(A) by striking ‘‘may’’ and inserting 
‘‘shall’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘academia’’ and inserting 
‘‘diverse types of institutions of higher edu-
cation’’; and 
(2) in subsection (e)— 
(A) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking the pe-
riod 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 and minority-serving institutions, includ-
ing through the recruitment of students and faculty 
at such institutions to participate in programs devel-
oped under paragraph (3); and 
‘‘(7) carry out other activities to increase the 
participation 
of 
persons 
historically 
underrep-
resented in STEM in the Institute’s programs.’’. 
SEC. 303. OTHER TRANSACTIONS AUTHORITY. 
Section 2(b)(4) of the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(4)) is amend-
ed to read as follows: 
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‘‘(4) to enter into and perform such contracts, 
including cooperative research and development ar-
rangements 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 
deem appropriate, in furtherance of the purposes of 
this Act;’’. 
SEC. 304. INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT. 
(a) INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS ENGAGEMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall lead in-
formation exchange and coordination among Federal 
agencies and communication 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 sec-
tor-led engagement and ensure effective Federal en-
gagement in the development and use of inter-
national technical standards, the Director shall con-
sider— 
(A) the role and needs of the Federal Gov-
ernment with respect to international technical 
standards; 
(B) organizations developing international 
technical standards of interest to the United 
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States, United States representation and influ-
ence in these organizations, and key contribu-
tors for technical and leadership expertise in 
these organizations; 
(C) support for persons with domain sub-
ject matter expertise, especially from small 
businesses located in the United States, to in-
fluence and engage in technical standards lead-
ership positions, working groups and meetings; 
(D) opportunities for partnerships for sup-
porting international technical standards from 
across the Federal Government, federally fund-
ed research and development centers, univer-
sity-affiliated research centers, institutions of 
higher education, industry, industry associa-
tions, nonprofit 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 Di-
rector to be necessary to support United States 
participation in international standards develop-
ment, economic competitiveness, and national 
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security in the development and use of inter-
national technical standards. 
(b) 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, tech-
nical standards education and training resources for 
interested businesses, industry associations, aca-
demia, nonprofits, Federal agencies, and other rel-
evant standards contributors, including activities 
targeted at integrating standards content into un-
dergraduate and graduate curricula in science, engi-
neering, business, public policy, and law; 
(2) conduct outreach, including to private sec-
tor leaders, to support engagement by more United 
States stakeholders in international technical stand-
ards development; and 
(3) other activities deemed necessary by the Di-
rector to support increased engagement, influence, 
and leadership of United States organizations in the 
development of international technical standards. 
(c) CAPACITY BUILDING PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in coordina-
tion with the Director of the National Science Foun-
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dation, the Administrator of the Small Business Ad-
ministration and the heads of other relevant Federal 
agencies, as appropriate, shall establish a 5-year 
pilot program to award grants, on a merit-reviewed, 
competitive basis, to private sector entities, nonprofit 
institutions, and based in the United States to sup-
port increased participation by small business and 
academic interests in international standards organi-
zations. 
(2) ACTIVITIES.—In carrying out the grants es-
tablished in subsection (c), the Director shall award 
competitive, merit-reviewed grants to covered entities 
to cover the reasonable costs, up to a specified ceil-
ing set by the Director, of activities supporting in-
creased engagement and leadership of employees of 
small businesses and faculty of institutions of higher 
education or other nonprofit research institutions 
with subject matter expertise in international stand-
ards organizations. 
(3) AWARD CRITERIA.—The Director may only 
provide a grant under this section to an eligible re-
cipient that— 
(A) demonstrates deep technical standards 
expertise; 
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(B) demonstrates facility with the proc-
esses of the standards development organization 
in which the recipient 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 recipient will fund 
the standards work supported by the grant if 
the grant funds are insufficient to cover all 
costs of the work; and 
(E) commits personnel with appropriate 
expertise to engage in relevant international or-
ganizations responsible for developing technical 
standards over the period of the grant. 
