[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4609 Reported in House (RH)]
<DOC>
Union Calendar No. 177
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4609
[Report No. 117-247]
To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 21, 2021
Ms. Stevens (for herself, Mr. Waltz, Ms. Johnson of Texas, and Mr.
Lucas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
February 18, 2022
Additional sponsors: Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Bowman, Mrs. Kim of California,
Mr. Garamendi, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Foster, Mr.
Trone, Ms. Ross, Mr. Auchincloss, Mr. Posey, Mr. Cohen, and Mr. Moulton
February 18, 2022
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July
21, 2021]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 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.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``National Institute
of Standards and Technology for the Future Act of 2021''.
(b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as
follows:
Sec. 1. Short title.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
TITLE I--APPROPRIATIONS
Sec. 101. Authorization of appropriations.
TITLE II--MEASUREMENT RESEARCH
Sec. 201. Engineering biology and biometrology.
Sec. 202. Greenhouse gas measurement research.
Sec. 203. NIST Authority for cybersecurity and privacy activities.
Sec. 204. Software security and authentication.
Sec. 205. Digital identity management research.
Sec. 206. Biometrics research and testing.
Sec. 207. Federal biometric performance standards.
Sec. 208. Protecting research from cyber theft.
Sec. 209. Dissemination of resources for research institutions.
Sec. 210. Advanced communications research.
Sec. 211. Neutron scattering.
Sec. 212. Quantum information science.
Sec. 213. Artificial intelligence.
Sec. 214. Facilitating development and distribution of forensic science
standards.
Sec. 215. Sustainable Chemistry Research and Education.
TITLE III--GENERAL ACTIVITIES
Sec. 301. NIST facilities and construction.
Sec. 302. Educational outreach and support for underrepresented
communities.
Sec. 303. Other transactions authority.
Sec. 304. Collaborations with government agencies.
Sec. 305. Hiring critical technical experts.
Sec. 306. International standards development.
Sec. 307. Standard technical update.
Sec. 308. GAO study of NIST research security policies and protocols.
Sec. 309. Premise plumbing research.
TITLE IV--HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP
Sec. 401. Establishment of expansion awards pilot program as a part of
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension
Partnership.
Sec. 402. Update to manufacturing extension partnership.
Sec. 403. National supply chain database.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) Framework.--The term ``Framework'' means the Framework
for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity developed
by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and
referred to in Executive Order 13800 issued on May 11, 2017 (82
Fed. Reg. 22391 et seq.).
(3) Historically black colleges and universities.--The term
``historically Black colleges and universities'' has the same
meaning given to the term ``part B institutions'' in section
322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).
(4) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the National
Institute of Standards and Technology.
(5) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(6) International standards organization.--The term
``International Standards Organization'' has the meaning given
such term in section 451 of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979
(19 U.S.C. 2571).
(7) Minority serving institution.--The term ``minority-
serving institution''' means a Hispanic-serving institution, an
Alaska Native-serving institution, a Native Hawaiian-serving
institutions, a Predominantly Black Institution, an Asian
American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving
institution, or a Native American-serving nontribal institution
as described in section 371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
(8) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Commerce.
(9) Technical standards.--The term ``technical standard''
has the meaning given such term in section 12(d)(5) of the
National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995.
TITLE I--APPROPRIATIONS
SEC. 101. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) Fiscal Year 2022.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,409,070,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2022.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $915,570,000 shall be for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities,
of which $9,000,000 may be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund;
(B) $140,000,000 shall be for the construction and
maintenance of facilities, of which $80,000,000 shall
be for Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major
Repairs;
(C) $331,500,000 shall be for industrial technology
services activities, of which $275,000,000 shall be 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)
and $56,500,000 shall be for the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 278s); and
(D) $22,000,000 shall be for the Director for the
purpose of investigating the building collapse that
occurred in Surfside, Florida on June 24, 2021, to
understand the source of failure, to provide
recommendations for how to rectify any shortcomings in
existing building standards in order to prevent future
similar disasters, and to inform future building codes
for similar structures, in coordination with state and
local offices and other federal agencies as
appropriate, consistent with the Institute's
responsibilities under the National Construction Safety
Team Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-231).
(b) Fiscal Year 2023.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,518,800,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2023.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $979,100,000 shall be for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities,
of which $10,000,000 may be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund;
(B) $200,000,000 shall be for the construction and
maintenance of facilities, of which $80,000,000 shall
be for Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major
Repairs, including $20,000,000 for IT infrastructure;
and
(C) $339,800,000 shall be for industrial technology
services activities, of which $283,300,000 shall be 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)
and $56,500,000 shall be for the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 278s).
(c) Fiscal Year 2024.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,595,800,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2024.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $1,047,600,000 shall be for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities,
of which $12,000,000 may be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund;
(B) $200,000,000 shall be for the construction and
maintenance of facilities, of which $80,000,000 shall
be for Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major
Repairs, including $20,000,000 for IT infrastructure;
and
(C) $348,200,000 shall be for industrial technology
services activities, of which $291,700,000 shall be 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)
and $56,500,000 shall be for the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 278s).
(d) Fiscal Year 2025.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,677,900,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2025.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $1,120,900,000 shall be for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities,
of which $15,000,000 may be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund;
(B) $200,000,000 shall be for the construction and
maintenance of facilities, of which $80,000,000 shall
be for Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major
Repairs, including $20,000,000 for IT infrastructure;
and
(C) $357,000,000 shall be for industrial technology
services activities, of which $300,500,000 shall be 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)
and $56,500,000 shall be for the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 278s).
(e) Fiscal Year 2026.--
(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary of Commerce $1,765,400,000 for the National
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal year 2026.
(2) Specific allocations.--Of the amount authorized by
paragraph (1)--
(A) $1,199,400,000 shall be for scientific and
technical research and services laboratory activities,
of which $18,000,000 may be transferred to the Working
Capital Fund;
(B) $200,000,000 shall be for the construction and
maintenance of facilities, of which $80,000,000 shall
be for Safety, Capacity, Maintenance, and Major
Repairs, including $20,000,000 for IT infrastructure;
and
(C) $366,000,000 shall be for industrial technology
services activities, of which $309,500,000 shall be 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 23
278l) and $56,500,000 shall be for the Network for
Manufacturing Innovation Program under section 34 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 278s).
TITLE II--MEASUREMENT RESEARCH
SEC. 201. ENGINEERING BIOLOGY AND BIOMETROLOGY.
(a) In General.--The Director shall--
(1) support basic measurement science, technology research
for engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and biometrology to
advance--
(A) measurement technologies to support
foundational understanding of the mechanisms of
conversion of DNA information into cellular function,
including both the natural and engineered production of
biomolecules;
(B) technologies for measurement of such
biomolecular components and for complex engineered
biological systems;
(C) new data tools, techniques, and processes to
improve engineering biology, biomanufacturing, and
biometrology research; and
(D) all other areas deemed by the Director to be
critical to the development and deployment of
engineering biology, biomanufacturing and biometrology;
(2) support activities to inform and expand the development
of measurements infrastructure needed to develop technical
standards to establish interoperability and facilitate
commercial development of biomolecular measurement technology
and engineering biology applications;
(3) convene industry, institutions of higher education,
nonprofit organizations, Federal laboratories, and other
Federal agencies engaged in engineering biology research and
development to develop coordinated technical roadmaps for
authoritative measurement of the molecular components of the
cell;
(4) provide access to user facilities with advanced or
unique equipment, services, materials, and other resources to
industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit
organizations, and government agencies to perform research and
testing;
(5) establish or expand collaborative partnerships or
consortia with other Federal agencies engaged in engineering
biology research and development, institutions of higher
education, Federal laboratories, and industry to advance
engineering biology applications; and
(6) support graduate and post graduate research and
training in biometrology, biomanufacturing, and engineering
biology.
(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the term
``Engineering Biology'' means the application of engineering design
principles and practices to biological systems, including molecular and
cellular systems, to advance fundamental understanding of complex
natural systems and to enable novel or optimize functions and
capabilities.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be
construed to alter the policies, processes, or practices of individual
Federal agencies in effect on the day before the date of the enactment
of this Act relating to the conduct of biomedical research and advanced
development, including the solicitation and review of extramural
research proposals.
