H. Con. Res. 27 Agreed to March 1, 2001

One Hundred Seventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,

the third day of January, two thousand and one

Concurrent Resolution

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology was

founded on March 3, 1901, originally as the National Bureau

of Standards, and is our Nation’s oldest Federal laboratory;

Whereas, prior to formal establishment in 1901, the National

Institute of Standards and Technology’s mission was first stated

in the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of these

United States, and is as old as the Republic itself;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology

strengthens the United States economy and improves the quality

of life by working with industry to develop and apply technology,

measurements, and standards;

Whereas in the past 100 years, the National Institute of Standards

and Technology has helped to maintain United States technology

at the leading edge, while also making solid contributions to

our economy and international competitiveness;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has

served as a behind-the-scenes specialist, with its research,

measurement tools, and technical services integrated deeply into

many of the systems and operations that, collectively, drive the

economy, including manufacturing cells, satellite systems,

communication and transportation networks, laboratories, factories, hospitals, businesses, and the extended enterprises of the

new economy;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has

also made solid contributions to improving our lives by helping

develop image processing, DNA diagnostic ‘‘chips’’, smoke detectors, automated error correcting software for machine tools,

atomic clocks, X-ray standards for mammography, scanning tunneling microscopy, pollution control technology, and high-speed

dental drills;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology plays

a major role in the National Conference on Weights and Measures,

the organization of State and local officials who ensure fairness

in sales of more than $4,000,000,000,000 worth of goods and

services—from deli meats to gasoline to railroad freight;

Whereas National Institute of Standards and Technology research

has additionally provided a broad and varied stream of benefits,

such as decreases in train derailments as a result of standards

ensuring the quality of steel, smoother riding, lower maintenance

automobiles as a result of technology that improves the fit of
H. Con. Res. 27—2

assembled parts, and reductions in sulfur dioxide emissions as

a result of improved measurements in the oil industry;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology has

been a leader in helping small manufacturing companies in all

50 States to modernize and prepare for the 21st Century;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology,

through its Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program, has

helped define best practices in business, in education, and in

health care, and has helped leading companies become even more

competitive;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology

employs about 3,300 people, and operates primarily in 2 locations,

Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado, with some of

our Nation’s finest and most dedicated Federal scientists,

including Nobel Prize winners;

Whereas the lack of laboratory space led to the establishment

of a cryogenic engineering laboratory and radio facilities on land

donated by citizens of Boulder, Colorado, in 1950, and the eventual partnership with the University of Colorado of the Joint

Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics;

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is

poised to embark on its second century with 2 new state-ofthe-art laboratories, the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory

and the Advanced Measurement Laboratory at its Gaithersburg,

Maryland, headquarters, to fulfill its mission; and

Whereas the National Institute of Standards and Technology is

committed to building the advanced science and technology infrastructure needed to ensure future prosperity and the global

competitiveness of United States industry in the 21st century

and beyond: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That the Congress—

(1) recognizes the historical significance of the centennial

of the founding of the National Institute of Standards and

Technology;

(2) acknowledges 100 years of achievement and service

by the National Bureau of Standards and the National Institute

of Standards and Technology to the United States; and
H. Con. Res. 27—3

(3) reaffirms its commitment to support during the next

100 years the research, technological advancements, and discoveries made at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a crown jewel in the Federal Government.

Attest:

Clerk of the House of Representatives.

Attest:

Secretary of the Senate.