I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3274 

To establish the National Fab Lab Network, a nonprofit organization consisting of a national network of local digital fabrication facilities providing 

universal access to advanced manufacturing tools for workforce development, STEM education, developing inventions, creating businesses, producing personalized products, mitigating risks, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 17, 2021 

Mr. FOSTER (for himself and Mr. YOUNG) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition 

to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To establish the National Fab Lab Network, a nonprofit 

organization consisting of a national network of local 

digital fabrication facilities providing universal access to 

advanced manufacturing tools for workforce development, 

STEM education, developing inventions, creating businesses, producing personalized products, mitigating risks, 

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, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Fab Lab Net3 work Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Scientific discoveries and technical innova7 tions are critical to the economic and national secu8 rity of the United States. 

9 (2) Maintaining the leadership of the United 

10 States in science, technology, engineering, and math11 ematics will require a diverse population with the 

12 skills, interest, and access to tools required to ad13 vance these fields. 

14 (3) Just as earlier digital revolutions in commu15 nications and computation provided individuals with 

16 the internet and personal computers, a digital revo17 lution in fabrication will allow anyone to make al18 most anything, anywhere. 

19 (4) These creations include elements of a typ20 ical household basket of goods (furnishings, apparel, 

21 food production equipment, shelter, transportation, 

22 education and communication, recreation, and other 

23 goods and services), personal technology, means for 

24 personal expression, the production of digital fab25 rication machinery, community design, and manufac26 turing capability. 


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1 (5) The Center for Bits and Atoms of the Mas2 sachusetts Institute of Technology (CBA) has con3 tributed significantly to the advancement of these 

4 goals through its work in creating and advancing 

5 digital fabrication facilities, or ‘‘fab labs’’ in the 

6 United States and abroad. 

7 (6) Such digital fabrication facilities may in8 clude MakerSpaces, Hackerspaces, and other cre9 ative spaces that use digital fabrication as a plat10 form for education, innovation, entrepreneurship, 

11 personal expression, public access, and social impact. 

12 (7) Such digital fabrication facilities provide a 

13 model for a new kind of national laboratory that op14 erates as a network, linking local facilities for ad15 vanced manufacturing, providing universal access, 

16 cultivating new literacies, and empowering commu17 nities. 

18 (8) The nonprofit Fab Foundation was estab19 lished to support the growth of the international net20 work of digital fabrication facilities, to amplify the 

21 educational, entrepreneurial, and social impacts of 

22 digital fabrication facilities, and to support the de23 velopment of regional capacity building organizations 

24 to broaden impact as well as address local, regional, 


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1 and global challenges through the use of digital fab2 rication technologies. 

3 (9) A coordinated array of national public-pri4 vate partnerships will be the most effective way to 

5 accelerate the provision of universal access to this 

6 infrastructure for workforce development, science, 

7 technology, engineering, and mathematics education, 

8 developing inventions, creating businesses, producing 

9 personalized products, and mitigating risks. 

10 SEC. 3. DEFINITION OF FAB LAB. 

11 In this Act, the term ‘‘fab lab’’ means a facility 

12 that— 

13 (1) contains the range of capabilities required 

14 to create form and function from digital designs, in15 cluding— 

16 (A) computer-controlled machines for addi17 tive and subtractive fabrication processes; 

18 (B) tools and components for manufac19 turing and programming electronic circuits; 

20 (C) materials and methods for short-run 

21 production; and 

22 (D) workflows for three-dimensional design 

23 and digitization; and 

24 (2) is committed to supporting education, inno25 vation, entrepreneurship, personal expression, selfVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:45 Jun 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3274.IH H3274

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1 sufficiency, and social impact for its community 

2 through digital fabrication. 

3 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT. 

4 There is hereby established a nonprofit corporation 

5 to be known as the ‘‘National Fab Lab Network’’ (in this 

6 Act referred to as the ‘‘corporation’’), which shall not be 

7 an agency or establishment of the United States Govern8 ment. The corporation shall be subject to the provisions 

9 of this Act, and, to the extent consistent with this Act, 

10 to the District of Columbia Nonprofit Corporation Act 

11 (D.C. Code, section 29–501 et seq.). 

