II

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION S. 1804

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with the Director

of the Office of Science Technology and the Director of the National

Science Foundation, to establish a program for increasing the United

States scientific, technology, and mathematical resources, and for other

purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

OCTOBER 27, 1999

Mr. MCCAIN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with

the Director of the Office of Science Technology and

the Director of the National Science Foundation, to establish a program for increasing the United States scientific, technology, and mathematical resources, and for

other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘21st Century Tech5 nology Resources and Commercial Leadership Act’’.
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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

2 (a) FINDINGS.—The Congress makes the following

3 findings:

4 (1) The United States Department of Com5 merce, through its Office of Technology Policy, has

6 reported in June, 1999, that the United States will

7 require more than 1.3 million new highly-skilled core

8 information technology workers by the year 2006.

9 (2) The need for computer scientists, computer

10 engineers, and systems analysts by 2006 is projected

11 to be more than double the number of such sci12 entists, engineers, and analysts in 1996.

13 (3) The supply of new graduates qualified for

14 the positions described in paragraph (2) is antici15 pated to be well short of half the number needed.

16 (4) The lack of qualified workers is due in part

17 to a lack of sufficient numbers of students pursuing

18 advanced degrees in mathematics, science, and engi19 neering technology.

20 (5) The number of degrees in technical science

21 and engineering fields awarded by United States in22 stitutions of higher learning have declined since

23 1990.

24 (6) Foreign national students in the United

25 States were awarded 47 percent of Doctorate de26 grees in engineering, 38 percent of Master’s degrees,
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1 and 46 percent of Doctorate degrees in computer

2 science in 1996.

3 (7) The United States is a leader in the global

4 development of technology related enterprises.

5 (8) If the United States cannot meet the needs

6 of industry to allow continued expansion and innova7 tion in the 21st century, American companies will lo8 cate in those countries which do have the technical

9 base to meet those needs and this will be counter10 productive to the American economy.

11 (9) Section 8 of Article I of the Constitution

12 grants Congress the power ‘‘To regulate Commerce

13 with foreign nations and among the several States.’’.

14 (10) In order to maintain a strong domestic

15 economy and provide for the national defense, it is

16 critical that the United States maintain its leader17 ship position in technology.

18 (b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this Act to pro19 vide incentives and opportunities for the United States’

20 improving the mathematics, science, engineering, and

21 technology resources in order to maintain the United

22 States leadership in technology, and to permit United

23 States companies to continue the technology-related ex24 pansion of the United States’ domestic economy and inter25 national economic presence.
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S 1804 IS

1 SEC. 3. PROGRAM ESTABLISHED.

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce, in

3 consultation with the Director of the Office of Science

4 Technology and the Director of the National Science

5 Foundation, shall establish and administer a program

6 under this Act to strengthen the scientific, mathematical,

7 engineering, and technology resources of the United States

8 in order to ensure the United States continued global lead9 ership in technology-related commerce.

10 (b) GRANTS.—The program shall include grants of

11 financial assistance, awarded on a competitive basis, to

12 support the advancement and improvement of mathe13 matics, science, engineering, and technology competencies

14 and resources to assure continued growth, leadership, and

15 competitiveness of United States based companies in

16 interstate and international commerce.

17 (c) RECIPIENTS.—The Secretary may award grants

18 under subsection (b) to business enterprises, organizations

19 supporting mathematics, scientific, engineering, tech20 nology research and advancement, teachers, schools,

21 school districts, or institutions of higher learning.

22 (d) CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall award grants for

23 programs that can demonstrate an economically beneficial

24 return on investment and achievement in the advancement

25 of science, math, engineering, and technology com26 petencies and resources.
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1 SEC. 4. TEMPORARY SKILLED PERSONNEL IN MATHE2 MATICS, SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECH3 NOLOGY.

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding clauses (iii), (iv),

5 and (v) of section 214(g)(1)(A) of the Immigration and

6 Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1184(g)(1)(A)), the total num7 ber of aliens who may be issued visas or otherwise pro8 vided nonimmigrant status during fiscal years 2000

9 through 2006 under section 101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b) of that

10 Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)(H)(i)(b)) shall not be subject

11 to numerical limitation, and shall be subject to numerical

12 limitations after 2006 as provided by law.

13 (b) CERTAIN APPLICATIONS GIVEN PREFERENCE.—

14 In processing applications for visas or other nonimmigrant

15 status under the Immigration and Nationality Act, as

16 modified by subsection (a), the Secretary of State shall

17 give preferential consideration to applications from foreign

18 national students who are graduates of post-secondary

19 schools in the United States with advanced degrees in

20 mathematics, science, engineering, or technology.

21 (c) FUNDING FOR GRANTS.—

22 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section

23 286(s) of such Act (8 U.S.C. 1356(s)), for fiscal

24 years 2000 through 2006 51.3 percent of the

25 amounts deposited into the H–1B Nonimmigrant

26 Petitioner Account established by paragraph (1) of
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1 that section shall be available to the Secretary of

2 Commerce until expended under section 3 of this

3 Act.

4 (2) JOB TRAINING.—For fiscal years 2000

5 through 2006, section 286(s)(2) of such Act (8

6 U.S.C. 1356(s)(2)) shall be applied by substituting

7 ‘‘5 percent’’ for ‘‘56.3 percent’’.

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