Title: Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act of 2019
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act of 2019
This bill expands the scope of the Network for Manufacturing Innovation program, makes changes to the funding design for the centers for manufacturing innovation, and directs interagency collaboration to develop national certifications for advanced manufacturing workforce skills.
The Network for Manufacturing Innovation program established a nationwide network of centers for manufacturing innovation, each of which has a unique technological concentration. The bill expands the definition of a center for manufacturing innovation to make eligible for inclusion in the program a center that has a predominant focus on innovative sectors (e.g., food manufacturing, superconductors, and quantum information science).
The bill also strikes provisions that progressively decrease the amount of financial assistance provided to a center over a term of years and subsequently cut the center's funding entirely after seven years, replacing them with a continuing five-year, metrics-based review of a center. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Commerce to collaborate with relevant federal departments and agencies when awarding financial assistance.
The bill also authorizes Commerce to collaborate with stakeholders for the development of national certifications for advanced manufacturing workforce skills in the respective technology area of each center.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1427 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1427

  To amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to 
improve the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2019

 Mr. Coons (for himself, Mr. Gardner, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Tillis, Ms. 
Hassan, Mr. Peters, Mr. Moran, and Mr. Rubio) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to 
improve the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Leadership in Advanced 
Manufacturing Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION PROGRAM.