(4) ELIGIBILITY.—A small business concern (as 
defined in section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 632)) based in the United States, an institu-
tion of higher education (as defined by section 102 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1002)), or a nonprofit institution as defined in sec-
tion 4(5) of the Stevenson-Wydler Act (15 U.S.C. 
3703) shall be eligible to receive grants under this 
program. 
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(5) 
PRIORITIZATION.—The 
Director 
may 
prioritize grants awarded under this section to eligi-
ble recipients proposals for standards development 
that address clearly defined current or anticipated 
market needs or gaps that would not be met without 
the grant. 
(6) APPLICATION.—An eligible recipient seeking 
funding under subsection (c) shall submit an appli-
cation to the Director at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Director 
may require. 
(7) MERIT REVIEW PROCESS.—Not later than 
90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Direc-
tor shall establish a merit review process, including 
the creation of merit review panels made of experts 
from government and the private sector, to evaluate 
the application under paragraph (5) to ensure appli-
cations submitted are reviewed in a fair, competitive, 
transparent, and in-depth manner. 
(8) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out the pilot 
program established under subsection (c), the Direc-
tor shall consult with other Federal agencies, private 
sector organizations, institutions of higher edu-
cation, and nonprofit organizations to help inform 
the pilot program, including selection criteria, appli-
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cant disclosure requirements, grant amount and du-
ration, and the merit review process. 
(9) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—The Director shall 
brief Congress after the second year of the pilot pro-
gram and each year following that includes the fol-
lowing: 
(A) An assessment of the effectiveness of 
the pilot program for improving the participa-
tion of United States small businesses, United 
States institutions of higher education, or other 
nonprofit research institutions in international 
standards organizations, including— 
(i) the type of activities supported, in-
cluding leadership roles; 
(ii) the international standards orga-
nizations participated in; and 
(iii) the technical areas covered by the 
activities. 
(B) If deemed effective, a plan for perma-
nent implementation of the pilot program. 
SEC. 305. UPDATE TO MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PART-
NERSHIP. 
(a) ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS.—Section 25(l) of the 
National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
U.S.C. 278k(l)) is amended to read as follows: 
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‘‘(l) ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to such sums 
as may be appropriated to the Secretary and Direc-
tor to operate the Program, the Secretary and Di-
rector may also accept funds from other Federal de-
partments and agencies, as well as funds provided 
by the private sector pursuant to section 2(c)(7) of 
this Act (15 U.S.C. 272(c)(7)), to be available to the 
extent provided by appropriations Acts, for the pur-
pose of strengthening United States manufacturing. 
‘‘(2) COMPETITIVE AWARDS.—Funds accepted 
from other Federal departments and agencies and 
from the private sector under paragraph (1) shall be 
awarded competitively by the Secretary and by the 
Director to Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
Centers, provided that the Secretary and Director 
may make non-competitive awards, pursuant to this 
section or section 25A, or as a non-competitive con-
tract, as appropriate, if the Secretary and the Direc-
tor determine that— 
‘‘(A) the manufacturing market or sector 
targeted is limited geographically or in scope; 
‘‘(B) the number of States (or territory, in 
the case of Puerto Rico) with Manufacturing 
Extension Partnership Centers serving manu-
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facturers of such market or sector is five or 
fewer; and 
‘‘(C) such Manufacturing Extension Part-
nership Center or Centers has received a posi-
tive evaluation in the most recent evaluation 
conducted pursuant to subsection (g).’’. 
(b) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN SCHOOLS.—Section 25 
of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘commu-
nity colleges and area career and technical edu-
cation 
schools’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘secondary 
schools (as defined in section 8101 of the Ele-
mentary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 7801)), community colleges, and 
area career and technical education schools, in-
cluding those in underserved and rural commu-
nities,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and local colleges’’ 
and inserting ‘‘local high schools and local 
colleges, including those in underserved 
and rural communities,’’; and 
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘or other applied 
learning opportunities’’ after ‘‘apprentice-
ships’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d)(3), by striking ‘‘, commu-
nity colleges, and area career and technical edu-
cation schools,’’ and inserting ‘‘and local high 
schools, community colleges, and area career and 
technical education schools, including those in un-
derserved and rural communities,’’. 
SEC. 306. STANDARD TECHNICAL UPDATE. 
(a) NATIONAL
INSTITUTE
OF
STANDARDS
AND 
TECHNOLOGY ACT UPDATES.—The National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 271) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 15— 
(A) in subsection (b), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
(B) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘and’’ 
after the semicolon; and 
(C) by striking the period at the end and 
inserting ‘‘; and (i) the protection of Institute 
buildings and other plant facilities, equipment, 
and property, and of employees, associates, or 
visitors, located therein or associated therewith, 
notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
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direction of such of the officers and employees 
of the Institute as the Secretary deems nec-
essary in the public interest hereafter to carry 
firearms while in the conduct of their official 
duties, and the authorization of employees of 
contractors and subcontractors of the Institute 
who are engaged in the protection of property 
owned by the United States, and located at fa-
cilities owned by, leased, used or under the con-
trol of the United States, to carry firearms 
while in the conduct of their official duties, and, 
under regulations prescribed by the Secretary 
and approved by the Attorney General, the au-
thorization of officers and employees of the In-
stitute and of its contractors and subcontrac-
tors authorized to carry firearms hereafter to 
arrest without warrant for any offense against 
the United States committed in their presence, 
or for any felony cognizable under the laws of 
the United States if they have reasonable 
grounds to believe that the person to be ar-
rested has committed or is committing such fel-
ony, provided that such authority to make ar-
rests may be exercised only while guarding and 
protecting buildings and other plant facilities, 
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equipment, and property owned or leased by, 
used or under the control of, the United States 
under the administration and control of the 
Secretary.’’; and 
(2) by amending section 17(a) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(a) The Secretary is authorized, notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, to expend such sums, within 
the limit of appropriated funds, as the Secretary may 
deem desirable through direct support for activities of 
international organizations and foreign national metrology 
institutes with which the Institute cooperates to advance 
measurement methods, technical standards, and related 
basic technologies, for official representation, to host offi-
cial receptions, dinners, and similar events, and to other-
wise extend official courtesies, including transportation of 
foreign dignitaries and representatives of foreign national 
metrology institutes to and from the Institute, for the pur-
pose of maintaining the standing and prestige of the De-
partment of Commerce and the Institute, through the 
grant of fellowships or other appropriate form of financial 
or logistical assistance or support to foreign nationals not 
in service to the Government of the United States while 
they are performing scientific or engineering work at the 
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Institute or participating in the exchange of scientific or 
technical information at the Institute.’’. 
(b) STEVENSON-WYDLER UPDATES.—The Steven-
son-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
3701) is amended— 
(1) in section 17(c)(1)— 
(A) by moving each of subparagraphs (D) 
and (E) two ems to the left; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(G) Community.’’; and 
(2) in section 23(a)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and 
(2) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively; and 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as 
so redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(1) accept, apply for, use, and spend Federal, 
State, and nongovernmental acquisition and assist-
ance funds to further the purposes of this Act as 
well as share personnel, associates, facilities, and 
property with these partner organizations, with or 
without reimbursement, upon mutual agreement: 
Provided, That the approving official may waive 
statutory and regulatory administrative provisions so 
that a single agency may administer a joint pro-
gram, upon mutual agreement;’’. 
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(c) AMERICAN INNOVATION AND COMPETITIVENESS 
ACT UPDATE.—Section 113 of the American Innovation 
and Competitiveness Act (15 U.S.C. 278e note) is re-
pealed. 
(d) FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENT 
ACT UPDATE.—Section 4 of the Federal Energy Manage-
ment Improvement Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 5001) is 
amended by striking ‘‘Secretary of Commerce’’ and ‘‘Sec-
retary’’ each place either such term appears and inserting 
‘‘Consumer Product Safety Commission’’. 
Æ 
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