H. R. 4346—357 
‘‘SEC. 454A. LOW-EMISSIONS STEEL MANUFACTURING RESEARCH PRO-
GRAM. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to encourage 
the research and development of innovative technologies aimed 
at— 
‘‘(1) increasing the technological and economic competitive-
ness of industry and manufacturing in the United States; and 
‘‘(2) achieving significant net nonwater greenhouse emis-
sions reductions in the production processes for iron, steel, 
and steel mill products. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) COMMERCIALLY
AVAILABLE
STEELMAKING.—The term 
‘commercially available steelmaking’ means the current produc-
tion method of iron, steel, and steel mill products. 
‘‘(2) CRITICAL MATERIAL.—The term ‘critical material’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 7002 of division Z 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116– 
260). 
‘‘(3) CRITICAL
MINERAL.—The term ‘critical mineral’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 7002 of division Z 
of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public Law 116– 
260). 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible entity’ means— 
‘‘(A) an institution of higher education; 
‘‘(B) an appropriate State or Federal entity, including 
a federally funded research and development center of the 
Department; 
‘‘(C) a nonprofit research institution; 
‘‘(D) a private entity; 
‘‘(E) any other relevant entity the Secretary determines 
appropriate; and 
‘‘(F) a partnership or consortium of two or more entities 
described in subparagraphs (A) through (E). 
‘‘(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The term ‘institu-
tion of higher education’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1001). 
‘‘(6) LOW-EMISSIONS
STEEL
MANUFACTURING.—The term 
‘low-emissions 
steel 
manufacturing’ 
means 
advanced 
or 
commercially available steelmaking with the reduction, to the 
maximum extent practicable, of net nonwater greenhouse gas 
emissions to the atmosphere from the production of iron, steel, 
and steel mill products. 
‘‘(c) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date of 
enactment of the Research and Development, Competition, and 
Innovation Act, the Secretary shall establish a program of research, 
development, 
demonstration, 
and 
commercial 
application 
of 
advanced tools, technologies, and methods for low-emissions steel 
manufacturing. 
‘‘(d) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the program under sub-
section (c), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) coordinate this program with the programs and activi-
ties authorized in title VI of division Z of the Consolidated 
Appropriations Act, 2021; 
‘‘(2) coordinate across all relevant program offices of the 
Department, including the Office of Science, Office of Energy
H. R. 4346—358 
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Office of Fossil Energy, 
and the Office of Nuclear Energy; 
‘‘(3) leverage, to the extent practicable, the research infra-
structure of the Department, including scientific computing 
user facilities, x-ray light sources, neutron scattering facilities, 
and nanoscale science research centers; and 
‘‘(4) conduct research, development, and demonstration of 
low-emissions steel manufacturing technologies that have the 
potential to increase domestic production and employment in 
advanced and commercially available steelmaking. 
‘‘(e) STRATEGIC PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the date 
of enactment of the Research and Development, Competition, 
and Innovation Act, the Secretary shall develop a 5-year stra-
tegic plan identifying research, development, demonstration, 
and commercial application goals for the program established 
in subsection (c). The Secretary shall submit this plan to the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate. 
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—The strategic plan submitted under para-
graph (1) shall— 
‘‘(A) identify programs at the Department related to 
low-emissions steel manufacturing that support the 
research, development, demonstration, and commercial 
application activities described in this section, and the 
demonstration projects under subsection (h); 
‘‘(B) establish technological and programmatic goals 
to achieve the requirements of subsection (d); and 
‘‘(C) include timelines for the accomplishment of goals 
developed under the plan. 
