H. R. 4346—122 
(1) in subsection (a), in the second sentence— 
(A) by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting ‘‘shall’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘academia’’ and inserting ‘‘diverse types 
of institutions of higher education, including historically 
Black colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges and Univer-
sities, and minority-serving institutions, and community 
colleges’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking the period at the 
end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following: 
‘‘(6) conduct outreach to and develop research collaborations 
with historically Black colleges and universities, Tribal Colleges 
or Universities, and minority serving institutions, including 
through the recruitment of students and faculty at such institu-
tions to participate in programs developed under paragraph 
(3); 
‘‘(7) conduct outreach to and develop research collaborations 
with community colleges, including through the recruitment 
of students and faculty at such institutions to participate in 
programs developed under paragraph (3); 
‘‘(8) carry out other activities to increase the participation 
of persons historically underrepresented in STEM in the 
Institute’s programs; and 
‘‘(9) conduct outreach to and develop collaborations with 
nontraditional educational organizations, including those that 
offer training through nonprofit associations and professional 
associations or professional societies, to engage persons histori-
cally underrepresented in STEM through programs developed 
under this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 10242. OTHER TRANSACTIONS AUTHORITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (4) of section 2(b) of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(4) to enter into and perform such contracts, including 
cooperative research and development arrangements and grants 
and cooperative agreements or other transactions, as may be 
necessary in the conduct of its work and on such terms as 
it may determine appropriate, in furtherance of the purposes 
of this Act;’’. 
(b) REPORTING.—Not later than one year after the date of 
the enactment of this Act and not less than annually thereafter, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate 
a report on the use of agreements, activities, and associated funding 
for transactions (other than contracts, cooperative agreements, and 
grants) described in paragraph (4) of section 2(b) of the National 
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (as amended by sub-
section (a)), including the following elements: 
(1) A description of when the other transactions authority 
described in such amended paragraph was used and for what 
purpose.
H. R. 4346—123 
(2) A description of why such other transactions authority 
was required. 
(3) Steps taken to ensure necessary and sufficient oversight 
of Federal Government requirements implemented using such 
other transactions authority. 
SEC. 10243. REPORT TO CONGRESS ON COLLABORATIONS WITH 
GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Director shall submit a report to the Committee 
on Science, Space, and Technology and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation and the Committee on Appro-
priations of the Senate describing the Institute’s challenges with 
respect to collaboration between the Institute and other Federal 
agencies. The report shall include, at a minimum— 
(1) an assessment of the challenges that arise with inter-
agency collaboration, including transfer of funds with a limited 
period of availability to the Institute and issues with sharing 
personnel, associates, facilities, and property with collaborating 
agencies; and 
(2) descriptions of projects that were disrupted due to the 
challenges outlined in paragraph (1). 
SEC. 10244. HIRING CRITICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS. 
Section 6 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act (15 U.S.C. 275) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 6. HIRING CRITICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The officers and employees of the Institute, 
except the director, shall be appointed by the Secretary at such 
time as their respective services may become necessary. 
‘‘(b) HIRING CRITICAL TECHNICAL EXPERTS.—Notwithstanding 
section 3104 of title 5 or the provisions of any other law relating 
to the appointment, number, classification, or compensation of 
employees, the Secretary shall have the authority to make appoint-
ments of scientific, engineering, and professional personnel, and 
to fix the basic pay of such personnel at a rate to be determined 
by the Secretary at rates not in excess of the highest total annual 
compensation payable at the rate determined under section 104 
of title 3, United States Code. The Director shall appoint not more 
than 15 personnel under this section. 
‘‘(c) SUNSET.—The authority under section (b) shall expire on 
the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this 
section.’’. 
SEC. 10245. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) the principles of openness, transparency, due process, 
balance of interests, appeals, and consensus in the development 
of international standards are critical; 
(2) voluntary consensus standards, developed through an 
industry-led process, serve as the cornerstone of the United 
States standardization system and have become the basis of 
a sound national economy and the key to global market access; 
(3) strengthening the unique United States public-private 
partnerships approach to standards development is critical to 
United States economic competitiveness; and
H. R. 4346—124 
(4) the United States Government should ensure coopera-
tion and coordination across Federal agencies to partner with 
and support private sector stakeholders to continue to shape 
international dialogues in regard to standards development 
for emerging technologies. 
