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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3603 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3603

 To promote the research and development of environmental technologies.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 21, 1993

 Mr. Brown of California (for himself, Mr. Valentine, Mr. Mineta, Mrs. 
 Lloyd, Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Swett, Mr. Klein, Ms. Eshoo, Mr. Traficant, 
    Mr. Tanner, Mr. Bacchus of Florida, Mr. Barcia of Michigan, Mr. 
  Fingerhut, Ms. Harman, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Coppersmith, Ms. 
  Eddie Bernice Johnson of Texas, Mr. Minge, Mr. Deal, Mr. Scott, Mr. 
    Becerra, and Mr. Rush) introduced the following bill, which was 
 referred jointly to the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, 
the Judiciary, Education and Labor, Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, 
 Public Works and Transportation, Energy and Commerce, and Government 
                               Operations

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To promote the research and development of environmental technologies.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

                      TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 101. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Environmental 
Technologies Act of 1993''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

                      TITLE I--GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 101. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 102. Findings.
Sec. 103. Purposes.
Sec. 104. Definitions.
         TITLE II--POLICY COORDINATION AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

          Subtitle A--Policy Coordination and Program Planning

Sec. 201. Coordination of environmental technology research and 
                            development.
Sec. 202. Life-cycle assessments.
Sec. 203. Environmental technologies in ongoing programs.
                  Subtitle B--Environmental Technology

Sec. 211. Environmental Technologies Development and Integration 
                            Program.
Sec. 212. Environmental remediation and monitoring technologies.
Sec. 213. President's Total Environmental Quality Award and the 
                            National Environmentally Sound Technology 
                            Award.
Sec. 214. Incorporation of information on environmental technologies 
                            into existing networks.
Sec. 215. Use of Federal facilities for environmental technology 
                            demonstration.
Sec. 216. Federal acquisition and use of environmentally efficient 
                            building materials.
                          TITLE III--EDUCATION

Sec. 301. Environmentally advanced education.
Sec. 302. General education in environmental technologies.
                          TITLE IV--STANDARDS

Sec. 401. Performance standards.
Sec. 402. Verification of environmental technologies.
Sec. 403. Consumer claims on environmental technologies.
                    TITLE V--INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

Sec. 501. Findings.
Sec. 502. International environmental technology demonstration.
Sec. 503. Promotion of environmental technology exports.
Sec. 504. Financial assistance for technology adaptation to promote 
                            exports.
             TITLE VI--FINANCIAL AND REGULATORY INCENTIVES

Sec. 601. Use of environmental technology products by the Federal 
                            Government.
Sec. 602. Study of regulatory influences on innovation in environmental 
                            technologies.
Sec. 603. Study of the impact of tax incentives on innovation in 
                            environmental technologies.
               TITLE VII--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

Sec. 701. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 102. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Promoting a sound economy and maintaining a healthy 
        environment are among the urgent public policy challenges of 
        the United States.
            (2) The development and deployment of environmental 
        technologies will enhance the economic standing of the United 
        States and global environmental security.
            (3) Although better product and process designs offer new 
        opportunities for substantially improved environmental 
        performance in growing domestic and international markets, 
        current government regulations and market barriers do not allow 
        these opportunities to be fully exploited.
            (4) Although the Federal Government, research institutes, 
        universities, and industries are conducting substantial basic 
        environmental research and development, environmental concerns 
        must become a more pervasive and central dimension of 
        technology research and development.
            (5) The coordination of Federal, State, and local 
        activities for developing and adopting environmental 
        technologies will greatly enhance the effectiveness of 
        environmental policies of the United States.

SEC. 103. PURPOSES.

    It is the purpose of this Act--
            (1) to improve coordination and integration of 
        environmental technology research and development performed by 
        and across Federal agencies;
            (2) to assist and catalyze efforts of private industry, 
        universities, nonprofit research centers, and Federal 
        laboratories in developing and deploying environmental 
        technologies and, in the process, to promote the 
        competitiveness of United States companies;
            (3) to facilitate the development, diffusion, and export of 
        environmental technologies by improving the availability of 
        information;
            (4) to promote industrial, academic, and public knowledge 
        of sustainable economic development;
            (5) to promote the development of technical standards for 
        substitution of an environmentally sound product or technology 
        for a traditional one, for environmental performance and 
        efficacy of new technologies and products, and for 
        environmental advertising and labeling of products;
            (6) to encourage sustainable economic development 
        internationally and to promote United States exports of 
        environmental technologies; and
            (7) to direct the study of tax and regulatory changes that 
        will provide for the more efficient development and use of 
        environmental technologies.

SEC. 104. DEFINITIONS.

    For the purposes of this Act:
            (1) The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of 
        the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (2) The term ``environmental technology'' means--
                    (A) a technology that is primarily intended to 
                improve the quality of the environment through 
                pollution reduction or remediation;
                    (B) a product, manufacturing process, or service 
                that is capable of cost-effectively replacing the 
                functions of an existing product, process, or service, 
                and as compared with the product, process, or service 
                it replaces, significantly reducing overall pollution 
                or significantly improving the efficiency of energy or 
                materials use; or
                    (C) a technology within the meaning of 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B).
            (3) The term ``Federal laboratory'' means a Government-
        owned, Government-operated laboratory, or a Government-owned, 
        contractor-operated laboratory.
            (4) The term ``life-cycle assessment'' means the assessment 
        of the complete systems involved in converting resources to 
        products, including resource extraction, materials conversion, 
        energy use, end use, recycling, and disposal, and their 
        associated costs.
            (5) The term ``sustainable economic development'' means the 
        integration of environmental and economic development concerns 
        leading to long-term economic development with reduced 
        pollution and the more efficient use of energy and materials.
            (6) The term ``United States company'' means a company 
        described in section 28(d)(9)(B) of the National Institute of 
        Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(d)(9)(B)).

         TITLE II--POLICY COORDINATION AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS

          Subtitle A--Policy Coordination and Program Planning

SEC. 201. COORDINATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND 
              DEVELOPMENT.

    (a) Interagency Coordination.--The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall, in coordination with the heads of 
other Federal agencies that have substantial investment in the 
development and adoption of environmental technologies, take any action 
necessary--
            (1) to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, the 
        coordinated, interagency promotion of the research, 
        development, and adoption of environmental technologies; and
            (2) to develop priorities for Federal environmental 
        technology research, development, and adoption efforts.
    (b) Implementation.--In carrying out this section, the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall--
            (1) review current Federally funded programs, including 
        Federal budget outlays for these programs, to determine their 
        role in the development and dissemination of environmental 
        technologies;
            (2) recommend the specific responsibilities of each 
        appropriate Federal agency to achieve the goals and priorities 
        developed under this section;
            (3) describe the recommended levels of Federal funding 
        required for each Federal agency to carry out the specific 
        responsibilities recommended in paragraph (2);
            (4) develop a means for ensuring, to the maximum extent 
        practicable, that the principles of sustainable economic 
        development are integrated into the research, development, and 
        technology programs of all Federal agencies;
            (5) ensure that the efforts of the Federal Government are 
        coordinated with the efforts of State and local governments and 
        private and nonprofit organizations promoting the research, 
        development, and demonstration of environmental technologies; 
        and
            (6) submit to the Congress any recommendations regarding 
        legislative or administrative action, including recommendations 
        on the roles of Federal agencies, which may be required to 
        carry out this section.
    (c) Budget Coordination.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall annually assess, before the President submits 
to the Congress the budget for a fiscal year, the budget estimate of 
each relevant Federal agency for consistency with the plans, reviews, 
and priorities developed under this section. The Director shall make 
the results of the annual assessment available to the appropriate 
elements of the Executive Office of the President, particularly the 
Office of Management and Budget, for use in the preparation of such 
budget.
    (d) Annual Review and Plan.--The Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology shall annually submit to the Congress a report 
containing an evaluation and plan that assesses the progress of Federal 
efforts in advancing the research, development, and adoption of 
environmental technologies.
    (e) Non-Federal Participation.--The Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy shall establish mechanisms to ensure the 
participation of non-Federal entities, including State and local 
governments, United States industry, institutions of higher education, 
worker organizations, professional associations, and United States 
nonprofit organizations, in carrying out this section, including the 
development of the plans and reviews developed under this section.