(d) Controls.--In carrying out activities authorized by this
section, the Secretary shall ensure proper security controls are in
place to protect sensitive information, as appropriate.
SEC. 202. GREENHOUSE GAS MEASUREMENT RESEARCH.
(a) Greenhouse Gas Measurement Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the
Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the Administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency, shall carry out a measurement research
program to inform the development of best practices,
benchmarks, methodologies, procedures, and technical standards
for the measurement of greenhouse gas emissions and to assess
and improve the performance of greenhouse gas emissions
measurement systems.
(2) Activities.--In carrying out such a program, the
Director may--
(A) conduct research and testing to improve the
accuracy, efficacy, and reliability of the measurement
of greenhouse gas emissions at a range of scales that
covers direct measurement at the component or process
level through atmospheric observations;
(B) conduct research to create novel measurement
technologies and techniques for the measurement of
greenhouse gas emissions;
(C) convene and engage with relevant Federal
agencies and stakeholders to establish common
definitions and characterizations for the measurement
of greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account any
existing United States and international standards and
guidance;
(D) conduct outreach and coordination to share
technical expertise with relevant industry and non-
industry stakeholders and standards development
organizations to assist such entities in the
development of best practices and technical standards
for greenhouse gas emissions measurements; and
(E) in coordination with the Administrator of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency,
develop such standard reference materials as the
Director determines is necessary to further the
development of such technical standards, taking into
account any existing United States or international
standards.
(3) Test beds.--In coordination with the private sector,
institutions of higher education, state and local governments,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the
Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal agencies as
appropriate, the Director may continue to develop and manage
testbeds to advance research and standards development for
greenhouse gas emissions measurements.
(4) Greenhouse gas measurement center of excellence.--
(A) In general.--The Director, in collaboration
with the Administrator of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the Administrator of the
Environmental Protection Agency, and the heads of other
Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall award to an
institution of higher education or an eligible
nonprofit organization (or a consortium thereof), on a
merit-reviewed, competitive basis, funds to establish a
Center of Excellence in Greenhouse Gas Measurement.
(B) Collaborations.--The Director shall require, as
a condition of receipt of the award under this
paragraph, that the activities of the Center of
Excellence include collaboration among public and
private organizations, including institutions of higher
education, nonprofit organizations, private sector
entities, and State, tribal, territorial, and local
officials.
(C) Purpose.--The purpose of the Center of
Excellence shall be to--
(i) advance measurement science, data
analytics, and modeling at a range of scales
that covers direct measurement at the component
or process level through atmospheric
observations to improve the accuracy of
greenhouse gas emissions measurement,
validation, and attribution to specific
underlying activities and processes;
(ii) test and evaluate the performance of
existing capabilities, and inform and improve
best practices, benchmarks, methodologies,
procedures, and technical standards, for the
measurement and validation of greenhouse gas
emissions at scales noted in clause (i);
(iii) educate and train students in
measurement science, computational science, and
systems engineering research relevant to
greenhouse gas emissions measurements;
(iv) foster collaboration among academic
researchers, private sector stakeholders, and
State, tribal, territorial, and local
officials;
(v) support Institute test beds as
described in subsection (a)(3); and
(vi) collaborate with other Federal
agencies to conduct outreach and coordination
to share technical expertise with relevant
public and private sector stakeholders,
including State, tribal, territorial, and local
officials, to assist such entities in measuring
greenhouse gas emissions.
(D) Requirements.--
(i) In general.--An institution of higher
education or an eligible nonprofit organization
(or a consortium thereof) seeking funding under
this subsection shall submit an application to
the Director at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Director may
require.
(ii) Applications.--Each application made
under clause (i) shall include a description
of--
(I) how the Center will work with
other research institutions, industry
partners, and State and local officials
to identify research, testing, and
technical standards needs relevant to
greenhouse gas emissions;
(II) how the Center will promote
active collaboration among researchers
in multiple disciplines involved in the
measurement of greenhouse gas
emissions; and
(III) how the Center will share
technical expertise with relevant
public and private sector stakeholders,
including state and local officials, to
assist such entities in measuring
greenhouse gas emissions.
(iii) Selection and duration.--Each Center
established under this section is authorized to
carry out activities for a period of 5 years,
renewable for an additional 5 years at the
discretion of the Director, in consultation
with other Federal agencies as appropriate.
SEC. 203. NIST AUTHORITY FOR CYBERSECURITY AND PRIVACY ACTIVITIES.
Section 2 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
(15 U.S.C. 272 et seq.) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (16), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon;
(B) by redesignating paragraphs (16) through (27)
as paragraphs (21) through (32), respectively; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (15) the
following:
``(16) support information security measures for the
development and lifecycle of software and the software supply
chain, including development of voluntary, consensus-based
technical standards, best practices, frameworks, methodologies,
procedures, processes, and software engineering toolkits and
configurations;
``(17) support information security measures, including
voluntary, consensus-based technical standards, best practices,
and guidelines, for the design, adoption and deployment of
cloud computing services;
``(18) support research, development, and practical
application to improve the usability of cybersecurity processes
and technologies;
``(19) facilitate and support the development of a
voluntary, consensus-based set of technical standards,
guidelines, best practices, methodologies, procedures, and
processes to cost-effectively ensure appropriate privacy
protections for personally identifiable information in systems,
technologies, and processes used by both the public and private
sector;
``(20) support privacy measures, including voluntary,
consensus-based technical standards, best practices,
guidelines, metrology, and testbeds for the design, adoption
and deployment of privacy enhancing technologies;''; and
(2) in subsection (e)(1)(A)--
(A) in clause (viii), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) by redesignating clause (ix) as clause (x); and
(C) by inserting after clause (viii) the following:
``(ix) conduct reviews of and create impact
metrics for cybersecurity solutions and
capabilities developed by the Institute for
purposes of improvement; and''.
SEC. 204. SOFTWARE SECURITY AND AUTHENTICATION.
(a) Vulnerabilities in Open Source Software.--The Director shall
assess and assign severity metrics to identified vulnerabilities with
open source software and produce voluntary guidance to assist the
entities that maintain open source software repositories to discover
and mitigate vulnerabilities.
(b) Artificial Intelligence-enabled Defenses.--The Director shall
carry out research and testing to improve the effectiveness of
artificial intelligence-enabled cybersecurity, including by generating
optimized data sets to train artificial intelligence defense systems
and evaluating the performance of varying network architectures at
strengthening network security.
(c) Authentication of Institute Software.--The Director shall
ensure all software released by the Institute is digitally signed and
maintained to enable stakeholders to verify its authenticity and
integrity upon installation and execution.
(d) Assistance to Inspectors General.--The Director shall provide
technical assistance to improve the education and training of
individual Federal agency Inspectors General and staff who are
responsible for the annual independent evaluation they are required to
perform of the information security program and practices of Federal
Agencies under section 3555 of title 44, United States Code.
(e) Software Supply Chain Security Practices.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall, in coordination with
industry, academia, and other Federal agencies, as appropriate,
develop a set of security outcomes and practices, including
security controls, control enhancements, supplemental guidance,
or other supporting information to enable software developers
and operators to identify, assess, and manage cyber risks over
the full lifecycle of software products.
(2) Outreach.--The Director shall conduct outreach and
coordination activities to share technical expertise with
Federal agencies, relevant industry stakeholders, and standards
development organizations, as appropriate, to encourage the
voluntary adoption of the software lifecycle security practices
by Federal agencies and industry stakeholders.
SEC. 205. DIGITAL IDENTITY MANAGEMENT RESEARCH.
Section 504 of the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 (15 U.S.C.
7464) is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 504. IDENTITY MANAGEMENT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
``(a) In General.--The Director shall carry out a program of
research to support the development of voluntary, consensus-based
technical standards, best practices, benchmarks, methodologies,
metrology, testbeds, and conformance criteria for identity management,
taking into account appropriate user concerns--
``(1) to improve interoperability and portability among
identity management technologies;
``(2) to strengthen identity proofing and verification
methods used in identity management systems;
``(3) to improve privacy protection in identity management
systems through authentication and security protocols; and
``(4) to monitor and improve the accuracy, usability, and
inclusivity of identity management systems.
