146 
cies, whose missions contribute to or are af-
fected by advanced manufacturing, to carry out 
the purposes described in subsection (a)(2); 
‘‘(C) to develop, not later than 1 year after 
the date of the enactment of the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology Authoriza-
tion Act of 2014, and update not less frequently 
than once every 3 years thereafter, a strategic 
plan to guide the Program; 
‘‘(D) to establish such procedures, proc-
esses, and criteria as may be necessary and ap-
propriate to maximize cooperation and coordi-
nate of the activities of the Program with pro-
grams and activities of other Federal depart-
ments and agencies whose missions contribute 
to or are affected by advanced manufacturing; 
‘‘(E) to establish a clearinghouse of public 
information related to the activities of the Pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(F) to act as a convener of the Network. 
‘‘(3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—In developing and 
updating the strategic plan under paragraph (2)(C), 
the Secretary shall solicit recommendations and ad-
vice from a wide range of stakeholders, including in-
dustry, small and medium-sized manufacturing en-
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147 
terprises, research universities, community colleges, 
and other relevant organizations and institutions. 
‘‘(4) REPORT
TO
CONGRESS.—The Secretary 
shall transmit the strategic plan required under 
paragraph (2)(C) to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the 
House of Representatives. 
‘‘(5) HOLLINGS
MANUFACTURING
EXTENSION 
PARTNERSHIP.—The Secretary shall ensure that the 
National Program Office incorporates the Hollings 
Manufacturing Extension Partnership into Program 
planning to ensure that the results of the Program 
reach small and medium-sized entities. 
‘‘(6) DETAILEES.—Any Federal Government 
employee may be detailed to the National Program 
Office without reimbursement. Such detail shall be 
without interruption or loss of civil service status or 
privilege. 
‘‘(f) REPORTING AND AUDITING.— 
‘‘(1) ANNUAL REPORTS TO THE SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
require recipients of financial assistance under 
subsection (d)(1) to annually submit a report to 
the Secretary that describes the finances and 
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performance of the center for manufacturing in-
novation for which such assistance was award-
ed. 
‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall include— 
‘‘(i) an accounting of expenditures of 
amounts awarded to the recipient under 
subsection (d)(1); and 
‘‘(ii) a description of the performance 
of the center for manufacturing innovation 
with respect to— 
‘‘(I) its goals, plans, financial 
support, and accomplishments; and 
‘‘(II) how the center for manu-
facturing innovation has furthered the 
purposes 
described 
in 
subsection 
(a)(2). 
‘‘(2) ANNUAL REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently 
than once each year, the Secretary shall submit 
a report to Congress that describes the per-
formance of the Program during the most re-
cent 1-year period. 
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‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each report submitted 
under subparagraph (A) shall include, for the 
period covered by the report— 
‘‘(i) a summary and assessment of the 
reports received by the Secretary under 
paragraph (1); 
‘‘(ii) an accounting of the funds ex-
pended by the Secretary under the Pro-
gram; and 
‘‘(iii) an assessment of the Program 
with respect to the purposes described in 
subsection (a)(2). 
‘‘(3) TRIENNIAL ASSESSMENT BY GAO.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—Not less frequently 
than once every 3 years, the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress an assessment of the operation of the 
Program during the most recent 3-year period. 
‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—Each assessment sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall include, 
for the period covered by the report— 
‘‘(i) a review of the management, co-
ordination, and industry utility of the Pro-
gram; 
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‘‘(ii) an assessment of the extent to 
which the Program has furthered the pur-
poses described in subsection (a)(2); and 
‘‘(iii) such recommendations for legis-
lative and administrative action as the 
Comptroller General considers appropriate 
to improve the Program. 
‘‘(g) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITIES.— 
‘‘(1) APPOINTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND CON-
TRACTS.—The Secretary may appoint such per-
sonnel and enter into such contracts, financial as-
sistance agreements, and other agreements as the 
Secretary considers necessary or appropriate to 
carry out the Program including support for re-
search and development activities involving a center 
for manufacturing innovation. 
‘‘(2) TRANSFER
OF
FUNDS.—The Secretary 
may transfer to other Federal agencies such sums as 
the Secretary considers necessary or appropriate to 
carry out the Program. 
‘‘(3) AUTHORITY OF OTHER AGENCIES.—In the 
event that the Secretary exercises the authority to 
transfer funds to another agency under paragraph 
(2), such agency may award and administer all as-
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pects of financial assistance awards under this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(4) USE OF RESOURCES.—In furtherance of 
the purposes of the Program, the Secretary may use, 
with the consent of a covered entity and with or 
without reimbursement, the land, services, equip-
ment, personnel, and facilities of such covered entity. 
‘‘(5) ACCEPTANCE OF RESOURCES.—In addition 
to amounts appropriated to carry out the Program, 
the Secretary may accept funds, services, equipment, 
personnel, and facilities from any covered entity to 
carry out the Program. 
