[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11223-11231]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE AMENDMENTS ACT OF 2008

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and 
pass the bill (H.R. 5940) to authorize activities for support of 
nanotechnology research and development, and for other purposes, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 5940

       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 ``National Nanotechnology 
     Initiative Amendments Act of 2008''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.

       The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended--
       (1) by striking section 2(c)(4) and inserting the following 
     new paragraph:
       ``(4) develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment 
     of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 
     2008, and update every 3 years thereafter, a strategic plan 
     to guide the activities described under subsection (b) that 
     specifies near-term and long-term objectives for the Program, 
     the anticipated time frame for achieving the near-term 
     objectives, and the metrics to be used for assessing progress 
     toward the objectives, and that describes--
       ``(A) how the Program will move results out of the 
     laboratory and into applications for the benefit of society, 
     including through cooperation and collaborations with 
     nanotechnology research, development, and technology 
     transition initiatives supported by the States;
       ``(B) how the Program will encourage and support 
     interdisciplinary research and development in nanotechnology; 
     and
       ``(C) proposed research in areas of national importance in 
     accordance with the requirements of section 5 of the National 
     Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008;'';
       (2) in section 2--
       (A) in subsection (d)--
       (i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (5) as 
     paragraphs (2) through (6), respectively; and
       (ii) by inserting the following new paragraph before 
     paragraph (2), as so redesignated by clause (i) of this 
     subparagraph:
       ``(1) the Program budget, for the previous fiscal year, for 
     each agency that participates in the Program, including a 
     breakout of spending for the development and acquisition of 
     research facilities and instrumentation, for each program 
     component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection 
     (b)(10);''; and
       (B) by inserting at the end the following new subsection:
       ``(e) Standards Setting.--The agencies participating in the 
     Program shall support the activities of committees involved 
     in the development of standards for nanotechnology and may 
     reimburse the travel costs of scientists and engineers who 
     participate in activities of such committees.'';
       (3) by striking section 3(b) and inserting the following 
     new subsection:
       ``(b) Funding.--(1) The operation of the National 
     Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall be supported by 
     funds from each agency participating in the Program. The 
     portion of such Office's total budget provided by each agency 
     for each fiscal year shall be in the same proportion as the 
     agency's share of the total budget for the Program for the 
     previous fiscal year, as specified in the report required 
     under section 2(d)(1).
       ``(2) The annual report under section 2(d) shall include--
       ``(A) a description of the funding required by the National 
     Nanotechnology Coordination Office to perform the functions 
     specified under subsection (a) for the next fiscal year by 
     category of activity, including the funding required to carry 
     out the requirements of section 2(b)(10)(D), subsection (d) 
     of this section, and section 5;
       ``(B) a description of the funding required by such Office 
     to perform the functions specified under subsection (a) for 
     the current fiscal year by category of activity, including 
     the funding required to carry out the requirements of 
     subsection (d); and
       ``(C) the amount of funding provided for such Office for 
     the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the 
     Program.'';
       (4) by inserting at the end of section 3 the following new 
     subsection:
       ``(d) Public Information.--(1) The National Nanotechnology 
     Coordination Office shall develop and maintain a database 
     accessible by the public of projects funded under the 
     Environmental, Health, and Safety, the Education and Societal 
     Dimensions, and the Nanomanufacturing program component 
     areas, or any successor program component areas, including a 
     description of each project, its source of funding by agency, 
     and its funding history. For the Environmental, Health, and 
     Safety program component area, or any successor program 
     component area, projects shall be grouped by major objective 
     as defined by the research plan required under section 3(b) 
     of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 
     2008. For the Education and Societal Dimensions program 
     component area, or any successor program component area, the 
     projects shall be grouped in subcategories of--
       ``(A) education in formal settings;
       ``(B) education in informal settings;
       ``(C) public outreach; and
       ``(D) ethical, legal, and other societal issues.
       ``(2) The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall 
     develop, maintain, and publicize information on 
     nanotechnology facilities supported under the Program, and 
     may include information on nanotechnology facilities 
     supported by the States, that are accessible for use by 
     individuals from academic institutions and from industry. The 
     information shall include at a minimum the terms and 
     conditions for the use of each facility, a description of the 
     capabilities of the instruments and equipment available for 
     use at the facility, and a description of the technical 
     support available to assist users of the facility.'';
       (5) in section 4(a)--
       (A) by striking ``or designate'';
       (B) by inserting ``as a distinct entity'' after ``Advisory 
     Panel''; and
       (C) by inserting at the end ``The Advisory Panel shall form 
     a subpanel with membership having specific qualifications 
     tailored to enable it to carry out the requirements of 
     subsection (c)(7).'';
       (6) in section 4(b)--
       (A) by striking ``or designated'' and ``or designating''; 
     and
       (B) by adding at the end the following: ``At least one 
     member of the Advisory Panel shall be an individual employed 
     by and representing a minority-serving institution.'';
       (7) by amending section 5 to read as follows:

[[Page 11224]]



     ``SEC. 5. TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL 
                   NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

       ``(a) In General.--The Director of the National 
     Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall enter into an 
     arrangement with the National Research Council of the 
     National Academy of Sciences to conduct a triennial review of 
     the Program. The Director shall ensure that the arrangement 
     with the National Research Council is concluded in order to 
     allow sufficient time for the reporting requirements of 
     subsection (b) to be satisfied. Each triennial review shall 
     include an evaluation of the--
       ``(1) research priorities and technical content of the 
     Program, including whether the allocation of funding among 
     program component areas, as designated according to section 
     2(c)(2), is appropriate;
       ``(2) effectiveness of the Program's management and 
     coordination across agencies and disciplines, including an 
     assessment of the effectiveness of the National 
     Nanotechnology Coordination Office;
       ``(3) Program's scientific and technological 
     accomplishments and its success in transferring technology to 
     the private sector; and
       ``(4) adequacy of the Program's activities addressing 
     ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal 
     concerns, including human health concerns.
       ``(b) Evaluation To Be Transmitted to Congress.--The 
     National Research Council shall document the results of each 
     triennial review carried out in accordance with subsection 
     (a) in a report that includes any recommendations for ways to 
     improve the Program's management and coordination processes 
     and for changes to the Program's objectives, funding 
     priorities, and technical content. Each report shall be 
     submitted to the Director of the National Nanotechnology 
     Coordination Office, who shall transmit it to the Advisory 
     Panel, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
     of the Senate, and the Committee on Science and Technology of 
     the House of Representatives not later than September 30 of 
     every third year, with the first report due September 30, 
     2009.
       ``(c) Funding.--Of the amounts provided in accordance with 
     section 3(b)(1), the following amounts shall be available to 
     carry out this section:
       ``(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2009.
       ``(2) $500,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       ``(3) $500,000 for fiscal year 2011.''; and
       (8) in section 10--
       (A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
       ``(2) Nanotechnology.--The term `nanotechnology' means the 
     science and technology that will enable one to understand, 
     measure, manipulate, and manufacture at the nanoscale, aimed 
     at creating materials, devices, and systems with 
     fundamentally new properties or functions.''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(7) Nanoscale.--The term `nanoscale' means one or more 
     dimensions of between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers.''.

     SEC. 3. SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.

