I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 250
To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal manufacturing 
research and development efforts in manufacturing, strengthen existing 
programs to assist manufacturing innovation and education, and expand 
outreach programs for small and medium-sized manufacturers, and for 
other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 6, 2005
Mr. EHLERS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Science 
A BILL 
To establish an interagency committee to coordinate Federal 
manufacturing research and development efforts in man-
ufacturing, strengthen existing programs to assist manu-
facturing innovation and education, and expand outreach 
programs for small and medium-sized manufacturers, 
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 ‘‘Manufacturing Tech-
nology Competitiveness Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE AND ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE. 
(a) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.—
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The President shall es-
tablish or designate an interagency committee on 
manufacturing research and development, which 
shall include representatives from the Office of 
Science and Technology Policy, the National Insti-
tute of Standards and Technology, the Science and 
Technology Directorate of the Department of Home-
land Security, the National Science Foundation, the 
Department of Energy, and any other agency that 
the President may designate. The Interagency Com-
mittee shall be chaired by the Under Secretary of 
Commerce for Technology. 
(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Interagency Committee 
shall be responsible for the planning and coordina-
tion of Federal efforts in manufacturing research 
and development through—
(A) establishing goals and priorities for 
manufacturing research and development, in-
cluding the strengthening of United States 
manufacturing through the support and coordi-
nation of Federal manufacturing research, de-
velopment, technology transfer, standards, and 
technical training;
(B) developing, within 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, and updating 
every 3 years for delivery with the President’s 
annual budget request to Congress, a strategic 
plan, to be transmitted to the Committee on 
Science of the House of Representatives and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate, for manufac-
turing research and development that includes 
an analysis of the research, development, tech-
nology transfer, standards, technical training, 
and integration needs of the manufacturing sec-
tor important to ensuring and maintaining 
United States competitiveness; 
(C) proposing an annual coordinated inter-
agency budget for manufacturing research and 
development to the Office of Management and 
Budget; and 
(D) developing and transmitting to Con-
gress an annual report on the Federal programs 
involved in manufacturing research, develop-
ment, technical training, standards, and inte-
gration, their funding levels, and their impacts 
on United States manufacturing competitive-
ness, including the identification and analysis of
the manufacturing research and development 
problems that require additional attention, and 
recommendations of how Federal programs 
should address those problems. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS AND VIEWS.—In car-
rying out its functions under paragraph (2), the 
Interagency Committee shall consider the rec-
ommendations of the Advisory Committee and the 
views of academic, State, industry, and other entities 
involved in manufacturing research and develop-
ment. 
(b) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.—
(1) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—Not 
later 
than 
months after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
President shall establish or designate an advisory 
committee to provide advice and information to the 
Interagency Committee. 
(2) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Advisory Com-
mittee shall assist the Interagency Committee by 
providing it with recommendations on—
(A) the goals and priorities for manufac-
turing research and development; 
(B) the strategic plan, including proposals 
on how to strengthen research and development 
to help manufacturing; and
(C) other issues it considers appropriate. 
(3) REPORT.—The Advisory Committee shall 
provide an annual report to the Interagency Com-
mittee and the Congress that shall assess—
(A) the progress made in implementing the 
strategic plan and challenges to this progress; 
(B) the effectiveness of activities under the 
strategic plan in improving United States man-
ufacturing competitiveness; 
(C) the need to revise the goals and prior-
ities established by the Interagency Committee; 
and 
(D) new and emerging problems and op-
portunities affecting the manufacturing re-
search community, research infrastructure, and 
the measurement and statistical analysis of 
manufacturing that may need to be considered 
by the Interagency Committee. 
(4) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT AP-
PLICATION.—Section 14 of the Federal Advisory 
Committee Act shall not apply to the Advisory Com-
mittee.
SEC. 3. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH 
PILOT GRANTS. 
The National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Act is amended—
(1) by redesignating the first section 32 as sec-
tion 34 and moving it to the end of the Act; and 
(2) by inserting before the section moved by 
paragraph (1) the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 33. COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING RESEARCH 
PILOT GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—
‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Director shall es-
tablish a pilot program of awards to partnerships 
among participants described in paragraph (2) for 
the purposes described in paragraph (3). Awards 
shall be made on a peer-reviewed, competitive basis. 
‘‘(2) PARTICIPANTS.—Such partnerships shall 
include at least—
‘‘(A) 1 manufacturing industry partner; 
and 
‘‘(B) 1 nonindustry partner. 
‘‘(3) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program 
under this section is to foster cost-shared collabora-
tions among firms, educational institutions, research 
institutions, State agencies, and nonprofit organiza-
tions to encourage the development of innovative,