In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Electronic Commerce Technology
Promotion Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Electronic commerce has been widely embraced by
industry, both in the United States and abroad. The volume of
commerce conducted over the Internet, though almost nonexistent
just a few years ago, is expected to top $1 trillion by 2003,
according to market research reports. Continued growth of this
market is vital to the economy of the United States as well as
the global economy.
(2) United States industries are at the forefront of this
global revolution, continually evolving and innovating to
respond to rapidly changing market needs and conditions.
Agility and flexibility are essential elements in their
abilities to compete and adapt. These are also the elements
required for the electronic commerce market to sustain its
current phenomenal growth rate.
(3) The Federal Government should facilitate the growth of
electronic commerce by allowing the private sector to continue
to take the lead in developing this dynamic global market, and
refraining from undue regulatory measures whenever possible.
The Government should unambiguously support the development of
electronic commerce as a market-driven phenomenon, yet also
signal its strong desire to promote and facilitate the growth
of the electronic commerce market.
(4) An important enabler for global electronic commerce is
the ability of different systems to communicate and exchange
data, referred to as system interoperability. The continued
growth of electronic commerce depends on a fundamental set of
technical standards that enable essential technologies to
interoperate, and on a policy and legal framework that supports
the development that the market demands in a timely manner.
(5) Prompt adoption and deployment of relevant electronic
commerce technologies and systems by Federal agencies allow the
Government to share in the benefits of the electronic commerce
revolution, which can result in reduced cost and increased
efficiency, as well as improved quality.
(6) Usage of the technologies will enable the Government to
participate more directly and effectively as an active
contributor in the collaborative efforts spearheaded by the
private sector to develop the frameworks and standards
necessary for systems and components to interoperate. This has
the added benefit of allowing the Government to intercede as
necessary in a timely manner, either in failure conditions or
to remove barriers erected by foreign governments.
(7) In actively deploying such technologies, the United
States leadership in electronic commerce is strengthened and,
at the same time, establishes a model for other governments and
enables the growth of the global electronic commerce market.
(8) Traditionally, small- and medium-sized enterprises play
a critical role in enhancing the gross domestic product
associated with a growing economic sector. Electronic commerce
technologies have the potential to enable these businesses to
enter the market with lower entry costs and compete more
effectively. The United States Government has an inherent
interest in ensuring that electronic commerce technologies are
deployed widely by these small- and medium-sized businesses so
that they can remain competitive in the global economy.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Center.--The term ''Center'' means the Center of
Excellence for Electronic Commerce.
(2) Director.--The term ''Director'' means the Director of
the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(3) Interoperability.--The term ''interoperability'' means
the ability of different software systems, applications, and
services to communicate and exchange data in a predictable and
consistent manner.
(4) Interoperability specification.--The term
''interoperability specification'' means the technical
documents developed by formal domestic and international
standard organizations, industry consortia, and any other
informal industry collaborations, for the purpose of creating
interoperable systems and technologies.
(5) Institute.--The term ''Institute'' means the National
Institute of Standards and Technology.
(6) Matrix organization.--The term ''matrix organization''
means an organizational structure that is built based on
coordinating the needed resources and expertise from other
existing functional organizations.

SEC. 4. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to enable the electronic commerce market to continue
its current growth rate and realize its full potential by
supporting the development of relevant standards and
interoperability specifications;
(2) to signal strong support of the electronic commerce
market by promoting the use of electronic commerce technologies
within Federal Government agencies; and
(3) to establish a Center of Excellence in Electronic
Commerce at the National Institute of Standards and Technology,
which will act as a central resource for the Federal
Government, promote the use of electronic commerce
technologies, and represent the Government interest in private
sector collaborative efforts to develop electronic commerce
technologies and interoperability specifications.

SEC. 5. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR ELECTRONIC COMMERCE.

(a) Establishment.--The Director shall establish an office within
the Institute to be known as the Center of Excellence for Electronic
Commerce. The Center shall be organized as a matrix organization built
upon existing expertise and resources at the Institute.
(b) Functions.--The Center shall--
(1) act as the centralized resource of information for
Federal agencies in electronic commerce technologies and
issues;
(2) provide guidance to the Office of Management and Budget
in developing policies pertaining to electronic commerce;
(3) promote the use of electronic commerce technologies
within Federal agencies and small- and medium-sized businesses;
and
(4) ensure that the interests of the United States
Government are appropriately represented at both domestic and
international meetings pertaining to the setting of
interoperability specifications for electronic commerce
technologies.
(c) Activities.--In carrying out subsection (b), the Center shall--
(1) work with all the affected parts of the Institute,
develop a plan for all efforts related to electronic commerce
at the Institute, and coordinate these activities on an ongoing
basis to achieve the stated functions;
(2) coordinate and lead an inter-agency working group to
address issues related to the introduction and deployment of
electronic commerce technologies and systems in the Federal
Government;
(3) develop systems guidelines and reference
implementations for use by Federal agencies which utilize
electronic commerce interoperability specifications, consistent
with section 2(b)(13) of the National Institute of Standards
and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 272(b)(13)) and section 12(d) of
the National Technology Transfer and Advancement Act of 1995
(15 U.S.C. 272 nt);
(4) advise the Secretary of Commerce upon encountering
abusive uses of standards as barriers to trade or as unfair
commercial practices in the domestic and international arenas
in the areas of electronic commerce; and
(5) lead a coordinated effort with the Department of
Commerce's Manufacturing Extension Program and with the Small
Business Administration, consistent with the respective
agencies' missions, to provide technical assistance to small-
and medium-sized businesses on issues related to the deployment
and use of electronic commerce technologies, including
developing training modules and software toolkits.

SEC. 6. REPORTS.

(a) In General.--Within 6 months after the enactment of this Act,
the Undersecretary of Technology shall submit a report to the Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Science of the House of Representatives on the following
issues concerning electronic commerce:
(1) Current efforts and activities on electronic commerce
in the Institute.
(2) The current status of deployment of electronic commerce
technologies in the Federal agencies, including any future
plans.
(3) Issues Federal agencies are expected to encounter in
widespread deployment of electronic commerce technologies.
(4) Any legislative revisions to existing Federal programs
necessary to support the advancement of electronic commerce in
both the Federal Government and industry.
(b) Report.--Within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Director of the Institute, in collaboration with the inter-agency
working group referred to in section 5(c)(2), shall submit a report to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives detailing
the plan, proposed schedule, and associated costs and benefits for the
deployment of electronic commerce technologies in the Federal agencies.
Requires a report from: (1) the Undersecretary of Technology on issues concerning electronic commerce; and (2) the Director detailing the plan, proposed schedule, and associated costs and benefits for the deployment of electronic commerce technologies in Federal agencies.