Chief Manufacturing Officer Act

Summary: Chief Manufacturing Officer Act This bill expresses the sense of Congress that a well-designed national manufacturing strategy would benefit the U.S. economy. The President shall appoint a United States Chief Manufacturing Officer whose primary duty is to develop the national manufacturing strategy using the criteria set forth in this bill. The bill amends the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 to designate the United States Chief Manufacturing Officer as the chair of the Committee on Technology under the National Science and Technology Council.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chief Manufacturing Officer Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The manufacturing sector consists of establishments 
        that are primarily engaged in the transformation of materials, 
        substances, or components into products.
            (2) The Federal Government supports manufacturing in a 
        variety of ways; manufacturing related activities are scattered 
        in several agencies in the executive branch.
            (3) Manufacturing employment, output and exports are 
        impacted by tax policies, state of infrastructure and 
        transportation, small business regulations, environmental 
        regulations, trade policies, innovation ecosystems, workforce 
        development, and education initiatives, with national security 
        implications.
            (4) Manufacturers account for 12 percent of the total gross 
        domestic product output in the United States, employing 9 
        percent of the workforce. Total output from manufacturing was 
        more than 2 trillion dollars in 2014. In addition, there were 
        more than 12 million manufacturing employees in the United 
        States in 2015, with an average annual compensation of about 
        $80,000.
            (5) Legislative policies and executive actions often result 
        in unintended, inconsistent, and conflicting outcomes with 
        respect to the growth of manufacturing in the United States.
    (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that a well-
designed national manufacturing strategy would benefit the United 
States economy in several important ways:
            (1) A revitalized manufacturing sector enables the United 
        States to derive more of its economic growth from exports and 
        domestic production than it has in the past two decades.
            (2) Average domestic wages would rise in response to 
        growing manufacturing output, as manufacturing jobs 
        historically have paid higher wages and benefits than 
        nonmanufacturing jobs.
            (3) A growing manufacturing sector would help lay a 
        foundation for future United States economic growth, since 
        manufacturing industries perform the vast share of private-
        sector research and development, which fuels the innovation 
        that serves as a primary engine of economic growth.
            (4) The United States would expand its long-standing 
        leadership in advanced manufacturing technologies with Federal 
        investments in manufacturing research and development, 
        education, and workforce training.
            (5) There has always been a strong connection between 
        domestic manufacturing and national defense and homeland 
        security. A strong and innovative manufacturing industry will 
        maintain the United States military superiority and will allow 
        for an unquestionable ability to respond quickly to threats and 
        catastrophes.

SEC. 3. UNITED STATES CHIEF MANUFACTURING OFFICER.

