Technology Administration Authorization Act of 2003

Mr. President, today, Senator Smith and I and others introduce the Money Follows the Person Act of 2003. This legislation is needed to truly bring people with disabilities and older Americans into the mainstream of society and provide equal opportunity for employment and community activities.

In order to work or live in their own homes, Americans with Disabilities and older Americans need access to community-based services and supports. Unfortunately, under current Federal Medicaid policy, the deck is stacked in favor of living in an institution. The purpose of our bill is to level the playing field and give eligible individuals equal access to community-based services and supports.

Under our legislation, the Medicaid money paid by States and the Federal Government would follow the person with a disability from an institution into the community. This legislation provides 100 percent Federal reimbursement for the community services that an individual needs during the first year that they move out of an institution or nursing home. By fully reimbursing the States, it gives them some additional resources to allow people with disabilities and older Americans to choose to live in the community.

President Bush first proposed the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Initiative in his FY '04 budget and indicated that the demonstration project would provide full Federal reimbursement for community services for the first year that an individual moves out of an institution or nursing home. As of this date, the administration has not suggested legislative language to Congress or provided specific details regarding the implementation of the proposal. Working with the disability community, we have drafted this legislation and look forward to working with the administration and our colleagues to enact the Money Follows the Person concept into law.

We have a Medicaid system in this country that is spending 70 percent of its dollars on institutional care and only 30 percent on community services. This bill is an important step toward switching those numbers around.

It is shameful that our Federal dollars are being spent to segregate people, not integrate them. It has been 13 years since we passed the Americans with Disabilities Act, which said no to segregation. But our Medicaid program says yes and we need to change it. This is the next civil rights battle. If we really meant what we said in the ADA in 1990, we should enact this legislation.

The civil right of a person with a disability to be integrated into his or her community should not depend on his or her address. In Olmstead v. LC, the Supreme Court recognized that needless institutionalization is a form of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act. We in Congress have a responsibility to help States meet their obligations under Olmstead. An individual should not be asked to move to another state in order to avoid needless segration. They also should not be moved away from family and friends because their only choice is an institution.

For example, I know a young man in Iowa, Ken Kendall, who is currently living in a nursing home because he cannot access home and community based care. Ken was injured in a serious accident at the age of 17 and sustained a spinal chord injury. With the help of community based services covered by his insurance company, Ken could live in his home in Iowa City. Remaining independent made a tremendous difference in his life.

However, several years ago, Ken lost his health insurance and after a time, he went onto Medicaid. As a Medicaid recipient, Ken was only given the option to live in a nursing home in Waterloo almost 2 hours from his friends and family in Iowa City. In the nursing home, Ken has become isolated. He is very far from his family and friends and does not have access to transportation. He had not been to a restaurant or a movie since he moved to the nursing home over 2 years ago. His life has dramatically changed from when he lived in his own apartment and hired his own attendants to care for him.

Recently Ken wrote to me that he finally went to dinner and a movie for his 30th birthday. He said ``I was almost in tears. I felt like I had a real life again.''

This bill would give people like Ken a real life and not just on their birthdays. People like Ken should not have to continue waiting to be able to live in the community and enjoy the opportunities that other Americans take for granted.

Federal Medicaid policy should reflect the consensus reached in the ADA that Americans with Disabilities should have equal opportunity to contribute to our communities and participate in our society as full citizens. That means no one has to sacrifice their full participation in society because they need help getting out of the house in the morning or assistance with personal care or some other basic service.

This bill will open the door to full participation by people with disabilities and older Americans in our neighborhoods, our communities, our workplaces, and our American Dream, and I urge all my colleagues to support us on this issue. I want to thank Senator Smith for his commitment to improving access to home and community based services for people with disabilities. I would also like to thank Senators Kennedy, Lautenberg and Kerry for joining me in this important initiative.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senator Brownback in introducing the Technology Administration Authorization Act of 2003. This legislation would authorize funding for the Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Office of Technology Policy, and the Office of Space Commercialization.

As we begin the 21st Century, we must recognize that technology is a vital key to our world leadership. In addition, technology is the engine that drives our economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 2.5 million new jobs between 2000 and 2010, just in the field of information technology alone. According to the Department of Commerce, the contribution of the high-tech industry to the U.S. economy has doubled over the past 10 years, from 4.2 percent to 8.3 percent of the gross domestic product. Information technology has contributed more than one-third of the real U.S. economic growth, or approximately $170 billion.

The Technology Administration has broad responsibilities including supporting the development of standards for first responders, promotion of space commercialization, publication of technical documents, and development of policies regarding technology transfer. The quality of work conducted at NIST labs in Gaithersburg, MD, and Boulder, CO, is evident by the awarding of two Nobel Prizes to NIST researchers, Dr. Bill Phillips and Dr. Eric Cornell, within the past seven years.

NIST plays an important role in developing measurement methods, standards, and technologies that improve U.S. competitiveness in fields as diverse as chemical engineering, manufacturing, electronics, metallurgy, and physics. In addition, NIST is charged with the mission in our Constitution of setting, ``the Standard of Weights and Measures'' that are the foundation of our economy. NIST also runs the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program that recognizes performance excellence and quality. Recently, NIST has been charged with a number of new missions, including cyber security research and development, election reform, investigating the collapse of the World Trade Center, and developing metrology for the promising new field of nanotechnology. However, these new initiatives have diverted resources from NIST's traditional missions, and forced scientists to be laid off due to reduced funding. Given NIST's recognized leadership as a ``world class'' science institution, it is important that we ensure that it is adequately funded.

This legislation would authorize the Technology Administration from Fiscal Years 2004 through 2008 to ensure a steady funding stream for this agency's activities. The bill is based on the President's budget request for NIST's laboratory activities, and includes funding increases of six percent per year to offset the deteriorating funding situation.