       (a) Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of 
     Nanotechnology.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
     Technology Policy shall designate an associate director of 
     the Office of Science and Technology Policy as the 
     Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology. The 
     Coordinator shall be responsible for oversight of the 
     coordination, planning, and budget prioritization of 
     activities required by section 2(b)(10) of the 21st Century 
     Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
     7501(b)(10)). The Coordinator shall, with the assistance of 
     appropriate senior officials of the agencies funding 
     activities within the Environmental, Health, and Safety and 
     the Education and Societal Dimensions program component areas 
     of the Program, or any successor program component areas, 
     ensure that the requirements of such section 2(b)(10) are 
     satisfied. The responsibilities of the Coordinator shall 
     include--
       (1) ensuring that a research plan for the environmental, 
     health, and safety research activities required under 
     subsection (b) is developed, updated, and implemented and 
     that the plan is responsive to the recommendations of the 
     subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under section 4(a) 
     of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this Act;
       (2) encouraging and monitoring the efforts of the agencies 
     participating in the Program to allocate the level of 
     resources and management attention necessary to ensure that 
     the ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate 
     societal concerns related to nanotechnology, including human 
     health concerns, are addressed under the Program, including 
     the implementation of the research plan described in 
     subsection (b); and
       (3) encouraging the agencies required to develop the 
     research plan under subsection (b) to identify, assess, and 
     implement suitable mechanisms for the establishment of 
     public-private partnerships for support of environmental, 
     health, and safety research.
       (b) Research Plan.--
       (1) In general.--The Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of 
     Nanotechnology shall convene and chair a panel comprised of 
     representatives from the agencies funding research activities 
     under the Environmental, Health, and Safety program component 
     area of the Program, or any successor program component area, 
     and from such other agencies as the Coordinator considers 
     necessary to develop, periodically update, and coordinate the 
     implementation of a research plan for this program component 
     area. In developing and updating the plan, the panel convened 
     by the Coordinator shall solicit and be responsive to 
     recommendations and advice from--
       (A) the subpanel of the Advisory Panel established under 
     section 4(a) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and 
     Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this Act; 
     and
       (B) the agencies responsible for environmental, health, and 
     safety regulations associated with the production, use, and 
     disposal of nanoscale materials and products.
       (2) Development of standards.--The plan required under 
     paragraph (1) shall include a description of how the Program 
     will help to ensure the development of--
       (A) standards related to nomenclature associated with 
     engineered nanoscale materials;
       (B) engineered nanoscale standard reference materials for 
     environmental, health, and safety testing; and
       (C) standards related to methods and procedures for 
     detecting, measuring, monitoring, sampling, and testing 
     engineered nanoscale materials for environmental, health, and 
     safety impacts.
       (3) Components of plan.--The plan required under paragraph 
     (1) shall, with respect to activities described in paragraphs 
     (1) and (2)--
       (A) specify near-term research objectives and long-term 
     research objectives;
       (B) specify milestones associated with each near-term 
     objective and the estimated time and resources required to 
     reach each milestone;
       (C) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B), describe the 
     role of each agency carrying out or sponsoring research in 
     order to meet the objectives specified under subparagraph (A) 
     and to achieve the milestones specified under subparagraph 
     (B);
       (D) specify the funding allocated to each major objective 
     of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the 
     current fiscal year; and
       (E) estimate the funding required for each major objective 
     of the plan and the source of funding by agency for the 
     following 3 fiscal years.
       (4) Transmittal to congress.--The plan required under 
     paragraph (1) shall be submitted not later than 60 days after 
     the date of enactment of this Act to the Committee on 
     Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
     Committee on Science and Technology of the House of 
     Representatives.
       (5) Updating and appending to report.--The plan required 
     under paragraph (1) shall be updated annually and appended to 
     the report required under section 2(d) of the 21st Century 
     Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
     7501(d)).
       (c) Nanotechnology Partnerships.--
       (1) Establishment.--As part of the program authorized by 
     section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization 
     Act of 2002, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
     shall provide 1 or more grants to establish partnerships as 
     defined by subsection (a)(2) of that section, except that 
     each such partnership shall include 1 or more businesses 
     engaged in the production of nanoscale materials, products, 
     or devices. Partnerships established in accordance with this 
     subsection shall be designated as ``Nanotechnology Education 
     Partnerships''.
       (2) Purpose.--Nanotechnology Education Partnerships shall 
     be designed to recruit and help prepare secondary school 
     students to pursue postsecondary level courses of instruction 
     in nanotechnology. At a minimum, grants shall be used to 
     support--
       (A) professional development activities to enable secondary 
     school teachers to use curricular materials incorporating 
     nanotechnology and to inform teachers about career 
     possibilities for students in nanotechnology;
       (B) enrichment programs for students, including access to 
     nanotechnology facilities and equipment at partner 
     institutions, to increase their understanding of nanoscale 
     science and technology and to inform them about career 
     possibilities in nanotechnology as scientists, engineers, and 
     technicians; and
       (C) identification of appropriate nanotechnology 
     educational materials and incorporation of nanotechnology 
     into the curriculum for secondary school students at one or 
     more organizations participating in a Partnership.
       (3) Selection.--Grants under this subsection shall be 
     awarded in accordance with subsection (b) of such section 9, 
     except that paragraph (3)(B) of that subsection shall not 
     apply.
       (d) Undergraduate Education Programs.--
       (1) Activities supported.--As part of the activities 
     included under the Education and Societal Dimensions program 
     component area, or any successor program component area, the 
     Program shall support efforts to introduce nanoscale science, 
     engineering, and technology into undergraduate science and 
     engineering education through a variety of interdisciplinary 
     approaches. Activities supported may include--
       (A) development of courses of instruction or modules to 
     existing courses;
       (B) faculty professional development; and
       (C) acquisition of equipment and instrumentation suitable 
     for undergraduate education and research in nanotechnology.
       (2) Course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement 
     authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out 
     activities described in paragraph (1) through the Course, 
     Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program--

[[Page 11225]]

       (A) from amounts authorized under section 7002(b)(2)(B) of 
     the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
     and
       (B) from amounts authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B) of 
     the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (3) Advanced technology education authorization.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National 
     Science Foundation to carry out activities described in 
     paragraph (1) through the Advanced Technology Education 
     program--
       (A) from amounts authorized under section 7002(b)(2)(B) of 
     the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
     and
       (B) from amounts authorized under section 7002(c)(2)(B) of 
     the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2010.
       (e) Interagency Working Group.--The National Science and 
     Technology Council shall establish under the Nanoscale 
     Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee an 
     Education Working Group to coordinate, prioritize, and plan 
     the educational activities supported under the Program.
       (f) Societal Dimensions in Nanotechnology Education 
     Activities.--Activities supported under the Education and 
     Societal Dimensions program component area, or any successor 
     program component area, that involve informal, precollege, or 
     undergraduate nanotechnology education shall include 
     education regarding the environmental, health and safety, and 
     other societal aspects of nanotechnology.
       (g) Remote Access to Nanotechnology Facilities.--(1) 
     Agencies supporting nanotechnology research facilities as 
     part of the Program shall require the entities that operate 
     such facilities to allow access via the Internet, and support 
     the costs associated with the provision of such access, by 
     secondary school students and teachers, to instruments and 
     equipment within such facilities for educational purposes. 
     The agencies may waive this requirement for cases when 
     particular facilities would be inappropriate for educational 
     purposes or the costs for providing such access would be 
     prohibitive.
       (2) The agencies identified in paragraph (1) shall require 
     the entities that operate such nanotechnology research 
     facilities to establish and publish procedures, guidelines, 
     and conditions for the submission and approval of 
     applications for the use of the facilities for the purpose 
     identified in paragraph (1) and shall authorize personnel who 
     operate the facilities to provide necessary technical support 
     to students and teachers.

