I
106TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 666
To authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish a multiagency program
in support of the Materials Corridor Partnership Initiative to promote
energy efficient, environmentally sound economic development along the
border with Mexico through the research, development, and use of new
materials technology.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 10, 1999
Mr. BROWN of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to
the Committee on Science
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Energy to establish a multi-
agency program in support of the Materials Corridor
Partnership Initiative to promote energy efficient, envi-
ronmentally sound economic development along the bor-
der with Mexico through the research, development, and
use of new materials technology.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Materials
Corridor Partnership Act of 1999’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that—
(1) the region adjacent to the 2,000-mile border
between the United States and Mexico is an impor-
tant region for energy-intensive manufacturing and
materials industries critical to the economic and so-
cial wellbeing of both countries;
(2) there are currently more than 800 multi-
national 
firms 
(including 
firms 
known 
as
‘‘maquiladoras’’) representing United States invest-
ments of more than $1,000,000,000 in the San
Diego, California, and Tijuana, Baja California, bor-
der region and in the El Paso, Texas, and Juarez,
Chihuahua, border region;
(3) materials and materials-related industries
comprise a major portion of the industries operating
on both sides of the border, amounting to more than
$6,800,000,000 in annual commerce on the Mexican
side alone;
(4) there are a significant number of major in-
stitutions in the border States of both countries cur-
rently conducting academic and research activities in
materials;
(5)(A) the United States Government currently
invests approximately $1,000,000,000 annually in
materials research, of which, in 1996, the Depart-
ment of Energy funded the largest proportion of ci-
vilian materials research; and
(B) there are also major materials programs at
the National Science Foundation, the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology, and Department
of Defense, among other entities;
(6) the United States and Mexico have invested
heavily in domestic and binational cooperative pro-
grams to address major concerns for the natural re-
sources, environment, and public health of the
United States-Mexico border region, expending hun-
dreds of millions of dollars annually in those efforts;
(7)(A) scientific and technical advances in ma-
terials and materials processing provide major op-
portunities for—
(i) significantly improving energy effi-
ciency;
(ii) reducing emissions of global climate
change gases;
(iii) using recycled natural resources as
primary materials for industrial production; and
(iv) minimizing industrial wastes and pol-
lution; and
(B) such advances will directly benefit both
sides of the United States-Mexico border by encour-
aging energy efficient, environmentally sound eco-
nomic development that protects the health and nat-
ural resources of the border region;
(8)(A) promoting clean materials industries in
the border region that are energy efficient has been
identified as a high priority issue by the United
States-Mexico Foundation for Science Cooperation;
and
(B) at the 1998 discussions of the United
States-Mexico Binational Commission, Mexico for-
mally proposed joint funding of a ‘‘Materials Cor-
ridor Partnership Initiative’’, proposing $1,000,000
to implement the Initiative if matched by the United
States;
(9) recognizing the importance of materials and
materials processing, academic and research institu-
tions in the border States of both the United States
and Mexico, in conjunction with private sector part-
ners of both countries, and with strong endorsement
from the Government of Mexico, in 1998 organized
the Materials Corridor Council to implement a coop-
erative program of materials research and develop-
ment, education and training, and sustainable indus-
trial development as part of the Materials Corridor
Partnership Initiative; and
(10) successful implementation of the Materials
Corridor Partnership Initiative would advance im-
portant United States energy, environmental, and
economic goals not only in the United States-Mexico
border region but also as a model for similar collabo-
rative materials initiatives in other regions of the
world.
SEC. 3. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to establish a multiagency
program in support of the Materials Corridor Partnership
Initiative referred to in section 2(8) to promote energy ef-
ficient, environmentally sound economic development
along the United States-Mexico border through the re-
search, development, and use of new materials technology.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means
the program established under section 5(a).
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means
the Secretary of Energy.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE
PROGRAM.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish
a comprehensive program to promote energy effi-
cient, environmentally sound economic development
along the United States-Mexico border through the
research, development, and use of new materials
technology.
(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In developing the pro-
gram, the Secretary shall give due consideration to
the proposal made to the United States-Mexico Bi-
national Commission for the Materials Corridor
Partnership Initiative.
(b) PARTICIPATION
OF OTHER FEDERAL AGEN-
CIES.—The Secretary shall organize and conduct the pro-
gram jointly with—
(1) the Department of State;
(2) the Environmental Protection Agency;
(3) the National Science Foundation;
(4) the National Institute of Standards and
Technology; and
(5) any other departments or agencies the par-
ticipation of which the Secretary considers appro-
priate.
(c) PARTICIPATION
OF
THE PRIVATE SECTOR.—
When appropriate, funds made available under this Act
shall be made available for research and development or
education and training activities that are conducted with
the participation and support of private sector organiza-
tions located in the United States and, subject to section
7(c)(2), Mexico, to promote and accelerate in the United
States-Mexico border region the use of energy efficient,
environmentally sound technologies and other advances re-
sulting from the program.
(d) MEXICAN
RESOURCE
CONTRIBUTIONS.—The
Secretary shall—
(1) encourage public, private, nonprofit, and
academic organizations located in Mexico to contrib-
ute significant financial and other resources to the
program; and
(2) take any such contributions into account in
conducting the program.
(e) TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY FROM NATIONAL
LABORATORIES.—In conducting the program, the Sec-
retary shall emphasize the transfer and use of materials
technology developed by the national laboratories of the
Department of Energy before the date of enactment of
this Act.
SEC. 6. ACTIVITIES AND MAJOR PROGRAM ELEMENTS.
(a) ACTIVITIES.—Funds made available under this
Act shall be made available for research and development
and education and training activities that are primarily
focused on materials, and the synthesis, processing, and
fabrication of materials, that promote—
(1) improvement of energy efficiency;
(2) elimination or minimization of emissions of
global climate change gases and contaminants;
(3) minimization of industrial wastes and pol-
lutants; and
(4) use of recycled resources as primary mate-
rials for industrial production.
(b) MAJOR PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—The program shall have the
following major elements:
(A) Applied research, focused on maturing
and refining materials technologies to dem-
onstrate the feasibility or utility of the mate-
rials technologies.
(B) Basic research, focused on the discov-
ery of new knowledge that may eventually prove
useful in creating materials technologies to pro-
mote energy efficient, environmentally sound
manufacturing.
(C) Education and training, focused on
educating and training scientists, engineers,
and workers in the border region in energy effi-
cient, environmentally sound materials tech-
nologies.