[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5865 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5865

  To promote the growth and competitiveness of American manufacturing.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 30, 2012

Mr. Lipinski (for himself and Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, for a period 
    to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote the growth and competitiveness of American manufacturing.

    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 ``American Manufacturing 
Competitiveness Act of 2012''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS STRATEGY.

    Not later than April 1, 2014 and April 1, 2018, the President shall 
submit to Congress, and publish on a public website, a strategy to 
promote growth, sustainability, and competitiveness in the Nation's 
manufacturing sector, create well-paid, stable jobs, enable innovation 
and investment, and support national security.

SEC. 3. MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS BOARD.

    (a) In General.--There is established on the first day of each of 
the two Presidential terms following the date of enactment of this Act 
an American Manufacturing Competitiveness Board (in this Act referred 
to as ``the Board'').
    (b) Members.--Members of each Board shall be appointed as follows:
            (1) Public sector members.--The President shall appoint to 
        the Board--
                    (A) the Secretary of Commerce;
                    (B) Governors of two States, from different 
                political parties, after consulting with the National 
                Governors Association; and
                    (C) two other members who are current or former 
                officials of the executive branch of government.
            (2) Private sector members.--
                    (A) Criteria.--Ten individuals from the private 
                sector shall be appointed to the Board in accordance 
                with subparagraph (B) from among individuals with 
                experience in the areas of--
                            (i) managing manufacturing companies;
                            (ii) managing supply chain providers;
                            (iii) managing labor organizations;
                            (iv) workforce development;
                            (v) finance;
                            (vi) analyzing manufacturing policy and 
                        competitiveness;
                            (vii) conducting manufacturing-related 
                        research and development; and
                            (viii) the defense industrial base.
                    (B) Appointment.--The Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives and the majority leader of the Senate 
                shall each appoint 3 members to the Board. The minority 
                leader of the House of Representatives and the minority 
                leader of the Senate shall each appoint 2 members to 
                the Board.
    (c) Termination.--The Board shall terminate 60 days after 
submitting its final report pursuant to section 4(d)(3).
    (d) Co-Chairmen.--The Secretary of Commerce (or the designee of the 
Secretary) and a member elected by the private sector members of the 
Board appointed pursuant to subsection (b)(2).
    (e) Subgroups.--The Board may convene subgroups to address 
particular industries, policy topics, or other matters. Such subgroups 
may include members representing any of the following:
            (1) Other Federal agencies, as the co-chairmen determine 
        appropriate.
            (2) State, local, tribal, and Territorial governments.
            (3) The private sector, including labor, industry, 
        academia, trade associations, and other appropriate groups.
    (f) Quorum.--Ten members of the Board shall constitute a quorum for 
the transaction of business but a lesser number may hold hearings with 
the agreement of the co-chairmen.
    (g) Meetings.--
            (1) Timing and frequency of meetings.--The Board shall meet 
        at the call of the co-chairmen, and not fewer than 2 times.
            (2) Public meetings required.--The Board shall convene 
        public meetings to solicit views on the Nation's manufacturing 
        sector and recommendations for the national manufacturing 
        competitiveness strategy.
            (3) Locations of public meetings.--The locations of public 
        meetings convened under paragraph (2) shall ensure the 
        inclusion of multiple regions and industries of the 
        manufacturing sector.
    (h) Application of Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Federal 
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), other than section 14 of such 
Act, shall apply to the Board, including any subgroups established 
pursuant to subsection (e).

SEC. 4. DUTIES OF THE BOARD.

