I 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6661 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish an award program to 
honor achievements in nanotechnology, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 30, 2008 
Mr. LIPINSKI (for himself and Mr. AKIN) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Science and Technology, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of Commerce to establish an award 
program to honor achievements in nanotechnology, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Nanotechnology Inno-
vation and Prize Competition Act of 2008’’. 
SEC. 2. NANOTECHNOLOGY AWARD PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM
ESTABLISHED.—The Secretary of 
Commerce shall establish a program to award prizes to 
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eligible persons described in subsection (b) for achieve-
ment in 1 or more of the following applications of 
nanotechnology: 
(1) Improvement of the environment, consistent 
with the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry of 
the Environmental Protection Agency. 
(2) Development of alternative energy that has 
the potential to lessen the dependence of the United 
States on fossil fuels. 
(3) Improvement of human health, consistent 
with regulations promulgated by the Food and Drug 
Administration of the Department of Health and 
Human Services. 
(4) Development of consumer products. 
(5) Advancement in the field of nanoelectronics. 
(b) ELIGIBLE PERSON.—An eligible person described 
in this subsection is— 
(1) an individual who is— 
(A) a citizen or legal resident of the 
United States; or 
(B) a member of a group that includes 
citizens or legal residents of the United States; 
or 
(2) an entity that is incorporated and maintains 
its primary place of business in the United States. 
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(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Commerce 
shall establish a board to administer the program es-
tablished under subsection (a). 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The board shall be com-
posed of not less than 15 and not more than 21 
members appointed by the President, of whom— 
(A) not less than 1 shall— 
(i) be a representative of the interests 
of academic, business, and nonprofit orga-
nizations; and 
(ii) have expertise in— 
(I) the field of nanotechnology; or 
(II) administering award com-
petitions; and 
(B) not less than 1 shall be from each of— 
(i) the Department of Energy; 
(ii) the Environmental Protection 
Agency; 
(iii) the Food and Drug Administra-
tion of the Department of Health and 
Human Services; 
(iv) the National Institutes of Health 
of the Department of Health and Human 
Services; 
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(v) the National Institute for Occupa-
tional Safety and Health of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services; 
(vi) the National Institute of Stand-
ards and Technology of the Department of 
Commerce; and 
(vii) the National Science Foundation. 
(d) AWARDS.—The board established under sub-
section (c) shall make awards under the program estab-
lished under subsection (a) as follows: 
(1) FINANCIAL PRIZE.—The board may hold a 
financial award competition and award a financial 
award in an amount determined before the com-
mencement of the competition to the first competitor 
to meet such criteria as the board shall establish. 
(2) RECOGNITION PRIZE.—The board may rec-
ognize an eligible person for superlative achievement 
in 1 or more nanotechnology applications described 
in subsection (a). The award shall not include any 
financial remuneration. 
(e) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) 
CONTRACTING.—The 
board 
established 
under subsection (c) may contract with a private or-
ganization to administer a financial award competi-
tion described in subsection (d)(1). 
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(2) SOLICITATION OF FUNDS.—A member of 
the board or any administering organization with 
which the board has a contract under paragraph (1) 
may solicit funds from a private person to be used 
for a financial award under subsection (d)(1). 
(3) LIMITATION
ON
PARTICIPATION
OF
DO-
NORS.—The board may allow a donor who is a pri-
vate person described in paragraph (2) to participate 
in the determination of criteria for an award under 
subsection (d), but such donor may not solely deter-
mine the criteria for such award. 
(4) NO ADVANTAGE FOR DONATION.—A donor 
who is a private person described in paragraph (2) 
shall not be entitled to any special consideration or 
advantage with respect to participation in a financial 
award competition under subsection (d)(1). 
(f) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Federal Gov-
ernment may not acquire an intellectual property right in 
any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such 
product or idea in any competition under subsection 
(d)(1). 
(g) LIABILITY.—The board established under sub-
section (c) may require a competitor in a financial award 
competition under subsection (d)(1) to waive liability 
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against the Federal Government for injuries and damages 
that result from participation in such competition. 
(h) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each year, the board estab-
lished under subsection (c) shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the program established under subsection (a). 
(i) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated sums for the program 
established under subsection (a) as follows: 
(1) For administration of prize competitions 
under subsection (d), $750,000 for each fiscal year. 
(2) For the awarding of a financial prize award 
under subsection (d)(1), in addition to any amounts 
received under subsection (e)(2), $2,000,000 for 
each fiscal year. 
Æ 
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