II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2932 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish microlabs to improve regional 

engagement with national laboratories. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 17, 2014 

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

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Energy to establish microlabs 

to improve regional engagement with national laboratories. 

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 ‘‘Microlab Technology 

5 Commercialization Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) MICROLAB.—The term ‘‘microlab’’ means a 

9 small laboratory established by the Secretary under 

10 section 3. 


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1 (2) NATIONAL LABORATORY.—The term ‘‘na2 tional laboratory’’ means— 

3 (A) a National Laboratory, as defined in 

4 section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 

5 U.S.C. 15801); and 

6 (B) a national security laboratory, as de7 fined in section 3281 of the National Nuclear 

8 Security Administration Act (50 U.S.C. 2471). 

9 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

10 the Secretary of Energy. 

11 SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF MICROLAB PROGRAM. 

12 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in collaboration 

13 with the directors of national laboratories, may establish 

14 a microlab program under which the Secretary establishes 

15 microlabs that are located in close proximity to national 

16 laboratories and that are accessible to the public for the 

17 purposes of— 

18 (1) enhancing collaboration with regional re19 search groups, such as institutions of higher edu20 cation and industry groups; and 

21 (2) accelerating technology transfer from na22 tional laboratories to the marketplace. 

23 (b) CRITERIA.—In determining the placement of 

24 microlabs under subsection (a), the Secretary shall con25 sider— 


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1 (1) the commitment of a national laboratory to 

2 establishing a microlab; 

3 (2) the existence of a joint research institute or 

4 a new facility that— 

5 (A) is not on the main site of a national 

6 laboratory; 

7 (B) is in close proximity to a national lab8 oratory; and 

9 (C) has the capability to house a microlab; 

10 (3) whether employees of a national laboratory 

11 and persons from academia, industry, and govern12 ment are available to be assigned to the microlab; 

13 and 

14 (4) cost-sharing or in-kind contributions from 

15 State and local governments and private industry. 

16 (c) TIMING.—If the Secretary, in collaboration with 

17 the directors of national laboratories, elects to establish 

18 a microlab program under this section, the Secretary, in 

19 collaboration with the directors of national laboratories, 

20 shall— 

21 (1) not later than 60 days after the date of en22 actment of this Act, begin the process of deter23 mining the placement of microlabs under subsection 

24 (a); and 


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1 (2) not later than 180 days after the date of 

2 enactment of this Act, implement the microlab pro3 gram under this section. 

4 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

5 (a) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 60 days after 

6 the date of implementation of the microlab program under 

7 section 3, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

8 Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Armed 

9 Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee 

10 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and the 

11 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

12 House of Representatives a report that provides an update 

13 on the implementation of the microlab program under sec14 tion 3. 

15 (b) PROGRESS REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after 

16 the date of implementation of the microlab program under 

17 section 3, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 

18 Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Armed 

19 Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee 

20 on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate, and the 

21 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

22 House of Representatives a report on the microlab pro23 gram under section 3, including findings and rec24 ommendations of the Secretary. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

3 this Act $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2015. 

Æ 


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