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‘‘(1) Manufacturing Outreach Centers, as author-
ized under subsection (c);
‘‘(2) Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manu-
facturing Technology and Local Manufacturing Of-
fices, as established under section 25, and the State
Technology Extension Program, as established under
section 26;
‘‘(3) the outreach network provided for under
subsection (d) and the clearinghouse system developed
under subsection (e); and
‘‘(4) such technology and manufacturing exten-
sion centers supported by other Federal departments
and agencies, States, industry, and nonprofit organi-
zations as the Secretary considers appropriate for in-
clusion in the Partnership.
‘‘(c)(1) Government and private sector organizations,
actively engaged in technology or manufacturing extension
activities, may apply to the Secretary to be designated as
Manufacturing Outreach Centers. Eligible organizations
may include Federal, State, and local government agencies,
their extension programs, and their laboratories; small busi-
ness development centers; and appropriate programs run by
professional and technical societies, worker organizations,
industrial organizations, for-profit or nonprofit organiza-
tions, community development organizations, State univer-
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sities and other universities, community colleges, and tech-
nical schools and colleges, including, where appropriate,
vendor-supported demonstrations of production applica-
tions.
‘‘(2) The purpose of such Manufacturing Outreach
Centers shall be to—
‘‘(A) disseminate technical and information serv-
ices to manufacturers in the United States, particu-
larly small- and medium-sized companies; and
‘‘(B) strengthen direct assistance to small- and
medium-sized manufacturers in the United States to
expand and accelerate the use of modern technologies
and advanced workplace practices.
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall establish terms and conditions
of participation in a Manufacturing Outreach Center, in-
cluding qualifications of start-up programs as Manufactur-
ing Outreach Centers, and may provide financial assist-
ance, on a cost-shared basis and through competitive, merit-
based review processes, to nonprofit or government partici-
pants throughout the United States to enable them to estab-
lish a Manufacturing Outreach Center.
‘‘(4) Any Regional Center for the Transfer of Manufac-
turing Technology may apply to the Secretary to establish
a Manufacturing Outreach Center, managed by or in co-
operation with such Regional Center, if the Manufacturing
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Outreach Center would be located outside and would pri-
marily serve an area outside the effective service area of
such Regional Center. Funding for the establishment and
management of such Manufacturing Outreach Center may
be awarded to such Regional Center under this subsection,
notwithstanding the restrictions of paragraph (6).
‘‘(5) If a State plan for technology extension exists in
a State where an applicant for financial assistance under
this subsection is operating or plans to operate, the appli-
cant shall demonstrate in its application that its proposal
is compatible with such State plan.
‘‘(6) If a Manufacturing Outreach Center is in or near
a State which has a Regional Center for the Transfer of
Manufacturing Technology, the Director shall, as appro-
priate, encourage the Manufacturing Outreach Center to co-
operate with the Regional Center in coordinating its pro-
posals and ongoing programs to serve manufacturers in the
region. Manufacturing Outreach Centers may not concur-
rently be designated as Regional Centers for the Transfer
of Manufacturing Technology under section 25.
‘‘(7) Financial assistance may be awarded under this
subsection for an initial period not to exceed 3 years and
may, subject to successful evaluation by the Institute, be re-
newed for additional periods, not to exceed 3 years each.
Such assistance may not at any time exceed 50 percent of
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the operating costs and other costs of the Manufacturing
Outreach Center, as defined by regulation.
‘‘(d)(1) The Department of Commerce shall provide for
an instantaneous, interactive electronic communications
network (in this section referred to as the ‘outreach net-
work’) to serve the Partnership, to facilitate effective and
efficient interaction within it, and to permit the collection
and dissemination in electronic form, in a timely and accu-
rate manner, of information described in subsection (e). The
outreach network shall, wherever practicable, make use of
existing public and private computer networks, data bases,
and electronic bulletin boards. The design, configuration,
acquisition plan, and operating policies, including user fees
and appropriate electronic access for public and private in-
formation suppliers and users, of the outreach network shall
be included in the 5-year plan prepared under subsection
(h)(2).
‘‘(2) Except as provided in this section, the outreach
network established under paragraph (1) shall be designed
and configured in a manner that will enable interoper-
ability with networks and technologies developed under the
National High-Performance Computing Program described
in section 101 of the High-Performance Computing Act of
1991 (15 U.S.C. 5511). The Secretary shall also, as appro-
priate, coordinate activities under this subsection with the
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relevant activities of other Federal agencies, particularly
the agile manufacturing/enterprise integration activities of
the Department of Defense.