``(b) Digital Identity Technical Roadmap.--The Director, in
consultation with other relevant Federal agencies and stakeholders from
the private sector, shall develop and maintain a technical roadmap for
digital identity management research and development focused on
enabling the voluntary use and adoption of modern digital identity
solutions that align with the four criteria in subsection (a).
``(c) Digital Identity Management Guidance.--
``(1) In general.--The Director shall develop, and
periodically update, in collaboration with other public and
private sector organizations, common definitions and voluntary
guidance for digital identity management systems.
``(2) Guidance.--The Guidance shall--
``(A) align with the four criteria in subsection
(a), as practicable;
``(B) provide case studies of implementation of
guidance;
``(C) incorporate voluntary technical standards and
industry best practices; and
``(D) not prescribe or otherwise require the use of
specific technology products or services.
``(3) Consultation.--In carrying out this subsection, the
Director shall consult with--
``(A) Federal and State agencies;
``(B) industry;
``(C) potential end-users and individuals that will
use services related to digital identity verification;
and
``(D) experts with relevant experience in the
systems that enable digital identity verification, as
determined by the Director.''.
SEC. 206. BIOMETRICS RESEARCH AND TESTING.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall
establish a program to support measurement research to inform the
development of best practices, benchmarks, methodologies, procedures,
and voluntary, consensus-based technical standards for biometric
identification systems, including facial recognition systems, to assess
and improve the performance of such systems. In carrying out such
program, the Director may--
(1) conduct research to support efforts to improve the
performance of biometric identification systems, including in
areas related to conformity assessment, image quality and
interoperability, contactless biometric capture technologies,
and human-in-the-loop biometric identification systems and
processes;
(2) convene and engage with relevant stakeholders to
establish common definitions and characterizations for
biometric identification systems, including accuracy, fairness,
bias, privacy, consent, and other properties, taking into
account definitions in relevant international technical
standards and other publications;
(3) carry out research and testing on a range of biometric
modalities, such as fingerprints, voice, iris, face, vein,
behavioral biometrics, genetics, multimodal biometrics, and
emerging applications of biometric identification technology;
(4) study the use of privacy-enhancing technologies and
other technical protective controls to facilitate access to
public data sets for biometric research;
(5) conduct outreach and coordination to share technical
expertise with relevant industry and non-industry stakeholders
and standards development organizations to assist such entities
in the development of best practices and voluntary technical
standards; and
(6) develop such standard reference artifacts as the
Director determines is necessary to further the development of
such voluntary technical standards.
(b) Biometrics Vendor Test Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director, shall carry out a test program to provide biometrics
vendors the opportunity to test biometric identification
technologies across a range of modalities.
(2) Activities.--In carrying out the program under
subsection (a), the Director shall--
(A) conduct research and regular testing to improve
and benchmark the accuracy, efficacy, and bias of
biometric identification systems, including research
and testing on demographic variations, capture devices,
presentation attack detection, partially occluded or
computer generated images, privacy and security designs
and controls, template protection, de-identification,
and comparison of algorithm, human, and combined
algorithm-human recognition capability;
(B) develop an approach for testing software and
cloud-based biometrics applications, including remote
systems, in Institute test facilities;
(C) establish reference use cases for biometric
applications and performance criteria for assessing
each use case, including accuracy and bias metrics;
(D) produce public-facing reports of the findings
from such testing for a general audience; and
(E) conduct such other activities as deemed
necessary by the Director.
(3) Partnerships with other federal agencies.--In addition
to such sums as may be authorized to be appropriated or
otherwise made available to carry out this section, the
Director may accept funds from other Federal departments and
agencies and States and local governments to carry out
activities under this subsection.
SEC. 207. FEDERAL BIOMETRIC PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.
Section 20 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-3) is amended in subsection (b)--
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ``and'' after the
semicolon;
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period and inserting
``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) performance standards and guidelines for high risk
biometric identification systems, including facial recognition
systems, accounting for various use cases, types of biometric
identification systems, and relevant operational conditions.''.
SEC. 208. PROTECTING RESEARCH FROM CYBER THEFT.
Section 2(e)(1)(A) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(e)(1)(A)), as amended by section 203(2),
is further amended--
(1) in clause (ix), as added by section 203(2)(C), by
striking ``and'' after the semicolon;
(2) by redesignating clause (x), as redesignated by section
203(2)(B), as clause (xi); and
(3) by inserting after clause (ix), as added by section
203(2)(C), the following:
``(x) consider institutions of higher
education (as defined in section 101 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));
and''.
SEC. 209. DISSEMINATION OF RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.
(a) Dissemination of Resources for Research Institutions.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director shall, using the
authorities of the Director under subsections (c)(15) and
(e)(1)(A)(ix) of section 2 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272), as amended by
section 208, disseminate and make publicly available resources
to help qualifying institutions identify, assess, manage, and
reduce their cybersecurity risk related to conducting research.
(2) Requirements.--The Director shall ensure that the
resources disseminated pursuant to paragraph (1)--
(A) are generally applicable and usable by a wide
range of qualifying institutions;
(B) vary with the nature and size of the qualifying
institutions, and the nature and sensitivity of the
data collected or stored on the information systems or
devices of the qualifying institutions;
(C) include elements that promote awareness of
simple, basic controls, a workplace cybersecurity
culture, and third-party stakeholder relationships, to
assist qualifying institutions in mitigating common
cybersecurity risks;
(D) include case studies, examples, and scenarios
studies of practical application;
(E) are technology-neutral and can be implemented
using technologies that are commercial and off-the-
shelf; and
(F) to the extent practicable, are based on
international technical standards.
(3) National cybersecurity awareness and education
program.--The Director shall ensure that the resources
disseminated under paragraph (1) are consistent with the
efforts of the Director under section 303 of the Cybersecurity
Enhancement Act of 2014 (15 U.S.C. 7451).
(4) Updates.--The Director shall review periodically and
update the resources under paragraph (1) as the Director
determines appropriate.
(5) Voluntary resources.--The use of the resources
disseminated under paragraph (1) shall be considered voluntary.
(b) Other Federal Cybersecurity Requirements.--Nothing in this
section may be construed to supersede, alter, or otherwise affect any
cybersecurity requirements applicable to Federal agencies.
(c) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Qualifying institutions.--The term ``qualifying
institutions'' means institutions of higher education that are
classified as either very-high research intensive (R1) or high
research intensive (R2) status universities by the Carnegie
Classification of Academic Institutions.
(2) Resources.--The term ``resources'' means guidelines,
tools, best practices, technical standards, methodologies, and
other ways of providing information.
SEC. 210. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
271 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 35 as section 36; and
(2) by inserting after section 34 the following:
``SEC. 35. ADVANCED COMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.
``(a) Advanced Communications Research.--
``(1) In general.--The Director, in consultation with the
Administrator of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration, the Director of the National
Science Foundation, and heads of other Federal agencies, as
appropriate, shall carry out a program of measurement research
to inform the development of common definitions, benchmarks,
best practices, methodologies, and voluntary, consensus-based
technical standards for advanced communications technologies.
``(2) Research areas.--Research areas may include--
``(A) radio frequency emissions and interference,
including technologies and techniques to mitigate such
emissions;
``(B) advanced antenna arrays and artificial
intelligence systems capable of operating advanced
antenna arrays;
``(C) artificial intelligence systems to enable
internet of things networks, immersive technology, and
other advanced communications technologies;
``(D) network sensing and monitoring technologies;
``(E) technologies to enable spectrum flexibility
and agility;
``(F) optical and quantum communications
technologies;
``(G) security of advanced communications systems
and their supply chains;
``(H) public safety communications;
``(I) resilient internet of things applications for
advanced manufacturing; and
``(J) other research areas deemed necessary by the
Director.
``(3) Test beds.--In coordination with the private sector
and other Federal agencies as appropriate, the Director may
develop and manage testbeds for research and development of
advanced communications technologies, avoiding duplication of
existing testbeds run by other agencies or the private sector.
``(4) Outreach.--In carrying out the activities under this
subsection, the Director shall seek input from other Federal
agencies and from private sector stakeholders, on an ongoing
basis, to help inform research and development priorities,
including through workshops and other multi-stakeholder
activities.
