To clarify the types of expenses available to Regional Centers under the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership program in meeting their non-Federal funding commitment, and for other purposes.

1. Adds SEC. 1407. CLARIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH REGIONAL CENTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM at the end of title IV of division A

   Adds a section

   In S. 761 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (f) Non-Energy Inventions Program.--Section 27 of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278m) is repealed.

   Inserted: SEC. 1407. CLARIFICATION OF ELIGIBLE CONTRIBUTIONS IN CONNECTION WITH REGIONAL CENTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE HOLLINGS MANUFACTURING PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

   Inserted: Paragraph (3) of section 25(c) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k(c)(3)) is amended to read as follows:

   Inserted: "(3) Financial support.--

   Inserted: "(A) In general.--Any nonprofit institution, or group thereof, or consortia of nonprofit institutions, including entities existing on August 23, 1988, may submit to the Secretary an application for financial support under this subsection, in accordance with the procedures established by the Secretary and published in the Federal Register under paragraph (2).

   Inserted: "(B) Center contributions.--In order to receive assistance under this section, an applicant for financial assistance under subparagraph (A) shall provide adequate assurances that non-Federal assets obtained from the applicant and the applicant's partnering organizations will be used as a funding source to meet not less than 50 percent of the costs incurred for the first 3 years and an increasing share for each of the last 3 years. For purposes of the preceding sentence, the costs incurred means the costs incurred in connection with the activities undertaken to improve the management, productivity, and technological performance of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.

   Inserted: "(C) Agreements with other entities.--In meeting the 50 percent requirement, it is anticipated that a Center will enter into agreements with other entities such as private industry, universities, and State governments to accomplish programmatic objectives and access new and existing resources that will further the impact of the Federal investment made on behalf of small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies. All non-Federal costs, contributed by such entities and determined by a Center as programmatically reasonable and allocable are includable as a portion of the Center's contribution.

   Inserted: "(D) Allocation of legal rights.--Each applicant under subparagraph (A) shall also submit a proposal for the allocation of any legal right associated with any invention that may result from an activity of a Center for which such applicant receives financial assistance under this section.".

   Original wording

   At the end of title IV of division A, insert the following:

Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.

As printed