II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2579 

To expand the Manufacturing Extension Program to bring the new economy 

to small and medium-sized businesses. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 24, 2004 

Mrs. CLINTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To expand the Manufacturing Extension Program to bring 

the new economy to small and medium-sized businesses. 

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 ‘‘Technology Extension 

5 Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The Federal Government developed the Ag9 riculture Extension Program, and more recently, the 

10 Manufacturing Extension Program to help farmers 
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1 and small manufacturers gain access to the latest 

2 technologies. Today’s small and medium-sized busi3 nesses need a technology extension program that 

4 provides access to cutting edge technology. 

5 (2) There is a need to create partnerships to 

6 cut the time it takes for new developments in univer7 sity laboratories to reach the manufacturing floor, to 

8 help small and medium-sized businesses transform 

9 their innovations into jobs. 

10 (3) There is a need to build upon the Manufac11 turing Extension Program to encourage the adoption 

12 of advanced technology. 

13 SEC. 3. TECHNOLOGY EXTENSION PROGRAM. 

14 (a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section— 

15 (1) to encourage meaningful use of the most 

16 advanced available technologies by small businesses 

17 and medium-sized businesses to the maximum extent 

18 possible to improve the productivity of those busi19 nesses and thereby to promote economic growth; and 

20 (2) to promote regional partnerships between 

21 educational institutions and businesses to develop 

22 such technologies and products in the surrounding 

23 areas. 

24 (b) GRANT PROGRAM.—To achieve the purpose of 

25 this section, the Secretary of Commerce (in this section, 
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1 referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall carry out a program 

2 to provide, through grants, financial assistance for the es3 tablishment and support of regional centers for the com4 mercial use of advanced technologies by small businesses 

5 and medium-sized businesses. 

6 (c) ELIGIBILITY.—An entity is eligible to receive a 

7 grant as a regional center under this section if the enti8 ty— 

9 (1) is affiliated with a United States-based in10 stitution or organization that is operated on a not11 for-profit basis, or any combination of two or more 

12 of such institutions or organizations; 

13 (2) offers to enter into an agreement with the 

14 Secretary to function as a regional center for the 

15 commercial use of advanced technologies for the pur16 pose of this section within a region determined ap17 propriate by the Secretary; and 

18 (3) demonstrates that it has the capabilities 

19 necessary to achieve the purpose of this section 

20 through its operations as a center within that re21 gion. 

22 (d) SELECTION OF APPLICANTS.— 

23 (1) COMPETITIVE PROCESS.—The Secretary 

24 shall use a competitive process for the awarding of 

25 grants under this section and, under that process, 
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1 select recipients of the grants on the basis of merit, 

2 with priority given to underserved areas. 

3 (2) APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS.—The Sec4 retary shall prescribe the form and content of appli5 cations required for grants under this section. 

6 (e) SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF REGIONAL CENTERS.— 

7 A regional center may use the proceeds of a grant under 

8 this section for any activity that carries out the purpose 

9 of this section, including such activities as the following: 

10 (1) Assist small businesses and medium-sized 

11 businesses to address their most critical needs for 

12 the application of the latest technology, improvement 

13 of infrastructure, and use of best business practices. 

14 (2) In conjunction with institutions of higher 

15 education and laboratories located in the region, 

16 transfer technologies to small businesses and me17 dium-sized businesses located in such region to cre18 ate jobs and increase production in surrounding 

19 areas. 

20 (f) ADDITIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITIES.— 

21 (1) COST-SHARING.—The Secretary may re22 quire the recipient of a grant to defray, out of funds 

23 available from sources other than the Federal Gov24 ernment, a specific level of the operating expenses of 

25 the regional center for which the grant is made. 
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1 (2) ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS.— 

2 The Secretary, in awarding a grant, may impose any 

3 other terms and conditions for the use of the pro4 ceeds of the grant that the Secretary determines ap5 propriate for carrying out the purposes of this sec6 tion and to protect the interests of the United 

7 States. 

8 (g) DEFINITIONS OF SMALL BUSINESS AND ME9 DIUM-SIZED BUSINESS.— 

10 (1) SECRETARY TO PRESCRIBE.—The Secretary 

11 shall prescribe the definitions of the terms ‘‘small 

12 business’’ and ‘‘medium-sized business’’ for the pur13 pose of this section. 

14 (2) SMALL BUSINESS STANDARDS.—In defining 

15 the term ‘‘small business’’, the Secretary shall apply 

16 the standards applicable for the definition of the 

17 term ‘‘small-business concern’’ under section 3 of 

18 the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632). 

19 (h) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 

20 regulations for the grant program administered under this 

21 section. 

22 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

23 authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Com24 merce for carrying out this section $125,000,000 for fiscal 
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1 year 2005, and such sums as are necessary for each fiscal 

2 year thereafter. 

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