I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5555 
To establish a manufacturing cluster program, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 12, 2021 
Mr. DELGADO (for himself and Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illinois) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and Tech-
nology, and Armed Services, 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 a manufacturing cluster program, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Manufacturing American Dynamism in Entrepreneur-
ship and Harnessing Education to Retool Employees Act’’ 
or the ‘‘MADE HERE Act’’. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
gress that— 
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(1) a strong domestic manufacturing base is a 
national security priority and advances in manufac-
turing technology, workforce development, and sup-
ply chains contribute to the resilience of the defense 
industrial base; 
(2) the manufacturing workforce is aging with 
no new generation rising up to replace them; 
(3) the median age of manufacturing workers is 
above average and rising at a higher rate than the 
general workforce; 
(4) this is a national security threat, as well as 
a threat to the economic prosperity of the United 
States; 
(5) there is a shortage of manufacturing and 
technology educators; 
(6) there are many workers with some technical 
or manufacturing skills who are unemployed or un-
deremployed because they lack the right skills or 
certifications to work in advanced manufacturing; 
(7) such workers include former employees of 
low-skilled manufacturing plants that have closed, as 
well as veterans leaving military service; 
(8) many manufacturing businesses are using 
legacy equipment with cyber vulnerabilities and do 
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not have recently trained employees to bring newer 
equipment online; 
(9) strengthening the innovation pipeline from 
fundamental research to technology development to 
entrepreneurial training can lead to new products, 
processes, and business models for manufacturers; 
and 
(10) expanding the creation and utilization of 
manufacturing clusters for technology, economic, 
and workforce development is critical for the future 
of American competitiveness. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term ‘‘covered agency’’ means each of 
the following Federal agencies: 
(A) The National Institute of Standards 
and Technology. 
(B) The Department of Energy. 
(C) The Department of Defense. 
(2) The term ‘‘Director’’ means the Director of 
the Office of Science and Technology Policy. 
(3) The term ‘‘eligible manufacturing cluster’’ 
means a manufacturing cluster that consists of— 
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(A) entities with physical presence in the 
United States and with majority United States 
ownership; and 
(B) at least two of the following: 
(i) Institutions of higher education. 
(ii) High schools. 
(iii) Service member and veteran edu-
cation programs carried out by the Sec-
retary of Defense. 
(iv) Private sector companies, includ-
ing small- and medium-sized manufactur-
ers. 
(v) Nonprofit organizations, including 
Labor organizations. 
(vi) State and local government agen-
cies. 
(vii) Federally funded entities includ-
ing the Manufacturing USA Institutes and 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, na-
tional laboratories, and FFRDC’s. 
(viii) Other entities at the discretion 
of the Director. 
(4) The term ‘‘manufacturing cluster’’ means a 
geographic concentration of companies and institu-
tions within a particular field of manufacturing that 
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engage or propose to engage collaboratively in work-
force development, technology development, supply 
chain sourcing, and other activities. 
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY ENTITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish or 
designate an interagency entity (hereinafter referred to as 
the ‘‘entity’’) to oversee and coordinate the activities of 
manufacturing cluster programs at Federal agencies. The 
entity shall be chaired by the Director of the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, the Director of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology, the Sec-
retary of Energy, and the Secretary of Defense. 
(b) MEMBERS.—The entity established under sub-
section (a) shall be appointed by representatives of Fed-
eral entities and may include representatives of the fol-
lowing (or successor entities): 
(1) The Office of Advanced Manufacturing of 
the National Institute of Standards and Technology. 
(2) The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense 
for Acquisition and Sustainment of the Department 
of Defense. 
(3) The Office of the Under Secretary of De-
fense for Research and Engineering of the Depart-
ment of Defense. 
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(4) The Advanced Manufacturing Office of the 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 
of the Department of Energy. 
(5) The Center for Devices and Radiological 
Health of the Food and Drug Administration. 
(6) The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneur-
ship of the Economic Development Administration of 
the Department of Commerce. 
(7) The National Science Foundation. 
(8) The Workforce Investment Boards of the 
Department of Labor. 
(9) Not fewer than five State Workforce Invest-
ment Boards from geographically diverse regions of 
the United States. 
(10) The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult 
Education of the Department of Education. 
(11) The Transition Assistance Program of the 
Department of Veterans Affairs. 
(12) Representatives of additional entities, as 
the Director may specify. 
(c) COORDINATION.—In convening the entity, the Di-
rector of OSTP is encouraged to consider overlap and co-
ordination with existing committees, subcommittees, or 
other groups under the National Science and Technology 
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Council such as the Committee on Technology Advanced 
Manufacturing Subcommittee. 
(d) DUTIES.—The duties of the entity are the fol-
lowing: 
(1) Developing specific goals and priorities for 
manufacturing cluster programs based on the Na-
tional Strategic Plan for Advanced Manufacturing. 