SEC. 202. LIFE-CYCLE ASSESSMENTS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Life-cycle assessments have much potential for 
        identifying opportunities for achieving more environmentally 
        sound products, processes, and services and enhanced industrial 
        efficiency.
            (2) Methods of life-cycle assessment are underused in both 
        the public and private sectors, particularly as applied to 
        sustainable economic development.
            (3) The data necessary for meaningful life-cycle assessment 
        are often difficult to acquire, and no system exists to make 
        such data readily available to public and private groups.
    (b) Life-Cycle Assessment Coordination.--
            (1) In general.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
        Technology Policy, as part of activities to coordinate 
        environmental technology research, development, and adoption 
        described in section 201, shall coordinate Federal activities 
        and resources that are applied to life-cycle assessment in 
        order to maximize the contribution of life-cycle assessments to 
        sustainable economic development.
            (2) Implementation.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall--
                    (A) ensure that the life-cycle assessment resources 
                of each Federal agency are developed and disseminated 
                in a coordinated fashion, partitioning agency 
                responsibilities, where appropriate;
                    (B) coordinate with State and local governments 
                developing life-cycle assessment resources; and
                    (C) consider the life-cycle assessment capabilities 
                of the private sector.
            (3) Other activities.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall 
        also encourage appropriate Federal agencies--
                    (A) to collect, develop, and disseminate 
                information regarding analytic methods and, as 
                required, to develop such methods, that will 
                significantly enhance the ability of United States 
                companies and other organizations to evaluate materials 
                extraction, transportation, conversion, end use, 
                recycling, and disposal, and their associated costs and 
                environmental impacts;
                    (B) to utilize, to the fullest extent practicable, 
                existing networks and supporting databases providing 
                ready access to nonproprietary information that will 
                facilitate the use of life-cycle assessments; and
                    (C) to sponsor demonstrations for public policy and 
                business decisionmakers of the effective use of the 
                database and methodologies described in this section.
    (c) Annual Review.--The Director of the Office of Science and 
Technology Policy shall annually submit to the Congress a report 
containing an evaluation of the life-cycle assessment activities of the 
Federal Government.

SEC. 203. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES IN ONGOING PROGRAMS.

    (a) Stevenson-Wydler Amendments.--The Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701) is amended--
            (1) in section 2(2), by inserting ``greater environmental 
        sustainability,'' after ``employment opportunities,'';
            (2) in section 3(1), by inserting ``for sustainable 
        economic development'' after ``stimulate technology'';
            (3) in section 4, by adding at the end the following new 
        paragraph:
            ``(14) `Sustainable economic development' means the 
        integration of environment and economic development concerns 
        leading to long-term economic development with reduced 
        pollution and the more efficient use of energy and 
        materials;'';
            (4) in section 6(a), by inserting ``and sustainable 
        economic development in their regions'' after ``enhance the 
        competitiveness of American business'';
            (5) in section 6(d), by inserting ``and sustainable 
        economic development of their regions'' after ``enhance the 
        competitiveness of American businesses'';
            (6) in section 7(a), by inserting ``and sustainable 
        economic development'' after ``enhance technological 
        innovation'';
            (7) in section 7(c)(1), by striking ``economic 
        competitiveness'' and inserting ``sustainable economic 
        development'';
            (8) in section 9(a), by inserting ``and sustainable 
        economic development'' after ``enhance technological 
        innovation''; and
            (9) in section 11(c)(1) by inserting ``and would enhance 
        sustainable economic development'' after ``commercial 
        applications''.
    (b) NIST Amendments.--The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271) is amended--
            (1) in section 1(b)(1), by inserting ``sustainable economic 
        development,'' after ``improved product reliability and 
        manufacturing processes,'';
            (2) in section 1, by adding after subsection (b) the 
        following new subsection:
    ``(c) For purposes of this section, the term `sustainable economic 
development' means the integration of environment and economic 
development concerns leading to long-term economic development with 
reduced pollution and the more efficient use of energy and 
materials;''; and
            (3) in section 2(b)(1), by inserting ``to enhance 
        sustainable economic development (as that term is defined in 
        section 1(c))'' after ``to improve quality,''.
    (c) NASA Amendments.--The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 
1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 note) is amended--
            (1) in section 102(d)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (6), (7), (8), and 
                (9) as paragraphs (7), (8), (9), and (10), 
                respectively; and
                    (B) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following 
                new paragraph:
            ``(6) The making available to Federal and non-Federal 
        entities of the United States, technologies that will enhance 
        the sustainable economic development of the Nation.''; and
            (2) in section 103--
                    (A) by striking ``; and'' in paragraph (1) and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
                (2) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(3) the term `sustainable economic development' means the 
        integration of environment and economic development concerns 
        leading to long-term economic development with reduced 
        pollution and the more efficient use of energy and 
        materials.''.
    (d) NSF Amendments.--
            (1) Functions.--Section 3(a) of the National Science 
        Foundation Act of 1950 (42 U.S.C. 1861 et seq.) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (6), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (7), by striking the period and 
                inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                paragraph:
            ``(8) to foster education and research that would promote 
        sustainable economic development nationally and 
        internationally.''.
            (2) Definition.--Subsection (g) of section 14 of such Act 
        is amended to read as follows:
    ``(g) For purposes of this Act:
            ``(1) The term `United States' when used in a geographical 
        sense means the States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and all territories and 
        possessions of the United States.
            ``(2) The term `sustainable economic development' means the 
        integration of environment and economic development concerns 
        leading to long-term economic development with reduced 
        pollution and the more efficient use of energy and 
        materials.''.
    (e) Title 10 Amendments.--
            (1) In general.--Section 2501(b) of title 10, United States 
        Code, is amended by striking ``economic growth'' in paragraphs 
        (1) and (2) and inserting ``sustainable economic development''.
            (2) Definition.--Section 2491 of such title is amended by 
        adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(13) The term `sustainable economic development' means 
        the integration of environment and economic development 
        concerns leading to long-term economic development with reduced 
        pollution and the more efficient use of energy and 
        materials.''.
    (f) Title 49 Amendment.--Section 101(b)(4) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting ``and sustainable economic 
development (as defined in section 104(5) of the Environmental 
Technologies Act of 1993)'' after ``technological advances''.

