Home > 108th Congressional Bills > H.R. 766 (rfs) To provide for a National Nanotechnology Research and Development Program, and for other purposes. [Referred in Senate] ...H.R. 766 (rfs) To provide for a National Nanotechnology Research and Development Program, and for other purposes. [Referred in Senate] ...
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 766
To provide for a National Nanotechnology Research and Development
Program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 13, 2003
Mr. Boehlert (for himself, Mr. Honda, Mr. Ehlers, Mr. Hall, Mr. Smith
of Michigan, Mr. Gordon, Mrs. Biggert, Ms. Eddie Bernice Johnson of
Texas, Mr. Bartlett of Maryland, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. Gutknecht, and Mr.
Bishop of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Science
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for a National Nanotechnology Research and Development
Program, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act--
(1) the term ``advanced technology user facility'' means a
nanotechnology research and development facility supported, in
whole or in part, by Federal funds that is open to all United
States researchers on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis;
(2) the term ``Advisory Committee'' means the advisory
committee established under section 5;
(3) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy;
(4) the term ``Interagency Committee'' means the
interagency committee established under section 3(c);
(5) the term ``nanotechnology'' means science and
engineering aimed at creating materials, devices, and systems
at the atomic and molecular level;
(6) the term ``Program'' means the National Nanotechnology
Research and Development Program described in section 3; and
(7) the term ``program component area'' means a major
subject area established under section 3(c)(2) under which is
grouped related individual projects and activities carried out
under the Program.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The President shall implement a National
Nanotechnology Research and Development Program to promote Federal
nanotechnology research, development, demonstration, education,
technology transfer, and commercial application activities as necessary
to ensure continued United States leadership in nanotechnology research
and development and to ensure effective coordination of nanotechnology
research and development across Federal agencies and across scientific
and engineering disciplines.
(b) Program Activities.--The activities of the Program shall be
designed to--
(1) provide sustained support for nanotechnology research
and development through--
(A) grants to individual investigators and
interdisciplinary teams of investigators; and
(B) establishment of interdisciplinary research
centers and advanced technology user facilities;
(2) ensure that solicitation and evaluation of proposals
under the Program encourage interdisciplinary research;
(3) expand education and training of undergraduate and
graduate students in interdisciplinary nanotechnology science
and engineering;
(4) accelerate the commercial application of nanotechnology
innovations in the private sector; and
(5) ensure that societal and ethical concerns will be
addressed as the technology is developed by--
(A) establishing a research program to identify
societal and ethical concerns related to
nanotechnology, and ensuring that the results of such
research are widely disseminated; and
(B) integrating, insofar as possible, research on
societal and ethical concerns with nanotechnology
research and development.
(c) Interagency Committee.--The President shall establish or
designate an interagency committee on nanotechnology research and
development, chaired by the Director, which shall include
representatives from the National Science Foundation, the Department of
Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Environmental Protection
Agency, and any other agency that the President may designate. The
Interagency Committee, which shall also include a representative from
the Office of Management and Budget, shall oversee the planning,
management, and coordination of the Program. The Interagency Committee
shall--
(1) establish goals and priorities for the Program;
(2) establish program component areas, with specific
priorities and technical goals, that reflect the goals and
priorities established for the Program;
(3) develop, within 6 months after the date of enactment of
this Act, and update annually, a strategic plan to meet the
goals and priorities established under paragraph (1) and to
guide the activities of the program component areas established
under paragraph (2);
(4) consult with academic, State, industry, and other
appropriate groups conducting research on and using
nanotechnology, and the Advisory Committee; and
(5) propose a coordinated interagency budget for the
Program that will ensure the maintenance of a balanced
nanotechnology research portfolio and ensure that each agency
and each program component area is allocated the level of
funding required to meet the goals and priorities established
for the Program.
SEC. 4. ANNUAL REPORT.
The Director shall prepare an annual report, to be submitted to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate at the time of
the President's budget request to Congress, that includes--
(1) the Program budget, for the current fiscal year, for
each agency that participates in the Program and for each
program component area;
(2) the proposed Program budget, for the next fiscal year,
for each agency that participates in the Program and for each
program component area;
(3) an analysis of the progress made toward achieving the
goals and priorities established for the Program; and
(4) an analysis of the extent to which the Program has
incorporated the recommendations of the Advisory Committee.
SEC. 5. ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
(a) In General.--The President shall establish an advisory
committee on nanotechnology consisting of non-Federal members,
including representatives of research and academic institutions and
industry, who are qualified to provide advice and information on
nanotechnology research, development, demonstration, education,
technology transfer, commercial application, and societal and ethical
concerns. The recommendations of the Advisory Committee shall be
considered by Federal agencies in implementing the Program.
(b) Assessment.--The Advisory Committee shall assess--
(1) trends and developments in nanotechnology science and
engineering;
(2) progress made in implementing the Program;
(3) the need to revise the Program;
(4) the balance among the components of the Program,
including funding levels for the program component areas;
(5) whether the program component areas, priorities, and
technical goals developed by the Interagency Committee are
helping to maintain United States leadership in nanotechnology;
(6) the management, coordination, implementation, and
activities of the Program; and
(7) whether societal and ethical concerns are adequately
addressed by the Program.
(c) Reports.--The Advisory Committee shall report not less
frequently than once every 2 fiscal years to the President and to the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on its findings
of the assessment carried out under subsection (b), its recommendations
for ways to improve the Program, and the concerns assessed under
subsection (b)(7). The first report shall be due within 1 year after
the date of enactment of this Act.
(d) Federal Advisory Committee Act Application.--Section 14 of the
Federal Advisory Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory
Committee.
SEC. 6. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY COORDINATION OFFICE.
The President shall establish a National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office, with full-time staff, which shall--
(1) provide technical and administrative support to the
Interagency Committee and the Advisory Committee;
(2) serve as a point of contact on Federal nanotechnology
activities for government organizations, academia, industry,
professional societies, and others to exchange technical and
programmatic information; and
(3) conduct public outreach, including dissemination of
findings and recommendations of the Interagency Committee and
the Advisory Committee, as appropriate.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) National Science Foundation.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the National Science Foundation for carrying out this
Act--
(1) $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $385,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
(3) $424,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(b) Department of Energy.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to the Secretary of Energy for carrying out this Act--
(1) $197,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $217,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
(3) $239,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(c) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration for carrying out this Act--
(1) $31,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $34,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
(3) $37,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(d) National Institute of Standards and Technology.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the National Institute of Standards
and Technology for carrying out this Act--
(1) $62,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $68,000,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
(3) $75,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
(e) Environmental Protection Agency.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Environmental Protection Agency for carrying out
this Act--
(1) $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2004;
(2) $5,500,000 for fiscal year 2005; and
(3) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2006.
SEC. 8. EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of
Sciences to conduct periodic reviews of the Program. The reviews shall
be conducted once every 3 years during the 10-year period following the
enactment of this Act. The reviews shall include--
(1) an evaluation of the technical achievements of the
Program;
(2) recommendations for changes in the Program;
(3) an evaluation of the relative position of the United
States with respect to other nations in nanotechnology research
and development;
(4) an evaluation of the Program's success in transferring
technology to the private sector;
(5) an evaluation of whether the Program has been
successful in fostering interdisciplinary research and
development; and
(6) an evaluation of the extent to which the Program has
adequately considered societal and ethical concerns.
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