(2) Providing guidance to agencies relating to 
the competitive selection process and selection cri-
teria for manufacturing clusters. 
(3) Facilitating coordination among manufac-
turing cluster programs throughout the Federal 
Government. 
(4) Providing guidance to, and facilitating best 
practices sharing among, Federal agencies hosting 
manufacturing cluster programs on mentoring, 
training, courses, and other resources provided to 
clusters. 
(e) REPORTS.—Beginning one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and triennially thereafter, the 
entity shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a report on all manufacturing cluster programs car-
ried out pursuant to this Act. Such report shall include— 
(1) an overview of the activities of the manufac-
turing clusters; and 
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(2) an assessment of the progress of such clus-
ters in advancing the goals and priorities developed 
by the entity. 
(f) APPLICATION OF THE FEDERAL ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE ACT.—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to the entity. 
(g) SUNSET.—The entity shall terminate on Decem-
ber 31, 2031. 
SEC. 4. MANUFACTURING CLUSTER PROGRAMS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The head of each covered agency 
shall establish a manufacturing cluster program under 
which the head of such covered agency, over three distinct 
phases described in subsection (d), awards resources and 
grants to, or enter cooperative agreements with eligible 
manufacturing clusters. 
(b) SELECTION.— 
(1) SELECTION CRITERIA.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The head of each cov-
ered agency shall, taking into account guidance 
issued by the entity established under section 3, 
establish selection criteria for the selection of 
resource and grant recipients under the manu-
facturing cluster program established by such 
agency. Such criteria shall include— 
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(i) the collaborativeness of the pro-
posal, as evidenced by whether the pro-
posed activities inherently benefit from col-
laboration between two or more member 
entities in a cluster, such as shared train-
ing programs or facilities, collaborative re-
search, development, and demonstration, 
or shared supply chain development; 
(ii) the innovativeness of the idea, as 
determined by the review panel under 
paragraph (2); 
(iii) the ability of the cluster to carry 
out the proposal; 
(iv) the impact of the proposed activ-
ity on the local, regional, and national 
manufacturing economy and workforce; 
(v) the sustainability and long-term 
impact of the proposed cluster; and 
(vi) the degree to which the proposal 
aims to leverage, coordinate with, and is 
strategically aligned with ongoing efforts, 
such as— 
(I) voluntary education programs 
of the Department of Defense under 
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part 68 of title 32, Code of Federal 
Regulations; 
(II) Manufacturing USA Insti-
tutes; 
(III) Manufacturing Extension 
Partnerships initiatives, including the 
State Policy Academy; 
(IV) the Investing in Manufac-
turing Communities Partnership sites; 
(V) the Manufacturing Tech-
nology Program of the Department of 
Defense established under section 
2521 of title 10, United States Code; 
(VI) State workforce investment 
programs; and 
(VII) additional criteria as speci-
fied by the Director. 
(B) MATCHING FUNDS.—The selection cri-
teria established under subparagraph (A) may 
include the amount of matching funds available. 
Proposals shall not be required to include the 
provision of matching funds by the cluster re-
ceiving the grant involved. 
(2) REVIEW PANEL.— 
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(A) IN GENERAL.—The head of each cov-
ered agency shall each appoint a review panel, 
to be comprised of not fewer than 9 individuals 
that are experts in advanced manufacturing, to 
evaluate manufacturing cluster proposals based 
on the criteria set by such head of a covered 
agency under paragraph (1)(A) and to rec-
ommend eligible manufacturing clusters to such 
head of each covered agency for selection for 
each phase of the program. 
(B) OUTSIDE ENTITY.—The head of each 
covered agency may contract with an outside 
entity to administer a competitive selection 
process based on the criteria established by the 
head of each covered agency under paragraph 
(1)(A). 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible manufacturing clus-
ter may use grant funds under paragraphs (2) and (3) 
of subsection (d) to— 
(1) develop and deploy training and educational 
programs and facilities to benefit multiple cluster 
members; 
(2) fund efforts with respect to supply chain 
sourcing and innovation; 
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(3) fund collaborative research, development, 
and demonstration; 
(4) develop shared infrastructure or resources 
for production, transportation, cybersecurity, and 
workforce development among members of the clus-
ter; 
(5) convene workshops and other forums to im-
prove alignment among participants in the regional 
manufacturing economy; and 
(6) strengthen ties and relationships within the 
cluster and assess the impact of the cluster on the 
region. 
(d) PROGRAM PHASES.— 
(1) PHASE 1.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—For the first phase of 
the program (referred to in this section as 
‘‘Phase 1’’), the head of each covered agency 
shall select eligible manufacturing clusters for 
an award described in subparagraph (C) for the 
purpose of assisting such eligible manufacturing 
clusters in the development of a detailed imple-
mentation plan for each proposal submitted 
under subparagraph (B). 