     SEC. 4. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.

       (a) Prototyping.--
       (1) Access to facilities.--In accordance with section 
     2(b)(7) of 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and 
     Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(7)), the agencies 
     supporting nanotechnology research facilities as part of the 
     Program shall provide access to such facilities to companies 
     for the purpose of assisting the companies in the development 
     of prototypes of nanoscale products, devices, or processes 
     (or products, devices, or processes enabled by 
     nanotechnology) for determining proof of concept. The 
     agencies shall publicize the availability of these facilities 
     and encourage their use by companies as provided for in this 
     section.
       (2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)--
       (A) shall establish and publish procedures, guidelines, and 
     conditions for the submission and approval of applications 
     for use of nanotechnology facilities;
       (B) shall publish descriptions of the capabilities of 
     facilities available for use under this subsection, including 
     the availability of technical support; and
       (C) may waive recovery, require full recovery, or require 
     partial recovery of the costs associated with use of the 
     facilities for projects under this subsection.
       (3) Selection and criteria.--In cases when less than full 
     cost recovery is required pursuant to paragraph (2)(C), 
     projects provided access to nanotechnology facilities in 
     accordance with this subsection shall be selected through a 
     competitive, merit-based process, and the criteria for the 
     selection of such projects shall include at a minimum--
       (A) the readiness of the project for technology 
     demonstration;
       (B) evidence of a commitment by the applicant for further 
     development of the project to full commercialization if the 
     proof of concept is established by the prototype; and
       (C) evidence of the potential for further funding from 
     private sector sources following the successful demonstration 
     of proof of concept.

     The agencies may give special consideration in selecting 
     projects to applications that are relevant to important 
     national needs or requirements.
       (b) Use of Existing Technology Transfer Programs.--
       (1) Participating agencies.--Each agency participating in 
     the Program shall--
       (A) encourage the submission of applications for support of 
     nanotechnology related projects to the Small Business 
     Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology 
     Transfer Program administered by such agencies; and
       (B) through the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office 
     and within 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act, 
     submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Science and 
     Technology of the House of Representatives--
       (i) the plan described in section 2(c)(7) of the 21st 
     Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 
     U.S.C. 7501(c)(7)); and
       (ii) a report specifying, if the agency administers a Small 
     Business Innovation Research Program and a Small Business 
     Technology Transfer Program--

       (I) the number of proposals received for nanotechnology 
     related projects during the current fiscal year and the 
     previous 2 fiscal years;
       (II) the number of such proposals funded in each year;
       (III) the total number of nanotechnology related projects 
     funded and the amount of funding provided for fiscal year 
     2003 through fiscal year 2007; and
       (IV) a description of the projects identified in accordance 
     with subclause (III) which received private sector funding 
     beyond the period of phase II support.

       (2) National institute of standards and technology.--The 
     Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology in carrying out the requirements of section 28 of 
     the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
     U.S.C. 278n) shall--
       (A) in regard to subsection (d) of that section, encourage 
     the submission of proposals for support of nanotechnology 
     related projects; and
       (B) in regard to subsection (g) of that section, include a 
     description of how the requirement of subparagraph (A) of 
     this paragraph is being met, the number of proposals for 
     nanotechnology related projects received, the number of such 
     proposals funded, the total number of such projects funded 
     since the beginning of the Technology Innovation Program, and 
     the outcomes of such funded projects in terms of the metrics 
     developed in accordance with such subsection (g).
       (3) TIP advisory board.--The TIP Advisory Board established 
     under section 28(k) of the National Institute of Standards 
     and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(k)), in carrying out its 
     responsibilities under subsection (k)(3), shall provide the 
     Director of the National Institute of Standards and 
     Technology with--
       (A) advice on how to accomplish the requirement of 
     paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection; and
       (B) an assessment of the adequacy of the allocation of 
     resources for nanotechnology related projects supported under 
     the Technology Innovation Program.
       (c) Industry Liaison Groups.--An objective of the Program 
     shall be to establish industry liaison groups for all 
     industry sectors that would benefit from applications of 
     nanotechnology. The Nanomanufactoring, Industry Liaison, and 
     Innovation Working Group of the National Science and 
     Technology Council shall actively pursue establishing such 
     liaison groups.
       (d) Coordination With State Initiatives.--Section 2(b)(5) 
     of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development 
     Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(5) ensuring United States global leadership in the 
     development and application of nanotechnology, including 
     through coordination and leveraging Federal investments with 
     nanotechnology research, development, and technology 
     transition initiatives supported by the States;''.

     SEC. 5. RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.

       (a) In General.--The Program shall include support for 
     nanotechnology research and development activities directed 
     toward application areas that have the potential for 
     significant contributions to national economic 
     competitiveness and for other significant societal benefits. 
     The activities supported shall be designed to advance the 
     development of research discoveries by demonstrating 
     technical solutions to important problems in such areas as 
     nano-electronics, energy efficiency, health care, and water 
     remediation and purification. The Advisory Panel shall make 
     recommendations to the Program for candidate research and 
     development areas for support under this section.
       (b) Characteristics.--
       (1) In general.--Research and development activities under 
     this section shall--
       (A) include projects selected on the basis of applications 
     for support through a competitive, merit-based process;
       (B) involve collaborations among researchers in academic 
     institutions and industry, and may involve nonprofit research 
     institutions and Federal laboratories, as appropriate;
       (C) when possible, leverage Federal investments through 
     collaboration with related State initiatives; and
       (D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of research 
     discoveries and the results of technology demonstration 
     activities to industry for commercial development.
       (2) Procedures.--Determination of the requirements for 
     applications under this subsection, review and selection of 
     applications for support, and subsequent funding of projects 
     shall be carried out by a collaboration of no fewer than 2 
     agencies participating in the Program. In selecting 
     applications for support, the agencies shall give special 
     consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-
     Federal sources.
       (3) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and 
     development activities under this section may be supported 
     through interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, as 
     authorized by section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century 
     Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 
     7501(b)(4)), that are organized to investigate basic research 
     questions and carry out technology demonstration activities 
     in areas such as those identified in subsection (a).
       (c) Report.--Reports required under section 2(d) of the 
     21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 
     U.S.C. 7501(d)) shall include a description of research and 
     development areas supported in accordance with

[[Page 11226]]

     this section, including the same budget information as is 
     required for program component areas under paragraphs (1) and 
     (2) of such section 2(d).

     SEC. 6. NANOMANUFACTURING RESEARCH.