``(5) Technical roadmaps.--In carrying out the activities
under this subsection, the Director shall convene industry,
institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations,
Federal laboratories, and other Federal agencies engaged in
advanced communications research and development to develop,
and periodically update, coordinated technical roadmaps for
advanced communications research in priority areas, such as
those described in paragraph (2).
``(b) National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network.--
``(1) In general.--The Director, in coordination with the
Administrator of the National Telecommunications and
Information Administration and heads of other Federal agencies,
as appropriate, shall operate a national network of government,
academic, and commercial test capabilities and facilities to be
known as the National Advanced Spectrum and Commutations Test
Network (referred to in this section as `NASCTN').
``(2) Purposes.--NASCTN shall be for the purposes of
facilitating and coordinating the use of intellectual capacity,
modeling and simulation, laboratory facilities, and test
facilities to meet national spectrum interests and challenges,
including--
``(A) measurements and analyses of electromagnetic
propagation, radio systems characteristics, and
operating techniques affecting the utilization of the
electromagnetic spectrum in coordination with
specialized, related research and analysis performed by
other Federal agencies in their areas of
responsibility;
``(B) Conducting research and analysis in the
general field of telecommunications sciences in support
of the Institute's mission and in support of other
Government agencies;
``(C) developing methodologies for testing,
measuring, and setting guidelines for interference;
``(D) conducting interference tests to better
understand the impact of Federal and commercial
spectrum activities;
``(E) conducting research and testing to improve
spectrum interference tolerance, flexibility, and
agility; and
``(F) other activities as deemed necessary by the
Director.
``(3) Partnerships with other federal agencies.--In
addition to such sums as may be authorized to be appropriated
or otherwise made available to carry out this section, the
Director may accept funds from other departments and agencies
of the Federal Government, and from the State and local
governments, to operate NASCTN under this section.''.
SEC. 211. NEUTRON SCATTERING.
(a) Strategic Plan for the Institute Neutron Reactor.--The Director
shall develop a strategic plan for the future of the Institute Center
for Neutron Research after the current neutron reactor is
decommissioned, including--
(1) a succession plan for the reactor, including a roadmap
with timeline and milestones;
(2) conceptual design of a new reactor and accompanying
facilities, as appropriate; and
(3) a plan to minimize disruptions to the user community
during the transition.
(b) Coordination With the Department of Energy.--The Secretary,
acting through the Director, shall coordinate with the Secretary of
Energy on issues related to Federal support for neutron science,
including estimation of long-term needs for research using neutron
sources, and planning efforts for future facilities to meet such needs.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 18 months after the
enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to Congress the plan
required under subsection (a), and shall notify Congress of any
substantial updates to such plan in subsequent years.
SEC. 212. QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE.
(a) In General.--The Director shall continue to prioritize and
carry out activities authorized in the National Quantum Initiative Act
(15 U.S.C. 8801).
(b) Quantum Research.--Section 201(a) of the National Quantum
Initiative Act (15 U.S.C. 8831) is amended--
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (4) as
paragraphs (6) through (7); and
(2) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) shall carry out research to facilitate the
development and standardization of quantum cryptography and
post-quantum classical cryptography;
``(4) shall carry out research to facilitate the
development and standardization of quantum networking and
communications technologies and applications, including--
``(A) quantum repeater technology;
``(B) quantum network traffic management;
``(C) quantum transduction;
``(D) long baseline entanglement and teleportation;
and
``(E) such other technologies, processes, or
applications as the Director considers appropriate;
``(5) shall, for quantum technologies deemed by the
Director to be at a readiness level sufficient for
standardization, the Director shall provide technical review
and assistance to such other Federal agencies as the Director
considers appropriate for the development of quantum network
infrastructure standards;''.
SEC. 213. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.
(a) In General.--The Director shall continue to support the
development of artificial intelligence and data science, and carry out
the activities of the National Artificial Intelligence Initiative Act
of 2020 authorized in division E of the National Defense Authorization
Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public Law 116-283), including through--
(1) expanding the Institute's capabilities, including
scientific staff and research infrastructure;
(2) supporting measurement research and development for
advanced computer chips and hardware designed for artificial
intelligence systems;
(3) supporting the development of technical standards and
guidelines that promote safe and trustworthy artificial
intelligence systems;
(4) creating a framework for managing risks associated with
artificial intelligence systems; and
(5) developing and publishing cybersecurity tools,
encryption methods, and best practices for artificial
intelligence and data science.
(b) Testbeds.--In coordination with other Federal agencies as
appropriate, the private sector, and institutions of higher education,
the Director may establish testbeds to examine artificial intelligence
and machine learning systems in virtual environments for
vulnerabilities that may lead to failure, malfunction, or attacks under
a wide range of conditions.
SEC. 214. FACILITATING DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE
STANDARDS.
(a) Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic
Science.--
(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish in the
Institute an organization to facilitate the development of
forensic science standards.
(2) Designation.--The organization established under
paragraph (1) shall be known as the ``Organization of
Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science''.
(3) Composition.--The Organization shall be composed of the
following:
(A) The Forensic Science and Standards Board
established under subsection (b).
(B) Each scientific area committee established
under subsection (c).
(4) Duties of the organization.--The duties of the
Organization are as follows:
(A) Facilitating the development and distribution
of scientifically sound, consensus-based documentary
standards and guidelines for forensic science,
including through formal collaboration with
nongovernmental standards development organizations.
(B) Establishing a registry of scientifically sound
forensic science standards and guidelines approved and
endorsed by the Organization.
(C) Establish a process for regularly re-evaluating
existing standards and guidelines published for
placement on the registry established under
subparagraph (B).
(D) Promoting the adoption by the forensic science
community of the standards and guidelines described in
subparagraph (A) and as included in the registry
established under subparagraph (B).
(b) Forensic Science Standards Board.--
(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish in the
Organization a board to oversee the operations of the
Organization and its committees.
(2) Designation.--The board established under paragraph (1)
shall be known as the ``Forensic Science Standards Board''.
(3) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of the
following:
(A) Members selected by the Director to serve on
the Board from among each of--
(i) members of the forensic science
community;
(ii) scientists and engineers with relevant
expertise at institutions of higher education
and other nonprofit research organizations;
(iii) statisticians;
(iv) a representative of each of the task
groups established under subsection (d), as the
Director considers appropriate; and
(v) such other communities or sectors as
the Director considers appropriate.
(B) The chairpersons of the scientific area
committees established under subsection (c).
(4) Duties.--The duties of the Board are as follows:
(A) Overseeing all operations of the Organization,
including the committees of the Organization.
(B) Establishing governance rules and policies for
the Organization.
(C) Facilitating communication within the
Organization and between the Organization, the criminal
justice community, and the forensic science community.
(D) Overseeing the reviewing and approving process
of standards to be added to the registry established
under subsection (a)(4)(B).
(5) Authority to approve standards for listing in registry
of forensic science standards and guidelines.--The Board may
approve standards for listing on the registry established under
subsection (a)(4)(B).
(c) Scientific Area Committees.--
(1) Establishment.--The Director shall establish one or
more scientific area committees to carry out the work of the
Organization.
(2) Membership.--
(A) Composition.--Each scientific area committee
established under paragraph (1) shall be composed of
the following:
(i) The chairperson of the scientific area
committee.
(ii) The vice chairperson of the scientific
area committee.
(iii) The chairperson of each subcommittee
established under paragraph (3) for each
scientific area committee under paragraph (1).
(B) Chairperson and vice chairperson.--
(i) In general.--For each scientific area
committee established under paragraph (1), the
Director shall appoint a chairperson and a vice
chairperson for the scientific area committee
from among individuals with expertise in the
subject area of the scientific area committee.
(ii) Service.--Each chairperson and vice
chairperson appointed under clause (i) shall
serve as a chairperson or vice chairperson at
the pleasure of the Director.
(3) Subcommittees.--
(A) Establishment.--The Director may establish such
subcommittees in a scientific area committee
established under paragraph (1) as the Director
considers appropriate to assist in the work of the
scientific area committee.
(B) Membership.--Each subcommittee established
under subparagraph (A) shall be composed of such
members selected by the Director from among the
following:
(i) Forensic science practitioners.
(ii) Scientists and engineers at
institutions of higher education and other
nonprofit research organizations.