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(B) APPLICATION.—An eligible manufac-
turing cluster applying for Phase 1 shall submit 
an application containing a description of— 
(i) the members of the cluster; 
(ii) the needs of the local, regional, 
and national manufacturing economy and 
workforce that the cluster intends to ad-
dress; 
(iii) a proposal for activities described 
in subsection (c) to address such needs; 
and 
(iv) a plan for transition of manufac-
turing cluster activities to the private sec-
tor. 
(C) AWARD.—The head of each covered 
agency may provide an eligible manufacturing 
cluster selected for an award under Phase 1 
mentoring, training, and courses to cover topics 
including— 
(i) problem selection and curation; 
(ii) iterative refinement based on feed-
back from potential beneficiaries to ensure 
plans are tailored to regional needs or 
problem; 
(iii) development of effective teams; 
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(iv) validation of the repeatability and 
scalability of the plan; and 
(v) other entrepreneurial best prac-
tices. 
(2) PHASE 2.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—For the second phase 
of the program (referred to in this section as 
‘‘Phase 2’’), the head of each covered agency 
shall select eligible manufacturing clusters for 
an award described in subparagraph (C) for the 
purpose of implementing the plan submitted 
under subparagraph (B). 
(B) APPLICATION.—An eligible manufac-
turing cluster applying for Phase 2 shall submit 
an application containing— 
(i) a description of— 
(I) the members of the cluster; 
(II) the needs of the local, re-
gional, and national manufacturing 
economy and workforce that the clus-
ter intends to address; and 
(III) a proposal for activities de-
scribed in subsection (c) to address 
such needs; 
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(ii) with respect to Phase 1, a descrip-
tion of mentoring and training activities 
and an analysis of whether such use was 
successful; and 
(iii) a detailed implementation plan 
for such proposal. 
(C) AWARD.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The head of each 
covered agency may award an eligible man-
ufacturing cluster selected for an award 
under phase 2— 
(I) a grant of not more than 
$3,000,000 over a 3-year period to 
execute the plan described in subpara-
graph (B)(ii); and 
(II) mentoring, training, and 
courses described in paragraph (1)(C) 
that the head of such agency deter-
mines appropriate to assist in the exe-
cution of such plan. 
(3) PHASE 3.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—For the third phase of 
the program (referred to in this section as 
‘‘Phase 3’’), the head of each covered agency 
shall select eligible manufacturing clusters for 
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an award described in subparagraph (C) for the 
purpose of continuing the activities of the clus-
ter under Phase 2. 
(B) APPLICATION.— 
(i) TIMING.—Not earlier than 2 years 
after the date on which an eligible manu-
facturing cluster receives funds under 
Phase 2, such eligible manufacturing clus-
ter may apply for Phase 3. 
(ii) CONTENT.—To apply for Phase 3, 
an eligible manufacturing cluster shall sub-
mit a report containing a description of the 
activities of such cluster under Phase 2 
and the impacts of such activities, includ-
ing— 
(I) a list of the organizations and 
individuals served by such activities; 
(II) facilities built or dedicated; 
(III) technologies, curricula, and 
educational programs developed; 
(IV) extent of coordination with 
existing Federal, State, and local gov-
ernment resources; 
(V) extent of coordination with 
private sector entities; and 
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(VI) the success of Phase 2 and 
an assessment of whether the award 
would enable new development and 
success. 
(C) AWARD.—The head of each covered 
agency may award an eligible manufacturing 
cluster selected for an award under Phase 3— 
(i) a grant of not more than 
$10,000,000 over a 5-year period to con-
tinue the activities of the eligible manufac-
turing cluster under Phase 2; and 
(ii) mentoring, training, and courses 
described in paragraph (1)(C) that the 
head of such agency determines appro-
priate to assist in the execution of such ac-
tivities. 
(e) REPORT.—For each eligible manufacturing clus-
ter selected for Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3, the rel-
evant head of each covered agency shall make public a re-
port describing— 
(1) the members of the eligible manufacturing 
cluster; 
(2) a description of the proposed activities; 
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(3) a description of how the proposed activities 
meet the country’s strategic needs for advanced 
manufacturing; and 
(4) if applicable, a description of the activities 
of the cluster under the prior phase of the program. 
(f) MENTOR, TRAINING, AND COURSE RESOURCES.— 
(1) CONTRACT AUTHORITY.—The head of each 
covered agency may enter into a memorandum of 
understanding with another Federal agency or con-
tract with an entity outside the Federal Government 
to carry out the mentoring, training, and courses 
under each phase of the program. 
(2) COSTS.—The head of each covered agency 
shall cover the cost of participation in mentoring, 
training, and courses, including necessary travel ex-
penses, for each applicant selected under each phase 
of the program. 
(3) LIMITATIONS.—The head of each covered 
agency may restrict the number of individuals from 
each cluster selected under this paragraph that are 
allowed to participate in mentoring, training, and 
courses under each phase of the program to not 
fewer than 3 individuals. 
(g) FUNDING.— 
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