[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
[H.R. 5940 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
2d Session
H. R. 5940
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 6, 2008
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To authorize activities for support of nanotechnology research and
development, 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 ``National Nanotechnology Initiative
Amendments Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY PROGRAM AMENDMENTS.
The 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7501 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by striking section 2(c)(4) and inserting the following
new paragraph:
``(4) develop, within 12 months after the date of enactment
of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of
2008, and update every 3 years thereafter, a strategic plan to
guide the activities described under subsection (b) that
specifies near-term and long-term objectives for the Program,
the anticipated time frame for achieving the near-term
objectives, and the metrics to be used for assessing progress
toward the objectives, and that describes--
``(A) how the Program will move results out of the
laboratory and into applications for the benefit of
society, including through cooperation and
collaborations with nanotechnology research,
development, and technology transition initiatives
supported by the States;
``(B) how the Program will encourage and support
interdisciplinary research and development in
nanotechnology; and
``(C) proposed research in areas of national
importance in accordance with the requirements of
section 5 of the National Nanotechnology Initiative
Amendments Act of 2008;'';
(2) in section 2--
(A) in subsection (d)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through
(5) as paragraphs (2) through (6),
respectively; and
(ii) by inserting the following new
paragraph before paragraph (2), as so
redesignated by clause (i) of this
subparagraph:
``(1) the Program budget, for the previous fiscal year, for
each agency that participates in the Program, including a
breakout of spending for the development and acquisition of
research facilities and instrumentation, for each program
component area, and for all activities pursuant to subsection
(b)(10);''; and
(B) by inserting at the end the following new
subsection:
``(e) Standards Setting.--The agencies participating in the Program
shall support the activities of committees involved in the development
of standards for nanotechnology and may reimburse the travel costs of
scientists and engineers who participate in activities of such
committees.'';
(3) by striking section 3(b) and inserting the following
new subsection:
``(b) Funding.--(1) The operation of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall be supported by funds from each agency
participating in the Program. The portion of such Office's total budget
provided by each agency for each fiscal year shall be in the same
proportion as the agency's share of the total budget for the Program
for the previous fiscal year, as specified in the report required under
section 2(d)(1).
``(2) The annual report under section 2(d) shall include--
``(A) a description of the funding required by the National
Nanotechnology Coordination Office to perform the functions
specified under subsection (a) for the next fiscal year by
category of activity, including the funding required to carry
out the requirements of section 2(b)(10)(D), subsection (d) of
this section, and section 5;
``(B) a description of the funding required by such Office
to perform the functions specified under subsection (a) for the
current fiscal year by category of activity, including the
funding required to carry out the requirements of subsection
(d); and
``(C) the amount of funding provided for such Office for
the current fiscal year by each agency participating in the
Program.'';
(4) by inserting at the end of section 3 the following new
subsection:
``(d) Public Information.--(1) The National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall develop and maintain a database accessible by
the public of projects funded under the Environmental, Health, and
Safety, the Education and Societal Dimensions, and the
Nanomanufacturing program component areas, or any successor program
component areas, including a description of each project, its source of
funding by agency, and its funding history. For the Environmental,
Health, and Safety program component area, or any successor program
component area, projects shall be grouped by major objective as defined
by the research plan required under section 3(b) of the National
Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008. For the Education and
Societal Dimensions program component area, or any successor program
component area, the projects shall be grouped in subcategories of--
``(A) education in formal settings;
``(B) education in informal settings;
``(C) public outreach; and
``(D) ethical, legal, and other societal issues.
``(2) The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office shall
develop, maintain, and publicize information on nanotechnology
facilities supported under the Program, and may include information on
nanotechnology facilities supported by the States, that are accessible
for use by individuals from academic institutions and from industry.
