Title: Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
Advanced Technological Manufacturing Act
This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to conduct multiple pilot programs within the NSF to expand the number of institutions of higher education (including community colleges), and other eligible entities that the NSF determines appropriate, that are able to successfully compete for NSF grants.
The NSF shall review the results of the pilot programs and develop best practices for implementation across the NSF.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3704 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3704

To amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to further 
 support advanced technological manufacturing, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 13, 2020

  Mr. Wicker (for himself and Ms. Cantwell) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Scientific and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 to further 
 support advanced technological manufacturing, 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 ``Advanced Technological Manufacturing 
Act''.

SEC. 2. HARNESSING OUR NATION'S RESEARCH POTENTIAL.

    (a) Establishment.--The Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall conduct multiple pilot programs within the Foundation to expand 
the number of institutions of higher education (including such 
institutions that are community colleges), and other eligible entities 
that the Director determines appropriate, that are able to successfully 
compete for National Science Foundation grants.
    (b) Components.--Each pilot program described in subsection (a) 
shall include at least one of the following elements:
            (1) A mentorship program.
            (2) Grant writing technical assistance.
            (3) Targeted outreach.
            (4) Programmatic support or solutions for institutions or 
        entities that do not have an experienced grant management 
        office.
            (5) Appropriate reduction of administrative burdens.
            (6) An increase in the number of grant reviewers from 
        institutions of higher education that have not traditionally 
        received funds from the National Science Foundation.
    (c) Agency-Wide Programs.--Not later than 5 years after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Director of the National Science Foundation 
shall--
            (1) review the results of the pilot programs described in 
        subsection (a); and
            (2) include agency-wide best practices from the pilot 
        programs when implementing the criteria required under section 
        203(c) of the Academic Research Facilities Modernization Act of 
        1988 (42 U.S.C. 1862b(c)).
    (d) Institution of Higher Education.--In this section, the term 
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in 
section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

SEC. 3. ADVANCED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL MANUFACTURING.