‘‘(6) COVERED ENTITY.—For purposes of this 
subsection, a covered entity is any Federal depart-
ment, Federal agency, instrumentality of the United 
States, State, local government, tribal government, 
territory or possession of the United States, or of 
any political subdivision thereof, or international or-
ganization, or any public or private entity or indi-
vidual. 
‘‘(h) PATENTS.—Chapter 18 of title 35, United 
States Code, shall not apply if financial assistance is 
awarded under this section solely for the purpose of plan-
ning, establishing, or supporting new or existing centers 
for manufacturing innovation. 
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‘‘(i) FUNDING.— 
‘‘(1) NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVA-
TION FUND.— 
‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is estab-
lished in the Treasury of the United States a 
fund to be known as the ‘Network for Manufac-
turing Innovation Fund’ (referred to in this 
paragraph as the ‘Fund’). 
‘‘(B) ELEMENTS.—There shall be depos-
ited in the Fund, which shall constitute the as-
sets of the Fund, amounts appropriated or oth-
erwise made available to carry out the Program. 
‘‘(C) AVAILABILITY.—Amounts deposited 
in the Fund shall be available to the Secretary, 
at the discretion of the Secretary, or the Sec-
retary’s delegee, to carry out the Program with-
out further appropriation and without fiscal 
year limitation. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There 
is 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated 
$600,000,000 to the Secretary to carry out this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(3) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—The Sec-
retary may use not more than 5 percent of the 
amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (2) to 
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pay the salaries, expenses, and other administrative 
costs incurred by the Secretary under this section.’’. 
SEC. 405. HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PART-
NERSHIP. 
Section 25 of the National Institute of Standards and 
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k) is amended to read as 
follows: 
‘‘SEC. 25. HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PART-
NERSHIP. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, through the 
Director shall provide assistance for the creation and 
support of regional manufacturing extension centers 
for the transfer of manufacturing technology and 
best business practices. These centers shall be 
known as the ‘Hollings Manufacturing Extension 
Centers’ (in this Act referred to as the ‘Centers’). 
The program under this section shall be known as 
the ‘Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership’. 
‘‘(2) AFFILIATIONS.—Such Centers shall be af-
filiated with any United States-based public or non-
profit institution or organization, or group thereof, 
that applies for and is awarded financial assistance 
under this section. 
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‘‘(3) OBJECTIVE.—The objective of the pro-
gram is to enhance productivity, competitiveness, 
and technological performance in United States 
manufacturing through— 
‘‘(A) the transfer of manufacturing tech-
nology and techniques to Centers and, through 
them, to manufacturing companies throughout 
the United States; 
‘‘(B) the participation of individuals from 
industry, institutions of higher education, State 
governments, other Federal agencies, and, when 
appropriate, the Institute in cooperative tech-
nology transfer activities; 
‘‘(C) efforts to make new manufacturing 
technology and processes usable by United 
States-based small and medium-sized compa-
nies; 
‘‘(D) the active dissemination of scientific, 
engineering, technical, and management infor-
mation about manufacturing to industrial firms, 
including small and medium-sized manufac-
turing companies; 
‘‘(E) the development of new partnerships, 
networks, and services that will assist small and 
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medium-sized manufacturing companies expand 
into new markets, including global markets; 
‘‘(F) the utilization, when appropriate, of 
the expertise and capability that exists in Fed-
eral laboratories other than the Institute; and 
‘‘(G) the provision to community colleges 
and area career and technical education schools 
of information about the job skills needed in 
small and medium-sized manufacturing busi-
nesses in the regions they serve. 
‘‘(b) ACTIVITIES.—The activities of the Centers shall 
include— 
‘‘(1) the establishment of automated manufac-
turing systems and other advanced production tech-
nologies, based on research by the Institute and 
other entities, for the purpose of demonstrations and 
technology transfer; 
‘‘(2) assistance to Federal agencies in sup-
porting United States-based manufacturing by iden-
tifying and providing technical assistance to small 
and medium-sized manufacturers to help them meet 
Federal agency procurement and acquisition needs; 
‘‘(3) the active transfer and dissemination of re-
search findings and Center expertise to a wide range 
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of companies and enterprises, particularly small and 
medium-sized manufacturers; and 
‘‘(4) the facilitation of collaborations and part-
nerships between small and medium-sized manufac-
turing companies and community colleges and area 
career and technical education schools to help such 
colleges and schools better understand the specific 
needs of manufacturers and to help manufacturers 
better understand the skill sets that students learn 
in the programs offered by such colleges and schools. 
‘‘(c) 
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE
AND
REQUIRE-
MENTS.— 
‘‘(1) FINANCIAL SUPPORT.—The Secretary may 
provide financial support to any Center created 
under subsection (a) for an initial period of 5 years, 
which may be renewed for an additional 5-year pe-
riod. The Secretary may provide to a Center up to 
50 percent of the capital and annual operating and 
maintenance funds required to create and maintain 
such Center. 
‘‘(2) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall im-
plement, review, and update the sections of the Code 
of Federal Regulations related to this section at 
least once every 5 years. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.— 
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