S.Amdt. 2516

SA 2516. Mr. PETERS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to
amendment SA 2282 submitted by Mr. Inhofe (for himself and Mr. McCain)
and intended to be proposed to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize
appropriations for fiscal year 2019 for military activities of the
Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the appropriate place in title VIII, insert the
following:

SEC. ___. PLAN TO MAINTAIN STRATEGIC INFLUENCE AND
PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CENTERS THAT COMPRISE THE
NETWORK FOR MANUFACTURING INNOVATION.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Centers for manufacturing innovation that comprise the
Network for Manufacturing Innovation, known as
``Manufacturing USA'', allow manufacturing partners of the
Department of Defense to better achieve their missions by--
(A) rapidly transitioning science and technology by
completing sponsored projects and advancing concepts through
prototype development;
(B) lowering risk for technology insertion by applying new
manufacturing processes to reduce cycle times and utilizing
tools to support legacy systems;
(C) scaling up advanced manufacturing by identifying
domestic sources for components and materials and advancing
new technologies from prototype to limited-scale production;
and
(D) increasing knowledge in the advanced manufacturing
ecosystem by leading training programs and convening experts
from industry, academia, and government into one networked
community.
(2) As such centers transition past the period of initial
funding and plan for continuation, they will reach decision
points that carry implications for whether Federal Government
goals remain a focus and are achieved.
(3) Without influence from the Department, there is risk
that such centers may choose not to pursue United States-
centric program goals, such as developing domestic workforce
or innovation capacity, or they may even start to advance the
interests of competitor counties who are able to offer
funding and influence.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Secretary of Defense should develop a deliberate
approach to ensure an enduring focus of centers described in
paragraph (1) of subsection (a) on United States-centric
goals is maintained at each center after the initial funding
described in paragraph (2) of such subsection expire;
(2) any plans of the Secretary for maintaining strategic
influence and partnership with the such centers should be
robust and accommodate the different operational models and
technology-specific needs of each center; and
(3) any plans of the Secretary for continued partnership
with such centers should ensure the centers remain as part of
the Network for Manufacturing Innovation.
(c) Plan Required.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to
the congressional defense committees a plan to maintain
strategic influence and partnerships with the centers that
comprise the Network for Manufacturing Innovation established
under section 34 of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278s) as they transition out of
their initial agreements with the Secretary and remain as
part of such network.
______