    (a) Findings and Purpose.--Section 2 of the Scientific and 
Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862h) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3), by striking ``science, 
                mathematics, and technology'' and inserting ``science, 
                technology, engineering, and mathematics or STEM'';
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``trained'' and 
                inserting ``educated''; and
                    (C) in paragraph (5), by striking ``scientific and 
                technical education and training'' and inserting ``STEM 
                education and training''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``mathematics and 
                science'' and inserting ``STEM fields''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ``mathematics and 
                science instruction'' and inserting ``STEM 
                instruction''.
    (b) Modernizing References to STEM.--Section 3 of the Scientific 
and Advanced-Technology Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 1862i) is amended--
            (1) in the section heading, by striking ``scientific and 
        technical education'' and inserting ``stem education'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
                ``Scientific and Technical Education'' and inserting 
                ``STEM Education'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``core education courses in 
                        science and mathematics'' and inserting ``core 
                        education courses in STEM fields''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``veterans and 
                        individuals engaged in'' before ``work in the 
                        home'';
                    (C) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and study'' after 
                        ``development''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``core science and 
                        mathematics courses'' and inserting ``core STEM 
                        courses'';
                    (D) in paragraph (2), by striking ``science, 
                mathematics, and advanced-technology fields'' and 
                inserting ``STEM and advanced-technology fields'';
                    (E) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting ``to 
                        support the advanced-technology industries that 
                        drive the competitiveness of the United States 
                        in the global economy'' before the semicolon at 
                        the end; and
                            (ii) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
                        inserting the following:
                    ``(B) provide for private sector donations, faculty 
                opportunities to have short-term assignments with 
                industry, equipment loans, and the cooperative use of 
                laboratories, plants, and other facilities, and 
                provision for state-of-the-art work experience 
                opportunities for students enrolled in such programs; 
                and'';
                    (F) in paragraph (4), by striking ``scientific and 
                advanced-technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and 
                advanced-technology fields''; and
                    (G) in paragraph (5), by striking ``advanced 
                scientific and technical education'' and inserting 
                ``advanced STEM and advanced-technology'';
            (3) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking the subsection heading and 
                inserting the following: ``Centers of Scientific and 
                Technical Education.--'';
                    (B) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``not to exceed 10 in number'' and inserting 
                ``in advanced-technology fields'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``education in 
                mathematics and science'' and inserting ``STEM 
                education''; and
                    (D) in the flush matter following paragraph (2), by 
                striking ``in the geographic region served by the 
                center'';
            (4) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking the matter 
                                preceding clause (i) and inserting the 
                                following: ``The Director shall make 
                                grants to eligible partnerships to 
                                encourage the development of career and 
                                educational pathways with multiple 
                                entry and exit points leading to 
                                credentials and degrees, and to assist 
                                students pursuing pathways in STEM 
                                fields to transition from associate-
                                degree-granting colleges to bachelor-
                                degree-granting institutions, through 
                                such means as--'';
                                    (II) in clause (i), by striking 
                                ``to ensure'' and inserting ``to 
                                develop articulation agreements that 
                                ensure''; and
                                    (III) in clause (ii), by striking 
                                ``courses at the bachelor-degree-
                                granting institution'' and inserting 
                                ``the career and educational pathways 
                                supported by the articulation 
                                agreements'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B)--
                                    (I) in clause (i), by inserting 
                                ``veterans and individuals engaged in'' 
                                before ``work in the home'';
                                    (II) in clause (iii)--
                                            (aa) by striking 
                                        ``bachelor's-degree-granting 
                                        institutions'' and inserting 
                                        ``institutions or work sites''; 
                                        and
                                            (bb) by inserting ``or 
                                        industry internships'' after 
                                        ``summer programs''; and
                                    (III) by striking the flush text 
                                following clause (iv); and
                            (iii) by striking subparagraph (C);
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``mathematics and science'' 
                        and inserting ``STEM'';
                            (ii) by striking ``mathematics and science 
                        education'' and inserting ``STEM education'';
                            (iii) by striking ``science and advanced-
                        technology fields'' and inserting ``STEM and 
                        advanced-technology fields''; and
                            (iv) by striking ``agreements with local 
                        educational agencies'' and inserting 
                        ``articulation agreements or dual credit 
                        courses with local secondary schools''; and
                    (C) by striking paragraph (3) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(3) Mentor training grants.--The Director shall establish 
        a program to encourage and make grants available to 
        institutions of higher education that award associate degrees 
        to recruit and train individuals from STEM fields to mentor 
        students who are described in section 33 or 34 of the Science 
        and Engineering Equal Opportunities Act (42 U.S.C. 1885a or 
        1885b) in order to assist those students in identifying, 
        qualifying for, and entering higher-paying technical jobs in 
        those fields.'';
            (5) in subsection (g), by striking the second sentence;
            (6) in subsection (i)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (3); and
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (4) and (5) as 
                paragraphs (3) and (4), respectively; and
            (7) in subsection (j)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(1) the term `advanced-technology' includes technological 
        fields such as advanced manufacturing, agricultural-, 
        biological- and chemical-technologies, energy and environmental 
        technologies, engineering technologies, information 
        technologies, micro- and nano-technologies, cybersecurity 
        technologies, geospatial technologies, and new, emerging 
        technology areas;'';
                    (B) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the 
                following:
            ``(2) the term `associate-degree-granting college' means an 
        institution of higher education (as defined in section 102 of 
        the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)) that offers 
        a 2-year associate-degree program or 2-year certificate 
        program;'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``as determined 
                under section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965'' 
                and inserting ``as defined in section 102 of the Higher 
                Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002)'';
                    (D) in paragraph (4), by striking ``separate 
                bachelor-degree-granting institutions'' and inserting 
                ``other entities'';
                    (E) by striking paragraph (7);
                    (F) by redesignating paragraphs (8) and (9) as 
                paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; and
                    (G) in paragraph (8), as redesignated by 
                subparagraph (F)--
                            (i) by striking ``mathematics, science, 
                        engineering, or technology'' and inserting 
                        ``science, technology, engineering, or 
                        mathematics''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``and cybersecurity'' 
                        after ``computer science''.
                                 <all>