[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 141 (Friday, October 9, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12210-S12212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 
                                  1998

                                 ______
                                 

               FRIST (AND ROCKEFELLER) AMENDMENT NO. 3810

  Mr. COATS (for Mr. Frist for himself and Mr. Rockefeller) proposed an 
amendment to the bill to authorize appropriations for the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology for fiscal years 1998 and 1999, 
and for other purposes; as follows:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Technology Administration 
     Act of 1998''.

     SEC. 2. MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM CENTER 
                   EXTENSION.

       Section 25(c)(5) of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(c)(5)) is amended by striking 
     ``, which are designed'' and all that follows through 
     ``operation of a Center,'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``. 
     After the sixth year, a Center may receive additional 
     financial support under this section if it has received a 
     positive evaluation through an independent review, under 
     procedures established by the Institute. Such an independent 
     review shall be required at least every two years after the 
     sixth year of operation. Funding received for a fiscal year 
     under this section after the sixth year of operation shall 
     not exceed one third of the capital and annual operating and 
     maintenance costs of the Center under the program.''.

     SEC. 3. MALCOLM BALDRIGE QUALITY AWARD.

       (a) Additional Awards.--Section 17(c)(3) of the Stevenson-
     Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
     3711a(c)(3)) is amended by inserting ``, unless the Secretary 
     determines that a third award is merited and can be given at 
     no additional cost to the Federal Government'' after ``in any 
     year''.
       (b) Categories.--Section 17(c)(1) of the Stevenson-Wydler 
     Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711a(c)(1)) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) Health care providers.
       ``(E) Education providers.''.

     SEC. 4. NOTICE.

       (a) Redesignation.--Section 31 of the National Institute of 
     Standards and Technology Act is redesignated as section 32.
       (b) Notice.--The National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended by 
     inserting after section 30 the following new section:


                                ``notice

       ``Sec. 31. (a) Notice of Reprogramming.--If any funds 
     authorized for carrying out this Act are subject to a 
     reprogramming action that requires notice to be provided to 
     the Appropriations Committees of the House of Representatives 
     and the Senate, notice of such action shall concurrently be 
     provided to the Committee on Science of the House of 
     Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate.
       ``(b) Notice of Reorganization.--
       ``(1) Requirement.--The Secretary shall provide notice to 
     the Committees on Science and Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives, and the Committees on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation and Appropriations of the Senate, not later 
     than 15 days before any major reorganization of any program, 
     project, or activity of the Institute.

[[Page S12211]]

       ``(2) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
     term ``major reorganization'' means any reorganization of the 
     Institute that involves the reassignment of more than 25 
     percent of the employees of the Institute.''.

     SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE YEAR 2000 PROBLEM.

       With the year 2000 fast approaching, it is the sense of 
     Congress that the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology should--
       (1) give high priority to correcting all 2-digit date-
     related problems in its computer systems to ensure that those 
     systems continue to operate effectively in the year 2000 and 
     beyond; and
       (2) develop contingency plans for those systems that the 
     Institute is unable to correct in time.

     SEC. 6. ENHANCEMENT OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section--
       (1) Educationally useful federal equipment.--The term 
     ``educationally useful Federal equipment'' means computers 
     and related peripheral tools and research equipment that is 
     appropriate for use in schools.
       (2) School.--The term ``school'' means a public or private 
     education institution that serves any of the grades of 
     kindergarten through grade 12.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--
       (1) In general.--It is the sense of Congress that the 
     Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology should, to the greatest extent practicable and in 
     a manner consistent with applicable Federal law (including 
     Executive Order No. 12999), donate educationally useful 
     Federal equipment to schools in order to enhance the science 
     and mathematics programs of those schools.
       (2) Reporting.--
       (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Director 
     of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
     prepare and submit to the President a report. The President 
     shall submit the report to Congress at the same time as the 
     President submits a budget request to Congress under section 
     1105(a) of title 31, United States Code.
       (B) Contents of report.--The report prepared by the 
     Director under this paragraph shall describe any donations of 
     educationally useful Federal equipment to schools made during 
     the period covered by the report.

     SEC. 7. TEACHER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENT INSTITUTE 
                   PROGRAM.

       The National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
     U.S.C. 271 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 19 
     the following:
       ``Sec. 19A. (a) The Director shall establish within the 
     Institute a teacher science and technology enhancement 
     program to provide for professional development of 
     mathematics and science teachers of elementary, middle, and 
     secondary schools (as those terms are defined by the 
     Director), including providing for the improvement of those 
     teachers with respect to the understanding of science and the 
     impacts of science on commerce.
       ``(b) In carrying out the program under this section, the 
     Director shall focus on the areas of--
       ``(1) scientific measurements;
       ``(2) tests and standards development;
       ``(3) industrial competitiveness and quality;
       ``(4) manufacturing;
       ``(5) technology transfer; and
       ``(6) any other area of expertise of the Institute that the 
     Director determines to be appropriate.
       ``(c) The Director shall develop and issue procedures and 
     selection criteria for participants in the program.
       ``(d) The program under this section shall be conducted on 
     an annual basis during the summer months, during the period 
     of time when a majority of elementary, middle, and secondary 
     schools have not commenced a school year.
       ``(e) The program shall provide for teachers' participation 
     in activities at the laboratory facilities of the Institute, 
     or shall utilize other means of accomplishing the goals of 
     the program as determined by the Director, which may include 
     the Internet, video conferencing and recording, and workshops 
     and conference.''.