The legislation also would authorize funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, (MEP), Program. As Secretary Evans recently stated, ``[m]anufacturing is a key pillar of our economy and we are committed to enhancing growth opportunities for our American manufacturing companies.'' I commend the Secretary for his recognition of the need to energize the manufacturing sector to restore robust growth to our economy. With this recognition in mind, I urge the Administration to be aware of the role that MEP can play in restoring the health of this sector. MEP centers aid small and medium-sized manufacturers by offering expertise, needs evaluation, training and information dissemination to help these companies deal with the challenges of globalization and weak economic growth.

I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is important that we reauthorize these programs to ensure that they continue to carry out their critical role in our Nation's economy.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I am pleased to be joined by Senator Brownback in introducing the Technology Administration Authorization Act of 2003. This legislation would authorize funding for the Department of Commerce's Technology Administration, which includes the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Office of Technology Policy, and the Office of Space Commercialization.

As we begin the 21st Century, we must recognize that technology is a vital key to our world leadership. In addition, technology is the engine that drives our economy. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there will be 2.5 million new jobs between 2000 and 2010, just in the field of information technology alone. According to the Department of Commerce, the contribution of the high-tech industry to the U.S. economy has doubled over the past 10 years, from 4.2 percent to 8.3 percent of the gross domestic product. Information technology has contributed more than one-third of the real U.S. economic growth, or approximately $170 billion.

The Technology Administration has broad responsibilities including supporting the development of standards for first responders, promotion of space commercialization, publication of technical documents, and development of policies regarding technology transfer. The quality of work conducted at NIST labs in Gaithersburg, MD, and Boulder, CO, is evident by the awarding of two Nobel Prizes to NIST researchers, Dr. Bill Phillips and Dr. Eric Cornell, within the past seven years.

NIST plays an important role in developing measurement methods, standards, and technologies that improve U.S. competitiveness in fields as diverse as chemical engineering, manufacturing, electronics, metallurgy, and physics. In addition, NIST is charged with the mission in our Constitution of setting, ``the Standard of Weights and Measures'' that are the foundation of our economy. NIST also runs the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Program that recognizes performance excellence and quality. Recently, NIST has been charged with a number of new missions, including cyber security research and development, election reform, investigating the collapse of the World Trade Center, and developing metrology for the promising new field of nanotechnology. However, these new initiatives have diverted resources from NIST's traditional missions, and forced scientists to be laid off due to reduced funding. Given NIST's recognized leadership as a ``world class'' science institution, it is important that we ensure that it is adequately funded.

This legislation would authorize the Technology Administration from Fiscal Years 2004 through 2008 to ensure a steady funding stream for this agency's activities. The bill is based on the President's budget request for NIST's laboratory activities, and includes funding increases of six percent per year to offset the deteriorating funding situation.

The legislation also would authorize funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, (MEP), Program. As Secretary Evans recently stated, ``[m]anufacturing is a key pillar of our economy and we are committed to enhancing growth opportunities for our American manufacturing companies.'' I commend the Secretary for his recognition of the need to energize the manufacturing sector to restore robust growth to our economy. With this recognition in mind, I urge the Administration to be aware of the role that MEP can play in restoring the health of this sector. MEP centers aid small and medium-sized manufacturers by offering expertise, needs evaluation, training and information dissemination to help these companies deal with the challenges of globalization and weak economic growth.

I would urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is important that we reauthorize these programs to ensure that they continue to carry out their critical role in our Nation's economy.

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 17, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. to conduct a hearing on ``regulatory oversight of government sponsored enterprise accounting practices.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. on pending Committee business.

agenda

S. 1389, Surface Transportation Board (STB) Reauthorization

(Mary Phillips/Rob Freeman/Debbie Hersman)

S.______, Federal Railroad Safety Improvement Act (Mary

Phillips/Rob Freeman/Debbie Hersman)

S. 1250, The Enhanced 911 Emergency Communications Act of

2003 (Paul Martino/James Assey/Rachel Welch)

S.______, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

(NOAA) Reauthorization (Drew Minkiewicz/Floyd DesChamps/

Margaret Spring)

S.______, Ocean and Coastal Observation Systems Act (Drew

Minkiewicz/Margaret Spring)

S.______, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) Reform Act

of 2003 (Ken Nahigian/David Strickland/Matthew Morrissey)

S. 1395, Technology Administration Reauthorization (Floyd

DesChamps/Ken LaSala/Jean Toal Eisen)

Nomination of Nicole Nason (PN 613), of Virginia, to be

Assistant Secretary for Governmental Affairs, for the

Department of Transportation (Rob Chamberlin/Virginia Pounds/

Sam Whitehorn/Carl Bentzel)

Nomination of Pamela Harbour (PN 710), of New York, to be a

Federal Trade Commissioner (Pablo Chavez/Virginia Pounds/

David Strickland)

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 17, at 9:30 a.m.

This is the second in a series of hearings devoted to the improved understanding of the governance of the Department of Energy laboratories and approaches to optimize the capability of those laboratories to respond to national needs.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 17 at 9:30 a.m. to examine the importation of exotic species and the impact on public health and safety.

The meeting will take place in SD 406 (Hearing room).

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 10 a.m. to hear testimony on Nursing Home Quality Revisited: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 17, 2003 at 9:30 a.m. to hold a hearing on Benefits for U.S. Victims of International Terrorism.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Governmental Affairs be authorized to meet on Thursday, July 17, 2003, at 9:30 a.m. for a hearing entitled ``Nowhere to Turn: Must Parents Relinquish Custody in Order to Secure Mental Health Services for Their Children?, Part Two: Government Response.''