12 SEC. 5. GOALS AND ACTIVITIES. 

13 (a) GOALS.—The goals of the corporation are as fol14 lows: 

15 (1) To provide universal access to digital fab16 rication. 

17 (2) To foster current and future fab labs. 

18 (3) To create a national network of connected 

19 local fab labs to empower individuals and commu20 nities in the United States. 

21 (4) To foster the use of distributed digital fab22 rication tools— 

23 (A) to promote science, technology, engi24 neering and math skills; 

25 (B) to increase invention and innovation; 


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1 (C) to create businesses and jobs; 

2 (D) to fulfill personal, professional, and 

3 community needs; 

4 (E) to create value and mitigate harm; 

5 (F) to increase self-sufficiency for individ6 uals, households, and communities; 

7 (G) to reduce dependency on global supply 

8 chains; and 

9 (H) to align workforce development with 

10 new and emerging jobs. 

11 (5) To provide a platform for education, re12 search, and for catalyzing new methods in science, 

13 technology, engineering, and mathematics education, 

14 and introducing digital fabrication as an essential 

15 new literacy. 

16 (6) To create new ways of educating the work17 force that will enable workers to compete in a 21st 

18 century global marketplace. 

19 (b) ACTIVITIES.—To attain the goals described in 

20 subsection (a), the corporation shall carry out activities, 

21 including the following: 

22 (1) Seeking, initially, to establish a minimum of 

23 one fab lab in each Congressional District. 

24 (2) Seeking to establish additional labs within 

25 the network created under subsection (a)(2), in reVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:45 Jun 15, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3274.IH H3274

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1 sponse to local demand, and to provide guidelines for 

2 their sustainable operation. 

3 (3) Linking fab labs into a national network, 

4 and promoting further expansion of fab labs across 

5 the United States. 

6 (4) Serving as a resource to assist diverse pub7 lic and private stakeholders with the effective oper8 ation of fab labs, and the training of fab lab leaders 

9 and mentors. 

10 (5) Maintaining a national registry of fab labs. 

11 (6) Providing standards and protocols for con12 necting fab labs regionally, nationally, and globally. 

13 (7) Assisting fab labs in producing fab labs. 

14 SEC. 6. MEMBERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION. 

15 Except as provided in this Act, eligibility for member16 ship in the corporation and the rights and privileges of 

17 members shall be in accordance with the laws governing 

18 tax exempt organizations in the District of Columbia. 

19 SEC. 7. GOVERNING BODY. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

21 (b), directors, officers, and other staff of the corporation, 

22 and their powers and duties, shall be in accordance with 

23 the laws governing tax exempt organizations in the Dis24 trict of Columbia. 

25 (b) BOARD MEMBERSHIP.— 


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1 (1) COMPOSITION.—The board of the corpora2 tion shall be composed of not fewer than 7 members 

3 and not more than 15 members. 

4 (2) REPRESENTATION.— 

5 (A) IN GENERAL.—The membership of the 

6 board of the corporation shall collectively rep7 resent the diversity of fab labs. 

8 (B) REQUIREMENT.—At a minimum, the 

9 board of the corporation shall be composed of 

10 members from geographic regions across the 

11 United States, Tribal communities, educational 

12 and research institutions, libraries, nonprofit 

13 and commercial organizations, diverse demo14 graphic groups, and the Fab Foundation. 

15 (C) INDIVIDUAL REPRESENTATION.—An 

16 individual member of the board of the corpora17 tion may represent more than one board role 

18 and additional roles may be added to reflect the 

19 diversity of the fab lab ecosystem. 

20 (3) SELECTION.—The initial board of the cor21 poration shall be chosen, in consultation with the 

22 Fab Foundation and in accordance with paragraph 

23 (2)(A), as follows: 

24 (A) Two shall be appointed by the majority 

25 leader of the Senate. 


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1 (B) Two shall be appointed by the minority 

2 leader of the Senate. 

3 (C) Two shall be appointed by the Speaker 

4 of the House of Representatives. 

5 (D) Two shall be appointed by the minor6 ity leader of the House of Representatives. 

7 SEC. 8. POWERS. 

8 The corporation may— 

9 (1) coordinate the creation of a national net10 work of local fab labs in the United States; 

11 (2) issue guidelines for the sustainable oper12 ation of fab labs; 

13 (3) issue standards and guidelines for fab labs; 

14 (4) serve as a resource for organizations and 

15 communities seeking to create fab labs by providing 

16 information, assessing suitability, advising on the lab 

17 lifecycle, and maintaining descriptions of prospective 

18 and operating sites; 

19 (5) accept funds from private individuals, orga20 nizations, government agencies, or other organiza21 tions; 

22 (6) distribute funds to other organizations to 

23 establish and operate fab labs as members of the 

24 corporation; 


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1 (7) facilitate communication between other or2 ganizations seeking to join the corporation with 

3 operational entities that can source and install fab 

4 labs, provide training, assist with operations, ac5 count for spending, and assess impact; 

6 (8) communicate the benefits available through 

7 membership in the corporation to communities and 

8 the public; 

9 (9) facilitate and participate in synergistic pro10 grams, including workforce training, job creation, re11 searching the enabling technology and broader im12 pacts of such programs, and the production of civic 

13 infrastructure; 

14 (10) develop processes and methods to mitigate 

15 risks associated with digital fabrication; 

16 (11) amend a constitution and bylaws for the 

17 management of its property and the regulation of its 

18 affairs; 

19 (12) choose directors, officers, trustees, man20 agers, employees, and agents as the activities of the 

21 corporation require; 

22 (13) make contracts; 

23 (14) acquire, own, lease, encumber, and trans24 fer property as necessary or convenient to carry out 

25 the purposes of the corporation; 


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1 (15) borrow money, issue instruments of indebt2 edness, and secure its obligations by granting secu3 rity interests in its property; 

4 (16) charge and collect membership dues and 

5 subscription fees; and 

6 (17) sue and be sued. 

7 SEC. 9. EXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO NAME, TERM, SEALS, EM8 BLEMS, AND BADGES. 

9 The corporation and its participating digital fabrica10 tion labs have the exclusive right to use— 

11 (1) the name ‘‘National Fab Lab Network’’; 

12 and 

13 (2) any seals, emblems, and badges the corpora14 tion adopts. 

15 SEC. 10. RESTRICTIONS. 

16 (a) STOCK AND DIVIDENDS.—The corporation may 

17 not issue securities of any kind or declare or pay a divi18 dend. 

19 (b) DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME OR ASSETS.—The in20 come or assets of the corporation may not inure to the 

21 benefit of, or be distributed to, a director, officer, or mem22 ber during the life of the corporation under this Act. This 

23 subsection does not prevent the payment of reasonable 

24 compensation to an officer or reimbursement for actual 


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1 necessary expenses in amounts approved by the board of 

2 directors. 

3 (c) LOANS.—The corporation may not make a loan 

4 to a director, officer, or employee. 

5 (d) CLAIM OF GOVERNMENTAL APPROVAL OR AU6 THORITY.—The corporation may not claim congressional 

7 approval or the authority of the United States Govern8 ment for any of its activities, but may recognize establish9 ment of the corporation pursuant to section 4 of this Act. 

10 SEC. 11. RECORDS AND INSPECTION. 

11 (a) RECORDS.—The corporation shall keep— 

12 (1) correct and complete records of account; 

13 (2) minutes of the proceedings of its members, 

14 board of directors, and committees having any of the 

15 authority of its board of directors; and 

16 (3) at its principal office, a record of the names 

17 and addresses of its members entitled to vote. 

18 (b) INSPECTIONS.—A member entitled to vote, or an 

19 agent or attorney of the member, may inspect the records 

20 of the corporation for any proper purpose, at any reason21 able time. 

22 SEC. 12. ANNUAL REPORT. 

23 Not less frequently than once each year, the corpora24 tion shall submit to Congress, including specifically to the 

25 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 


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1 the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 

2 Technology of the House of Representatives, a report on 

3 the activities of the corporation during the prior fiscal 

4 year. 

Æ 


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