(iii) Statisticians.
(iv) Representatives of the legal
community.
(v) Such others as the Director considers
appropriate for purposes of this section.
(4) Duties.--The duties of a scientific area committee
established under paragraph (1) shall be as follows:
(A) Coordinating the operation and activities of
specific forensic science discipline subcommittees in
order to encourage communication across all subject and
discipline specific subcommittees.
(B) Providing opportunity to the public to engage
the forensic science community in matters relating to
priorities, standards, and guidelines.
(C) Address topics of high importance to the
forensic community, such as matters relating to the
following:
(i) Biology.
(ii) Chemistry, including--
(I) matters relating to seized
drugs and toxicology; and
(II) matters relating to trace
evidence.
(iii) Scene examination.
(iv) Medicine.
(v) Digital and multimedia.
(vi) Physics and pattern interpretation.
(vii) Computational forensic algorithms.
(D) Furthering the development of standards under
subsection (e)(1) and other guidelines.
(d) Resource Task Groups.--
(1) Establishment.--The Director, acting through the Board,
shall establish legal, human factors, quality, and statistics
task groups to support and assist the Organization with matters
relating to questions of law, human factors, ethical and social
implications of technology, workflow processes, quality
assurance, and statistics.
(2) Membership.--The Director, acting through the Board,
shall ensure that each task group established under paragraph
(1) is composed of voting members of the subcommittees
established under subsection (c)(3) who have relevant
expertise.
(3) Chairpersons.--The Director, acting through the Board,
shall appoint a chairperson of each task group established
under paragraph (1).
(e) Forensic Science Standards Development Process.--
(1) Standards development process.--The Director, acting
through the Organization, shall implement a process to
facilitate the development of scientifically sound, consensus-
based forensic standards and guidelines, consistent with the
duties described for each entity established under this
section.
(2) Technical review.--
(A) Process required.--The Director shall establish
a process for technical peer review to provide feedback
on a draft of a standard or guideline to a relevant
subcommittee of a scientific area committee before such
standard or guideline is submitted to a nongovernmental
standards development organization or submitted for
inclusion in a registry of forensic standards or
guidelines.
(B) Participants.--The process established under
subparagraph (A)--
(i) may include members of the
Organization; and
(ii) shall include additional volunteer
experts from the forensic science community and
the academic research community.
(3) Public comment.--
(A) In general.--The Director shall provide for
public comment on draft standards prior to inclusion in
the registry of forensic science standards and
guidelines established under subsection (a)(4)(B).
(B) Comments from research task groups.--The
Director shall ensure that--
(i) each resource task group established
under subsection (d) may submit, as a group,
comments on draft standards described in
subparagraph (A); and
(ii) any comments submitted under clause
(i), and any adjudication of such comments by
the Organization, are made available to the
public.
(4) Submission to standards developing organization.--The
Director shall ensure that standards proposed by the
Organization and approved for the registry of forensic science
standards and guidelines established under subsection (a)(4)(B)
are submitted to a nongovernmental standards development
organization for review and formal adoption as standard.
(5) Grants.--The Director shall award grants through a
competitive process--
(A) to support activities under paragraph (3); and
(B) to ensure that the standards approved for
inclusion in the registry of forensic science standards
and guidelines required by subsection (a)(4)(B) are
submitted to a nongovernmental standards development
organization.
(f) Forensic Standards for Authenticating Digital Evidence.--
(1) Furthering development of standards.--
(A) In general.--The subcommittee addressing
digital and multimedia, or any successor thereto, shall
develop standards for validating or assessing the
authenticity of digital content, including content
created by technologies that synthesize or manipulate
digital content such as deepfakes.
(B) Collaboration.--In carrying out subparagraph
(A), the subcommittee described in such subparagraph
shall collaborate with the forensic science community
and experts who study advanced techniques for digital
content manipulation, including those in academia and
government entities such as the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
(2) Resource development.--The Organization shall develop
and compile resources and materials for use by the forensic
science community in developing standards to authenticate
digital materials.
(3) Congressional briefing.--Not later than 1 year after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Director shall
provide the appropriate committees of Congress a briefing on
the status of efforts undertaken pursuant to this subsection.
SEC. 215. SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION.
In accordance with section 263 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, the Director shall carry out
activities in support of green and sustainable chemistry, including
coordinating and partnering with academia, industry, non-profits, and
other entities in activities to support clean, safe, and economic
alternatives, technologies, and methodologies to traditional chemical
products and processes.
TITLE III--GENERAL ACTIVITIES
SEC. 301. NIST FACILITIES AND CONSTRUCTION.
(a) Ownership, Operation, and Leasing of Facilities.--Section 14 of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278d)
is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Ownership, Operation, and Leasing of Facilities.--Within the
limits of funds which are appropriated for the Institute, the Secretary
is authorized to own, operate, or lease research facilities in
locations throughout the United States and its territories in
furtherance of its mission, provided that no agreement is entered into
to own, operate, or lease without first notifying the appropriate
Congressional committees of jurisdiction.''.
(b) Facilities Modernization Fund.--Section 14 of such Act (15
U.S.C. 278d), as amended by subsection (a), is further amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Facilities Modernization Fund.--
``(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury
of the United States a fund to be known as the `NIST Facilities
Modernization Fund' (hereafter in this section referred to as
the `Fund').
``(2) Use of funds.--Amounts in the Fund shall be available
to Secretary, acting through the Director, for Capital Projects
on the Institute's campuses, and as needed on the Institute's
joint institute campuses, for the modernization, renovation,
and construction of research facilities needed to conduct
leading edge scientific and technical research.
``(3) Contents of fund.--The Funds shall consist of the
following amounts:
``(A) Such amounts as may be appropriated by law.
``(B) Interest earned on the balance of the Fund.
``(4) Authorization of funds.--Of the funds authorized to
be appropriated in section 302 of the National Institute of
Standards and Technology for the Future Act of 2021 for the
construction and renovation of facilities, $80,000,000 for each
of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 shall be provided for the
Fund established in subsection (a).
``(5) Continuing availability of funds.--Amounts in the
Fund are available without regard to fiscal year limitation.
``(6) Notification to committees.--Upon making any
obligation or expenditure of any amount in the Fund, the
Secretary, through the Director, shall notify the Committee on
Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives,
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate of the amount and purpose of the obligation or
expenditure.
``(7) NIST facilities modernization and maintenance plan.--
``(A) In general.--To carry out the program
authorized in subsection (d), the Secretary, acting
through the Director, shall develop and submit to
Congress a 5-year modernization and maintenance plan
for the Institute's campuses.
``(B) Timing.--The modernization and maintenance
plan required in subparagraph (A) shall be submitted to
Congress not later than 30 days after the date of
enactment of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology for the Future Act of 2021, and an update
shall be submitted to Congress annually thereafter.
``(C) Components.--The plan required in
subparagraph (A) shall include, with respect to the 5-
year period beginning on the date of the submission or
update, the following:
``(i) A list of Capital Construction
Projects expected to be undertaken during such
period, the core capabilities these facilities
will provide, climate-resilience planning
efforts, anticipated schedule of construction,
and anticipated funding requirements.
``(ii) A list of planned utility
infrastructure projects expected to be
undertaken during such periods, anticipated
schedule of construction, and anticipated
funding requirements.
``(iii) A list of planned IT infrastructure
projects expected to be undertaken during such
period, anticipated schedule of construction,
and anticipated funding requirements.
``(iv) A list of the deferred maintenance
projects expected to be undertaken during such
period, anticipated schedule of construction,
anticipated funding requirements, and an
evaluation of progress made in reducing the
deferred maintenance backlog.''.
SEC. 302. EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH AND SUPPORT FOR UNDERREPRESENTED
COMMUNITIES.