‘‘(e)(1) The Secretary, acting through the Under Sec-
retary, shall develop a clearinghouse system, using appro-
priate components of the Technology Administration and
other public and private sector information providers and
carriers, where appropriate, to—
‘‘(A) identify expertise and acquire information,
appropriate to the purpose of the Partnership stated
in subsection (a), from all available Federal sources,
and where appropriate from other sources, providing
assistance where necessary in making such informa-
tion electronically available and compatible with the
outreach network established under subsection (d);
‘‘(B) ensure ready access by manufacturers, gov-
ernmental agencies, and nonprofit organizations in
the United States to the most recent relevant available
such information and expertise;
‘‘(C) ensure that common standards of inter-
connection are utilized by the outreach network and
the clearinghouse to allow maximum interoperability
and usership; and
‘‘(D) to the extent practicable, inform potential
users of the availability of such information.
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‘‘(2) The clearinghouse shall include information
available electronically regarding—
‘‘(A) activities of Manufacturing Outreach Cen-
ters, Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufactur-
ing Technology, the State Technology Extension Pro-
gram, and the users of the outreach network;
‘‘(B) domestic and international standards from
the Institute and private sector organizations and
other export promotion information, including con-
formity assessment requirements and procedures;
‘‘(C) the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality
Award program, and quality principles and stand-
ards;
‘‘(D) manufacturing processes that minimize
waste and negative environmental impact;
‘‘(E) advanced workplace practices;
‘‘(F) federally funded technology development
and transfer programs;
‘‘(G) responsibilities assigned to the Clearing-
house for State and Local Initiatives on Productivity,
Technology, and Innovation;
‘‘(H) how to access data bases and services;
‘‘(I) skills training, particularly for production
workers, that is available through trade and profes-
sional organizations, federally supported programs,
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State resources, private industry, or other organiza-
tions; and
‘‘(J) other subjects relevant to the ability of com-
panies to manufacture and sell competitive products
throughout the world.
‘‘(f) In carrying out this section, the Department of
Commerce shall take into consideration the following prin-
ciples:
‘‘(1) The Partnership and the outreach network
provided for under subsection (d) shall be established
and operated through cooperation and co-funding
among Federal, State, and local governments, other
public and private contributors, and end users.
‘‘(2) The Partnership and the outreach network
shall utilize and leverage, to the extent practicable, ex-
isting organizations, data bases, electronic networks,
facilities, and capabilities, and shall be designed to
complement rather than supplant State and local pro-
grams.
‘‘(3) The Partnership should, to the extent prac-
ticable, involve key stakeholders at all levels in the
planning and governance of modernization strategies;
concentrate on assisting local clusters of firms; assist
rural as well as urban manufacturers; promote col-
laborative learning and cooperative action among
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manufacturers; link industrial modernization pro-
grams tightly to existing and future Federal training
initiatives, including those for youth apprenticeship
programs and for assisting other workers; encourage
small firms to seek modernization services by working
with major manufacturers; encourage small firms, as
appropriate, to select manufacturing equipment and
practices which build upon and expand the skills of
their employees; identify and honor best practices by
firms and the programs that support them, including
both technology and workplace practices; provide
funding based on performance and ensure rigorous
evaluation of extension services; as appropriate, co-
ordinate Federal programs that support manufactur-
ing modernization; work with Federal, State, local,
and private organizations so that Manufacturing
Outreach Centers and Regional Centers for the Trans-
fer of Manufacturing Technology can provide referrals
to other important business services, such as assist-
ance with financing, training, and exporting, and
contribute to local business climates supportive of
high-performance manufacturing.
‘‘(4) The Partnership and the outreach network
provided for under subsection (d) shall be subject to
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all applicable provisions of law for the protection of
trade secrets and business confidential information.
‘‘(5) Local or regional needs should determine
the management structure and staffing of the Manu-
facturing Outreach Centers. The Partnership shall
strive for geographical balance and for balance be-
tween urban and rural recipients, with the ultimate
goal of access for all United States manufacturers.
‘‘(6) Manufacturing Outreach Centers should
have the capability to deliver outreach services di-
rectly to manufacturers; actively work with, rather
than supplant, the private sector; help firms assess
needs regarding technology, workplace practices, and
training; and to the extent practicable, maximize the
exposure of United States manufacturers to dem-
onstrations of modern technologies in use.