(b) INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ENGAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Director shall lead information 
exchange and coordination among Federal agencies and commu-
nication from Federal agencies to the private sector of the 
United States to ensure effective Federal engagement in the 
development and use of international technical standards. 
(2) REQUIREMENTS.—To support private sector-led engage-
ment and ensure effective Federal engagement in the develop-
ment and use of international technical standards, the Director 
shall consider— 
(A) the role and needs of the Federal Government 
with respect to international technical standards; 
(B) organizations developing international technical 
standards of interest to the United States, United States 
representation and influence in these organizations, and 
key contributors for technical and leadership expertise in 
these organizations; 
(C) support for persons with domain subject matter 
expertise, especially from small businesses located in the 
United States, to influence and engage in technical stand-
ards leadership positions, working groups and meetings; 
(D) opportunities for partnerships for supporting inter-
national technical standards from across the Federal 
Government, Federally funded research and development 
centers, university-affiliated research centers, institutions 
of higher education, industry, industry associations, non-
profit organizations, and other key contributors; 
(E) support for activities to encourage the adoption 
of technical standards developed in the United States to 
be adopted by international standards organizations; and 
(F) other activities determined by the Director to be 
necessary to support United States participation in inter-
national standards development, economic competitiveness, 
and national security in the development and use of inter-
national technical standards. 
(c) CAPACITY BUILDING GUIDANCE.—The Director shall support 
education and workforce development efforts to promote United 
States participation in international standards organizations. The 
Director shall— 
(1) identify and create, as appropriate, technical standards 
education and training resources for interested businesses, 
industry associations, academia, nonprofit organizations, Fed-
eral agencies, and other relevant standards contributors, 
including activities targeted at integrating standards content 
into 
undergraduate 
and 
graduate 
curricula 
in 
science, 
engineering, business, public policy, and law; 
(2) conduct outreach, including to private sector leaders, 
to support engagement by more United States stakeholders 
in international technical standards development; and 
(3) other activities determined necessary by the Director 
to support increased engagement, influence, and leadership
H. R. 4346—125 
of United States organizations in the development of inter-
national technical standards. 
(d) CAPACITY BUILDING PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in coordination with the 
Director of the National Science Foundation, and the heads 
of other relevant Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall estab-
lish or enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate non-
governmental organizations to establish a 5-year pilot program 
to award grants, on a merit-reviewed, competitive basis, to 
private sector entities, institutions of higher education, or non-
profit institutions based in the United States to support 
increased participation and leadership by small business and 
academic interests in international standards organizations. 
(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded to eligible entities 
under this subsection may be used to cover reasonable costs, 
up to a specified ceiling set by the Director, of activities to 
support increased engagement and leadership of eligible entity 
employees in international standards organizations, which may 
include costs associated with— 
(A) travel; 
(B) education and training; 
(C) dues or fees related to participation in technical 
standards development activities; and 
(D) other such costs that the Director determines may 
reasonably support participation of the eligible entity in 
international standards organizations. 
(3) AWARD CRITERIA.—The Director shall ensure that award 
decisions made under this subsection take into account the 
extent to which the eligible entity— 
(A) employs full-time an individual or individuals who 
demonstrate deep technical standards expertise; 
(B) employs full-time an individual or individuals who 
demonstrate knowledge with the processes of the standards 
development organization in which the eligible entity 
intends to engage using grant funds; 
(C) proposes a feasible set of standard deliverables 
to be completed over the period of the grant; 
(D) explains how the eligible entity will fund additional 
standards-related activities necessary to achieve the 
deliverables referred to in subparagraph (C) if the grant 
funds are insufficient to cover all costs of such activities; 
(E) commits personnel with appropriate expertise to 
regularly engage in relevant international organizations 
responsible for developing technical standards over the 
period of the grant; and 
(F) identifies a clearly defined current or anticipated 
market need or gap that would be addressed by their 
standards development proposal. 
(4) ELIGIBILITY.—A small business concern (as such term 
is defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
632) based in the United States, an institution of higher edu-
cation, or a nonprofit institution (as such term is defined in 
section 4 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act 
of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3703)) shall be eligible to receive grants 
under this program. 
(5) GUIDANCE ON APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS.—The 
Director shall develop, and periodically update, guidance,