Electronic Commerce Technology Promotion Act

Summary: Requires a report from: (1) the Undersecretary of Technology on issues concerning electronic commerce; and (2) the Director detailing the plan, proposed schedule, and associated costs and benefits for the deployment of electronic commerce technologies in Federal agencies.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Electronic Commerce Technology 
Promotion Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Electronic commerce has been widely embraced by 
        industry, both in the United States and abroad. The volume of 
        commerce conducted over the Internet, though almost nonexistent 
        just a few years ago, is expected to top $1 trillion by 2003, 
        according to market research reports. Continued growth of this 
        market is vital to the economy of the United States as well as 
        the global economy.
            (2) United States industries are at the forefront of this 
        global revolution, continually evolving and innovating to 
        respond to rapidly changing market needs and conditions. 
        Agility and flexibility are essential elements in their 
        abilities to compete and adapt. These are also the elements 
        required for the electronic commerce market to sustain its 
        current phenomenal growth rate.
            (3) The Federal Government should facilitate the growth of 
        electronic commerce by allowing the private sector to continue 
        to take the lead in developing this dynamic global market, and 
        refraining from undue regulatory measures whenever possible. 
        The Government should unambiguously support the development of 
        electronic commerce as a market-driven phenomenon, yet also 
        signal its strong desire to promote and facilitate the growth 
        of the electronic commerce market.
            (4) An important enabler for global electronic commerce is 
        the ability of different systems to communicate and exchange 
        data, referred to as system interoperability. The continued 
        growth of electronic commerce depends on a fundamental set of 
        technical standards that enable essential technologies to 
        interoperate, and on a policy and legal framework that supports 
        the development that the market demands in a timely manner.
            (5) Prompt adoption and deployment of relevant electronic 
        commerce technologies and systems by Federal agencies allow the 
        Government to share in the benefits of the electronic commerce 
        revolution, which can result in reduced cost and increased 
        efficiency, as well as improved quality.
            (6) Usage of the technologies will enable the Government to 
        participate more directly and effectively as an active 
        contributor in the collaborative efforts spearheaded by the 
        private sector to develop the frameworks and standards 
        necessary for systems and components to interoperate. This has 
        the added benefit of allowing the Government to intercede as 
        necessary in a timely manner, either in failure conditions or 
        to remove barriers erected by foreign governments.
            (7) In actively deploying such technologies, the United 
        States leadership in electronic commerce is strengthened and, 
        at the same time, establishes a model for other governments and 
        enables the growth of the global electronic commerce market.
            (8) Traditionally, small- and medium-sized enterprises play 
        a critical role in enhancing the gross domestic product 
        associated with a growing economic sector. Electronic commerce 
        technologies have the potential to enable these businesses to 
        enter the market with lower entry costs and compete more 
        effectively. The United States Government has an inherent 
        interest in ensuring that electronic commerce technologies are 
        deployed widely by these small- and medium-sized businesses so 
        that they can remain competitive in the global economy.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Center.--The term ``Center'' means the Center of 
        Excellence for Electronic Commerce.
            (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
        the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
            (3) Interoperability.--The term ``interoperability'' means 
        the ability of different software systems, applications, and 
        services to communicate and exchange data in a predictable and 
        consistent manner.
            (4) Interoperability specification.--The term 
        ``interoperability specification'' means the technical 
        documents developed by formal domestic and international 
        standard organizations, industry consortia, and any other 
        informal industry collaborations, for the purpose of creating 
        interoperable systems and technologies.
            (5) Institute.--The term ``Institute'' means the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology.
            (6) Matrix organization.--The term ``matrix organization'' 
        means an organizational structure that is built based on 
        coordinating the needed resources and expertise from other 
        existing functional organizations.

SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to enable the electronic commerce market to continue 
        its current growth rate and realize its full potential by 
        supporting the development of relevant standards and 
        interoperability specifications;
            (2) to signal strong support of the electronic commerce 
        market by promoting the use of electronic commerce technologies 
        within Federal Government agencies; and
            (3) to establish a Center of Excellence in Electronic 
        Commerce at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 
        which will act as a central resource for the Federal 
        Government, promote the use of electronic commerce 
        technologies, and represent the Government interest in private 
        sector collaborative efforts to develop electronic commerce 
        technologies and interoperability specifications.

SEC. 5. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish an office within 
the Institute to be known as the Center of Excellence for Electronic 
Commerce. The Center shall be organized as a matrix organization built 
upon existing expertise and resources at the Institute.
    (b) Functions.--The Center shall--
            (1) act as the centralized resource of information for 
        Federal agencies in electronic commerce technologies and 
        issues;
            (2) provide guidance to the Office of Management and Budget 
        in developing policies pertaining to electronic commerce;
            (3) promote the use of electronic commerce technologies 
        within Federal agencies and small- and medium-sized businesses; 
        and
            (4) ensure that the interests of the United States 
        Government are appropriately represented at both domestic and 
        international meetings pertaining to the setting of 
        interoperability specifications for electronic commerce 
        technologies.
    (c) Activities.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Center shall--
            (1) work with all the affected parts of the Institute, 
        develop a plan for all efforts related to electronic commerce 
        at the Institute, and coordinate these activities on an ongoing 
        basis to achieve the stated functions;
            (2) coordinate and lead an inter-agency working group to 
        address issues related to the introduction and deployment of 
        electronic commerce technologies and systems in the Federal 
        Government;
            (3) develop systems guidelines and reference 
        implementations for use by Federal agencies which utilize 
        electronic commerce interoperability specifications, consistent 
        with section 2(b)(13) of the National Institute of Standards 
        and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(13)) and section 12(d) of 
        the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995 
        (15 U.S.C. 272 nt);
            (4) advise the Secretary of Commerce upon encountering 
        abusive uses of standards as barriers to trade or as unfair 
        commercial practices in the domestic and international arenas 
        in the areas of electronic commerce; and
            (5) lead a coordinated effort with the Department of 
        Commerce's Manufacturing Extension Program and with the Small 
        Business Administration, consistent with the respective 
        agencies' missions, to provide technical assistance to small- 
        and medium-sized businesses on issues related to the deployment 
        and use of electronic commerce technologies, including 
        developing training modules and software toolkits.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

    (a) In General.--Within 6 months after the enactment of this Act, 
the Undersecretary of Technology shall submit a report to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives on the following 
issues concerning electronic commerce:
            (1) Current efforts and activities on electronic commerce 
        in the Institute.
            (2) The current status of deployment of electronic commerce 
        technologies in the Federal agencies, including any future 
        plans.
            (3) Issues Federal agencies are expected to encounter in 
        widespread deployment of electronic commerce technologies.
            (4) Any legislative revisions to existing Federal programs 
        necessary to support the advancement of electronic commerce in 
        both the Federal Government and industry.
    (b) Report.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Director of the Institute, in collaboration with the inter-agency 
working group referred to in section 5(c)(2), shall submit a report to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives detailing 
the plan, proposed schedule, and associated costs and benefits for the 
deployment of electronic commerce technologies in the Federal agencies.