                  Subtitle B--Environmental Technology

SEC. 211. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPMENT AND INTEGRATION 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established an Environmental 
Technologies Development and Integration Program, to be administered by 
the Administrator, to promote the research, development, and 
integration of technologies that will contribute significantly to 
sustainable economic development.
    (b) Interagency Coordination.--The Administrator shall administer 
the program established in subsection (a) in cooperation with the heads 
of other agencies that have substantial capabilities in advanced 
technology research and development.
    (c) Financial Assistance.--To carry out the program referred to in 
subsection (a), the Administrator may enter into contracts and 
cooperative agreements with, and award grants to, entities eligible for 
such assistance under subsection (e).
    (d) Program Elements.--Projects eligible for assistance under this 
section are projects that--
            (1) develop advanced, precommercial environmental 
        technologies, with emphasis on technologies within the meaning 
        of section 104(2)(B), that will significantly contribute to 
        sustainable economic development; or
            (2) develop and demonstrate the integration of multiple 
        steps in the conversion of materials that are involved in the 
        manufacture, reuse, or recycling of a product, the recycling of 
        process wastes, or the provision of a service.
    (e) Eligibility for Assistance.--Entities shall be eligible for 
financial assistance under subsection (c) only if--
            (1) the entity submits a proposal for such assistance in 
        the form, time, and manner required by the Administrator;
            (2) the entity is either a single company or a partnership 
        which may include--
                    (A) two or more companies;
                    (B) a nonprofit research corporation established by 
                two or more eligible firms; and
                    (C) as determined appropriate by the Administrator, 
                a Federal laboratory or laboratories, institutions of 
                higher education, agencies of State governments, and 
                other entities that participate in the partnership by 
                supporting the activities conducted by such firms or 
                corporations under this section; and
            (3) the company is a United States company and the 
        Administrator finds that the company's participation in the 
        Program would be in the economic interest of the United States, 
        as evidenced by--
                    (A) investments in the United States in research, 
                development, and manufacturing (including manufacturing 
                major components or subassemblies in the United 
                States);
                    (B) significant contributions to employment in the 
                United States; and
                    (C) an agreement with respect to any technology 
                arising from assistance provided under this section to 
                promote the manufacture within the United States of 
                products resulting from that technology (taking into 
                account the goals of promoting the competitiveness of 
                United States industry), and to procure parts and 
                materials from competitive suppliers.
    (f) Selection of Proposals.--
            (1) Competitive process.--The Administrator shall select 
        proposals for financial assistance under this section solely 
        through a competitive, merit-based evaluation process 
        established by the Administrator.
            (2) Selection criteria.--Criteria used to evaluate 
        proposals for financial assistance under this section shall 
        include the following:
                    (A) Significant improvement in environmental 
                soundness of the overall production process.
                    (B) Contribution to industrial competitiveness, 
                including new markets, reduced production costs, and 
                enhanced export potential.
                    (C) Improvement in the work environment.
                    (D) Applicability to other industrial processes.
                    (E) Improvement in technological capability to 
                recycle complex combinations of materials.
                    (F) Contribution to the environmental priorities 
                established pursuant to section 201.
            (3) Integration of industry views.--The Administrator shall 
        develop mechanisms for integrating the views of representatives 
        of industry into the process by which proposals for financial 
        assistance under this section are evaluated.
    (g) Award Conditions.--Financial assistance provided under this 
section shall be subject to the following conditions:
            (1) Such assistance may be made for not more than three 
        years for single firms and not more than five years for 
        partnerships.
            (2) The Federal Government may provide not more than a 
        minority cost-share of the awards to partnerships. The 
        Administrator shall prescribe regulations to provide for 
        consideration of in-kind contributions by non-Federal 
        Government participants in a partnership for the purpose of 
        determining the share of the partnership costs that have been 
        or are being undertaken by such participant.
    (h) Other Assistance Authorized.--The Administrator, in cooperation 
with the heads of other appropriate Federal agencies that have 
substantial capabilities in advanced technology research and 
development, may provide entities receiving financial assistance under 
this section with any technical and other assistance the Administrator 
considers necessary to carry out this section. In providing such 
assistance, the Administrator may make available to a partnership any 
equipment and facilities of Federal laboratories (including the 
scientists and engineers at those laboratories) that the Administrator 
considers appropriate for the work to be performed by the partnership.
    (i) Annual Review.--The Administrator shall annually submit to the 
Congress a report that contains an evaluation of the program 
established under subsection (a). The report shall evaluate the success 
of innovations resulting from the program based on criteria that 
include those described in subsection (f)(2).
    (j) Program Administration.--
            (1) In general.--In administering the program established 
        under this section, the Administrator shall--
                    (A) monitor the manner in which technologies 
                developed as a result of the program are used, and 
                report annually to the Congress on the extent of any 
                international transfer of these technologies;
                    (B) provide for appropriate dissemination of the 
                results of research conducted under the program; and
                    (C) take any other action the Administer considers 
                necessary to carry out the program and to avoid 
                unnecessary duplication of effort by Federal agencies.
            (2) Applicability of foia.--Section 552 of title 5, United 
        States Code, shall not apply to the following information 
        obtained by the Federal Government on a confidential basis in 
        connection with the activities of any firm or partnership 
        receiving financial assistance under this section:
                    (A) Information on the operation of any firm or 
                member of a partnership.
                    (B) Trade secrets possessed by any business or any 
                member of the partnership.
            (3) Disclosure of intellectual property.--Intellectual 
        property owned and developed by any business or partnership 
        receiving financial assistance under this section or by any 
        member of such a partnership may not be disclosed by any 
        officer or employee of the Federal Government except in 
        accordance with a written agreement between the owner or 
        developer of the intellectual property and the Administrator.
            (4) Vesting of intellectual property rights.--
                    (A) In general.--Title to any intellectual property 
                arising from assistance provided under this section 
                shall vest in a company or companies incorporated in 
                the United States or in an institution of higher 
                education in the United States. The Federal Government 
                may reserve a nonexclusive, nontransferable, 
                irrevocable paid-up license, to have practiced for or 
                on behalf of the Federal Government, in connection with 
                any such intellectual property, but shall not, in the 
                exercise of such license, publicly disclose proprietary 
                information related to the license. Title to any such 
                intellectual property shall not be transferred or 
                passed, except to a company incorporated in the United 
                States, until the expiration of the first patent 
                obtained in connection with such intellectual property.
                    (B) Definition.--For purposes of this paragraph, 
                the term ``intellectual property'' means an invention 
                patentable under title 35, United States Code, or any 
                patent on such an invention.
                    (C) Effect on licensing.--Nothing in this paragraph 
                shall be construed to prohibit the licensing to any 
                company of intellectual property rights arising from 
                financial assistance provided under this section.
            (5) Suspension of financial assistance.--The Administrator 
        may, within 30 days after notice to the Congress, suspend a 
        company or partnership from continued financial assistance 
        under this section if the Administrator determines that the 
        company, the country of incorporation of the company or a 
        parent company, or the partnership has failed to satisfy any of 
        the requirements of this section, and that it is in the 
        national interest of the United States to do so.

SEC. 212. ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION AND MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Existing permit and compliance policies and practices 
        are a key barrier to the widespread use of innovative 
        environmental monitoring and remediation technologies.
            (2) Past efforts to develop new containment and clean-up 
        technologies have yielded only modest results and have reached 
        the application stage only after many years of substantial and 
        consistent efforts.
            (3) More aggressive and integrated Federal programs to 
        develop, demonstrate, and make available alternate and 
        innovative monitoring and remediation technologies are needed 
        to ensure the timely and widespread application of the most 
        suitable technical solutions to costly environmental problems.
    (b) Interagency Coordination in Remediation Technology Development 
Programs.--Within one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator, the Secretary of Energy, and the Secretary of 
Defense shall jointly submit to the Congress a detailed strategic plan 
for interagency coordination of Federal programs for the timely 
development, demonstration, and deployment of innovative environmental 
control and remediation technologies.

SEC. 213. PRESIDENT'S TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AWARD AND THE 
              NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGY AWARD.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Award programs such as the Malcolm Baldrige National 
        Quality Award Program have made substantial contributions to 
        private enterprise by providing a framework upon which 
        organizations can improve their operations and by focusing on 
        issues important to their competitiveness.
            (2) A President's Total Environmental Quality Award Program 
        modeled on the Malcolm Baldrige Award Program would contribute 
        to environmental quality and sustainable economic development 
        by--
                    (A) helping to stimulate United States companies to 
                develop and deploy environmental technologies;
                    (B) recognizing the achievements of such companies 
                which successfully develop and deploy environmental 
                technologies; and
                    (C) establishing guidelines and criteria that can 
                be used by business, industrial, governmental, and 
                other organizations in evaluating their own development 
                and deployment of environmental technologies.
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this section to provide for the 
establishment and conduct of a President's Total Environmental Quality 
Award Program and a National Environmentally Sound Technology Award 
Program under which awards are given to recognize the successful 
development and deployment of environmental technologies and 
information is disseminated about such success.
    (c) Establishment of Awards.--The Stevenson-Wydler Technology 
Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) is amended by inserting 
after section 23 the following new sections:

``SEC. 24. PRESIDENT'S TOTAL ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AWARD.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established the President's 
Total Environmental Quality Award (in this section referred to as the 
`Award').
    ``(b) Design.--The Award shall be evidenced by a medal bearing the 
inscription `President's Total Environmental Quality Award'.
    ``(c) Award Selection Process.--The Secretary, in cooperation with 
the Secretary of Energy and the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency, shall establish a process for the acceptance and 
evaluation of Award applicants. The Secretary shall, to the maximum 
extent practicable, use the same procedures and facilities provided for 
the administration of the Malcolm Baldrige Award, including the 
definition of award categories, the delegation of responsibilities, and 
provisions for publicity, evaluation feed-back, and information 
transfer.
    ``(d) Presentation of Award.--
            ``(1) Recommendations by secretary.--The Secretary shall 
        submit to the President the recommendations of the Secretary 
        for the selection of Award applicants.
            ``(2) Selection by the president.--On the basis of 
        recommendations received under paragraph (1), the President 
        shall periodically select for receipt of the Award United 
        States companies and other organizations which in the judgment 
        of the President have substantially benefited the 
        environmental, economic, and social well-being of the United 
        States through the development and deployment of environmental 
        technologies, and which as a consequence are deserving of 
        special recognition.
            ``(3) Presentation ceremony.--The President or the Vice 
        President shall present the Award to recipients selected under 
        paragraph (2) with such ceremony as the President or the Vice 
        President considers to be appropriate.
    ``(e) Limitation.--The information gathered in evaluating Award 
applications may be used only for the evaluation of such applications 
and for publicity by winners of the Award. Such information may not be 
used for regulatory or compliance purposes.
    ``(f) Evaluation Criteria.--Criteria for evaluating Award 
applications shall include the following:
            ``(1) The effectiveness of the organization's development 
        and deployment of environmental technologies, as well as the 
        organization's provision for environmental technologies in its 
        future plans.
            ``(2) The effectiveness of energy and materials use from 
        the perspective of the life cycle of the production, use, 
        recycle, and disposal of a product.
            ``(3) The effective use of an integrated approach to 
        pollution prevention and control that considers all 
        environmental media (liquid, solid, gaseous).
    ``(g) Funding.--The Secretary may seek and accept gifts from public 
and private sources to carry out this section. The Secretary may 
provide for the imposition of a fee upon the organizations applying for 
the Award.
    ``(h) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the President and 
the Congress a report on the progress made in carrying out this 
section. The report shall include any recommendations of the Secretary 
for any modifications of the Award the Secretary considers necessary.

``SEC. 25. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGY AWARD.

    ``(a) Establishment.--There is established a National 
Environmentally Sound Technology Award for the purpose of awarding 
individuals who have pioneered the development and use of highly 
innovative environmental technologies within the meaning of section 
104(2)(B) of the Environmental Technologies Act of 1993.
    ``(b) Administration.--Using the authority and procedures 
established in section 24 and subject to the conditions described in 
this section, the Secretary, in cooperation with the Administrator of 
the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of Energy, shall 
receive and evaluate applications for the National Environmentally 
Sound Technology Award and provide for presentation of such Award.
    ``(c) Qualified Technologies.--Technologies that qualify for such 
Award shall include the following:
            ``(1) Manufacturing technologies.
            ``(2) Industrial or consumer products.
            ``(3) Consumer services.
            ``(4) Recycling technologies.
    ``(d) Qualified Applicants.--Any citizen or permanent resident of 
the United States may qualify for such Award. Any such individual who 
is employed by or otherwise works for a business, Federal laboratory, 
or other organization may qualify for such Award only if the individual 
was substantially involved in the invention or innovation for which 
such Award is presented.
    ``(e) Limitation.--Not more than five such Awards may be presented 
annually.''.

SEC. 214. INCORPORATION OF INFORMATION ON ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES 
              INTO EXISTING NETWORKS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, through the Office of 
Research and Development of the Environmental Protection Agency and in 
cooperation with the Under Secretary for Technology of the Department 
of Commerce and the heads of any other appropriate Federal agencies, 
shall, to the maximum extent practicable, use existing information 
network capabilities of the Federal Government to provide access to 
data on environmental technologies developed, tested, or verified under 
programs established by this Act, and by other appropriate Federal and 
non-Federal sources. Such data shall include information on--
            (1) activities carried out under this Act and the 
        amendments made by this Act;
            (2) performance standards regarding environmental 
        technologies;
            (3) significant international developments in environmental 
        technologies, fully coordinating with other international 
        technology information programs, of the Federal Government; and
            (4) other information determined by the Administrator to be 
        of substantial value in promoting the development and adoption 
        of environmental technologies.
    (b) Use of Existing Resources.--In carrying out this section, the 
Administrator shall, to the maximum extent practicable--
            (1) use existing public and private sector information 
        providers and carriers;
            (2) add to existing data sources; and
            (3) integrate data described in subsection (a) into other 
        technology databases maintained by the Environmental Protection 
        Agency, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, 
        and other appropriate Federal agencies.
    (c) Outreach.--The Administrator shall conduct appropriate outreach 
efforts to advertise, deliver, and disseminate the information made 
available through the networks referred to in subsection (a), including 
information on participation in Alliances referred to in subsection 
(d).
    (d) Environmental Technology Transfer Alliances.--
            (1) Technology transfer.--The Administrator may enter into 
        partnership agreements (in this section referred to as 
        ``Alliances'') with an agency of a State or local government, a 
        non-profit organization in which a State or local government is 
        a member, an institution of higher education designated by a 
        State or local government, or a manufacturing extension and 
        outreach service or regional technical assistance service 
        approved by the Federal Government or a State in order to--
                    (A) facilitate access to information incorporated 
                in the networks referred to in subsection (a); and
                    (B) transfer to entities referred to in paragraph 
                (2) other information that would enhance the 
                development and adoption of environmental technologies.
            (2) Entities eligible for alliance participation.--Entities 
        eligible for participation in an Alliance include United States 
        companies, United States non-profit organizations, Federal 
        laboratories, United States institutions of higher education, 
        sponsoring organizations, and other organizations that the 
        Administrator considers to be appropriate.
            (3) Alliance activities.--Under a partnership agreement 
        referred to in paragraph (1), an Alliance--
                    (A) may disseminate information made available 
                through the networks to any other entity the Alliance 
                considers necessary to advance the goals of this 
                section;
                    (B) is encouraged to collect, and disseminate to 
                United States companies in the region, information 
                regarding opportunities for the more efficient use of 
                materials and energy and for waste minimization, 
                materials conversion, and recycling;
                    (C) is encouraged to provide technical assistance 
                to United States companies related to activities under 
                this subsection; and
                    (D) may undertake any other activities the 
                Administrator considers appropriate to carry out this 
                subsection.
            (4) Use of existing programs.--In selecting partners for a 
        partnership agreement referred to in paragraph (1), the 
        Administrator shall, to the maximum extent practicable, use 
        existing programs for technical assistance and technical 
        information dissemination.
            (5) Financial Assistance.--
                    (A) In general.--To carry out this subsection, the 
                Administrator may provide financial assistance to an 
                Alliance under terms and conditions prescribed by the 
                Administrator.
                    (B) Limitations.--The Administrator may not provide 
                financial assistance to an Alliance under this 
                subsection--
                            (i) for construction of facilities; or
                            (ii) in an amount that exceeds a minority 
                        cost share of the activities carried out by the 
                        Alliance under this subsection.

