National Quality Commitment Award Act of 1993

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Quality Commitment Award 
Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to provide for the establishment and 
conduct of a national commitment to quality award program under which 
awards are given to institutions of higher education that--
            (1) teach effective total quality management;
            (2) reorient their education programs to emphasize the 
        value and prestige of pursuing careers in process manufacturing 
        engineering;
            (3) apply total quality management to the operations of 
        their institution of higher education; and
            (4) apply total quality management in their joint research 
        and development contracts with private industry.

SEC. 3. AWARD PROGRAM.

    The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:

``SEC. 22. NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AWARD PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Program Established.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out an award 
        program to be known as the National Commitment to Quality Award 
        Program.
            ``(2) Contents.--In carrying out the award program 
        described in paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                    ``(A) shall conduct a competition and make monetary 
                awards in accordance with subsection (b)(1);
                    ``(B) may make special awards in accordance with 
                subsection (b)(2); and
                    ``(C) shall provide each recipient of such a 
                monetary or special award with a medal described in 
                paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Medal.--Each recipient of an award under this section 
        shall receive a medal bearing the inscriptions `National 
        Commitment to Quality Award' and `The Quest for Excellence'. 
        The medal shall be of such design and materials and bear such 
        additional inscriptions as the Secretary may prescribe.
            ``(4) Designation.--Awards under this section shall be 
        known as National Commitment to Quality Awards.
    ``(b) Awards.--
            ``(1) Competition for monetary awards.--(A) From amounts 
        appropriated pursuant to the authority of subsection (j), the 
        Secretary shall periodically conduct a competition and make at 
        least 3 monetary awards to institutions of higher education in 
        accordance with the provisions of this section.
            ``(B) The monetary awards described in subparagraph (A) 
        shall be in an amount equal to--
                    ``(i) $3,000,000 for the institution of higher 
                education receiving first place in the competition 
                described in subparagraph (A);
                    ``(ii) $2,000,000 for the institution receiving 
                second place in such competition;
                    ``(iii) $1,000,000 for the institution receiving 
                third place in such competition; and
                    ``(iv) not more than $1,000,000 for any other such 
                institution receiving an award pursuant to such 
                competition.
            ``(2) Specialized awards.--(A) From amounts appropriated 
        pursuant to the authority of subsection (j), the Secretary may 
        award to any institution of higher education that excels in 
        teaching or practicing either total quality management or 
        process manufacturing engineering services productivity 
        improvement a specialized award.
            ``(B) The specialized award described in subparagraph (A) 
        shall be in an amount which is not more than $500,000.
            ``(3) Application fee prohibited.--The Secretary shall not 
        charge an institution of higher education a fee in order to 
        apply for or receive an award under this section.
    ``(c) Making and Presentation of Awards.--
            ``(1) In general.--The President (on the basis of 
        recommendations received from the Secretary), or the Secretary, 
        shall periodically make awards to institutions of higher 
        education which in the judgment of the President or the 
        Secretary have substantially benefited the economic and social 
        well being of the United States through activities that--
                    ``(A) teach effective total quality management 
                techniques and approaches;
                    ``(B) demonstrate continuous improvement in the 
                institution's total quality management curriculum;
                    ``(C) emphasize the value and prestige of pursuing 
                careers in process manufacturing engineering;
                    ``(D) demonstrate continuous improvement in the 
                institution's education program through application of 
                total quality management principles within the 
                institution; and
                    ``(E) demonstrate commitment and application of 
                total quality management principles in joint research 
                relationships that the institution maintains with 
                private industry.
            ``(2) Presentation ceremony.--The presentation of the 
        awards under this section shall be made by the President or the 
        Secretary with such ceremonies as the President or the 
        Secretary may deem proper.
            ``(3) Publication and ineligibility.--An institution of 
        higher education to which an award is made under this section, 
        and which agrees to help other institutions of higher education 
        improve their total quality management curriculum may publicize 
        its receipt of such award, but such institution shall be 
        ineligible to receive another such award for a period of 5 
        years.
            ``(4) Use of award.--An institution of higher education 
        receiving an award under this section shall use the proceeds of 
        such award to further improve the total quality management and 
        process manufacturing engineering curriculum of such 
        institution.
    ``(d) Award Criteria.--
            ``(1) In general.--Awards under this section shall be made 
        to qualifying institutions of higher education that place an 
        emphasis on--
                    ``(A) total quality management, including--
                            ``(i) leadership in teaching how to create 
                        a quality culture;
                            ``(ii) leadership in teaching information 
                        and analysis such as statistical process 
                        contracts for quality improvement;
                            ``(iii) the effectiveness of the 
                        institution's quality improvement program to 
                        teach integration of quality requirements into 
                        businesses' plans;
                            ``(iv) the success of the institution's 
                        efforts to teach students how to realize the 
                        full potential of the work force for quality;
                            ``(v) teaching quality awareness;
                            ``(vi) emphasis on customer satisfaction;
                            ``(vii) leadership in teaching how to 
                        integrate the total quality management 
                        philosophy; and
                            ``(viii) demonstrated success in teaching 
                        students how to instill the full potential 
                        total quality management philosophy in the work 
                        force;
                    ``(B) the importance of process manufacturing, 
