HR-5639 : Still Just a Bill

National Institute of Standards and Technology Improvement Act of 2016

This bill amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act regarding the functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the Department of Commerce, the membership of the Visiting Committee on Advanced Technology, police protection of NIST buildings and plant facilities, and research fellowships (including the Post-Doctoral Fellowship Program).

The NIST shall contract with:

• the National Academy of Sciences to review NIST laboratory programs; and
• the National Research Council to assess the technical quality and impact of the work conducted at NIST laboratories, and conduct additional assessments of NIST programs and projects that involve collaboration across NIST laboratories and centers and assessments of selected scientific and technical topics.

The bill revises requirements for the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership and Hollings Manufacturing Extension Centers to eliminate from Center activities the making of selective, short-term loans of advanced manufacturing equipment to small manufacturing firms with less than 100 employees.

Center activities shall instead include facilitation of collaborations and partnerships between small and medium-sized manufacturing companies and community colleges and area career and technical education schools to help achieve mutual understanding.

The bill repeals the six-year limitation on financial support Commerce may give to any Center created under the Partnership.

A Center must: (1) undergo an independent review in its eighth year of operation, and (2) be placed on probation for one year if the evaluation is not positive.

The bill requires each Center's advisory boards to institute a conflict of interest policy that ensures representation of local small and medium-sized manufacturers in the Center's region.

The bill changes the membership on the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory Board.

Under the competitive grant program, the NIST shall select proposals that will promote the transfer and commercialization of research and technology from institutions of higher education, national laboratories, and nonprofit research institutes.

The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 is amended to repeal the limitation to 75% of the total program cost on the total amount of any grant or cooperative agreement to assist technology innovation activities under the Act.

The bill expresses the sense of Congress concerning U.S.-Israeli cooperation with regard to basic scientific research.