[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