       (a) Research Areas.--The Nanomanufacturing program 
     component area, or any successor program component area, 
     shall include research on--
       (1) development of instrumentation and tools required for 
     the rapid characterization of nanoscale materials and for 
     monitoring of nanoscale manufacturing processes; and
       (2) approaches and techniques for scaling the synthesis of 
     new nanoscale materials to achieve industrial-level 
     production rates.
       (b) Green Nanotechnology.--Interdisciplinary research 
     centers supported under the Program in accordance with 
     section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research 
     and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(4)) that are focused 
     on nanomanufacturing research and centers established under 
     the authority of section 5(b)(3) of this Act shall include as 
     part of the activities of such centers--
       (1) research on methods and approaches to develop 
     environmentally benign nanoscale products and nanoscale 
     manufacturing processes, taking into consideration relevant 
     findings and results of research supported under the 
     Environmental, Health, and Safety program component area, or 
     any successor program component area;
       (2) fostering the transfer of the results of such research 
     to industry; and
       (3) providing for the education of scientists and engineers 
     through interdisciplinary studies in the principles and 
     techniques for the design and development of environmentally 
     benign nanoscale products and processes.
       (c) Review of Nanomanufactoring Research and Research 
     Facilities.--
       (1) Public meeting.--Not later than 12 months after the 
     date of enactment of this Act, the National Nanotechnology 
     Coordination Office shall sponsor a public meeting, including 
     representation from a wide range of industries engaged in 
     nanoscale manufacturing, to--
       (A) obtain the views of participants at the meeting on--
       (i) the relevance and value of the research being carried 
     out under the Nanomanufactoring program component area of the 
     Program, or any successor program component area; and
       (ii) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research 
     facilities supported under the Program are adequate--

       (I) to meet current and near-term requirements for the 
     fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and 
     systems; and
       (II) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and 
     equipment at the facilities, by means of networking 
     technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from 
     the facilities; and

       (B) receive any recommendations on ways to strengthen the 
     research portfolio supported under the Nanomanufactoring 
     program component area, or any successor program component 
     area, and on improving the capabilities of nanotechnology 
     research facilities supported under the Program.

     Companies participating in industry liaison groups shall be 
     invited to participate in the meeting. The Coordination 
     Office shall prepare a report documenting the findings and 
     recommendations resulting from the meeting.
       (2) Advisory panel review.--The Advisory Panel shall review 
     the Nanomanufactoring program component area of the Program, 
     or any successor program component area, and the capabilities 
     of nanotechnology research facilities supported under the 
     Program to assess--
       (A) whether the funding for the Nanomanufactoring program 
     component area, or any successor program component area, is 
     adequate and receiving appropriate priority within the 
     overall resources available for the Program;
       (B) the relevance of the research being supported to the 
     identified needs and requirements of industry;
       (C) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology research 
     facilities supported under the Program are adequate--
       (i) to meet current and near-term requirements for the 
     fabrication and characterization of nanoscale devices and 
     systems; and
       (ii) to provide access to and use of instrumentation and 
     equipment at the facilities, by means of networking 
     technology, to individuals who are at locations remote from 
     the facilities; and
       (D) the level of funding that would be needed to support--
       (i) the acquisition of instrumentation, equipment, and 
     networking technology sufficient to provide the capabilities 
     at nanotechnology research facilities described in 
     subparagraph (C); and
       (ii) the operation and maintenance of such facilities.

     In carrying out its assessment, the Advisory Panel shall take 
     into consideration the findings and recommendations from the 
     report required under paragraph (1).
       (3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall submit to the 
     Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
     Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the 
     House of Representatives a report on its assessment required 
     under paragraph (2), along with any recommendations and a 
     copy of the report prepared in accordance with paragraph (1).

     SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act, terms that are defined in section 10 of the 
     21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 
     U.S.C. 7509) have the meaning given those terms in that 
     section.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) and the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their 
remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 5940, the bill now 
under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  H.R. 5940 is a bipartisan bill which myself and Ranking Member Hall 
jointly introduced, along with 23 additional Democratic and Republican 
members of the Science and Technology Committee. The committee believes 
this legislation will strengthen our Nation's competitiveness in the 
rapidly advancing field of nanotechnology.
  I want to particularly thank my colleague, the gentleman from Texas, 
for working with me to craft this legislation. I also want to thank Dr. 
Baird, the Chair, and Dr. Ehlers, the ranking member, respectively, of 
the Research and Science Education Subcommittee, who were both 
instrumental in development of this bill.
  Finally, I want to thank all the members of the Science and 
Technology Committee on both sides of the aisle for their contributions 
to this bill and for helping to move it expeditiously and unanimously 
through the committee. Certainly, I want to thank Jim Wilson, working 
with the minority and majority staff, in putting together this 
excellent piece of legislation.
  The term ``revolutionary technology'' has become a cliche, but 
nanotechnology truly is revolutionary. We stand at the threshold of an 
age in which materials and devices can be fashioned atom by atom to 
satisfy specific design requirements. Nanotechnology-based applications 
are arising that were not even imagined a decade ago.
  The range of potential applications of nanotechnology is broad and 
will have enormous consequences for electronics, energy transformation, 
storage materials, and medicine and health, to name just a few. Indeed, 
the scope of this technology is so broad as to leave virtually no 
product untouched.
  The Science and Technology Committee recognized the promise of 
nanotechnology early on, holding our first hearing a decade ago to 
review Federal activities in the field. The committee was substantially 
instrumental in development and enactment in 2003 of the 21st Century 
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act, which authorized the 
multi-agency National Nanotechnology Initiative, or the NNI, as it's 
called.
  The 2003 statute put in place formal interagency planning, budgeting, 
and coordinating mechanisms for the NNI. It now receives funding from 
13 agencies and has a budget of $1.5 billion for fiscal year 2008. The 
NNI statute also provides for formal reviews of the content and 
management of programs by the National Academy of Sciences and by a 
designated advisory committee of nongovernmental experts. Their 
assessment of the NNI has been generally positive.
  The NNI supports productive cooperative research efforts across a 
spectrum of disciplines and is establishing a network of national 
facilities for further support of nanotechnology research and 
development. H.R. 5940 is based on findings and recommendations from 
several hearings during the current Congress that examined various 
aspects of the NNI. It also reflects recommendations from the formal 
reviews of the NNI by the National Academy of Sciences and the NNI 
advisory panel. Finally, it incorporates many suggestions from various 
communities of interest that reviewed early versions of the bill.

[[Page 11227]]

  H.R. 5940 does not substantially alter the NNI, but makes adjustments 
to some of the priorities of the programs and strengthens one of the 
core components, environmental and safety research.
  Nanotechnology is advancing rapidly, and at least 600 products have 
entered commerce that contain nanoscale materials, including aerosols 
and cosmetics. It is important for the successful development of 
nanotechnology that potential downsides of nanotechnology be addressed 
from the beginning in a straight forward and open way.
  We know too well that negative public perceptions about the safety of 
technology can have serious consequences for its acceptance and use. At 
present, the level of scientific understanding is sufficient to pin 
down what types of engineered nanomaterials may be dangerous, although 
early studies show some are potentially harmful.
  One example is the recent finding that certain types of carbon 
nanotubes may mimic the effect of asbestos in causing cancer. More 
research is needed to determine what characteristics of nanoscale 
materials are most significant with regard to determining their effects 
on living organisms or on the environment.
  Although the NNI from its beginning has included research to increase 
understanding of environmental and safety aspects of nanotechnology, it 
has not yet put in place a well-designed, adequately funded and an 
effectively executed research program in this area. The environmental 
and safety component of NNI must be improved by quickly developing a 
research plan and implementation strategy that specifies near-term and 
long-term goals, sets milestones and timeframes for meeting near-term 
goals, clarifies agencies' roles in implementing the plan, and 
allocates sufficient resources to accomplish those goals.
  This is the first essential step for the development of 
nanotechnology to ensure that sound science guides the formation of 
regulatory rules and requirements. It will reduce the current 
uncertainty that inhibits commercial development of nanotechnology and 
will provide a sound basis for future rulemaking.
  H.R. 5940 addresses risk reduction research by requiring that the NNI 
agencies develop a plan for the environmental and safety research 
component of the program, as well as a roadmap to implementing it. This 
plan must include explicit near-term and long-term goals, specify the 
funding required to reach these goals, and identify the role of each 
participating agency.
  The bill also assigns responsibility to a senior official at the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House to oversee 
this planning and implementation process and to ensure the agencies 
allocate the resources necessary to carry it out.
  Finally, the bill requires accountability by establishing a publicly 
accessible database containing information on the content and funding 
for each environmental health and safety research project supported by 
the NNI.
  Another key component of H.R. 5940 I want to highlight involves 
provisions to help capture the economic benefits of nanotechnology.