Section 18 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
Act (15 U.S.C. 278g-1) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), in the second sentence--
(A) by striking ``may'' and inserting ``shall'';
and
(B) by striking ``academia'' and inserting
``diverse types of institutions of higher education,
including minority-serving institutions and community
colleges''; and
(2) in subsection (e)--
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ``and'' at the
end;
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the
end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
``(6) conduct outreach to and develop research
collaborations with historically black colleges and
universities and minority-serving institutions, including
through the recruitment of students and faculty at such
institutions to participate in programs developed under
paragraph (3);
``(7) conduct outreach to and develop research
collaborations with community colleges, including through the
recruitment of students and faculty at such institutions to
participate in programs developed under paragraph (3);
``(8) carry out other activities to increase the
participation of persons historically underrepresented in STEM
in the Institute's programs; and
``(9) conduct outreach to and develop collaborations with
nontraditional educational organizations, including those that
offer training through non-profit associations and professional
associations or professional societies, to engage persons
historically underrepresented in STEM through programs
developed under this subsection.''.
SEC. 303. OTHER TRANSACTIONS AUTHORITY.
Section 2(b)(4) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(4)) is amended to read as follows:
``(4) to enter into and perform such contracts, including
cooperative research and development arrangements and grants
and cooperative agreements or other transactions, as may be
necessary in the conduct of its work and on such terms as it
may deem appropriate, in furtherance of the purposes of this
Act;''.
SEC. 304. COLLABORATIONS WITH GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.
Section 8 of the National Bureau of Standards Authorization of Act
for Fiscal Year 1983 (15 U.S.C. 275b) is amended--
(1) in the heading, by adding ``AND WITH'' after
``PERFORMED FOR'';
(2) by striking ``The Secretary of Commerce'' and inserting
``(a) In General.--The Secretary of Commerce'';
(3) by inserting after ``(15 U.S.C. 278b(e)).'' the
following: ``The Secretary may accept, apply for, use, and
spend Federal, State, and non-governmental funds to further the
mission of the Institute without regard to the source or the
period of availability of these funds as well as share
personnel, associates, facilities, and property with these
partner organizations, with or without reimbursement, upon
mutual agreement.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Report.--For each fiscal year beginning with fiscal year
2022, not later than 90 days after submission of the President's annual
budget request for such fiscal year, the Director shall submit to the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee of
Appropriations of the Senate a de- scription of any appropriated funds,
under this authority, carried over from the year in which such funds
were ap- propriated.''.
SEC. 305. HIRING CRITICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS.
Section 6 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act
is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 6. HIRING CRITICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS.
``(a) In General.--The officers and employees of the Institute,
except the director, shall be appointed by the Secretary of Commerce at
such time as their respective services may become necessary.
``(b) Hiring Critical Technical Experts.--Notwithstanding section
3104 of title 5 or the provisions of any other law relating to the
appointment, number, classification, or compensation of employees, the
Secretary of Commerce shall have the authority to make appointments of
scientific, engineering, and professional personnel, and to fix the
basic pay of such personnel at a rate to be determined by the Secretary
at rates not in excess of the highest total annual compensation payable
at the rate determined under section 104 of title 3. The Director shall
appoint not more than 15 personnel under this section.
``(c) Sunset.--The authority under section (b) shall expire on the
date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this section.''.
SEC. 306. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT.
(a) International Standards Engagement.--
(1) In general.--The Director shall lead information
exchange and coordination among Federal agencies and
communication from Federal agencies to the private sector of
the United States to ensure effective Federal engagement in the
development and use of international technical standards.
(2) Requirements.--To support private sector-led engagement
and ensure effective Federal engagement in the development and
use of international technical standards, the Director shall
consider--
(A) the role and needs of the Federal Government
with respect to international technical standards;
(B) organizations developing international
technical standards of interest to the United States,
United States representation and influence in these
organizations, and key contributors for technical and
leadership expertise in these organizations;
(C) support for persons with domain subject matter
expertise, especially from small businesses located in
the United States, to influence and engage in technical
standards leadership positions, working groups and
meetings;
(D) opportunities for partnerships for supporting
international technical standards from across the
Federal Government, federally funded research and
development centers, university-affiliated research
centers, institutions of higher education, industry,
industry associations, nonprofit organizations, and
other key contributors;
(E) support for activities to encourage the
adoption of technical standards developed in the United
States to be adopted by international standards
organizations; and
(F) other activities determined by the Director to
be necessary to support United States participation in
international standards development, economic
competitiveness, and national security in the
development and use of international technical
standards.
(b) Capacity Building Guidance.--The Director shall support
education and workforce development efforts to promote United States
participation in international standards organizations. The Director
shall--
(1) identify and create, as appropriate, technical
standards education and training resources for interested
businesses, industry associations, academia, nonprofits,
Federal agencies, and other relevant standards contributors,
including activities targeted at integrating standards content
into undergraduate and graduate curricula in science,
engineering, business, public policy, and law;
(2) conduct outreach, including to private sector leaders,
to support engagement by more United States stakeholders in
international technical standards development; and
(3) other activities deemed necessary by the Director to
support increased engagement, influence, and leadership of
United States organizations in the development of international
technical standards.
(c) Capacity Building Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--The Director, in coordination with the
Director of the National Science Foundation, the Administrator
of the Small Business Administration and the heads of other
relevant Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall establish a 5-
year pilot program to award grants, on a merit-reviewed,
competitive basis, to private sector entities or nonprofit
institutions based in the United States to support increased
participation by small business and academic interests in
international standards organizations.
(2) Activities.--In carrying out the pilot programs
established in subsection (c), the Director shall award
competitive, merit-reviewed grants to covered entities to cover
the reasonable costs, up to a specified ceiling set by the
Director, of activities supporting increased engagement and
leadership of employees of small businesses and faculty of
institutions of higher education or other nonprofit research
institutions with subject matter and technical expertise
necessary to be conributers in international standards
organizations.
(3) Award criteria.--The Director may only provide a grant
under this section to an eligible recipient that--
(A) demonstrates deep technical standards
expertise;
(B) demonstrates knowledge with the processes of
the standards development organization in which the
recipient intends to engage using grant funds;
(C) proposes a feasible set of standard
deliverables to be completed over the period of the
grant;
(D) explains how the recipient will fund the
standards work supported by the grant if the grant
funds are insufficient to cover all costs of the work;
and
(E) commits personnel with appropriate expertise to
engage in relevant international organizations
responsible for developing technical standards over the
period of the grant.
(4) Eligibility.--A small business concern (as defined in
section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) based in
the United States, an institution of higher education (as
defined by section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S. C. 1002)), or a nonprofit institution as defined in
section 4(5) of the Stevenson-Wydler Act (15 U.S.C. 3703) shall
be eligible to receive grants under this program.
(5) Prioritization.--The Director may prioritize grants
awarded under this section to eligible recipients proposals for
standards development that address clearly defined current or
anticipated market needs or gaps that would not be met without
the grant.
(6) Application.--An eligible recipient seeking funding
under subsection (c) shall submit an application to the
Director at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Director may require.
(7) Merit review process.--Not later than 90 days after the
enactment of this Act, the Director shall establish a merit
review process, including the creation of merit review panels
made of experts from government and the private sector, to
evaluate the application under paragraph (6) to ensure
applications submitted are reviewed in a fair, competitive,
transparent, and in-depth manner.
(8) Consultation.--In carrying out the pilot program
established under subsection (c), the Director shall consult
with other Federal agencies, private sector organizations,
institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations
to help inform the pilot program, including selection criteria,
applicant disclosure requirements, grant amount and duration,
and the merit review process.
(9) Report to congress.--The Director shall brief Congress
after the second year of the pilot program and each year
following that includes the following:
(A) An assessment of the effectiveness of the pilot
program for improving the participation of United
States small businesses, United States institutions of
higher education, or other nonprofit research
institutions in international standards organizations,
including--
(i) the type of activities supported,
including leadership roles;
(ii) the international standards
organizations participated in; and
(iii) the technical areas covered by the
activities.
(B) If deemed effective, a plan for permanent
implementation of the pilot program.
(d) Reaffirming the Importance of Voluntary Consensus-based
International Standards Bodies.--To the extent applicable, the
Institute, when preparing standards, participating in voluntary
consensus standard bodies, and engaging in a standards development
process that is open to participation from Chinese firms and state-
owned enterprises of the People's Republic of China, the process should
include the following attributes that are easily accessible, clear, and
unambiguous:
(1) Transparency.
(2) Openness.
(3) Impartiality and Consensus.
(4) Effectiveness and Relevance.
(5) Coherence.
(6) Development Dimension.
SEC. 307. STANDARD TECHNICAL UPDATE.
