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[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2831 Introduced in House (IH)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2831

 To establish the Office of Economic Conversion Information within the 
            Department of Commerce, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 2, 1993

Ms. Schenk introduced the following bill; which was referred jointly to 
        the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To establish the Office of Economic Conversion Information within the 
            Department of Commerce, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Economic Conversion Clearinghouse 
Act''.

SEC. 2. OFFICE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established, within the Department of 
Commerce, the Office of Economic Conversion Information (in this Act 
referred to as the ``Office'').
    (b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of the Office--
            (1) to serve as a central information clearinghouse on 
        matters relating to economic adjustment and defense conversion 
        programs and activities of the Federal and State governments, 
        including political subdivisions of the States; and
            (2) to help potential and actual applicants for economic 
        adjustment and defense conversion assistance under Federal, 
        State and local laws in locating and applying for such 
        assistance, including financial and technical assistance.
    (c) Director.--The Office shall be headed by a Director. The 
Secretary of Commerce shall appoint and fix the compensation of the 
Director.
    (d) Staff.--The Director may appoint such personnel as may be 
necessary to enable the Office to perform its duties.

SEC. 3. FUNCTIONS.

    (a) Information Databases.--
            (1) Uses.--The Office shall develop information databases 
        for use by Federal departments and agencies, State and local 
        governmental agencies, public and private entities, and 
        individuals to assist such agencies, entities, and individuals 
        in the process of identifying and applying for assistance and 
        resources under economic adjustment and defense conversion 
        programs and activities of the Federal, State, and local 
        governments.
            (2) Federal agencies and programs.--The databases 
        established pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include a 
        comprehensive compilation of all relevant information 
        concerning available economic adjustment and defense 
        conversion-related programs of the Federal Government. The 
        compilation shall identify the administering department, 
        office, or agency, which administers such programs, and key 
        contact people; and descriptions of the application process, 
        eligibility requirements and criteria, selection, and follow up 
        procedures. Such compilation shall also include data as to the 
        expenditure of funds under such programs, projects supported by 
        such programs, and the types and amounts of funding available 
        for assistance under such programs.
            (3) Range of programs.--The range of programs covered by 
        the database shall include: worker adjustment assistance for 
        private sector employees and Federal civilian and military 
        personnel; community adjustment assistance (planning and 
        implementation), including the so-called ``bricks and mortar'' 
        programs, such as infrastructure rebuilding, and airport 
        improvement; technology development and deployment programs 
        administered through the Advanced Research Projects Agency, 
        Department of Defense, coordinated Technology Reinvestment 
        Project; other relevant technology research and development 
        programs administered by the Department of Commerce, National 
        Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, the 
        Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, 
        and the National Institutes of Health and other technology 
        agencies; small business assistance (financial, technical, 
        marketing); defense facility environmental restoration; 
        available tax credits and incentives, relevant regulatory 
        information (environmental, occupational health and safety, and 
        intellectual property rights) affecting application procedures 
        and the implementation of federally supported projects 
        involving economic adjustment and defense conversion.
            (4) Available assistance.--In developing such database, the 
        Office shall survey all Federal departments and agencies in 
        order to identify all relevant assistance and resources that 
        may be available to assist defense-dependent communities, 
        businesses, and workers in their adjustment and conversion 
        efforts, especially the Department of Defense, the Department 
        of Commerce, the Department of Labor, the Small Business 
        Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban 
        Development, the Department of Health and Human Services, the 
        Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, the 
        National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space 
        Administration, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
            (5) Database of major state and local programs.--The Office 
        shall establish a database containing State and local 
        governmental economic adjustment and defense conversion 
        assistance programs. Such database shall include a current 
        listing of appropriate offices, officers, and contact personnel 
        connected with, or involved in, such programs.
            (6) Defense cutback early warning database.--The Office, 
        working with the Secretary of Defense, shall establish and keep 
        current a database containing a listing of available defense 
        contracts, and information listing military bases and 
        installations expected to be closed, cut back, or realigned, or 
        which are in the process of being closed, cut back, or 
        realigned, including a current listing of States, communities, 
        industries, firms, and employment likely to be most adversely 
        affected as a result thereof.
            (7) Database of conversion efforts and successes.--The 
        Office shall establish a database of listings and descriptions 
        of defense conversion efforts, their successes and failures, as 
        well as a current listing of ongoing conversion and assistance 
        efforts by communities, contractors, and small- and mid-sized 
        businesses, and labor organizations.
            (8) Reference lists and bibliographies.--The Office shall 
        establish a database which shall include a listing of published 
        works (books, reports, articles, videos, and tapes) related to 
        all facets of defense economic adjustment and defense 
        conversion. Such listing shall further include manuals relating 
        to economic adjustment and defense conversion developed by the 
        National Governors Association, the National League of Cities, 
        public interest groups, labor unions, business associations, 
        and similar organizations, and a listing of contact 
        organizations and people for obtaining such references. The 
        Office shall also maintain in electronic form the full texts of 
        selected references and make such references available to the 
        public through online services.
            (9) Alternative product bank for industries and firms.--The 
        Office shall establish a databank of potentially 
        commercializable technologies and products matched to the 
        capabilities of defense-dependent industries and firms. Such 
        databank shall include a short overview of market potential and 
        shall identify potential programs in Federal, State and local 
        governments that may be available to support technology 
        development, deployment, and commercialization in these 
        specific areas.
    (b) Multiple Points of Public Access to Databases.--
            (1) Easy access.--The Office shall establish several 
        mechanisms to assure easy access by the public and others to 
        such databases, and to assure that the databases be as 
        accessible, user-friendly, culturally neutral, and affordable 
        as possible. In addition, the Office shall conduct an extensive 
        outreach to States and communities, especially in the most 
        defense-dependent regions of the Nation, and to a wide range of 
        constituencies, including State and local government officials, 
        chambers of commerce, industrial organizations, labor unions, 
        and community organizations, to publicize the existence of 
        databanks and other assistance and services provided by this 
        Act, and how to acquire such assistance and services, and 
        access such databanks.
            (2) 1-800-toll free number.--The Office shall establish a 
        toll free 1-800 number to provide a first point of entry into 
        the Office information database system. An individual calling 
        such number shall receive information on how to use the Office 
        databases, how to receive printed materials, and how to contact 
        appropriate people in other governmental agencies for 
        information about specific programs, and answer other requests 
        regarding services of the Office.
            (3) Online electronic access through network.--Databases 
        established by the Office shall be easily accessible through 
        existing computer networks and publicly available computer 
        database access facilities, such as at repository libraries and 
        by direct call-in via modem, and shall be menu-driven and 
        highly user-friendly.
            (4) Printed manuals and orientation materials.--The Office 
        shall develop and make available to the public and others a 
        printed manual, and other printed material, reviewing the major 
        Federal agencies and programs engaged in economic adjustment, 
        defense conversion, and technology investments. It shall also 
        serve as a guide to using the databases and services of the 
        Office, list State and local contacts and resources, and 
        include a bibliography of major reference materials.
            (5) Orientation workshops.--The Office shall offer periodic 
        workshops (1-2 weeks long) available to selected 
        representatives from defense-dependent communities, businesses, 
        and occupational groups, to orient and train them in using the 
        Office and the services of the Office.
            (6) Information specialists.--The Office shall maintain on-
        call economic adjustment and conversion information specialists 
        to address special problems requiring person-to-person 
        assistance, as needed.
    (c) Program Evaluation.--
            (1) Review.--The Office shall conduct a regular review of 
        the various agencies and programs in the Federal system 
        involving economic adjustment and defense conversion. Such 
        review shall evaluate the procedures of these agencies and 
        programs, and the success of their activities. Such reviews 
        shall be based on periodic surveys of both Federal officials 
        and recipients of assistance pursuant to this Act. The Office 
        shall identify problems with the programs and barriers to 
        entry, for inclusion in the databases established pursuant to 
        this Act. Such review shall include recommendations for 
        improving such programs.
            (2) Community roundtables.--The Office shall conduct, on an 
        annual basis, consultative meetings and briefings with defense-
        impacted constituencies drawn from local and State governments, 
        business, labor, community and public interest organizations 
        and academic institutions. Such meetings and briefings shall be 
        held in all major defense-dependent regions of the United 
        States, both to introduce its programs and receive comments and 
        recommendations concerning its services and how to expand and 
        improve them.

SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the Interagency Economic 
Conversion Information Coordinating Committee (referred to in this 
section as the ``Committee'').
    (b) Members.--The members of the Committee are as follows:
            (1) Director of the Office, who shall serve as Chairperson 
        of the Committee.
            (2) One Member appointed by the Secretary of Housing and 
        Urban Development.
            (3) One Member appointed by the Secretary of 
        Transportation.
            (4) Director of the Economic Development Administration.
            (5) Director of the Office of Economic Adjustment, 
        Department of Defense.
            (6) One member appointed by the Secretary of Labor.
            (7) Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, 
        Department of Defense.
            (8) Director of the National Institute for Standards and 
        Technology.
            (9) Director of the Small Business Administration.
            (10) One member appointed by the Director of the National 
        Economic Council.
    (c) Functions.--It shall be the function of the Committee--
            (1) to advise and make recommendations to the Office in 
        carrying out the purposes of this Act;
            (2) to coordinate and facilitate the information gathering 
        and monitoring activities of the Office among Federal 
        departments and agencies;
            (3) to help the Office prepare and present information in a 
        manner that is publicly accessible, affordable, and user-
        friendly; and
            (4) to assist the Office in making technical assistance 
        personnel available as needed.
    (d) Compensation of Members.--All members of the Committee shall 
serve without compensation in addition to that received for their 
services as officers or employees of the United States.
    (e) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Committee shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of services for the Committee.
    (f) Staff.--The Chairman of the Committee may request any Federal 
department or agency to detail such employees to the Committee as may 
be necessary to enable the Committee to perform its duties.
    (g) Detail of Government Employees.--Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the Committee without reimbursement, and 
such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil service 
status or privilege.
    (h) Procurement of Temporary and Intermittent Services.--The 
Chairman of the Committee may procure temporary and intermittent 
services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, at rates 
for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual 
rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule 
under section 5316 of such title.

SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION.

    (a) Startup and Operating Expenses.--For fiscal year 1994, there 
are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may be necessary to 
carry out the provisions of this Act.
    (b) Operating Expenses.--For fiscal year 1995, and each fiscal year 
thereafter, there are authorized to be appropriated such amounts as may 
be necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act.

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