                              {time}  1230

  Too often, the U.S. has led in the basic research on the frontiers of 
science and technology, but has failed to capitalize on commercial 
development flowing from these new discoveries.
  The NNI has so far invested approximately $7 billion over 7 years in 
basic research that is providing new tools for manipulation of matter 
at the nanoscale and is increasing our understanding of the behavior of 
engineered nanoscale materials and devices. Increased consideration 
should be given to ways to foster the transfer of new discoveries to 
commercial products and processes. To that end, H.R. 5940 includes 
provisions to encourage use of nanotechnology research facilities by 
companies for prototyping and proof of concept studies and it specifies 
steps for increasing the number of nanotechnology-related projects 
supported under the Small Business Innovation Research initiative and 
by the Technology Innovation Program, established under the COMPETES 
Act.
  To increase the relevancy and value of NNI, the bill also authorizes 
large-scale, focused, multi-agency research and development initiatives 
in areas of national need. This approach will advance the development 
of promising research discoveries for demonstrating technical solutions 
in targeted areas, which will contribute to economic competitiveness 
and other social benefits. For example, such efforts could be organized 
around the development and replacement of silicone-based transistors, 
developing new nanotechnology-based devices for harvesting solar 
energy, and nanoscale sensors for detecting cancer.
  Finally, I want to highlight some provisions of the bill that address 
another key issue, future STEM workforce needs. The Nation needs a full 
pipeline of talented engineers, scientists and technicians and a 
scientifically literate public able to exploit and understand this new 
science.
  One provision of H.R. 5940 builds on the National Science 
Foundation's Math and Science Partnership Program to use nanotechnology 
education activities as a vehicle to raise the interest of secondary 
students in possible STEM careers. A key component of these new 
partnerships is involvement by the nanotechnology companies in offering 
hands-on learning opportunities at their facilities for students and 
teachers.
  Another educational provision supports the development of 
undergraduate courses of study in nanotechnology fields. This will help 
prepare future technicians, scientists and engineers who will be needed 
to meet the demands of industry as nanotechnology commercialization 
continues to expand.
  Mr. Speaker, nanotechnology will soon touch the lives of all 
Americans. It is already in our cell phones, cosmetics, paints and 
clothing. It will soon help to protect the lives of our police officers 
and military servicemen, and is showing promise in the treatment of 
cancer and promoting wound healing. There is no doubt that the 
potential of this technology is great. The bill before us today goes a 
long way toward ensuring that nanotechnology is developed in a safe and 
environmentally benign way, and that the Nation reaps the benefits of 
our research investment.
  H.R. 5940 has the support of many business and professional 
associations, including the Semiconductor Industry Association, the 
NanoBusiness Alliance, the American Chemical Society, the American 
Physical Society, SEMI North America, the National Chemistry Council, 
the American Electronics Association, the Association of Science-
Technology Centers, IEEE-USA, Materials Research Society, Semiconductor 
Research Corporation, the National Science Teachers Association, 
American Psychological Association, the American Institute for Medical 
and Biological Engineering, Texas Instruments, IBM and Applied 
Materials, among just a few.
  These organizations, like my colleagues on the Science and Technology 
Committee, recognize that H.R. 5940 will enhance America's efforts in 
nanotechnology research and development and will help bring its many 
benefits to the public.
  Mr. Speaker, I commend this bipartisan legislation to my colleagues 
and urge their support for its passage in this House.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from Texas 
(Mr. Hall) will control the time.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5940, the 
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008, and I yield 
myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I control time for what we call the opposition for the 
legislation here today, but I guess that is just a mere technicality, 
because I am pleased to join Chairman Gordon as well as an overwhelming 
majority of our committee members on both sides

[[Page 11228]]

of the aisle as an original cosponsor of H.R. 5940, the National 
Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008.
  The initiative was first named in the 2001 budget request and made a 
priority by President Bush. We codified it in 2003, and I was pleased 
to cosponsor that measure as well then. Now we have taken an already 
good statute and improved it just a bit, and streamlined some 
administrative issues to ensure that areas such as nanomanufacturing, 
education and environmental health and safety are adequately 
recognized.
  It is mind-boggling to realize that the piece of paper that I am 
reading from is 100,000 nanometers thick. 100,000 nanometers. The fact 
that our scientists and engineers can create and manipulate matter on 
that small of a scale to be used in electronics, biomedical, 
pharmaceutical, cosmetic, energy, catalytic, and materials applications 
is amazing and the kind of research and technology that makes the 
United States the leader in this innovation. It is important that we 
continue to make this area of research a national priority.
  Certainly, just as an example, look at how nanotechnology has been 
used to create clean, secure and affordable energy. With gas prices 
averaging $4 a gallon, when was the last time we heard ``affordable 
energy''?
  Nanotechnology research is currently taking place to improve the 
performance or increase the efficiency of renewable energy systems, 
such as solar energy conversion, wind energy, biomass power for utility 
applications, hydrogen production and storage for transportation, 
including the development of fuel cell technology, and geothermal 
energy. Nanofilms for windows are being developed for home use to 
promote energy efficiency. Nanotechnology is being used to improve 
batteries and create solid state lighting and low powered displays. The 
list and potential at this time are absolutely endless.
  So I encourage my colleagues to support this measure. This has been a 
bipartisan effort from the beginning, and while we have made some 
changes to the program, I believe that, by and large, we continue to 
give the NNI and all the Federal agencies involved with this the 
flexibility that they absolutely need to do their work without being 
overly prescriptive.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, first let me concur with the 
remarks of my ranking member, Mr. Hall. This has been a good, 
bipartisan, collaborative effort, and I thank him and his staff for all 
their work.
  I yield 4 minutes to the vice chairman of the Science and Technology 
Committee, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski).
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5940, 
legislation reauthorizing the National Nanotechnology Initiative known 
as the NNI. I want to congratulate Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member 
Hall for their hard work in crafting this legislation. I also want to 
acknowledge all the members of the Science and Technology Committee on 
both sides of the aisle for their contributions to this bill and for 
helping to move it expeditiously and unanimously through the committee.
  Nanotechnology, or the science and technology of building devices 
from single atoms and molecules, soon will impact nearly every sector 
of our economy. In just 6 years, the global market for nanoscale 
materials and products is expected to reach $2.6 trillion and to be 
incorporated into 15 percent of global manufacturing output. I firmly 
believe that nanotech represents one of the most important, if not the 
most important, technological keys to improving our Nation's future 
economic growth and improving our way of life, from medical 
applications, to green nanoenergy, to nanoelectronics, which will be 
critical as we reach the limits of current materials.
  The NNI has been effective in supporting productive, cooperative 
research efforts across a wide spectrum of disciplines. The initiative 
has established a network of state-of-the-art national facilities that 
are conducting groundbreaking work in nanoscale research and 
development. These centers have helped the U.S. maintain a strong 
presence in the development and expansion of nanotechnology, which has 
been vital to economic development and essential to the creation of 
innovative jobs, leading to a stronger and more competitive America. 
The committee stated in the bill's report language the need to expand 
the current centers that we have as necessary to meet future research 
needs.
  I am proud that my home State of Illinois is one of the leaders in 
nanotechnology research. Illinois boasts two national labs. It is home 
to numerous cutting-edge businesses and some of the Nation's preeminent 
research universities, such as my alma mater, Northwestern University, 
and the University of Illinois, which are conducting groundbreaking 
work in this field.
  To keep the U.S. ahead of other nations, who are now making 
substantial investments in nanotech, this reauthorization makes three 
significant adjustments, as mentioned by the chairman.
  First, it strengthens the planning and implementation of research on 
the environmental, health and safety aspects of nanotech. Not only is 
public safety paramount in its own right, but public confidence in 
these new technologies is also necessary for the success of nanotech 
industries.
  Second, this bill requires the NNI to place increased emphasis on 
technology transfer; that is, moving basic research results out of the 
lab and into commercial products, materials and devices. From my own 
experiences in Illinois with our national labs and research 
universities, I understand that technology transfer is not simple, but 
it is critical to ensuring that R&D investments serve the public.
  Third, H.R. 5940 creates a new nanotechnology education program to 
attract secondary school students to science and technology studies to 
help prepare the nanotech workforce of the future. As a former teacher, 
I understand the importance of education in promoting not only the 
success of individual Americans, but also promoting the success of 
American innovation such as nanotechnology.
  Mr. Speaker, as nanotechnology moves from a multibillion to a 
multitrillion-dollar industry, there is great promise in store, but it 
is critical that we do all we can to ensure that America leads the way 
in nanotech innovation. H.R. 5940 will keep the U.S. in a position to 
drive the development of nanotechnology and go a long way towards 
ensuring that America reaps the benefits of our research investment.
  I urge my colleagues to support passage of H.R. 5940.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman 
from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), the previous Energy Subcommittee Chair.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. I thank the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas, 
for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, as an original cosponsor of H.R. 5940, I rise to express 
my continued support for the bill that we are considering here today.
  Most Americans learn in grade school and high school that atoms are 
building blocks of nature. In the years since I was in school, 
incredible machines have allowed us to even see every one of these 
atoms. But now, thanks to the National Nanotechnology Initiative, or 
NNI, we have developed and continue to develop the tools, equipment and 
expertise to manipulate those atoms and build new materials and new 
machines, one molecule at a time.
  First established in 2001 and later authorized in statute in 2003, 
the NNI has by all accounts succeeded at coordinating nanotechnology 
research and development across many Federal agencies to the benefit of 
our national competitiveness. According to a recent review of the 
program by the President's Council of Advisers on Science and 
Technology, PCAST, the United States has been and remains the 
recognized leader in nanotechnology R&D. But the Council rightly 
pointed out that the European Union and China are gaining ground on us. 
That is why I am pleased that we are building on the success of NNI by 
passing H.R. 5940 today.
  Thanks to the NNI, the U.S. has an extensive network of nanoscale 
science

[[Page 11229]]

research centers. Five of those centers are operated and maintained by 
the Department of Energy's Office of Science. One of those DOE centers, 
the Center for Nanoscale Materials, is located in my district at 
Argonne National Laboratory.
  In its first year of operation, Argonne's Center for Nanoscale 
Materials hosted over 100 scientists and engineers engaged in nanotech 
research from across the country and around the world, giving them 
access to the most powerful x-ray device in the Western Hemisphere at 
the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne.

                              {time}  1245

  As Americans face ever rising gasoline and energy prices, we are 
fortunate that Congress and the President had the foresight to invest 
in the DOE's nanoscience centers. Because of our Federal investment in 
years past, scientists and engineers are already hard at work 
manipulating atoms to create new, lighter, stronger materials for wind 
turbines, improved lubricants for gear boxes, and better wiring for 
generators, all of which will improve the efficiency of wind power. DOE 
scientists are also using nanotechnology to make more durable and 
efficient solar cells, catalysts for the direct conversion of light 
energy to hydrogen, new materials for lighter, more powerful, longer 
lasting batteries that will improve energy storage and bring the plug-
in hybrid car to market more quickly. Thanks to nanotechnology, 
progress is being made on advanced energy technologies that will reduce 
our reliance on foreign oil and gas.
  But to continue making progress, Congress must provide adequate 
funding for these critical facilities and research efforts. 
Unfortunately, because the fiscal year 2008 omnibus bill essentially 
flat funded the basic energy science program, the DOE had no choice but 
to reduce the run time of scientific user facilities like the advanced 
photon source by 20 percent. Without a doubt, this will impact the work 
at the Center for Nanoscale Materials which relies on the APS.
  I remain hopeful that the fiscal year 2008 supplemental working its 
way through Congress now will include additional funding for these 
important facilities and research efforts of the DOE. With that in 
mind, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the National 
Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology Innovation, Mr. Wu, from 
Oregon State.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair will advise the gentleman from 
Tennessee that he has only 5 minutes remaining.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Then I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from 
Oregon.
  Mr. WU. I thank the gentleman and the chairman for his leadership on 
this issue and for the bipartisan manner in which this bill has come to 
the floor, and rise in strong support of the National Nanotechnology 
Initiative Amendments Act of 2008. It is very, very fitting that we are 
continuing efforts to support nanotechnology research and development 
given the economic and societal benefits that we are just beginning to 
realize.
  Federally funded research and development has long served an 
important purpose in our economy, spurring the creation of new 
services, new products, and, most importantly, new jobs. The new 
products and technologies that are often the byproducts of basic 
research enhance our daily lives in many, many ways. It is estimated 
that the fruits of nanotechnology research will have a multi-trillion 
dollar impact on our economy within the next several years.
  The bill before us today provides the seed corn for an industry that 
will be a crucial part of our future economic success and 
competitiveness. My home State of Oregon is a leader in nanotechnology. 
The Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute, ONAMI, is a 
public-private partnership that supports academic research and 
technology transfer of nanoscience. Research supported by ONAMI has 
already yielded companies that are developing a low-cost method of 
removing heavy metals to purify water, new manufacturing technologies, 
and a system to allow patients with kidney disease to undergo dialysis 
at home. Continued support of nanotechnology research allow these and 
other breakthrough technologies to come to market.
  I want to cite a couple specific key provisions, including provisions 
relating to green nanotechnologies and those that encourage the 
commercialization of nanotechnology research.
  Several institutions in the State of Oregon have been leaders in 
green nanotechnology research. These funds will help these universities 
and others explore ways to create environmentally friendly or at least 
benign nanotechnology products. And this is very, very crucial to 
acceptance of nanotech.
  In addition, there are provisions in this bill that encourage other 
Federal programs to support commercialization of nanotechnology 
research to help turn research insights into tangible useful results. 
Congress has already passed legislation to support programs that 
advance our innovation agenda, and it is fitting that nanotechnology 
would be funded by these programs. The relevant programs include the 
Technology Innovation Program, or TIP, which provides grants to 
companies and universities conducting high-risk, high reward research, 
and the Small Business Innovative Research and Small Business 
Technology Transfer programs, which provide funds to small high-tech 
firms conducting innovative research that is relevant to Federal 
agencies' missions and that may have significant commercialization 
potential.
  Again, I want to commend Chairman Gordon and the ranking member for 
drafting a strong bipartisan bill, and urge my colleagues to support 
this legislation.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Georgia 
(Mr. Gingrey) 5 minutes.
  Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5940, the 
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008.
  Nanotechnology represents the future of science and information 
technology. These scientific methods have already been responsible for 
a number of products that are used every day in our country, like car 
parts, cosmetics, and first aid dressings.
  The future of nanotechnology holds a world of possibilities for a 
number of fields including health care, which, Mr. Speaker, is 
incredibly important to me as a physician member of this House.
  The National Nanotechnology Initiative is a multi-agency Federal 
program aimed at accelerating the discovery, the development, and 
deployment of nanometer scale science, engineering, and technology. 
Since its implementation in 2003, NNI represents the Federal 
Government's commitment to harnessing and developing the world's most 
cutting edge technology to help keep our country competitive in a 
technologically based global economy. H.R. 5940 is a bill that builds 
on the successful aspects of the NNI by making some improvements and 
modifications while keeping much of the initiative intact. This 
legislation acknowledges and addresses the need for enhanced research 
and education in the field of nanotechnology, and it is in line with 
President Bush's American Competitiveness Initiative.
  Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that this legislation moved through 
the Science and Technology Committee in a bipartisan manner so typical 
of our members. Unfortunately, that bipartisan spirit does not apply to 
the most important issue facing the American people today, and that is 
the price they are paying at the pump for gasoline.
  Mr. Speaker, here we are 16 months after the vaunted promise of a 
commonsense plan to reduce energy prices by Speaker Pelosi, yet gas 
prices are now surpassing $4 a gallon with no end in sight. At this 
point, I am not holding my breath for this commonsense plan Speaker 
Pelosi promised over 2 years ago. I only know the result of the plan, 
an increase of $1.60 per gallon for regular gasoline. However, Mr. 
Speaker, I do hope that Democrats will begin working with Republicans 
much like

