        competitiveness of the United States.
            (3) Consultation.--
                    (A) In general.--The study required by paragraph 
                (1) shall be conducted in consultation with the 
                National Economic Council of the Office of Policy 
                Development, such Federal agencies as the Secretary 
                considers appropriate, and the Innovation Advisory 
                Board established under subparagraph (B). The Secretary 
                shall also establish a process for obtaining comments 
                from the public.
                    (B) Innovation advisory board.--
                            (i) In general.--The Secretary shall 
                        establish an Innovation Advisory Board for 
                        purposes of obtaining advice with respect to 
                        the conduct of the study required by paragraph 
                        (1).
                            (ii) Composition.--The Advisory Board 
                        established under clause (i) shall be comprised 
                        of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary--
                                    (I) who shall represent all major 
                                industry sectors;
                                    (II) a majority of whom should be 
                                from private industry, including large 
                                and small firms, representing advanced 
                                technology sectors and more traditional 
                                sectors that use technology; and
                                    (III) who may include economic or 
                                innovation policy experts, State and 
                                local government officials active in 
                                technology-based economic development, 
                                and representatives from higher 
                                education.
                            (iii) Exemption from faca.--The Federal 
                        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
                        not apply to the advisory board established 
                        under clause (i).
    (b) Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the completion 
        of the study required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
        develop, based on the study required by subsection (a)(1), a 
        national 10-year strategy to strengthen the innovative and 
        competitive capacity of the Federal Government, State and local 
        governments, United States institutions of higher education, 
        and the private sector of the United States.
            (2) Elements.--The strategy required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) Actions to be taken by individual Federal 
                agencies and departments to improve competitiveness.
                    (B) Proposed legislative actions for consideration 
                by Congress.
                    (C) Annual goals and milestones for the 10-year 
                period of the strategy.
                    (D) A plan for monitoring the progress of the 
                Federal Government with respect to improving conditions 
                for innovation and the competitiveness of the United 
                States.
    (c) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Upon the completion of the strategy 
        required by subsection (b), the Secretary of Commerce shall 
        submit to Congress and the President a report on the study 
        conducted under subsection (a) and the strategy developed under 
        subsection (b).
            (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) The findings of the Secretary with respect to 
                the study conducted under subsection (a).
                    (B) The strategy required by subsection (b).
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