    (a) Centers for Manufacturing Innovation.--Subsection (c) of 
section 34 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act 
(15 U.S.C. 278s) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraphs (B) and (C)(i) of paragraph (1), by 
        striking ``and tool'' both places it appears and inserting 
        ``tool development for microelectronics, food manufacturing, 
        superconductors, advanced battery technologies, robotics, 
        advanced sensors, quantum information science, supply chain 
        water optimization, and aeronautics and advanced materials'';
            (2) in paragraph (2)(D), by striking ``and minority'' and 
        inserting ``, minority, and veteran''; and
            (3) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``, but such'' and all 
        that follows through ``under subsection (d)''.
    (b) Financial Assistance To Establish and Support Centers for 
Manufacturing Innovation.--Subsection (d) of such section is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (4)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) in clause (i), by striking ``; and'' 
                        and inserting a semicolon;
                            (ii) in clause (ii)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``, including 
                                appropriate measures for assessing the 
                                effectiveness of the activities funded 
                                with regards to the center's success in 
                                advancing the current state of the 
                                applicable advanced manufacturing 
                                technology area such as technology 
                                readiness level and manufacturing 
                                readiness level,'' after ``measures''; 
                                and
                                    (II) by striking the period at the 
                                end; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) establish standards for the 
                        performance of centers for manufacturing 
                        innovation that are based on the measures 
                        developed under clause (ii); and
                            ``(iv) for each center for manufacturing 
                        innovation supported by the award, if any, once 
                        every 5 years, conduct an assessment of the 
                        center to confirm whether the performance of 
                        the center is meeting the standards for 
                        performance established under clause (iii).'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``, including 
                the Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
                Defense, the Department of Education, the Department of 
                Energy, the Department of Labor, the Food and Drug 
                Administration, the National Aeronautics and Space 
                Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and 
                the National Science Foundation'' after 
                ``manufacturing''; and
                    (C) in subparagraph (E)--
                            (i) in clause (ii), by striking ``without 
                        the need for long-term Federal funding'';
                            (ii) in clause (iii), by striking 
                        ``significantly'';
                            (iii) in clause (v), by inserting ``and to 
                        improve the domestic supply chain'' after 
                        ``technologies''; and
                            (iv) in clause (ix), by inserting 
                        ``industrial, research, entrepreneurship, and 
                        other'' after ``leverage the'';
            (2) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) In general.--No award of financial assistance 
                may be made under paragraph (1) to support a center for 
                manufacturing innovation that the Secretary finds under 
                paragraph (4)(C) does not meet the standards for 
                performance established under paragraph (4)(C)(iii).'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) in the first sentence, by striking 
                        ``large capital facilities or equipment 
                        purchases'' and inserting ``large capital 
                        facilities, equipment purchases, workforce 
                        development, or general operations''; and
                            (ii) by striking the second sentence; and
                    (C) by striking subparagraph (C); and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Use of financial assistance.--Financial assistance 
        awarded under paragraph (1) may be used--
                    ``(A) for the purposes described in such paragraph; 
                or
                    ``(B) to carry out Program-wide activities directed 
                by the Secretary, such as activities targeting 
                workforce development.''.
    (c) Funding.--Subsection (e)(2) of such section is amended--
            (1) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows:
                    ``(A) NIST industrial technical services account.--
                To the extent provided for in advance by appropriations 
                Acts, the Secretary may use amounts appropriated to the 
                Institute for Industrial Technical Services account to 
                carry out this section as follows:
                            ``(i) For each of the fiscal years 2015 
                        through 2019, an amount not to exceed 
                        $5,000,000.
                            ``(ii) For each of fiscal years 2020 
                        through 2030, such amounts as may be necessary 
                        to carry out this section.''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``through 2024'' and 
        inserting ``through 2019''.
    (d) National Program Office.--Subsection (f) of such section is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by inserting ``coordinate with and, as 
                        appropriate,'' before ``enter''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``including the 
                        Department of Agriculture, the Department of 
                        Defense, the Department of Education, the 
                        Department of Energy, the Department of Labor, 
                        the Food and Drug Administration, the National 
                        Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
                        National Institutes of Health, and the National 
                        Science Foundation,'' after ``manufacturing,'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking ``; and'' and 
                inserting a semicolon;
                    (C) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as 
                subparagraph (J); and
                    (D) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the 
                following:
                    ``(F) to carry out pilot programs in collaboration 
                with the centers for manufacturing innovation such as a 
                laboratory-embedded entrepreneurship program;
                    ``(G) to provide support services and funding as 
                necessary to promote workforce development activities;
                    ``(H) to coordinate with centers for manufacturing 
                innovation to develop best practices for the membership 
                agreements and coordination of similar project 
                solicitations;
                    ``(I) to collaborate with the Department of Labor, 
                the Department of Education, industry, career and 
                technical education schools, local community colleges, 
                universities, and labor organizations to provide input 
                for the development of national certifications for 
                advanced manufacturing workforce skills in the 
                technology areas of the centers for manufacturing 
                innovation; and'';
            (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting ``State and local 
        governments,'' after ``community colleges,''; and
            (3) in paragraph (5)--
                    (A) by striking ``The Secretary'' and inserting the 
                following:
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Liaisons.--
                            ``(i) In general.--The Secretary may 
                        provide financial assistance to a manufacturing 
                        extension center established as part of the 
                        Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership to 
                        detail a liaison of the center to a center for 
                        manufacturing innovation to facilitate the 
                        support by the Partnership of at least the 
                        following:
                                    ``(I) Cybersecurity awareness and 
                                support services for small- and medium-
                                sized manufacturers.
                                    ``(II) Assistance with workforce 
                                development.
                                    ``(III) Technology transfer for 
                                small and medium-sized manufacturers.
                            ``(ii) Selection of liaisons.--Selection of 
                        a liaison under this subparagraph shall be made 
                        in coordination with the applicable center for 
                        manufacturing innovation.''.
    (e) Reporting and Auditing.--Subsection (g) of such section is 
amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``December 31, 2024'' 
        and inserting ``December 31, 2030''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``2 years'' and inserting 
                        ``3 years''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``2-year'' and inserting 
                        ``3-year''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``December 31, 
                2024'' and inserting ``December 31, 2030''.
    (f) Expansion.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the 
Secretary of Commerce shall increase the number of centers for 
manufacturing innovation that participate in the Network for 
Manufacturing Innovation Program.
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