[[Page 11230]]

they did on this bill, H.R. 5940, on our common sense plan for energy.
  The Republican proposal, H.R. 3089, the No More Excuses Energy Act 
sponsored by my good friend Mr. Thornberry of Texas, will allow us to 
explore domestic sources of energy and will reduce the amount that we 
all pay at the pump. It is time for the Democrats to get serious about 
reducing gas prices. I call on them to join the efforts of House 
Republicans. Let's enact real solutions that will provide relief for 
our taxpayers.
  Mr. Speaker, in conclusion, I am very supportive of H.R. 5940 and the 
possibility that nanotechnology has for the future of science. I urge 
all my colleagues to support its passage.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have remaining?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has 9\1/2\ minutes 
remaining.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Shimkus) 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I come in support of this legislation, and 
have come to learn that this nanotechnology has great opportunities to 
help us in the whole energy debate. I think nanotechnology can help in 
the solar powered cells. I understand that nanotechnology might be able 
to help taking light energy and turning it into hydrogen, which is 
important. It can be very important in addressing the long-lasting 
battery issue debate which will move us to plug-in hybrids sometime in 
the future, which we all realize is an important aspect of what we need 
to do to get to energy independence. And, green nanoenergy, which is 
important in this whole climate debate.
  I also hope that nanotechnology can address some of the other 
pressing scientific needs: The issue of maybe reprocessing nuclear 
spent fuel. Maybe taking the carbon dioxide and splitting the carbon 
from the oxygen and addressing the climate change so we can use fossil 
fuels in a process that is going to be helpful.
  But we are still in the Buck Rogers era. We need to move in that 
direction. The question is, what are we going to do now? The question 
is, at this time, in this debate, what are we really going to do to 
immediately affect the high cost of energy on our constituents? I have 
been on this floor quite a bit, as we all know, debating this. I have 
heard my colleagues on the other side, and I am softening my rhetoric 
out of respect for my friends and I have actually changed some of my 
charts to address issues raised in the debate.
  So what is the primary problem that we have today? The problem we 
have is the escalation of crude oil prices in this country, from $23 
when this administration came into the office, to $58 when the new 
majority came into the House, to $123 today.
  Now I am not trying to be partisan, I am just trying to be factual. 
That is what has happened to the barrel of crude oil prices and what 
has happened to the cost of gasoline. Well, it has gone up similarly in 
this response. So the question is, how do we address this problem if we 
believe in economics 101 and supply and demand?
  One way we could do it is opening the Outer Continental Shelf to oil 
and gas exploration. We have legislatively put off-limits through the 
appropriation process a prohibition, in some areas not to even do 
research to see if there is any natural gas or oil there, but we have 
said ``no'' to all these areas in red, that we are telling our public 
we do not want to look for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf 
deep sea floor exploration 50 miles off the coast. We are saying 
``no.''
  Our debate is pretty simple. At a time of high costs of a barrel of 
crude oil, $123.85 a barrel, how can we not? How can we not go and look 
for our own resources? What we want, what we are asking for is 
American-made energy, American-made energy to decrease our reliance on 
imported crude oil in places that are not stable, in the Middle East, 
in Venezuela, that are holding us captive. We know there are resources 
there.
  Let me talk about another great opportunity that we have. In 
Illinois, the Illinois coal basin is basically the whole geography of 
the State of Illinois, and of course the chairman knows a lot and is 
very supportive of coal use in America. It also is Western Kentucky and 
the southwestern part of Indiana. We have as much coal in energy output 
as Saudi Arabia has oil just in the Illinois coal basin. So the 
question is, why aren't we using it to decrease our reliance on 
imported crude oil? Why aren't we using coal in turning it into liquid 
fuel? Look at the benefits we have of coal fields: American made 
energy. A coal field in America, American jobs mining that coal, 
American jobs to build the coal to liquid refinery.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. I yield the gentleman 3 additional minutes.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I thank the gentleman.
  American jobs to build the pipeline. American jobs to operate our 
aviation industry. In fact, this plane here is a fighter plane, because 
the United States Air Force is the number one purchaser of aviation 
fuel in the world.

