[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 735 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 735

To amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to further 
 support advanced technological manufacturing, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 11, 2021

  Mr. Wicker (for himself and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to further 
 support advanced technological manufacturing, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Technological Manufacturing 
Act''.

SEC. 2. HARNESSING OUR NATION'S RESEARCH POTENTIAL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall conduct multiple pilot programs within the Foundation to expand 
the number of institutions of higher education (including such 
institutions that are community colleges), and other eligible entities 
that the Director determines appropriate, that are able to successfully 
compete for National Science Foundation grants.
    (b) Components.--Each pilot program described in subsection (a) 
shall include at least 1 of the following elements:
            (1) A mentorship program.
            (2) Grant writing technical assistance.
            (3) Targeted outreach.
            (4) Programmatic support or solutions for institutions or 
        entities that do not have an experienced grant management 
        office.
            (5) An increase in the number of grant reviewers from 
        institutions of higher education that have not traditionally 
        received funds from the National Science Foundation.
            (6) An increase of the term and funding, for a period of 3 
        years or less, as appropriate, to a principal investigator that 
        is a first-time grant awardee, when paired with regular 
        mentoring on the administrative aspects of grant management.
    (c) Limitation.--As appropriate, each pilot program described in 
subsection (a) shall work to reduce administrative burdens.
    (d) Agency-Wide Programs.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall--
            (1) review the results of the pilot programs described in 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) develop agency-wide best practices from the pilot 
        programs for implementation across the Foundation, in order to 
        fulfill the requirement under section 3(e) of the National 
        Science Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1862(e)).
    (e) Institution of Higher Education.--In this section, the term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in 
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 3. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL MANUFACTURING.

