II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 784 

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

engagement with national laboratories. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 18, 2015 

Mr. HEINRICH (for himself and Mr. GARDNER) 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 2015’’. 

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; 

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

23 (3) promoting regional workforce development 

24 through science, technology, engineering, and mathe25 matics (‘‘STEM’’) instruction and training. 


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

2 microlabs under subsection (a), the Secretary shall con3 sider— 

4 (1) the commitment of a national laboratory to 

5 establishing a microlab; 

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

7 a new facility that— 

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

9 laboratory; 

10 (B) is in close proximity to a national lab11 oratory; and 

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

13 (3) whether employees of a national laboratory 

14 and persons from academia, industry, and govern15 ment are available to be assigned to the microlab; 

16 and 

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

18 State and local governments and private industry. 

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

20 the directors of national laboratories, elects to establish 

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

22 collaboration with the directors of national laboratories, 

23 shall— 

24 (1) not later than 60 days after the date of en25 actment of this Act, begin the process of deterVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:20 Mar 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S784.IS S784

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1 mining the placement of microlabs under subsection 

2 (a); and 

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

4 enactment of this Act, implement the microlab pro5 gram under this section. 

6 SEC. 4. REPORTS. 

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

8 the date of implementation of the microlab program under 

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

10 Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Armed 

11 Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee 

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

13 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

14 House of Representatives a report that provides an update 

15 on the implementation of the microlab program under sec16 tion 3. 

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

18 the date of implementation of the microlab program under 

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

20 Armed Services of the Senate, the Committee on Armed 

21 Services of the House of Representatives, the Committee 

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

23 Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 

24 House of Representatives a report on the microlab proVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:20 Mar 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S784.IS S784

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1 gram under section 3, including findings and rec2 ommendations of the Secretary. 

3 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

5 this Act $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2016. 

Æ 


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