(a) National Institute of Standards and Technology Act Updates.--
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271)
is amended--
(1) in section 15--
(A) in subsection (b), by striking the period at
the end and inserting a semicolon;
(B) in subsection (g), by striking ``and'' after
the semicolon; and
(C) by striking the period at the end and inserting
``; and (i) the protection of Institute buildings and
other plant facilities, equipment, and property, and of
employees, associates, or visitors, located therein or
associated therewith, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, the direction of such of the officers
and employees of the Institute as the Secretary deems
necessary in the public interest hereafter to carry
firearms while in the conduct of their official duties,
and the authorization of employees of contractors and
subcontractors of the Institute who are engaged in the
protection of property owned by the United States, and
located at facilities owned by, leased, used or under
the control of the United States, to carry firearms
while in the conduct of their official duties, and,
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary and
approved by the Attorney General, the authorization of
officers and employees of the Institute and of its
contractors and subcontractors authorized to carry
firearms hereafter to arrest without warrant for any
offense against the United States committed in their
presence, or for any felony cognizable under the laws
of the United States if they have reasonable grounds to
believe that the person to be arrested has committed or
is committing such felony, provided that such authority
to make arrests may be exercised only while guarding
and protecting buildings and other plant facilities,
equipment, and property owned or leased by, used or
under the control of, the United States under the
administration and control of the Secretary.''; and
(2) by amending section 17(a) to read as follows:
``(a) The Secretary is authorized, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, to expend such sums, within the limit of appropriated
funds, as the Secretary may deem desirable through direct support for
activities of international organizations and foreign national
metrology institutes with which the Institute cooperates to advance
measurement methods, technical standards, and related basic
technologies, for official representation, to host official receptions,
dinners, and similar events, and to otherwise extend official
courtesies, including transportation of foreign dignitaries and
representatives of foreign national metrology institutes to and from
the Institute, for the purpose of maintaining the standing and prestige
of the Department of Commerce and the Institute, through the grant of
fellowships or other appropriate form of financial or logistical
assistance or support to foreign nationals not in service to the
Government of the United States while they are performing scientific or
engineering work at the Institute or participating in the exchange of
scientific or technical information at the Institute.''.
(b) Stevenson-Wydler Updates.--The Stevenson-Wydler Technology
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701) is amended--
(1) in section 17(c)(1)--
(A) by moving each of subparagraphs (D) and (E) two
ems to the left; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(G) Community.''; and
(2) in section 23(a)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as
paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so
redesignated, the following:
``(1) accept, apply for, use, and spend Federal, State, and
nongovernmental acquisition and assistance funds to further the
purposes of this Act as well as share personnel, associates,
facilities, and property with these partner organizations, with
or without reimbursement, upon mutual agreement: Provided, That
the approving official may waive statutory and regulatory
administrative provisions so that a single agency may
administer a joint program, upon mutual agreement;''.
(c) American Innovation and Competitiveness Act Update.--Section
113 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act (15 U.S.C. 278e
note) is repealed.
(d) Clerical Amendment.--The item relating to section 113 in the
table of contents in section 1(b) of the American Innovation and
Competitiveness Act is repealed.
(e) Federal Energy Management Improvement Act Update.--Section 4 of
the Federal Energy Management Improvement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 5001)
is amended--
(1) by striking ``Secretary of Commerce'' and ``Secretary''
each place either such term appears and inserting ``Consumer
Product Safety Commission'';
(2) by redesignating the second subsection (c) as
subsection (e); and
(3) in subsection (g), by redesignating clauses (i) and
(ii) as paragraphs (1) and (2), respectively.
SEC. 308. GAO STUDY OF NIST RESEARCH SECURITY POLICIES AND PROTOCOLS.
(a) Evaluation.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct
a study of the Institute's policies and protocols to protect its
research and combat undue foreign influence,
(b) Matters to Be Included.--The study conducted under subsection
(a) shall include, to the extent practicable, the following:
(1) An analysis of steps taken by the Institute to address
foreign threats to Institute-funded research over the previous
5 years.
(2) An analysis of the coordination and engagement between
the Department of Commerce's Office of Inspector General, the
Department of Commerce's Office of Intelligence and the
Institute in identifying and addressing concerning findings.
(3) An assessment of the Institute's review process for
Foreign National associates.
(4) An assessment of the Institute's policies as it relates
to employees and associates participating in foreign talent
recruitment programs.
(5) An assessment of the Institute's implementation of
conflict-of-interest and disclosure policies and requirements,
including the disclosure requirements authorized in Section 223
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021
(public Law 116-283).
(6) An assessment of the Institute's, the Department of
Commerce's Office of Security, the Department of Commerce's
Office of Intelligence, and the Department of Commerce's Office
of Inspector General's ability to monitor and enforce conflict-
of-interest and disclosure policies and requirements, including
the disclosure requirements authorized in Section 223 of the
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (public
Law 116-283).
(7) An assessment of the Institute's, the Department of
Commerce's, and the Department of Commerce's Office of
Inspector General's ability to conduct risk assessments of
research and development award applications and disclosures to
the Institute.
(8) An assessment of the Institute's research security
training programs for both internal and externally-supported
researchers and associates, including training focused on
international collaboration, and international travel, foreign
interference, and rules for proper use of funds, disclosure,
conflict of commitment, and conflict of interest.
(9) An analysis and summary of incidents of undue foreign
influence at Institute-supported research facilities and
programs over the past 10 years.
(10) Recommendations for the Institute to bolster its
research security policies and protocols.
(11) Other matters the Comptroller General determines
appropriate.
(c) Congressional Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall brief the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of
Representatives and the Committee of Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate on the findings available from the
evaluation conducted under subsection (a).
(d) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to the congressional
committees specified in subsection (c) a report on the findings and
recommendations of the evaluation conducted under subsection (a).
SEC. 309. PREMISE PLUMBING RESEARCH.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director, shall
create a program for premise plumbing research, including to--
(1) conduct metrology research on premise plumbing in
relation to water safety, security, efficiency, sustainability,
and resilience; and
(2) coordinate research activities with academia, the
private sector, nonprofits, and other Federal agencies.
(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section, the term ``premise
plumbing'' means the water distribution system located within the
property lines of a property, including all buildings and permanent
structures on such property. Such term includes building supply and
distribution pipes, fixtures, fittings, water heaters, water-treating
and water-using equipment, and all respective joints, connections,
devices, and appurtenances.
TITLE IV--HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP
SECTION 401. ESTABLISHMENT OF EXPANSION AWARDS PILOT PROGRAM AS A PART
OF THE HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
271 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 25A (15 U.S.C. 278k-
1) the following:
``SEC. 25B. EXPANSION AWARDS PILOT PROGRAM.
``(a) Definitions.--The terms used in this section have the
meanings given the terms in section 25.
``(b) Establishment.--The Director shall establish as a part of the
Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership a pilot program of
expansion awards among participants described in subsection (c) of this
section for the purposes described in subsection (e) of this section.
``(c) Participants.--Participants receiving awards under this
section shall be Centers, or a consortium of Centers.
``(d) Award Amounts.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations, an award for a recipient under this section shall be in
an amount equal to the sum of the following:
``(1) Such amount as the Director considers appropriate as
a minimum base funding level for each award under this section.
``(2) Such additional amount as the Director considers in
proportion to the manufacturing density of the region of the
recipient.
``(3) Such supplemental amounts as the Director considers
appropriate.
``(e) Purpose of Awards.--An award under this section shall be made
for one or more of the following purposes:
``(1) To provide coordinating services on employee
engagement, including employee ownership and workforce
training, including connecting manufacturers with career and
technical education entities, institutions of higher education
(including community colleges), workforce development boards,
labor organizations, and nonprofit job training providers to
develop and support training and job placement services,
including apprenticeship and online learning platforms, for new
and incumbent workers, programming to prevent job losses when
adopting new technologies and processes, and development of
employee ownership practices.
``(2) To provide services to improve the resiliency of
domestic supply chains and to mitigate vulnerabilities to
cyberattacks, including helping to offset the cost of
cybersecurity projects for small manufacturers.