    (a) Findings and Purpose.--Section 2 of the Scientific and 
Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862h) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``science, 
                mathematics, and technology'' and inserting ``science, 
                technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``educated and'' 
                before ``trained''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (5), by striking ``scientific and 
                technical education and training'' and inserting ``STEM 
                education and training''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``mathematics and 
                science'' and inserting ``STEM fields''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``mathematics and 
                science instruction'' and inserting ``STEM 
                instruction''.
    (b) Modernizing References to STEM.--Section 3 of the Scientific 
and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``scientific and 
        technical education'' and inserting ``stem education'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Scientific and Technical Education'' and inserting 
                ``STEM Education'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and education to prepare 
                        the skilled technical workforce to meet 
                        workforce demands'' before ``, and to 
                        improve'';
                            (ii) by striking ``core education courses 
                        in science and mathematics'' and inserting 
                        ``core education courses in STEM fields'';
                            (iii) by inserting ``veterans and 
                        individuals engaged in'' before ``work in the 
                        home''; and
                            (iv) by inserting ``and on building a 
                        pathway from secondary schools, to associate-
                        degree-granting institutions, to careers that 
                        require technical training'' before ``, and 
                        shall be designed'';
                    (C) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and study'' after 
                        ``development''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``core science and 
                        mathematics courses'' and inserting ``core STEM 
                        courses'';
                    (D) in paragraph (2), by striking ``science, 
                mathematics, and advanced-technology fields'' and 
                inserting ``STEM and advanced-technology fields'';
                    (E) in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting ``to support 
                the advanced-technology industries that drive the 
                competitiveness of the United States in the global 
                economy'' before the semicolon at the end;
                    (F) in paragraph (4), by striking ``scientific and 
                advanced-technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and 
                advanced-technology fields''; and
                    (G) in paragraph (5), by striking ``advanced 
                scientific and technical education'' and inserting 
                ``advanced STEM and advanced-technology'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking the subsection heading and 
                inserting the following: ``Centers of Scientific and 
                Technical Education.--'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``not to exceed 10 in number'' and inserting 
                ``in advanced-technology fields'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``education in 
                mathematics and science'' and inserting ``STEM 
                education''; and
                    (D) in the flush matter following paragraph (2), by 
                striking ``in the geographic region served by the 
                center'';
            (4) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) in the matter preceding clause 
                                (i), by striking ``to encourage'' and 
                                all that follows through ``such means 
                                as--'' and inserting ``to encourage the 
                                development of career and educational 
                                pathways with multiple entry and exit 
                                points leading to credentials and 
                                degrees, and to assist students 
                                pursuing pathways in STEM fields to 
                                transition from associate-degree-
                                granting colleges to bachelor-degree-
                                granting institutions, through such 
                                means as--'';
                                    (II) in clause (i), by striking 
                                ``to ensure'' and inserting ``to 
                                develop articulation agreements that 
                                ensure''; and
                                    (III) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``courses at the bachelor-degree-
                                granting institution'' and inserting 
                                ``the career and educational pathways 
                                supported by the articulation 
                                agreements'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) in clause (i), by inserting 
                                ``veterans and individuals engaged in'' 
                                before ``work in the home'';
                                    (II) in clause (iii)--
                                            (aa) by striking 
                                        ``bachelor's-degree-granting 
                                        institutions'' and inserting 
                                        ``institutions or work sites''; 
                                        and
                                            (bb) by inserting ``or 
                                        industry internships'' after 
                                        ``summer programs''; and
                                    (III) by striking the flush text 
                                following clause (iv); and
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``mathematics and science 
                        programs'' and inserting ``STEM programs'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``and, as appropriate, 
                        elementary schools,'' after ``with secondary 
                        schools'';
                            (iii) by striking ``mathematics and science 
                        education'' and inserting ``STEM education'';
                            (iv) by striking ``secondary school 
                        students'' and inserting ``students at these 
                        schools'';
                            (v) by striking ``science and advanced-
                        technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and 
                        advanced-technology fields''; and
                            (vi) by striking ``agreements with local 
                        educational agencies'' and inserting 
                        ``articulation agreements or dual credit 
                        courses with local secondary schools, or other 
                        means as the Director determines 
                        appropriate,''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking subparagraph (B);
                            (ii) by striking ``shall--'' and all that 
                        follows through ``establish a'' and inserting 
                        ``shall establish a'';
                            (iii) by striking ``the fields of science, 
                        technology, engineering, and mathematics'' and 
                        inserting ``STEM fields''; and
                            (iv) by striking ``; and'' and inserting 
                        ``, including jobs at Federal and academic 
                        laboratories.'';
            (5) in subsection (d)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' after 
                the semicolon;
                    (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) as appropriate, applications that apply the 
                best practices for STEM education and technical skills 
                education through distance learning or in a simulated 
                work environment, as determined by research described 
                in subsection (f).'';
            (6) in subsection (g), by striking the second sentence;
            (7) in subsection (h)(1)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``2022'' and 
                inserting ``2026'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``2022'' and 
                inserting ``2026''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) by striking ``up to $2,500,000'' and 
                        inserting ``not less than $3,000,000''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2022'' and inserting 
                        ``2026''; and
            (8) in subsection (j)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) the term `advanced-technology' includes technological 
        fields such as advanced manufacturing, agricultural-, 
        biological- and chemical-technologies, energy and environmental 
        technologies, engineering technologies, information 
        technologies, micro and nano-technologies, cybersecurity 
        technologies, geospatial technologies, and new, emerging 
        technology areas;'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) the term `associate-degree-granting college' means an 
        institution of higher education (as defined in section 102 of 
        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) that offers 
        a 2-year associate-degree program or 2-year certificate 
        program;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``as determined 
                under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965'' 
                and inserting ``as defined in section 102 of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``separate 
                bachelor-degree-granting institutions'' and inserting 
                ``other entities'';
                    (E) by striking paragraph (7);
                    (F) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as 
                paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively;
                    (G) in paragraph (7), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (F), by striking ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (H) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (F)--
                            (i) by striking ``mathematics, science, 
                        engineering, or technology'' and inserting 
                        ``science, technology, engineering, or 
                        mathematics''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``computer science.'' and 
                        inserting ``computer science and cybersecurity; 
                        and''; and
                    (I) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(9) the term `skilled technical workforce' means 
        workers--
                    ``(A) in occupations that use significant levels of 
                science and engineering expertise and technical 
                knowledge; and
                    ``(B) whose level of educational attainment is less 
                than a bachelor degree.''.
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