SEC. 215. USE OF FEDERAL FACILITIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY 
              DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a program to 
demonstrate the performance of environmental technologies at Federal 
laboratories and other Federal facilities.
    (b) Qualifying Technology Demonstration Projects.--Technologies 
that qualify for demonstration under such program include--
            (1) environmental technologies that can be applied to a 
        major pollution control or remediation need, as determined by 
        the Administrator, at a Federal laboratory or other Federal 
        facility;
            (2) environmental technologies the development of which 
        would be significantly advanced by unique facilities or 
        capabilities of a Federal laboratory or other Federal facility; 
        and
            (3) other environmental technologies that the 
        Administration considers to have significant potential as an 
        environmental technology that will contribute to sustainable 
        economic growth.
    (c) Administration.--As part of the program established under this 
section, the Administrator--
            (1) may enter into cooperative agreements with other 
        Federal departments and agencies for the purpose of 
        demonstrating the performance of environmental technologies;
            (2) may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements for 
        such purpose with organizations selected under paragraph (7);
            (3) except as provided in paragraph (4), may not provide 
        Federal resources under a cooperative agreement referred to in 
        paragraphs (1) and (2) in an amount that exceeds one-half of 
        the total cost of carrying out services and activities under 
        the agreement;
            (4) may make special provisions for small businesses, 
        including the provision of Federal resources under a 
        cooperative agreement entered into with a small business under 
        paragraph (1) or (2) in an amount that exceeds one-half of the 
        total cost of carrying out services and activities under the 
        agreement;
            (5) shall establish procedures to solicit and accept 
        applications for environmental technologies for demonstration 
        under this program;
            (6) shall, in consultation and cooperation with other 
        Federal agencies, make available information through the 
        networks described in section 214 and make available through 
        other means--
                    (A) the facilities and expertise available at 
                Federal laboratories that would be valuable to the 
                demonstration of environmental technologies; and
                    (B) sites at Federal laboratories or other Federal 
                facilities potentially available for testing 
                environmental technologies, characterized by specific 
                site characteristics, including site geology and site 
                contaminants where appropriate;
            (7) shall establish procedures for the merit-based review 
        of all applications for demonstration projects under this 
        program through a process that includes representatives of 
        industry and United States nonprofit organizations and select 
        organizations to carry out such projects based upon such 
        procedures;
            (8) shall document the performance and cost of 
        characteristics of the environmental technology demonstrated; 
        and
            (9) shall list and disseminate, through the networks 
        described in section 214, nonproprietary information regarding 
        the performance and cost characteristics of the environmental 
        technologies demonstrated pursuant to this section.
    (d) Qualifying Organizations.--Entities eligible to carry out a 
demonstration project as part of the program established under 
subsection (a) are United States companies (including small 
businesses), United States nonprofit organizations, United States 
institutions of higher education, and other organizations that the 
Administrator considers appropriate.
    (e) Program Evaluation and Reporting.--The Administrator shall, in 
cooperation with other Federal agencies and in consultation with the 
United States companies and United States nonprofit organizations, 
annually submit to the Congress a report that evaluates the performance 
of the program, including a statement of--
            (1) the number of environmental technologies tested and the 
        type of problems addressed;
            (2) the number of environmental technologies demonstrated 
        in the program that have since become commercially viable and 
        their estimated impact; and
            (3) the Federal and non-Federal financial resources 
        committed to the program.

SEC. 216. FEDERAL ACQUISITION AND USE OF ENVIRONMENTALLY EFFICIENT 
              BUILDING MATERIALS.

    (a) Demonstration of Acquisition and Use of Materials.--Not later 
than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator shall establish a 3-year pilot program to promote 
research on, and development of, environmentally efficient building 
materials through demonstration of the acquisition and use of 
environmentally efficient building materials in the construction of new 
Federal facilities and buildings and in existing Federal facilities and 
buildings.
    (b) Selection Criteria.--In selecting environmentally efficient 
building materials, the Administrator shall use the criteria of--
            (1) maximizing the conservation and preservation of natural 
        resources;
            (2) ensuring that the materials are similar in quality and 
        durability to comparable, more conventional materials;
            (3) ensuring that the materials are cost competitive with 
        comparable, more conventional materials on a life-cycle cost 
        basis;
            (4) ensuring that the materials meet appropriate 
        environmental, public health, and safety standards; and
            (5) ensuring that the materials meet appropriate standards 
        for energy efficiency.
    (c) Preferences Among Environmentally Efficient Building 
Materials.--When making choices between comparable environmentally 
efficient building materials that meet all the criteria under 
subsection (b), the Administrator shall give preference to those 
materials that best satisfy such criteria.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 30 days after completion of the pilot 
program established under this section, the Administrator shall submit 
to the Congress a report on the implementation of the pilot program. 
The report shall include--
            (1) a listing of the type and quantities of environmentally 
        efficient building materials used;
            (2) a statement of the cost and performance of such 
        materials compared to comparable, more conventional materials;
            (3) an assessment of the extent to which the acquisition 
        and use of such materials can be expanded beyond the scope of 
        the pilot program;
            (4) an assessment of how well the materials meet the 
        criteria under subsection (b)(1); and
            (5) an assessment of the extent to which research on, and 
        development of, such materials occurred as a result of the 
        pilot program and the extent to which further support is needed 
        to stimulate such research and development.
    (e) Integration of Other Views.--In carrying out this section, the 
Administrator shall develop mechanisms for integrating the views of the 
Administrator of General Services, the Army Corps of Engineers, and 
representatives of the environmental community, the construction 
industry (including small business), manufacturing companies (including 
small businesses) that produce environmentally efficient materials, and 
the scientific and technical community.
    (f) Guidelines to Federal Agencies.--The Administrator shall, after 
consultation with the Administrator of General Services, promulgate 
regulations containing guidelines to Federal agencies on minimizing the 
creation of solid waste and on maximizing the use of environmentally 
efficient building materials in the construction of Federal buildings. 
Such regulations shall include--
            (1) a requirement that any bid or proposal for Federal 
        contracts for the construction of Federal buildings include a 
        plan for minimizing the generation of solid waste and for 
        maximizing the use of environmentally efficient building 
        materials in such construction; and
            (2) standards for an acceptable plan that satisfies the 
        requirement under paragraph (1).
    (g) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
            (1) The term ``agency'' means an Executive agency as 
        defined under section 105 of title 5, United States Code, and 
        any agency of the judicial branch of Government.
            (2) The term ``environmentally efficient materials'' means 
        any recycled, recovered, reclaimed, or reused material whose 
        production, manufacture, fabrication, and use conserves and 
        preserves natural resources when compared to the production, 
        manufacture, fabrication, and use of comparable, more 
        conventional materials.
            (3) The term ``environmentally efficient building 
        materials'' means any environmentally efficient material which 
        may be used in the construction of a building or facility.
            (4) The term ``solid waste'' means any garbage, refuse, 
        sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply treatment 
        plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded 
        material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained 
        gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, 
        and agricultural operations, and from community activities, but 
        does not include solid or dissolved material in domestic 
        sewage, or solid or dissolved materials in irrigation return 
        flows or industrial discharges which are point sources subject 
        to permits under section 402 of the Federal Water Pollution 
        Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342) or source, special nuclear, or 
        byproduct material as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 
        (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.).
            (5) The term ``construction'' with respect to any project 
        of construction under this section, means--
                    (A) the erection or building of new structures and 
                acquisition of lands or interests therein, or the 
                acquisition, replacement, expansion, remodeling, 
                alteration, modernization, or extension of existing 
                structures;
                    (B) the acquisition and installation of initial 
                equipment of, or required in connection with, new or 
                newly acquired structures or the expanded, remodeled, 
                altered, modernized or extended part of existing 
                structures (including trucks and other motor vehicles, 
                and tractors, cranes, and other machinery) necessary 
                for the proper utilization and operation of the 
                facility after completion of the project, including 
                preliminary planning to determine the economic and 
                engineering feasibility and the public health and 
                safety aspects of the project, the engineering, 
                architectural, legal, fiscal, and economic 
                investigations and studies, and any surveys, designs, 
                plans, working drawings, specifications, and other 
                action necessary for the carrying out of the project; 
                and
                    (C) the inspection and supervision of the process 
                of carrying out the project to completion.