``(3) To expand advanced technology services to United
States-based small- and medium-sized manufacturers, which may
include--
``(A) developing advanced technology demonstration
laboratories for training and demonstration in areas of
supply chain and critical technology needs, including a
focus on the demonstration of technologies developed by
companies based in the United States;
``(B) services for the adoption of advanced
technologies, including smart manufacturing
technologies and practices; and
``(C) establishing partnerships, for the
development, demonstration, and deployment of advanced
technologies, between United States-based small- and
medium-sized manufacturers and--
``(i) national laboratories (as defined in
section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42
U.S.C. 15801));
``(ii) Federal laboratories;
``(iii) Manufacturing USA institutes (as
described in section 34(d)); and
``(iv) institutions of higher education.
``(4) To build capabilities across the Hollings
Manufacturing Extension Partnership for domestic supply chain
resiliency and optimization, including--
``(A) assessment of domestic manufacturing
capabilities, expanded capacity for researching and
deploying information on supply chain risk, hidden
costs of reliance on offshore suppliers, redesigning
products and processes to encourage reshoring, and
other relevant topics; and
``(B) expanded services to provide industry-wide
support that assists United States manufacturers with
reshoring manufacturing to strengthen the resiliency of
domestic supply chains, including in critical
technology areas and foundational manufacturing
capabilities that are key to domestic manufacturing
competitiveness and resiliency, including forming,
casting, machining, joining, surface treatment, and
tooling.
``(f) Reimbursement.--The Director may reimburse Centers for costs
incurred by the Centers under this section.
``(g) 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 in consultation with the
Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board.
``(h) Selection.--
``(1) Reviewed and merit-based.--The Director shall ensure
that awards under this section are reviewed and merit-based.
``(2) Geographic diversity.--The Director shall endeavor to
have broad geographic diversity among selected proposals.
``(3) Criteria.--The Director shall select applications
consistent with the purposes identified pursuant to subsection
(e) to receive awards that the Director determines will achieve
one or more of the following:
``(A) Improvement of the competitiveness of
industries in the region in which the Center or Centers
are located.
``(B) Creation of jobs or training of newly hired
employees.
``(C) Promotion of the transfer and
commercialization of research and technology from
institutions of higher education, national
laboratories, or other federally funded research
programs, and nonprofit research institutes.
``(D) Recruitment of a diverse manufacturing
workforce, including through outreach to
underrepresented populations, including individuals
identified in section 33 or section 34 of the Science
and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C.
1885a, 1885b).
``(E) Any other result the Director determines will
advance the objective set forth in sections 25(c) or
26.
``(i) Program Contribution.--Recipients of awards under this
section shall not be required to provide a matching contribution.
``(j) Global Marketplace Projects.--In making an award under this
section, the Director, in consultation with the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Advisory Board and the Secretary, may take into
consideration whether an application has significant potential for
enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized United States
manufacturers in the global marketplace.
``(k) Duration.--The Director shall ensure that the duration of an
award under this section is aligned and consistent with a Center's
cooperative agreement established in section 25(e).
``(l) Report.--After the completion of the pilot program under
subsection (b) and not later than October 1, 2024, the Director shall
submit to Congress a report that includes--
``(1) a summary description of what activities were funded
and the measurable outcomes of such activities;
``(2) a description of which types of activities under
paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and supported under,
the program under section 25;
``(3) a description of which types of activities under
paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and supported under,
the competitive awards program under section 25A; and
``(4) a recommendation, supported by a clear explanation,
as to whether the pilot program should be continued.''.
SEC. 402. UPDATE TO MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP.
(a) Acceptance of Funds.--Section 25(l) of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(l)) is amended to read
as follows:
``(l) Acceptance of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to such sums as may be
appropriated to the Secretary and Director to operate the
Program, the Secretary and Director may also accept funds from
other Federal departments and agencies, as well as funds
provided by the private sector pursuant to section 2(c)(7) of
this Act (15 U.S.C. 272(c)(7)), to be available to the extent
provided by appropriations Acts, for the purpose of
strengthening United States manufacturing.
``(2) Competitive awards.--Funds accepted from other
Federal departments and agencies and from the private sector
under paragraph (1) shall be awarded competitively by the
Secretary and by the Director to Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Centers, provided that the Secretary and Director
may make non-competitive awards, pursuant to this section or
section 25A, or as a non-competitive contract, as appropriate,
if the Secretary and the Director determine that--
``(A) the manufacturing market or sector targeted
is limited geographically or in scope;
``(B) the number of States (or territory, in the
case of Puerto Rico) with Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Centers serving manufacturers of such
market or sector is five or fewer; and
``(C) such Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Center or Centers has received a positive evaluation in
the most recent evaluation conducted pursuant to
subsection (g).''.
(b) Inclusion of Certain Schools.--Section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended--
(1) in subsection (c)--
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``community
colleges and area career and technical education
schools'' and inserting ``secondary schools (as defined
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)), community
colleges, and area career and technical education
schools, including those in underserved and rural
communities,''; and
(B) in paragraph (7)--
(i) by striking ``and local colleges'' and
inserting ``local high schools and local
colleges, including those in underserved and
rural communities,''; and
(ii) by inserting ``or other applied
learning opportunities'' after
``apprenticeships''; and
(2) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ``, community
colleges, and area career and technical education schools,''
and inserting ``and local high schools, community colleges, and
area career and technical education schools, including those in
underserved and rural communities,''.
(c) Supporting American Manufacturing.--Section 25 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(5)--
(A) by striking ``or consortium thereof,''; and
(B) by inserting ``or a consortium thereof'' before
the period at the end of the sentence;
(2) in subsection (c)(4), by inserting ``United States-
based'' before ``industrial'';
(3) in subsection (d)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``at United
States-based industrial facilities, including small and
medium manufacturing companies'' before ``based'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``United States-
based'' before ``companies''; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``United States-
based'' before ``small'';
(4) in subsection (f)(5)(B)(i), by inserting ``in the
United States'' before the semicolon at the end of the clause;
and
(5) in subsection (n)(1)(A), by inserting ``United States-
based'' before ``small''.
(d) Amending the MEP Competitive Awards Program.--Section 25A(c)(2)
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C.
278k-1(c)(2)) is amended by inserting ``United States'' before
``manufacturers''.
SEC. 403. NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN DATABASE.
(a) Establishment of National Supply Chain Database.--The Director
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (referred to in
this section as ``NIST'') shall establish and maintain a National
Supply Chain Database.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the National Supply Chain Database
shall be to assist the Federal government and industry sectors in
minimizing disruptions to the United States supply chain by having an
assessment of United States manufacturers' capabilities.
(c) Study on National Supply Chain Database.--In establishing the
National Supply Chain Database, the Director of NIST shall consider the
findings and recommendations from the study authorized in section 9413
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Public
Law 116-283), including measures to secure and protect the National
Supply Chain Database from adversarial attacks and vulnerabilities.
(d) Database and Manufacturing Extension Partnership.--
(1) In general.--The National Supply Chain Database shall
be carried out and managed through the Hollings Manufacturing
Extension Partnership program and the Director of NIST shall
ensure that the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership
Centers are connected to the National Supply Chain Database.
(2) Capabilities.--The National Supply Chain Database shall
be capable of providing a national view of the supply chain and
enable authorized database users to determine in near real-time
the United States manufacturing capabilities for critical
products, including defense supplies, food, and medical
devices, including personal protective equipment.
(3) Individual state databases.--Each State's supply chain
database maintained by the NIST-recognized Manufacturing
Extension Partnership Center within the State shall be
complementary in design to the National Supply Chain Database.
(e) Maintenance of National Supply Chain Database.--The Director of
NIST, acting through the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership
program, shall maintain the National Supply Chain Database as an
integration of the State level databases from each State's
Manufacturing Extension Partnership Center and may be populated with
information from past, current, or potential Center clients.
(f) Exempt From Public Disclosure.--The National Supply Chain
Database and any information related to it not publicly released by
NIST shall be exempt from public disclosure under section 552 of title
5, United States Code, and access to non-public content shall be
limited to the contributing company and Manufacturing Extension
Partnership Center staff who sign an appropriate non-disclosure
agreement.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--Of the funds authorized to
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, $10,000,000
for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026 are authorized to carry
out this Act.
Union Calendar No. 177
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4609
[Report No. 117-247]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
February 18, 2022
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed