‘‘(D) Recruitment of a diverse manufac-
turing workforce, including through outreach to 
underrepresented populations, including individ-
uals identified in section 33 or section 34 of the 
Science and Engineering Equal Opportunities 
Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a, 1885b). 
‘‘(E) Any other result the Director deter-
mines will advance the objective set forth in sec-
tions 25(c) or 26. 
‘‘(i) PROGRAM CONTRIBUTION.—Recipients of awards 
under this section shall not be required to provide a match-
ing contribution. 
‘‘(j) GLOBAL MARKETPLACE PROJECTS.—In making 
an award under this section, the Director, in consultation 
with the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Advisory 
Board and the Secretary, may take into consideration 
whether an application has significant potential for en-
hancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized 
United States manufacturers in the global marketplace. 
‘‘(k) DURATION.—The Director shall ensure that the 
duration of an award under this section is aligned and con-
sistent with a Center’s cooperative agreement established in 
section 25(e). 
‘‘(l) REPORT.—After the completion of the pilot pro-
gram under subsection (b) and not later than October 1, 
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2024, the Director shall submit to Congress a report that 
includes— 
‘‘(1) a summary description of what activities 
were funded and the measurable outcomes of such ac-
tivities; 
‘‘(2) a description of which types of activities 
under paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and 
supported under, the program under section 25; 
‘‘(3) a description of which types of activities 
under paragraph (1) could be integrated into, and 
supported under, the competitive awards program 
under section 25A; and 
‘‘(4) a recommendation, supported by a clear ex-
planation, as to whether the pilot program should be 
continued.’’. 
SEC. 402. UPDATE TO MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PART-
NERSHIP. 
(a) ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS.—Section 25(l) of the Na-
tional Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 
U.S.C. 278k(l)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(l) ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In addition to such sums as 
may be appropriated to the Secretary and Director to 
operate the Program, the Secretary and Director may 
also accept funds from other Federal departments and 
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agencies, as well as funds provided by the private sec-
tor 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 purpose 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 Ex-
tension Partnership Centers serving manufactur-
ers of such market or sector is five or fewer; and 
‘‘(C) such Manufacturing Extension Part-
nership Center or Centers has received a positive 
evaluation in the most recent evaluation con-
ducted pursuant to subsection (g).’’. 
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(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 Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 7801)), community colleges, and area ca-
reer and technical education schools, including 
those in underserved and rural communities,’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (7)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and local colleges’’ and 
inserting ‘‘local high schools and local col-
leges, including those in underserved and 
rural communities,’’; and 
(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 education 
schools,’’ and inserting ‘‘and local high schools, com-
munity colleges, and area career and technical edu-
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cation schools, including those in underserved and 
rural communities,’’. 
(c) SUPPORTING AMERICAN MANUFACTURING.—Sec-
tion 25 of the National Institute of Standards and Tech-
nology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)(5)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or consortium thereof,’’; 
and 
(B) by inserting ‘‘or a consortium thereof’’ 
before the period at the end of the sentence; 
(2) in subsection (c)(4), by inserting ‘‘United 
States-based’’ before ‘‘industrial’’; 
(3) in subsection (d)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘at 
United States-based industrial facilities, includ-
ing small and medium manufacturing compa-
nies’’ before ‘‘based’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘United 
States-based’’ before ‘‘companies’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘United 
States-based’’ before ‘‘small’’; 
(4) in subsection (f)(5)(B)(i), by inserting ‘‘in 
the United States’’ before the semicolon at the end of 
the clause; and 
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(5) in subsection (n)(1)(A), by inserting ‘‘United 
States-based’’ before ‘‘small’’. 
(d) AMENDING THE MEP COMPETITIVE AWARDS PRO-
GRAM.—Section 25A(c)(2) of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k-1(c)(2)) is 
amended by inserting ‘‘United States’’ before ‘‘manufactur-
ers’’. 
SEC. 403. NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN DATABASE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN 
DATABASE.—The Director of the National Institute of 
Standards and Technology (referred to in this section as 
‘‘NIST’’) shall establish and maintain a National Supply 
Chain Database. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the National Supply 
Chain Database shall be to assist the Federal government 
and industry sectors in minimizing disruptions to the 
United States supply chain by having an assessment of 
United States manufacturers’ capabilities. 
(c) STUDY ON NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN DATABASE.— 
In establishing the National Supply Chain Database, the 
Director of NIST shall consider the findings and rec-
ommendations from the study authorized in section 9413 
of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 
2021 (Public Law 116–283), including measures to secure 
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and protect the National Supply Chain Database from ad-
versarial attacks and vulnerabilities. 
(d) DATABASE
AND
MANUFACTURING
EXTENSION 
PARTNERSHIP.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The National Supply Chain 
Database shall be carried out and managed through 
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
program and the Director of NIST shall ensure that 
the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership 
Centers are connected to the National Supply Chain 
Database. 
(2) CAPABILITIES.—The National Supply Chain 
Database shall be capable of providing a national 
view of the supply chain and enable authorized data-
base users to determine in near real-time the United 
States manufacturing capabilities for critical prod-
ucts, including defense supplies, food, and medical de-
vices, including personal protective equipment. 
(3) 
INDIVIDUAL
STATE
DATABASES.—Each 
State’s supply chain database maintained by the 
NIST-recognized Manufacturing Extension Partner-
ship Center within the State shall be complementary 
in design to the National Supply Chain Database. 
(e) MAINTENANCE OF NATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN DATA-
BASE.—The Director of NIST, acting through the Hollings 
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Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, shall 
maintain the National Supply Chain Database as an inte-
gration of the State level databases from each State’s Manu-
facturing Extension Partnership Center and may be popu-
lated with information from past, current, or potential Cen-
ter clients. 
(f) EXEMPT FROM PUBLIC DISCLOSURE.—The Na-
tional Supply Chain Database and any information related 
to it not publicly released by NIST shall be exempt from 
public disclosure under section 552 of title 5, United States 
Code, and access to non-public content shall be limited to 
the contributing company and Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership Center staff who sign an appropriate non-dis-
closure agreement. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 
funds authorized to the Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Partnership Program, $10,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
years 2022 through 2026 are authorized to carry out this 
Act. 
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Union Calendar No. 177 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4609 
[Report No. 117–247] 
A BILL 
To reauthorize the National Institute of Standards 
and Technology, and for other purposes. 
FEBRUARY 18, 2022 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
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