    (a) Appointment.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the President shall appoint a United States 
Chief Manufacturing Officer, by and with the advise and consent of the 
Senate. The position of the Officer shall be in the Executive Office of 
the President and report to the President through the Chief of Staff. 
Such appointment shall not be construed to authorize an increase in the 
number of full-time equivalent employees within the Executive Office of 
the President.
    (b) Pay.--The annual rate of pay for the United States Chief 
Manufacturing Officer shall be an Executive Schedule rate of pay 
(subchapter II of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code), as 
determined by the President, commensurate with the qualifications and 
expertise of the individual appointed to be such Officer.
    (c) Duties.--The primary duty of the United States Chief 
Manufacturing Officer is to develop the national manufacturing strategy 
described in subsection (d) and the other duties include the following:
            (1) Advise the President on policy issues that impact the 
        economic activities and the workforce in the manufacturing 
        sector.
            (2) Chair the Committee on Technology under the National 
        Science and Technology Council.
            (3) Foster the coordination of manufacturing-related 
        policies and activities across agencies by--
                    (A) encouraging the use of best innovative 
                manufacturing practices across the Federal Government;
                    (B) ensuring the use of best information 
                technologies and cybersecurity practices for 
                manufacturing; and
                    (C) analyzing the status of manufacturing 
                technology needs across agencies.
            (4) Conduct technology policy analyses to improve United 
        States manufacturing productivity, technology, and innovation, 
        and cooperate with United States manufacturing industry in the 
        improvement of its productivity, technology, and ability to 
        compete successfully in world markets.
            (5) Determine the influence of economic, labor, and other 
        conditions, industrial structure and management, and government 
        policies on technological developments in manufacturing sectors 
        worldwide.
            (6) Identify technological needs, problems, and 
        opportunities within and across the manufacturing sector that, 
        if addressed, could make a significant contribution to the 
        economy of the United States.
            (7) Assess whether the capital, technical, and other 
        resources being allocated to manufacturing are likely to 
        generate new technologies, are adequate to meet private and 
        social demands for goods and services, and are sufficient to 
        promote productivity and economic growth.
            (8) Propose studies and policy experiments, in cooperation 
        with agencies, to determine the effectiveness of measures with 
        the potential of advancing United States technological 
        innovation in manufacturing.
            (9) Encourage the creation of joint initiatives by State 
        and local governments, regional organizations, private 
        businesses, institutions of higher education, nonprofit 
        organizations, or Federal laboratories to encourage technology 
        transfer, to stimulate innovation, and to promote an 
        appropriate climate for investment in manufacturing-related 
        industries.
            (10) Propose manufacturing-related cooperative research 
        involving appropriate Federal entities, State or local 
        governments, regional organizations, institutions of higher 
        education, nonprofit organizations, or private industry to 
        promote the common use of resources, to improve training 
        programs and curricula, to stimulate interest in high 
        technology manufacturing careers, and to encourage the 
        effective dissemination of manufacturing technology skills 
        within the wider community.
            (11) Serve as a focal point for discussions among companies 
        that manufacture in the United States on topics of interest to 
        the manufacturing industry and workforce, including discussions 
        regarding emerging and advanced technologies.
            (12) Promote Government measures, including legislation, 
        regulation, and policies with the potential of advancing United 
        States technological innovation in manufacturing and exploiting 
        manufacturing innovations of foreign origin.
            (13) Develop strategies and policies that would encourage 
        manufacturing enterprises to maintain production facilities and 
        retain manufacturing jobs in the United States and use 
        manufacturing supply chains based in the United States.
            (14) Support communities negatively impacted by the closure 
        or relocation of manufacturing facilities by promoting efforts 
        to revitalize communities for new manufacturing enterprises.
            (15) Assist States in their economic development plans for 
        manufacturing and in their efforts to relocate manufacturing 
        facilities within the United States rather than moving 
        manufacturing outside of the United States.
            (16) Promote the goals of Network for Manufacturing 
        Innovation Program established under section 34 of the National 
        Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s).
            (17) Encourage participation of public and private 
        organizations, State educational agencies, and institutions of 
        higher education in the annual celebration of National 
        Manufacturing Day to enhance the public perception of 
        manufacturing.
            (18) Any other function and activity assigned by the 
        President.
    (d) National Manufacturing Strategy.--The national manufacturing 
strategy shall contain a summary of the current state of manufacturing 
in the Federal Government and comprehensive strategies for--
            (1) innovation policies and initiatives and investments in 
        research and development;
            (2) identifying and addressing the anticipated workforce 
        needs of the manufacturing sector;
            (3) strengthening education and the required training and 
        certifications for manufacturing;
            (4) creating training and appropriate career paths to 
        manufacturing jobs for qualified veterans and others that have 
        become unemployed;
            (5) promoting the development of quality control and other 
        technical standards;
            (6) maintaining reliable physical and telecommunications 
        infrastructure, and the required investments in infrastructure 
        projects as needed for manufacturing;
            (7) analyzing the status of manufacturing technology needs 
        in the industrial sector and providing recommendations for 
        economic and labor force expansions;
            (8) monitoring technology directions and analyzing 
        strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities in the United 
        States manufacturing sector;
            (9) implementing appropriate tax incentives and credits to 
        assist manufacturing enterprises improve their competitiveness;
            (10) recommending Federal and State regulations to reduce 
        cost of manufacturing and improve productivity;
            (11) promoting the export of United States manufactured 
        goods and enforcement of fair trading rules;
            (12) developing plans to strengthen the manufacturing 
        ecosystems that would continuously foster the growth of 
        advanced manufacturing;
            (13) identifying other forms of assistance to companies 
        that manufacture in the United States to successfully compete 
        in global markets;
            (14) coordinating the United States national manufacturing 
        strategy with manufacturing strategy from each State to ensure 
        a well-integrated national strategy; and
            (15) such other issues determined to be necessary by the 
        President.
    (e) Reports.--Not later than 24 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, every 24 months thereafter, and upon request by 
the President or the Congress for an updated or interim report, the 
United States Chief Manufacturing Officer, in consultation with the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall submit to the 
President and Congress a report on the national manufacturing strategy 
described in subsection (d). The report shall address strategies to 
promote innovation and investment in domestic manufacturing, support 
the development of a skilled and diverse manufacturing workforce, 
promote equitable trade policies, expand exports of manufactured goods, 
enable global competitiveness, encourage sustainability, and support 
national security.
    (f) Conforming Amendment.--Section 102 of the America COMPETES 
Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 6622) is amended by adding at 
the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Chair.--The Chair of the Committee shall be the United States 
Chief Manufacturing Officer.''.
    (g) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Agency.--The term ``agency'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 551 of title 5, United States Code.
            (2) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1001).
            (3) Nonprofit organization.--The term ``nonprofit 
        organization'' means an organization that is described under 
        section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt 
        from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.
            (4) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States, the District of Columbia, each commonwealth, territory, 
        or possession of the United States, and each federally 
        recognized Indian tribe.
    (h) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No additional funds are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act. This Act shall be 
carried out using amounts otherwise made available for such purposes.