‘‘(7) Manufacturing Outreach Centers shall focus,
where possible, on the deployment of flexible manufac-
turing technologies and practices applicable to both
defense and commercial applications and on opportu-
nities to modernize operations in ways which improve
productivity, reduce waste and pollution, and in-
crease energy efficiency.
‘‘(8) The Department of Commerce shall develop
mechanisms for—
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‘‘(A) soliciting the perspectives of manufac-
turers using the services of the Manufacturing
Outreach Centers and Regional Centers for the
Transfer of Manufacturing Technology;
‘‘(B) assisting in the training of technology
extension agents and in helping them dissemi-
nate information on modern manufacturing
technologies, including technologies for source re-
duction, and advanced workplace practices; and
‘‘(C) rigorously evaluating the effectiveness
of the Manufacturing Outreach Centers and other
components of the Partnership.
‘‘(9) This Act does not supersede, modify, or oth-
erwise alter the rights and obligations of employers,
employees, and labor organizations as set forth in the
National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor
Act or in any collective bargaining agreement entered
into by parties covered by those Acts.
‘‘(g)(1) The Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manu-
facturing Technology and Manufacturing Outreach Centers
shall, as appropriate, make available source reduction and
energy conservation assessments to interested manufactur-
ers in the United States. These assessments shall assist such
interested manufacturers in identifying opportunities for
energy conservation and source reduction, and thus reduce
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operating costs, through either improvement in manufactur-
ing processes or the purchase of new equipment.
‘‘(2) The Secretary is authorized to work with other
appropriate Federal officials and other parties to provide
employees of Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufac-
turing Technology and Manufacturing Outreach Centers
with the training needed to carry out the assessments speci-
fied in paragraph (1).
‘‘(h)(1) Within 6 months after the date of enactment
of the National Competitiveness Act of 1994, the Secretary,
through the Under Secretary and Director and after con-
sulting with the private sector, shall submit an initial plan
for the implementation of this section to Congress—
‘‘(A) describing how the Secretary will carry out
the responsibility to create, operate, and support the
Partnership and the outreach network;
‘‘(B) establishing criteria and procedures, con-
sistent with the requirements of this section, for—
‘‘(i) the selection of organizations to receive
Department of Commerce services or financial
assistance as part of the Partnership, including
qualifications and training of technology exten-
sion agents;
‘‘(ii) access to services provided by partici-
pants in the Partnership and to information
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available through the outreach network servicing
the Partnership; and
‘‘(iii) the annual evaluation of the Partner-
ship in achieving the purposes of this section;
and
‘‘(C) evaluating the need for and the benefits of
a National Conference of States on Technology Exten-
sion, similar in structure to the National Conference
on Weights and Measures, and, if the Secretary deter-
mines that such a Conference is advisable, developing,
in consultation with the States and other interested
parties, a plan for the establishment, operation, fund-
ing, and evaluation of such a Conference.
‘‘(2)(A) Within 1 year after the date of enactment of
the National Competitiveness Act of 1994, the Secretary,
through the Under Secretary and Director, shall prepare
and submit to the Congress a 5-year plan for implementing
the Partnership and the outreach network and clearing-
house established under subsections (d) and (e), respectively,
of this section.
‘‘(B) Such 5-year plan shall address—
‘‘(i) effective mechanisms for providing operating
funds for the maintenance and use of the outreach
network established under subsection (d), including
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user fees, industry support, and continued Federal in-
vestment;
‘‘(ii) the future operation and evolution of the
outreach network, including its relationship with
other public or private information services;
‘‘(iii) how to protect the copyrights of material
distributed over the outreach network; and
‘‘(iv) appropriate policies to ensure the security
of proprietary information that might be available on
the outreach network and to protect the privacy of
users of the outreach network.
‘‘(C) Such 5-year plan shall identify appropriate
methods for expanding the Partnership in a geographically
balanced manner. Such 5-year plan shall include a detailed
implementation plan and cost estimates and shall take into
consideration and build on the report submitted under
paragraph (1). In the preparation of such 5-year plan, the
Secretary shall provide an opportunity for public comment,
and the plan submitted to Congress shall include a sum-
mary of comments received. Any new types of activities pro-
posed by such plan may not be implemented until 90 days
after its submission to the Congress.
‘‘(3) Beginning with the first year after submission of
the 5-year plan under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall