A bill to require the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish an initiative to promote the research, development, and demonstration of miner tracking and communications systems and to promote the establishment of standards and other measurement services regarding underground communications to protect miners in the United States.

Summary: Mine Communications Technology Innovation Act - Requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish a program of research, development, and demonstration that includes the establishment of best practices, adaptation of existing technology, and efforts to accelerate the development of next generation technology and tracking systems for mine communications.

Requires the Director to coordinate with federal agencies and industry to evaluate areas of research and development and best practices that will be most promising in protecting miner safety.

Authorizes the Director, in establishing the program, to focus on the following communications and tracking system characteristics: (1) systems that are likely to work in emergency situations; (2) systems that work in coal mines, with special attention paid to deep underground coal mines; (3) systems that provide coverage throughout all areas of the mine; (4) hybrid systems that use both wireless and infrastructure-based systems; (5) functionality for two-way and voice communications; (6) systems that serve emergency and routine communications needs; (7) the ability to work with existing legacy systems and to be quickly integrated; and (8) propagation environment characterization, performance metrics, and independently derived validation tests to verify performance for standards development.

Requires the Director to: (1) work with industry and federal agencies to develop consensus industry standards for communications in underground mines; and (2) develop and provide measurement services needed to support implementation of such standards, which should address the appropriate use of frequency bands and power levels, matters related to interoperability, and technology to prevent interference.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Mine Communications Technology 
Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The failure of miner tracking and communications 
        devices or lack thereof in mines severely hampers rescue 
        efforts in the event of emergencies.
            (2) Mines, particularly underground mines, have properties 
        that present unique technical challenges for the integration of 
        currently available tracking and communications systems. These 
        properties include the lack of a clear path or open air which 
        is required for radio signals and WiFi. Additionally, because 
        coal is an absorptive material, less than 10 percent of the 
        radio spectrum that is used above ground can be used 
        underground. A fraction of that (only about 1 percent) radio 
        spectrum is actually allocated for commercial communications 
        purposes. As a consequence, the availability of miner 
        communication equipment is severely limited.
            (3) Research and experience have shown that communications 
        and tracking systems may not work equally well in every mine or 
        in every emergency situation, and therefore several different 
        systems may be necessary for development and integration.
            (4) Because of the serious challenges of the mine 
        environment and the limited market provided by the mining 
        industry, much needed technology has not yet been developed by 
        the private sector or is not commercially available in the 
        United States.
            (5) Furthermore, due to the regulatory structure of the 
        industry and the lengthy approval process for mine tracking and 
        communications systems, research must be accelerated so that 
        next generation technology can be quickly and efficiently 
        integrated into mines to protect the safety of miners.
            (6) The National Institute of Standards and Technology is 
        well positioned to help accelerate the development of mining 
        tracking and communications technology. The National Institute 
        of Standards and Technology has a long history of working in 
        conjunction with industry to invest in longer-term, high-risk 
        research which yields national benefits far beyond private 
        payoff. Further, the National Institute of Standards and 
        Technology builds partnerships with industry to leverage 
        existing research and development to drive next generation 
        technology.
            (7) The National Institute of Standards and Technology is 
        well-positioned to accelerate development of consensus mining 
        communications standards given the extensive work that the 
        organization has done in the field of emergency communications 
        to develop standards and technologies for interoperable 
        wireless telecommunications and information systems.
            (8) In developing such standards, the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology should work in cooperation with the 
        National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the 
        Mine Safety and Health Administration, and other relevant 
        public and private stakeholders, to build on existing 
        technology and knowledge regarding mine communications systems.

SEC. 3. MINE COMMUNICATIONS AND TRACKING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
              PROGRAM AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology shall provide for the establishment of a 
program of research, development, and demonstration that includes the 
establishment of best practices, adaptation of existing technology, and 
efforts to accelerate the development of next generation technology and 
tracking systems for mine communications.
    (b) Coordination.--In carrying out this section, the Director shall 
coordinate with relevant Federal agencies and industry to evaluate 
areas of research and development and best practices that will be most 
promising in protecting miner safety.
    (c) Optional Focus.--In establishing this program, the Director may 
focus on the following communications and tracking system 
characteristics:
            (1) Systems that are likely to work in emergency 
        situations.
            (2) Systems that work in coal mines, with special attention 
        paid to deep underground coal mines.
            (3) Systems that provide coverage throughout all areas of 
        the mine.
            (4) Hybrid systems that use both wireless and 
        infrastructure based systems.
            (5) Functionality for 2-way and voice communications.
            (6) Systems that serve emergency and routine communications 
        needs.
            (7) The ability to work with existing legacy systems and to 
        be quickly integrated.
            (8) Propagation environment characterization, performance 
        metrics, and independently derived validation tests to verify 
        performance for standards development.

SEC. 4. STANDARDS REGARDING UNDERGROUND COMMUNICATIONS.

    Consistent with Office of Management and Budget Circular A-119, the 
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall 
work with industry and relevant Federal agencies to develop consensus 
industry standards for communications in underground mines. The 
Director shall also develop and provide any needed measurement services 
to support implementation of these standards. In their efforts to help 
develop these standards and related measurement services, the following 
issues should be addressed:
            (1) The appropriate use of frequency bands and power 
        levels.
            (2) Matters related to interoperability of systems, 
        applications, and devices.
            (3) Technology to prevent interference.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology such sums as are 
necessary for carrying out this Act for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, to 
be derived from amounts authorized under section 3001 of the America 
COMPETES Act.