     SEC. 8. OFFICE OF SPACE COMMERCIALIZATION.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established within the 
     Department of Commerce an Office of Space Commercialization 
     (referred to in this section as the ``Office'').
       (b) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director, 
     who shall be a senior executive and shall be compensated at a 
     level in the Senior Executive Service under section 5382 of 
     title 5, United States Code, as determined by the Secretary 
     of Commerce.
       (c) Functions of the Office; Duties of the Director.--The 
     Office shall be the principal unit for the coordination of 
     space-related issues, programs, and initiative within the 
     Department of Commerce. The primary responsibilities of the 
     Director, in carrying out the functions of the Office, shall 
     include--
       (1) promoting commercial provider investment in space 
     activities by collecting, analyzing, and disseminating 
     information on space markets, and conducting workshops and 
     seminars to increase awareness of commercial space 
     opportunities;
       (2) assisting United States commercial providers in the 
     efforts of those providers to conduct business with the 
     United States Government;
       (3) acting as an industry advocate within the executive 
     branch of the Federal Government to ensure that the Federal 
     Government meets the space-related requirements of the 
     Federal Government, to the fullest extent feasible, using 
     commercially available space goods and services;
       (4) ensuring that the United States Government does not 
     compete with United States commercial providers in the 
     provision of space hardware and services otherwise available 
     from United States commercial providers;
       (5) promoting the export of space-related goods and 
     services;
       (6) representing the Department of Commerce in the 
     development of United States policies and in negotiations 
     with foreign countries to ensure free and fair trade 
     internationally in the area of space commerce; and
       (7) seeking the removal of legal, policy, and institutional 
     impediments to space commerce.

     SEC. 9. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE 
                   TECHNOLOGY.

       Section 5 of the Stevenson Wydler Technology Innovation Act 
     of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3705) is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:
       ``(f) Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive 
     Technology.--
       ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the Under 
     Secretary, shall establish for fiscal year 1999 a program to 
     be known as the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive 
     Technology (referred to in this subsection as the `program'). 
     The purpose of the program shall be to strengthen the 
     technological competitiveness of those States that have 
     historically received less Federal research and development 
     funds than those received by a majority of the States.
       ``(2) Arrangements.--In carrying out the program, the 
     Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall--
       ``(A) enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to 
     provide for the coordination of the program through the State 
     committees established under the Experimental Program to 
     Stimulate Competitive Research of the National Science 
     Foundation; and
       ``(B) cooperate with--
       ``(i) any State science and technology council established 
     under the program under subparagraph (A); and
       ``(ii) representatives of small business firms and other 
     appropriate technology-based businesses.
       ``(3) Grants and cooperative agreements.--In carrying out 
     the program, the Secretary, acting though the Under 
     Secretary, may make grants or enter into cooperative 
     agreements to provide for--
       ``(A) technology research and development;
       ``(B) technology transfer from university research;
       ``(C) technology deployment and diffusion; and
       ``(D) the strengthening of technological capabilities 
     through consortia comprised of--
       ``(i) technology-based small business firms;
       ``(ii) industries and emerging companies;
       ``(iii) universities; and
       ``(iv) State and local development agencies and entities.
       ``(4) Requirements for making awards.--
       ``(a) In general.--In making awards under this subsection, 
     the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall 
     ensure that the awards are awarded on a competitive basis 
     that includes a review of the merits of the activities that 
     are the subject of the award.
       ``(B) Matching requirement.--The non-Federal share of the 
     activities (other than planning activities) carried out under 
     an award under this subsection shall be not less than 25 
     percent of the cost of those activities.
       ``(5) Criteria for states.--The Secretary, acting through 
     the Under Secretary, shall establish criteria for achievement 
     by each State that participates in the program. Upon the 
     achievement of all such criteria, a State shall cease to be 
     eligible to participate in the program.
       ``(6) Coordination.--To the extent practicable, in carrying 
     out this subsection, the Secretary, acting through the Under 
     Secretary, shall coordinate the program with other programs 
     of the Department of Commence.
       ``(7) Report.--
       ``(A) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     enactment of the Technology Administration Act of 1998, the 
     Under Secretary shall prepare and submit a report that meets 
     the requirements of this paragraph to the Secretary. Upon 
     receipt of the report, the Secretary shall transmit a copy of 
     the report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science of 
     the House of Representatives.
       ``(B) Requirements for report.--The report prepared under 
     this paragraph shall contain with respect to the program--
       ``(i) a description of the structure and procedures of the 
     program;
       ``(ii) a management plan for the program;
       ``(iii) a description of the merit-based review process to 
     be used in the program;
       ``(iv) milestones for the evaluation of activities to be 
     assisted under the program in fiscal year 1999;
       ``(v) an assessment of the eligibility of each State that 
     participates in the Experimental Program to Stimulate 
     Competitive

[[Page S12212]]

     Research of the National Science Foundation to participate in 
     the program under this subsection; and
       ``(iv) the evaluation criteria with respect to which the 
     overall management and effectiveness of the program will be 
     evaluated.''.

     SEC. 10. NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY MEDAL FOR ENVIRONMENTAL 
                   TECHNOLOGY.

       In the administration of section 16 of the Stevenson-Wydler 
     Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3711), 
     Environmental Technology shall be established as a separate 
     nomination category with appropriate unique criteria for that 
     category.

     SEC. 11. INTERNATIONAL ARCTIC RESEARCH CENTER.

       The Congress finds that the International Arctic Research 
     Center is an internationally-supported effort to conduct 
     important weather and climate studies, and other research 
     projects of benefit to the United States. It is, therefore, 
     the scene of the Congress that, as with similar research 
     conducted in the Antarctic, the United States should provide 
     similar support for this important effort.

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