    (a) In General.--The Board shall--
            (1) advise the President and Congress on issues affecting 
        the Nation's manufacturing sector;
            (2) conduct a comprehensive analysis in accordance with 
        subsection (c); and
            (3) develop a national manufacturing competitiveness 
        strategy in accordance with subsection (d).
    (b) Preliminary Report.--Within 180 days of a quorum of each Board 
being nominated, the Board shall issue a preliminary report on the 
state of American manufacturing. The preliminary report shall also 
identify any recommendations that have been issued by the Department of 
Commerce Manufacturing Council that have not been acted upon and a 
summary and assessment of recommendations that have been issued by 
other non-governmental parties relating to domestic manufacturing.
    (c) Comprehensive Analysis.--In developing a national manufacturing 
competitiveness strategy under subsection (d), the Board shall conduct 
a comprehensive analysis of the Nation's manufacturing sector, taking 
into consideration relevant reports, plans, or recommendations issued 
by Federal agencies, Federal advisory boards, academia, and the private 
sector. Such analysis shall address--
            (1) the value and role of manufacturing in the Nation's 
        economy, security, and global leadership;
            (2) the current domestic and international environment for 
        the Nation's manufacturing sector, and any subsector identified 
        by the Board as warranting special study for competitiveness or 
        for comparison purposes;
            (3) Federal, State, local, and Territorial policies, 
        programs, and conditions that affect manufacturing;
            (4) a summary of the manufacturing policies and strategies 
        of the Nation's 10 largest trading partners, to the extent 
        known;
            (5) the identification of emerging or evolving markets, 
        technologies, and products for which the Nation's manufacturers 
        could compete;
            (6) the identification of redundant or ineffective 
        government programs related to manufacturing;
            (7) the short- and long-term forecasts for the Nation's 
        manufacturing sector, and forecasts of expected national and 
        international trends and factors likely to affect such sector 
        in the future;
            (8) the manner in which Federal agencies share information 
        and views with respect to the effects of proposed or active 
        regulations or other executive actions on the domestic 
        manufacturing sector and its workforce;
            (9) the recommendations of the Department of Commerce 
        Manufacturing Council, whether such recommendations have been 
        implemented, and the effect of such recommendations; and
            (10) any other matters affecting the competitiveness, 
        growth, stability, and sustainability of the Nation's 
        manufacturing sector relative to those of other nations, 
        including--
                    (A) levels of domestic production;
                    (B) productivity and the extent to which national 
                economic statistics related to manufacturing accurately 
                measure manufacturing output and productivity growth;
                    (C) trade policy and balance;
                    (D) energy policy;
                    (E) expenditures on basic and applied research 
                related to manufacturing technology;
                    (F) programs to help small and mid-sized 
                manufacturers become more competitive;
                    (G) the impact of Federal statutes and regulations;
                    (H) the impact of Federal monetary policy;
                    (I) the impact of taxation;
                    (J) financing and investment;
                    (K) research and development;
                    (L) job creation and employment disparities;
                    (M) workforce skills, gaps, and development;
                    (N) adequacy of the industrial base for maintaining 
                national security;
                    (O) protections for intellectual property; and
                    (P) customs enforcement and counterfeiting.
    (d) National Manufacturing Competitiveness Strategy.--
            (1) Development.--The Board shall develop a national 
        manufacturing competitiveness strategy, based on--
                    (A) the results of the comprehensive analysis 
                conducted under subsection (c); and
                    (B) any other information, studies, or perspectives 
                that the Board determines to be appropriate.
            (2) Goals and recommendations.--
                    (A) Goals.--The Board shall include in the national 
                manufacturing competitiveness strategy short- and long-
                term goals for improving the competitiveness conditions 
                of the Nation's manufacturing sector, taking into 
                account the matters addressed in the comprehensive 
                analysis conducted under subsection (c).
                    (B) Recommendations.--The Board shall include in 
                the national manufacturing competitiveness strategy 
                recommendations for achieving the goals provided under 
                subparagraph (A). Such recommendations may propose--
                            (i) actions to be taken by the President, 
                        Congress, State, local, and territorial 
                        governments, the private sector, universities, 
                        industry associations, and other stakeholders;
                            (ii) actions to improve government policies 
                        and coordination among entities developing such 
                        policies;
                            (iii) the consolidation or elimination of 
                        government programs;
                            (iv) actions to improve government 
                        interaction with the manufacturing sector and 
                        communication regarding the effects of proposed 
                        or active government regulations or other 
                        executive actions on the manufacturing sector 
                        and its workforce; and
                            (v) the elimination or repeal of 
                        regulations that place the United States 
                        manufacturing sector at a disadvantage relative 
                        to other nations.
            (3) Report.--
                    (A) Draft.--Not later than 90 days before the date 
                on which the President is required to submit to 
                Congress a report containing a national manufacturing 
                competitiveness strategy under section 2, each Board 
                shall publish in the Federal Register and on a public 
                website a draft report containing a national 
                manufacturing competitiveness strategy.
                    (B) Public comment; review and revision.--A draft 
                report published under subparagraph (A) shall remain 
                available for public comment for a period of not less 
                than 30 days from the date of publication. The Board 
                shall review any comments received regarding such draft 
                report and may revise the draft report based upon those 
                comments.
                    (C) Publication.--Not later than 30 days before the 
                date on which the President is required to submit to 
                Congress a report containing a national manufacturing 
                competitiveness strategy under section 2, each Board 
                shall submit to the President for review and revision a 
                final report containing a national manufacturing 
                competitiveness strategy, and shall publish such final 
                report on a public website.
                    (D) Required contents of the report.--The final 
                report submitted under subparagraph (C) shall include--
                            (i) when feasible, an estimate of the 
                        short- and long-term Federal Government outlays 
                        and revenue changes necessary to implement the 
                        national manufacturing competitiveness strategy 
                        and an estimate of savings that may be derived 
                        from implementation of the national 
                        manufacturing competitiveness strategy;
                            (ii) a detailed explanation of the methods 
                        and analysis used to determine the estimates 
                        included under clause (i);
                            (iii) detailed recommendations regarding 
                        how to pay for the cost of implementation 
                        estimated under clause (i), when feasible; and
                            (iv) a plan for how the recommendations 
                        included in the report will be implemented and 
                        who is or should be responsible for the 
                        implementation.
    (e) Consultation.--In order to gain perspective and avoid 
duplication of efforts, the Board shall consult on manufacturing issues 
with the Defense Science Board, the President's Council of Advisors on 
Science and Technology, the Manufacturing Council established by the 
Department of Commerce, and the Labor Advisory Committee for Trade 
Negotiations and Trade Policy, and may consult with other relevant 
governmental entities or the private sector.

SEC. 5. REQUIREMENT TO CONSIDER NATIONAL MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS 
              STRATEGY IN BUDGET.

    In preparing the budget for each fiscal year through fiscal year 
2020 under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States Code, the 
President shall include information regarding the consistency of the 
budget with the goals and recommendations included in national 
manufacturing competitiveness strategy.
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