                including--
                            ``(i) leadership in teaching a better 
                        understanding of market forces and industry 
                        needs, industrial processes, and manufacturing 
                        and quality practices that are driven by market 
                        pull, not science push;
                            ``(ii) leadership in developing and 
                        teaching a more accelerated approach to 
                        research, development, and manufacturing in 
                        order to teach students how to move products 
                        more quickly from the basic research phase to 
                        the commercialization phase with an emphasis on 
                        teamwork;
                            ``(iii) leadership in teaching better 
                        integration of design and production, including 
                        teaching students how to design with 
                        manufacturability in mind, and to focus on 
                        cost-effectiveness, quality reliability, 
                        simplicity, flexibility, and modularity; and
                            ``(iv) leadership in teaching students to 
                        give greater consideration to potential 
                        commercial applications in the planning and 
                        conduct of research and development through 
                        input from potential users, and closer working 
                        relationship between the national research 
                        laboratories, industry, and universities.
    ``(e) Criteria for Qualification.--
            ``(1) In general.--(A) An institution of higher education 
        may qualify for an award under this section only if such 
        institution--
                    ``(i) applies to the Secretary in writing, for the 
                award;
                    ``(ii) permits a rigorous evaluation in accordance 
                with subparagraphs (B) and (C) of the success of the 
                institution's curriculum for total quality management 
                and process manufacturing engineering; and
                    ``(iii) meets such requirements and specifications 
                as the Secretary, after receiving recommendations from 
                the board of overseers, determines to be appropriate to 
                achieve the purposes of this section.
            ``(B) In carrying out the provisions of clause (ii) of 
        subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall develop evaluation 
        criteria and procedures.
            ``(C) In applying the provisions of clause (iii) of 
        subparagraph (A) with respect to any institution of higher 
        education, the Secretary shall rely upon intensive evaluation 
        by the board of overseers which shall--
                    ``(i) review the information submitted by the 
                institution of higher education, and through a site 
                visit verify the achievements of--
                            ``(I) the total quality management 
                        curriculum and process manufacturing 
                        engineering programs of such institution; and
                            ``(II) such institution in practicing total 
                        quality management;
                    ``(ii) encompass all aspects of the institution of 
                higher education's total quality management and process 
                manufacturing engineering program, as well as such 
                institution's future goals for its total quality 
                management and process manufacturing engineering 
                curriculum; and
                    ``(iii) include an analysis of whether the 
                institution of higher education in practicing or 
                applying total quality management to its relationships 
                with industry and in its day-to-day administration of 
                the institution.
            ``(2) Contractual arrangements.--The Secretary may, under 
        appropriate contractual arrangements, carry out the Secretary's 
        responsibilities under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph 
        (1) through one or more broadbased nonprofit entities which are 
        leaders in the field of quality improvement programs and which 
        have a history of service to society.
            ``(3) Responsibilities of the board of overseers.--The 
        board of overseers shall meet annually to review the work of 
        the Secretary or the contractor and make such suggestions for 
        the improvement of the award process as such board deems 
        necessary. The board of overseers shall report the results of 
        the award activities to the Secretary each fiscal year, along 
        with its recommendations for improvement of the award process.
    ``(f) Information and Evaluation.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
each applicant for an award under this section receives the complete 
results of the evaluation of such institution conducted pursuant to 
subsection (e)(1)(ii) as well as detailed explanations of all 
suggestions for improvements. The Secretary shall also provide 
information about the awards and successful total quality management 
and process manufacturing engineering curriculum of the award-winning 
institutions of higher education to each applicant for an award under 
this section and other appropriate groups.
    ``(g) Funding.--The Secretary is authorized to seek and accept 
gifts and donations of property or services from public and private 
sources to carry out the award program assisted under this section.
    ``(h) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit to the 
President and the Congress, within 3 years after the date of the 
enactment of this section, a report on the progress, findings, and 
conclusions of activities conducted pursuant to this section along with 
a recommendation for possible modifications thereof.
    ``(i) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section--
            ``(1) the term `board of overseers' means the board of 
        overseers established pursuant to section 17(d)(2)(B) of this 
        Act for the year in which the determination is made;
            ``(2) the term `manufacturing process technology' means 
        engineering training which specializes in understanding and 
        implementing a manufacturing process under which a high quality 
        product is produced in a timely fashion, including simulative 
        engineering and the skills necessary for rapid representative 
        prototyping;
            ``(3) the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Commerce; 
        and
            ``(4) the term `total quality management' means a 
        management approach which includes--
                    ``(A) systems thinking; and
                    ``(B) statistical proces control, theories of human 
                behavior, leadership, and planning that is quality-
                driven, customer-oriented, and committed to teamwork.
    ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to 
carry out this section.''.

Summary: National Quality Commitment Award Act of 1993 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish the National Commitment to Quality Award Program involving the awarding of a medal and at least three monetary competitive awards to institutions of higher education. 
Authorizes specialized monetary awards to any institution of higher education that excels in teaching or practicing either total quality management (TQM) or process manufacturing engineering services productivity improvement.