                              {time}  1300

  For every dollar increase in a barrel of crude oil, you know what it 
costs our Air Force? $60 million. That's $60 million that doesn't go to 
training. That's $60 million that doesn't go to equipping. That's $60 
million that doesn't help in meeting the budgetary demands.
  Let me just finish on this point. Let's assume we access these and we 
have oil and gas. Or let's assume we're in ANWR and we're getting the 
oil and gas and we're getting the royalties. At today's prices, do you 
know how much money would come to the Federal Treasury at today's 
prices from ANWR? $192 billion. Do you think that would help the 
nanotechnology budget? I think it would help extremely. Move us from a 
decrease in our reliance on imported crude oil, American-made energy, 
new science and technology, green power; and that's kind of what this 
debate is all about.
  Mr. WU. Will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I would be happy to yield to my friend from Oregon.
  Mr. WU. Just as my friend from Illinois has modified his presentation 
in light of current reality, I will not, unless necessary, reprise the 
reason for the difference between a $60 barrel of oil and a $120 barrel 
of oil, which is the war in Iraq, rank speculation by people who can't 
take delivery of the oil, and low, cheap currency doctrine by this 
administration that has imported inflation and increased oil prices.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Reclaiming my time. But all those issues that you 
addressed, if we had American-made energy, if we weren't relying on 
imported crude oil, you know, why does the cheap dollar affect our 
price? Because we're buying crude oil overseas. If we were producing 
our own crude oil in our country, the dollar wouldn't matter.
  The speculators, you know the speculators. What are they betting? I 
love this debate. They are betting that we're going to do nothing.
  You want to go after the speculators? Bring on more supply. They're 
betting that this barrel is going to go up, not go down.
  Mr. WU. If the gentleman would yield.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I would be happy to.
  Mr. WU. Speculators do bet on that. Bubbles also occur in markets 
now. A witness to the Foreign Affairs Committee said we have 4 percent 
of the proven oil reserves. And yet the Republican response is, drill 
that 4 percent; it will solve our problems. We have 4 percent of the 
world's oil reserves. Drill the reserve and that will solve our 
problems. The numbers are the numbers.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. Let me reclaim my time, and just go over, since 1994 and 
talk about this debate.
  In ANWR, which Clinton vetoed in 1995, we would have that oil today. 
House Republicans support ANWR 91 percent of the time on votes. House 
Democrats 86 oppose. Clear difference.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, how much time do I have, if any?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman has 1\1/2\ minutes.

[[Page 11231]]


  Mr. HALL of Texas. I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 45 seconds to the 
gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio).
  Mr. DeFAZIO. Drilling permits are up by two times in the last 5 
years. But the price of gas is up by two times in the last 5 years. 
More permits do not bring lower prices. 10,000 more permits than wells 
since 2004. 92 million acres of onshore and offshore land currently 
under lease, but 67 million acres, over 70 percent, has not been 
developed by the oil and gas companies. They have a lot to work with. 
They're not doing it. 80 percent of the oil and gas still in the OCS is 
where there is no moratorium.
  Now, I don't know why the gentleman, during the nanotechnology 
debate, nanotechnology which needs to be advanced by this country so we 
at least don't lose one more promising future technology, is bringing 
up this issue, unless he's talking about little tiny drill bits that 
would have less environmental impact.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to Mr. Shimkus, the gentleman 
from Illinois, 1 minute.
  Mr. SHIMKUS. I want to thank the chairman for the time. With a minute 
left, I may not be able to yield to you, David. I would be happy to 
most times.
  This is the problem. $23 to $58 to $123. You only address that by 
bringing on more supply. We have oil and gas in the Outer Continental 
Shelf, and we need to be there.
  I've got margin oil wells. I've got oil all over the State of 
Illinois. Do you know why we don't drill on every acre? Because you're 
not going to find oil on every acre.
  Why are leases not put out? Because there may not be oil there. In 
fact, on the Outer Continental Shelf on the Atlantic coast we won't 
even inventory it. Last Congress we said no to inventory what we might 
have on the Eastern Seaboard.
  All I want to do is bring down crude oil prices. The only way you do 
it is bringing on more supply. It's clear from the votes over the past 
12 years, Republicans want to bring on more supply. Democrats, the vast 
majority of them, do not. All we're asking is that we have some that 
want to do that.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. I reserve my time if the gentleman from 
Texas has any time left that he wants to conclude.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The gentleman from Texas has half a minute.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, 
and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, once again I want to thank the 
majority and minority members of the Science and Technology Committee 
for working together on this collaborative good effort.
  To my friend, my passionate friend from Illinois, let me say, just as 
he knows that you can't turn an oil tanker around on a dime, the fact 
of the matter is that we can't overturn the 4 or 8 years previous 
nearsighted policy on a dime either. But rather than point fingers and 
trying to be a partisan debate here, we can work together and make some 
changes.
  This nanotechnology bill is one more effort in helping to provide 
American technology for domestic production of energies of all sorts, 
the energies of the future, the jobs that come with that.
  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5940, the 
National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act.
  I commend Chairman Bart Gordon and the other members of the Science 
and Technology Committee, on which I am proud to have once served, for 
the hard work and thoughtful consideration that went into this bill. I 
am pleased that this bill includes numerous provisions that I 
originally proposed in my own legislation, the Nanotechnology 
Advancement and New Opportunities, NANO, Act, H.R. 3235.
  Nanotechnology has the potential to create entirely new industries 
and radically transform the basis of competition in other fields, and I 
am proud of my work with former Science Committee Chairman Sherwood 
Boehlert on the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2003 to 
foster research in this area.
  But one of the things policymakers have heard from experts is that 
while the United States is a leader in nanotechnology research, our 
foreign competitors are focusing more resources and effort on the 
commercialization of those research results than we are.
  Both H.R. 5940 and my own bill would focus America's nanotechnology 
research and development programs on areas of national need such as 
energy, health care, and the environment, and have provisions to help 
assist in the commercialization of nanotechnology.
  In recent months, there has been much discussion about potential 
health and safety risks associated with nanotechnology. Uncertainty is 
one of the major obstacles to the commercialization of nanotechnology--
uncertainty about what the risks might be and uncertainty about how the 
Federal Government might regulate nanotechnology in the future. Both my 
bill and H.R. 5940 require the development of a nanotechnology research 
plan that will ensure the development and responsible stewardship of 
nanotechnology.
  Other important areas that are addressed by both H.R. 5940 and H.R. 
3235 include: the development of curriculum tools to help improve 
nanotechnology education; the establishment of educational partnerships 
to help prepare students to pursue postsecondary education in 
nanotechnology; support for the development of environmentally 
beneficial nanotechnology; and the development of advanced tools for 
simulation and characterization to enable rapid prediction, 
characterization and monitoring for nanoscale manufacturing.
  I am also pleased that H.R. 5940 will require that the NNI Advisory 
Panel must be a stand-alone advisory committee. This is a concept, I 
originally proposed in 2002 in the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology 
Advisory Board Act, H.R. 5669 in the 107th Congress.
  I would like to thank the members of the Blue Ribbon Task Force on 
Nanotechnology, BRTFN, a panel of California nanotechnology experts 
with backgrounds in established industry, startup companies, consulting 
groups, nonprofits, academia, government, medical research, and venture 
capital that I convened with then-California State Controller Steve 
Westly during 2005, for the important recommendations included in its 
report, Thinking Big About Thinking Small, many of which are reflected 
in the bill we are considering today. I would also like to thank Scott 
Hubbard, who was the director of the NASA Ames Research Center at that 
time and who served as working chair of the BRTFN, and all of the staff 
at Ames whose hard work made the task force run so well and helped 
produce a great report. The report is available on my website at http:/
/honda.house.gov/issues/links/brtfn_report_ final.pdf.
  Again, I congratulate the Science and Technology Committee and 
Chairman Gordon for their work on this bill and thank them for 
incorporating so many of the provisions from my bill into H.R. 5940, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation to 
reauthorize the Nation's nanotechnology research and development 
program.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time, and suggest we pass this very good bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Gordon) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 5940, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. GORDON of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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