‘‘(3) UPDATES TO PLAN.—Not less than once every two years, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate an 
updated version of the plan under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(f) FOCUS AREAS.—In carrying out the program established 
in subsection (c), the Secretary shall focus on— 
‘‘(1) medium- and high-temperature heat generation tech-
nologies used for low-emissions steel manufacturing, which may 
include— 
‘‘(A) alternative fuels, including hydrogen and biomass; 
‘‘(B) alternative reducing agents, including hydrogen; 
‘‘(C) renewable heat generation technology, including 
solar and geothermal; 
‘‘(D) electrification of heating processes, including 
through electrolysis; and 
‘‘(E) other heat generation sources; 
‘‘(2) carbon capture technologies for advanced and commer-
cially available steelmaking processes, which may include— 
‘‘(A) combustion and chemical looping technologies; 
‘‘(B) use of slag to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; 
‘‘(C) pre-combustion technologies; and 
‘‘(D) post-combustion technologies; 
‘‘(3) smart manufacturing technologies and principles, dig-
ital manufacturing technologies, and advanced data analytics 
to develop advanced technologies and practices in information,
H. R. 4346—359 
automation, monitoring, computation, sensing, modeling, and 
networking to— 
‘‘(A) model and simulate manufacturing production 
lines; 
‘‘(B) monitor and communicate production line status; 
and 
‘‘(C) model, simulate, and optimize the energy efficiency 
of manufacturing processes; 
‘‘(4) technologies and practices that minimize energy and 
natural resource consumption, which may include— 
‘‘(A) designing products that enable reuse, refurbish-
ment, remanufacturing, and recycling; 
‘‘(B) minimizing waste from advanced and commer-
cially available steelmaking processes, including through 
the reuse of waste as resources in other industrial processes 
for mutual benefit; 
‘‘(C) increasing resource efficiency; and 
‘‘(D) increasing the energy efficiency of advanced and 
commercially available steelmaking processes; 
‘‘(5) alternative materials and technologies that produce 
fewer emissions during production and result in fewer emissions 
during use, which may include— 
‘‘(A) innovative raw materials; 
‘‘(B) high-performance lightweight materials; 
‘‘(C) substitutions for critical materials and critical 
minerals; and 
‘‘(D) other technologies that achieve significant carbon 
emission reductions in low-emissions steel manufacturing, 
as determined by the Secretary; and 
‘‘(6) high-performance computing to develop advanced mate-
rials and manufacturing processes contributing to the focus 
areas described in paragraphs (1) through (5), including— 
‘‘(A) modeling, simulation, and optimization of the 
design of energy efficient and sustainable products; and 
‘‘(B) the use of digital prototyping and additive manu-
facturing to enhance product design. 
‘‘(g) TESTING AND VALIDATION.—The Secretary, in consultation 
with the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology, shall support the development of standardized testing and 
technical validation of advanced and commercially available 
steelmaking and low-emissions steel manufacturing through 
collaboration with one or more National Laboratories, and one 
or more eligible entities. 
‘‘(h) DEMONSTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after the 
date of enactment of the Research and Development, Competi-
tion, and Innovation Act, the Secretary, in carrying out the 
program established in subsection (c), and in collaboration with 
industry partners, institutions of higher education, and the 
National Laboratories, shall support an initiative for the dem-
onstration of low-emissions steel manufacturing, as identified 
by the Secretary, that uses either— 
‘‘(A) a single technology; or 
‘‘(B) a combination of multiple technologies. 
‘‘(2) SELECTION REQUIREMENTS.—Under the initiative estab-
lished under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall select eligible
H. R. 4346—360 
entities to carry out demonstration projects and to the max-
imum extent practicable— 
‘‘(A) encourage regional diversity among eligible enti-
ties, including participation by rural States; 
‘‘(B) encourage technological diversity among eligible 
entities; and 
‘‘(C) ensure that specific projects selected— 
‘‘(i) expand on the existing technology demonstra-
tion programs of the Department; and 
‘‘(ii) prioritize projects that leverage matching 
funds from non-Federal sources. 
‘‘(3) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources of the Senate— 
‘‘(A) not less frequently than once every two years 
for the duration of the demonstration initiative under this 
subsection, a report describing the performance of the ini-
tiative; and 
‘‘(B) if the initiative established under this subsection 
is terminated, an assessment of the success of, and edu-
cation provided by, the measures carried out by recipients 
of financial assistance under the initiative. 
‘‘(i) ADDITIONAL COORDINATION.— 
‘‘(1) MANUFACTURING U.S.A.—In carrying out this section 
the Secretary shall consider— 
‘‘(A) leveraging the resources of relevant existing 
Manufacturing USA Institutes described in section 34(d) 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278s(d)); 
‘‘(B) integrating program activities into a relevant 
existing Manufacturing USA Institute; or 
‘‘(C) establishing a new institute focused on low-emis-
sions steel manufacturing. 
‘‘(2) OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES.—In carrying out this sec-
tion, the Secretary shall coordinate with other Federal agencies 
that are carrying out research and development initiatives to 
increase industrial competitiveness and achieve significant net 
nonwater greenhouse emissions reductions through low-emis-
sions steel manufacturing, including the Department of 
Defense, Department of Transportation, and the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL
AMENDMENT.—Section 1(b) of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (42 U.S.C. 17001 note) 
is amended in the table of contents by inserting after the item 
relating to section 454 the following: 
‘‘Sec. 454A. Low-Emissions Steel Manufacturing Research Program.’’. 
Subtitle N—Applied Laboratories Infra-
structure Restoration and Modernization 
SEC. 10761. APPLIED LABORATORIES INFRASTRUCTURE RESTORATION 
AND MODERNIZATION. 
(a) DEFINITION OF NATIONAL LABORATORY.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘National Laboratory’’ means—