                          TITLE III--EDUCATION

SEC. 301. ENVIRONMENTALLY ADVANCED EDUCATION.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress finds the following:
            (1) With the exception of environmental engineering 
        curricula, environmental considerations are typically not 
        integrated into the required design course work for the various 
        engineering disciplines.
            (2) The integration of environmental considerations into 
        all engineering, industrial, design, and other technology-
        oriented curricula in a timely fashion is essential to better 
        achieving sustainable economic development.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this title is to encourage the 
National Science Foundation to provide assistance to colleges and 
universities for comprehensive research and education activities that 
will integrate environmental considerations into the design, 
manufacturing, and production processes.
    (c) National Science Foundation Engineering Environmentally 
Advanced Education Programs.--The Director of the National Science 
Foundation shall support undergraduate and graduate activities in the 
development of coursework materials and curricula in all scientific, 
engineering and technical disciplines to incorporate environmental 
soundness and total cost accounting principles into the corresponding 
curricula. In carrying out this section, the Director of the National 
Science Foundation shall cooperate with the Environmental Protection 
Agency and other appropriate Federal agencies and consult with 
appropriate private sector organizations, including the Accreditation 
Board for Engineering and Technology.
    (d) Socially and Economically Disadvantaged Individuals.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the Director 
        of the National Science Foundation shall encourage the 
        participation of socially disadvantaged individuals and 
        economically disadvantaged individuals.
            (2) Definitions.--For purposes of this subsection:
                    (A) The term ``economically disadvantaged 
                individuals'' has the meaning given such term in 
                section 8(a)(6)(A) of the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 
                637(a)(6)(A), and includes women.
                    (B) The term ``socially disadvantaged individuals'' 
                has the meaning given such term in section 8(a)(5) of 
                the Small Business Act, 15 U.S.C. 637(a)(5), and 
                includes women.
    (e) Special Needs.--In carrying out the provisions of this section, 
the Director of the National Science Foundation shall take into account 
any special needs of 2-year colleges, as applicable.

 SEC. 302. GENERAL EDUCATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) In General.--The Director of the Office of Research and 
Development of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation and 
coordination with other Federal agencies (including the National 
Science Foundation) and agencies of State and local governments, shall 
develop and support programs and related efforts to improve 
understanding of the relationships between technology and the 
environment, including--
            (1) information on--
                    (A) relations between economic activity and the 
                environment and opportunities for improvement in such 
                relations; and
                    (B) systems which encompass resource extraction or 
                introduction, transformation, consumption, recycle and 
                disposal, and the energy and resources consumed and the 
                value-yielding results; and
            (2) any other information the Director of the Office of 
        Research and Development of the Environmental Protection 
        Agency, in consultation with other Federal agencies (including 
        the National Science Foundation) and agencies of State and 
        local governments, considers appropriate.
    (b) Program Functions and Activities.--The programs and efforts 
referred to in subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum--
            (1) the development and widest dissemination practicable of 
        model curricula, educational materials, and training programs 
        for technical college, secondary, and elementary students and 
        other interested groups;
            (2) the provision of information to local education 
        agencies, State education and natural resource agencies, and 
        others; and
            (3) the training of education professionals in the 
        development and delivery of the environmental education 
        materials developed under this Act.

                          TITLE IV--STANDARDS

SEC. 401. PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.

    (a) Authorization.--The Secretary of Commerce, in cooperation with 
the Administrator, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of other 
appropriate Federal agencies, and in consultation with non-Federal 
standards organizations, shall establish a program to support the 
clarification of standards of performance for environmental 
technologies to clarify quality, performance, and substitutability for 
conventional products.
    (b) Existing Programs.--In developing the program established in 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Commerce shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable, coordinate efforts under such program with existing non-
Federal standards activities that affect environmental technologies.
    (c) Non-Federal Program Certification.--The Secretary of Commerce, 
in cooperation with the Administrator and the Secretary of Energy, 
shall establish a mechanism for recognizing non-Federal organizations 
engaged in environmental standards setting and associated product 
performance verification activities for the purpose of ensuring quality 
and enhancing consumer confidence and international recognition.
    (d) International Harmonization.--The Secretary of Commerce shall 
work with domestic and international standards organizations to insure 
harmonization of domestic standards with international standards.

SEC. 402. VERIFICATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Environmental Technology Verification Centers.--The 
Administrator may enter into joint agreements with State and local 
governments and private sector representatives to support Environmental 
Technology Verification Centers (in this section referred to as 
``Verification Centers'') that verify, evaluate, and disseminate 
information on the performance and cost of environmental technologies.
    (b) Functions.--Verification Centers may, under subsection (a)--
            (1) evaluate cost and performance data for environmental 
        technologies;
            (2) provide information that describes whether the 
        environmental technology evaluated and verified--
                    (A) meets the performance criteria of applicable 
                law (including regulations issued by the Administrator) 
                under tested conditions;
                    (B) meets the performance criteria of applicable 
                law (including regulations issued by the Administrator) 
                at comparable or lower costs; and
                    (C) constitutes a significant advance with broad 
                applicability.
    (c) Administration.--The Administrator shall--
            (1) establish procedures for soliciting applications for 
        and selecting, pursuant to criteria referred to in subsection 
        (d), Verification Centers to perform functions under this 
        section;
            (2) establish criteria for eligibility to act as a 
        Verification Center;
            (3) certify appropriate protocols developed by Verification 
        Centers to verify the quality and credibility of cost and 
        performance data submitted by Verification Centers;
            (4) ensure that information regarding environmental 
        technologies verified and evaluated under this program is 
        disseminated through the networks referred to in section 214;
            (5) ensure that fees charged by Verification Centers are 
        reasonable and include--
                    (A) lower fees for small businesses, nonprofit 
                organizations, and institutions of higher education; 
                and
                    (B) lower fees for verifying environmental 
                technologies that provide source reduction; and
            (6) consult with other Federal agencies to make available 
        the sources and expertise of Federal laboratories through 
        cooperative agreements with the Verification Centers.
    (d) Selection Criteria.--The Administrator, in consultation with 
other Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private sector 
organizations, shall select Verification Centers based on the following 
criteria:
            (1) The capabilities of the applicant to provide a thorough 
        and credible technical and financial evaluation of 
        environmental technologies.
            (2) The clarity and efficiency of the proposed procedures 
        for the receipt and review of applications for technology 
        verification.
            (3) The likelihood of the continued viability of the 
        Verification Center.
            (4) The existence of a plan for disseminating 
        nonproprietary information regarding technologies verified by 
        the Verification Center.
            (5) Other criteria that the Administrator considers 
        appropriate.
    (e) Merit-Based Selection Process.--Verification Centers supported 
under this section shall be selected only through a merit-based 
selection process, established by the Administrator, pursuant to the 
criteria described in subsection (d).
    (f) Financial Assistance.--The Administrator may provide financial 
assistance to a Verification Center under this section. Such financial 
assistance shall--
            (1) be for not more than 5 years; and
            (2) provide not more than 30 percent of the cost of 
        operating the Verification Center.
    (g) Direct Partnerships.--If the Administrator determines that 
Verification Centers cannot adequately verify the performance of 
environmental technologies because of scale or complexity, the 
Administrator may engage directly with private sector organizations 
through direct verification partnerships to verify the performance of 
such technologies. The Administrator may engage in a direct 
verification partnership under this subsection only if--
            (1) the Administrator documents that the verification 
        cannot be conducted at a Verification Center, or comparable 
        commercial service, established under this section for 
        reasonable cost;
            (2) the Federal Government provides not more than 30 
        percent of the cost-share of the project; and
            (3) the Administrator determines that the verification will 
        make a significant contribution to sustainable economic 
        development.
    (h) Judicial Review.--
            (1) Decision to list or not list.--The verification or 
        evaluation of a technology under this section shall not--
                    (A) constitute a final action by the Administrator; 
                and
                    (B) be subject to judicial review.
            (2) Failure to comply.--If a technology verified, evaluated 
        and listed pursuant to this section fails to comply with any 
        applicable law (including regulations issued by the 
        Administrator), the verification, evaluation, or listing shall 
        not constitute a defense in an enforcement action or suit and 
        shall not create a cause of action against the Environmental 
        Protection Agency.

SEC. 403. CONSUMER CLAIMS ON ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES.

    The Federal Trade Commission shall--
            (1) conduct a study of scientific and technological 
        information needed for the fair evaluation of commercial 
        performance claims regarding environmental technologies; and
            (2) develop a plan for close collaboration with Federal 
        agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the 
        Department of Energy, and the Department of Commerce, that have 
        expertise in environmental technologies to ensure the use of 
        the best available scientific and technological information by 
        the Federal Trade Commission in evaluating such claims.

                    TITLE V--INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

SEC. 501. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds the following:
            (1) The global market for environmental technologies, 
        goods, and services is currently $270,000,000,000 and is 
        estimated to grow to $500,000,000,000 by the year 2000.
            (2) Such market represents a major opportunity to increase 
        high-quality jobs in the United States and to assist nations in 
        implementing sustainable economic development programs.
            (3) Although the United States has historically been an 
        international leader in the development of environmental 
        technologies, United States companies have not gained a 
        corresponding share of the international market, in part 
        because other nations have more extensive programs to assist in 
        promoting the export of environmental technologies.

SEC. 502. INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATION.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator, in cooperation with the 
Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Energy, and the heads of other 
appropriate Federal agencies and utilizing, to the maximum extent 
practicable, existing Federal programs, is encouraged to support 
programs in other nations for the purpose of enhancing United States 
exports of environmental technologies and promoting the contribution of 
United States environmental technologies to international sustainable 
economic development.
    (b) Activities and Services.--Activities and services under 
subsection (a) shall include--
            (1) providing scientific and technical data and other 
        information to the host government or organizations designated 
        by the host government that would illustrate the value of 
        United States environmental technologies in achieving 
        environment policy goals of that nation;
            (2) identifying United States sources of expertise or 
        technology that could assist the host nation in achieving its 
        environmental goals;
            (3) providing assistance in conducting scientific and 
        technological environmental policy assessments conducted by the 
        host government to illustrate the benefits of different options 
        and the contributions to be made through science and 
        technology; and
            (4) providing other services authorized by the 
        Administrator that would carry out this section.
    (c) Cooperative Assessments.--The Administrator may enter into 
cooperative agreements with the host government or organizations 
designated by the host government to carry out the activities and 
services described in subsection (b).
    (d) User Fees.--The Administrator may impose fees to defray the 
costs of activities and services under this section.
    (e) Grant Receipt.--To carry out this section, the Administrator 
may receive unconditional grants of financial support from the host 
government or nonprofit philanthropic Foundations. Such grants may be 
accepted only if they are unconditional and in no way influence the 
direction of activities and services under this section.
    (f) Evaluation and Report.--Within 2 years after the establishment 
of the program under this section, and annually thereafter, the 
Administrator shall submit to the Congress a report that contains an 
evaluation of the program and the effectiveness of the activities and 
services carried out under the program with respect to each host 
nation. The evaluation shall provide recommendations for continuation, 
improvement, or termination of such activities and services.

SEC. 503. PROMOTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY EXPORTS.

    (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with 
the Administrator and the heads of other appropriate agencies and 
utilizing, to the maximum extent practicable, existing programs of the 
Federal and State governments, shall support activities to promote the 
export of United States environmental technologies.
    (b) Services.--Services and activities under this section may 
include the provision of--
            (1) information on international market opportunities, 
        including trade fairs, international environmental regulations, 
        and applicable technical and financial assistance programs;
            (2) education and training that will assist in adapting and 
        developing environmental technologies and services with 
        substantial potential for export to major international 
        markets; and
            (3) training, in cooperation with the Administrator of the 
        Agency for International Development, to individuals from 
        nations other than the United States concerning the operation, 
        maintenance, and full value of United States environmental 
        technologies and services.
    (c) Other Assistance Authorized.--The Secretary of Commerce may 
provide technical and other assistance to carry out this section. Such 
assistance may include equipment and facilities of Federal laboratories 
(including the scientists and engineers at those laboratories). The 
Secretary shall coordinate with the heads of other Federal agencies to 
make the capabilities of the Federal laboratories available under this 
section.
    (d) Coordination With Other Programs.--The Secretary of Commerce 
shall coordinate the activities and services under this section with 
other programs of the Federal Government, including programs carried 
out by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, 
the Agency for International Development, and the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation, to avoid redundancy and ensure maximum use of 
the Federal investment.
    (e) Annual Review.--The Secretary of Commerce shall annually submit 
to the Congress a report containing a review of activities and services 
carried out under this section.

SEC. 504. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR TECHNOLOGY ADAPTATION TO PROMOTE 
              EXPORTS.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established a revolving fund to be 
known as the Environmental Technology Export Revolving Fund for the 
purpose of providing financial assistance for the adaptation and 
demonstration of United States environmental technologies to enhance 
exports to major international markets.
    (b) Forms of Financial Assistance.--To carry out this section, the 
Secretary of Commerce may, to the extent provided in appropriations 
Acts, use the Fund for the purpose of making loans, loan guarantees, or 
other forms of financial assistance to United States companies, 
independent research centers, institutions of higher education, and 
other organizations the Secretary considers appropriate.
    (c) Priorities.--In providing financial assistance under this 
section, the Secretary of Commerce shall give priority to environmental 
technologies--
            (1) that require modifications through further research and 
        development to enable commercialization in international 
        markets;
            (2) that have substantial potential for use in export 
        markets; and
            (3) for which substantial manufacture will remain in the 
        United States.
    (d) Operating Plan.--Not later than January 1, 1995, the Secretary 
of Commerce shall submit to the Congress an operating plan to carry out 
this section. The plan shall contain a description of coordination 
efforts with other sources of export finance assistance, including the 
Agency for International Development and the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation, and an evaluation of alternative approaches to 
carrying out this section (including priorities referred to in 
subsection (c)). The Secretary shall develop recommendations, as 
appropriate, to carry out this section in the most effective and 
efficient manner achievable. The recommendations shall include a 
description of the system of evaluation used under this subsection.
    (e) Terms and Conditions for Financial Assistance.--
            (1) Limitation on project amount.--Loans, loan guarantees, 
        and other forms of financial assistance made under this section 
        shall be in such form and under such terms and conditions as 
        the Secretary of Commerce may prescribe by regulation. The 
        amount of assistance provided under this section for a project 
        may not exceed 50 percent of the total eligible project costs. 
        The term ``total eligible project costs'' shall be defined by 
        the Secretary of Commerce by regulation.
            (2) Limitation on total cost.--Financial assistance under 
        this section shall be made under such terms and conditions as 
        are necessary to ensure that the cost of carrying out this 
        section shall not exceed 15 percent of the corresponding credit 
        authority to carry out this section. For purposes of this 
        paragraph--
                    (A) the term ``cost'' has the meaning given such 
                term in section 502(5) of the Federal Credit Reform Act 
                of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661a); and
                    (B) the term ``credit authority'' has the meaning 
                given such term in section 3(10) of the Congressional 
                Budget Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 622(10)).
    (f) Repayment.--Repayment on loans made under this section and the 
proceeds from any other agreement entered into by the Secretary of 
Commerce under this section shall be credited to the Fund. A loan or 
loan guarantee agreement under this section may, at the discretion of 
the Secretary of Commerce, include a requirement--
            (1) that a portion of any royalties received in connection 
        with a technology developed with financial assistance under 
        this section be paid to the United States; and
            (2) in any case in which the technology is used by the 
        recipient of such financial assistance for the production and 
        sale of goods, that a payment equal to the amount paid under 
        paragraph (1) in connection with the technology be paid to the 
        United States.
    (g) Interest.--Interest on a loan, or portion of a loan, awarded or 
guaranteed by the Federal Government under this section shall be at a 
rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, at the time such loan 
is made, to equal the then current average market yield on outstanding 
debt obligations of the United States with remaining periods to 
maturity comparable to the maturity of such loan, plus an additional 
charge of up to 1 percent applied by the Secretary of Commerce to cover 
expected defaults and reasonable administrative costs of carrying out 
this section. For purposes of this section, the term ``default'' shall 
be defined by the Secretary of Commerce by regulation.
    (h) Management of the Fund.--The Secretary of Commerce shall manage 
the Fund and shall annually submit to the Congress a report on the 
financial condition and the results of operation of the Fund during the 
preceding fiscal year.
    (i) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary of Commerce shall, upon 
request, provide technical assistance and services, as appropriate and 
needed, to awardees under this section and shall ensure that awardees 
have ready access to such assistance. The Secretary may charge fees for 
technical assistance and services. The Secretary may waive such fees on 
a case-by-case basis. Fees paid to the United States under this section 
shall be deposited in the revolving fund.
    (j) Coordination With Other Federal Activities.--The Secretary of 
Commerce shall, to the maximum extent practicable, coordinate the 
activities under this section with similar Federal activities to avoid 
unnecessary duplication of effort.
    (k) Outreach to Economically Depressed Areas.--The Secretary of 
Commerce shall seek to ensure that qualified business concerns located 
in areas determined by the Secretary to have a depressed economy, or a 
significant concentration of defense-related industries, or chronically 
high unemployment, are notified of the availability of financial 
assistance under this section and, to the extent practicable, to 
encourage and facilitate the participation of such qualified business 
concerns in activities for which financial assistance is provided under 
this section.

             TITLE VI--FINANCIAL AND REGULATORY INCENTIVES

SEC. 601. USE OF ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS BY THE FEDERAL 
              GOVERNMENT.

    (a) Establishment.--The President shall establish a program for 
evaluating and approving the purchase by the Federal Government of 
environmental technology products. The President shall--
            (1) work with the performance standards programs 
        established under section 401 to ensure substitutability of 
        environmental technologies for conventional technologies for 
        the purposes of the Federal Government;
            (2) establish a priority list of technologies for inclusion 
        under the program; and
            (3) implement a plan for the procurement of environmental 
        technologies.
    (b) Report.--Within one year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act and annually thereafter, the President shall submit to the 
Congress a report describing the progress made in carrying out this 
section and plans for carrying out this section for the three years 
immediately following the year in which the report is submitted.

SEC. 602. STUDY OF REGULATORY INFLUENCES ON INNOVATION IN ENVIRONMENTAL 
              TECHNOLOGIES.

    (a) Review.--The Administrator, working with State regulatory 
agencies, shall conduct a study of current environmental regulations 
and their effect upon innovation in environmental technologies and the 
introduction of new environmental products.
    (b) Report.--The Administrator shall, within one year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, submit to the Congress a report on 
the results of the study described in subsection (a). The report shall 
contain any suggestions of the Administrator for actions that could be 
taken to increase the regulatory incentives for industrial use of new 
environmental technologies.

SEC. 603. STUDY OF THE IMPACT OF TAX INCENTIVES ON INNOVATION IN 
              ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES.

    The President shall study the potential for efficiently encouraging 
the development and use of environmental technologies through tax 
incentives. The study shall--
            (1) review existing environmental and technology 
        development tax incentives and estimate their impact on the 
        development and use of environmental technologies;
            (2) assess the potential of alternative tax incentives that 
        are considered promising for accelerating the development and 
        use of environmental technologies; and
            (3) in coordination with the study of regulatory effects on 
        innovation in environmental technologies established in section 
        602, assess the relationship between existing regulations and 
        proposed regulatory reforms on the influence of existing and 
        potential tax incentives.

               TITLE VII--AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS

SEC. 701. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), there is 
hereby authorized to be appropriated for fiscal years 1995 and 1996 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act and the amendments 
made by this Act.
    (b) Environmental Technologies Development and Integration 
Program.--There is hereby authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
the Environmental Technologies Development and Integration Program 
established in section 211--
            (1) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 1995; and
            (2) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 1996.

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