The information shall include at a minimum the terms and conditions for
the use of each facility, a description of the capabilities of the
instruments and equipment available for use at the facility, and a
description of the technical support available to assist users of the
facility.'';
(5) in section 4(a)--
(A) by striking ``or designate'';
(B) by inserting ``as a distinct entity'' after
``Advisory Panel''; and
(C) by inserting at the end ``The Advisory Panel
shall form a subpanel with membership having specific
qualifications tailored to enable it to carry out the
requirements of subsection (c)(7).'';
(6) in section 4(b)--
(A) by striking ``or designated'' and ``or
designating''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following: ``At least
one member of the Advisory Panel shall be an individual
employed by and representing a minority-serving
institution.'';
(7) by amending section 5 to read as follows:
``SEC. 5. TRIENNIAL EXTERNAL REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL NANOTECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall enter into an arrangement with the National
Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences to conduct a
triennial review of the Program. The Director shall ensure that the
arrangement with the National Research Council is concluded in order to
allow sufficient time for the reporting requirements of subsection (b)
to be satisfied. Each triennial review shall include an evaluation of
the--
``(1) research priorities and technical content of the
Program, including whether the allocation of funding among
program component areas, as designated according to section
2(c)(2), is appropriate;
``(2) effectiveness of the Program's management and
coordination across agencies and disciplines, including an
assessment of the effectiveness of the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office;
``(3) Program's scientific and technological
accomplishments and its success in transferring technology to
the private sector; and
``(4) adequacy of the Program's activities addressing
ethical, legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal
concerns, including human health concerns.
``(b) Evaluation To Be Transmitted to Congress.--The National
Research Council shall document the results of each triennial review
carried out in accordance with subsection (a) in a report that includes
any recommendations for ways to improve the Program's management and
coordination processes and for changes to the Program's objectives,
funding priorities, and technical content. Each report shall be
submitted to the Director of the National Nanotechnology Coordination
Office, who shall transmit it to the Advisory Panel, the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee
on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives not later
than September 30 of every third year, with the first report due
September 30, 2009.
``(c) Funding.--Of the amounts provided in accordance with section
3(b)(1), the following amounts shall be available to carry out this
section:
``(1) $500,000 for fiscal year 2009.
``(2) $500,000 for fiscal year 2010.
``(3) $500,000 for fiscal year 2011.''; and
(8) in section 10--
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Nanotechnology.--The term `nanotechnology' means the
science and technology that will enable one to understand,
measure, manipulate, and manufacture at the nanoscale, aimed at
creating materials, devices, and systems with fundamentally new
properties or functions.''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(7) Nanoscale.--The term `nanoscale' means one or more
dimensions of between approximately 1 and 100 nanometers.''.
SEC. 3. SOCIETAL DIMENSIONS OF NANOTECHNOLOGY.
(a) Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology.--The
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall designate
an associate director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy as
the Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of Nanotechnology. The
Coordinator shall be responsible for oversight of the coordination,
planning, and budget prioritization of activities required by section
2(b)(10) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(10)). The Coordinator shall, with the assistance
of appropriate senior officials of the agencies funding activities
within the Environmental, Health, and Safety and the Education and
Societal Dimensions program component areas of the Program, or any
successor program component areas, ensure that the requirements of such
section 2(b)(10) are satisfied. The responsibilities of the Coordinator
shall include--
(1) ensuring that a research plan for the environmental,
health, and safety research activities required under
subsection (b) is developed, updated, and implemented and that
the plan is responsive to the recommendations of the subpanel
of the Advisory Panel established under section 4(a) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15
U.S.C. 7503(a)), as amended by this Act;
(2) encouraging and monitoring the efforts of the agencies
participating in the Program to allocate the level of resources
and management attention necessary to ensure that the ethical,
legal, environmental, and other appropriate societal concerns
related to nanotechnology, including human health concerns, are
addressed under the Program, including the implementation of
the research plan described in subsection (b); and
(3) encouraging the agencies required to develop the
research plan under subsection (b) to identify, assess, and
implement suitable mechanisms for the establishment of public-
private partnerships for support of environmental, health, and
safety research.
(b) Research Plan.--
(1) In general.--The Coordinator for Societal Dimensions of
Nanotechnology shall convene and chair a panel comprised of
representatives from the agencies funding research activities
under the Environmental, Health, and Safety program component
area of the Program, or any successor program component area,
and from such other agencies as the Coordinator considers
necessary to develop, periodically update, and coordinate the
implementation of a research plan for this program component
area. In developing and updating the plan, the panel convened
by the Coordinator shall solicit and be responsive to
recommendations and advice from--
(A) the subpanel of the Advisory Panel established
under section 4(a) of the 21st Century Nanotechnology
Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7503(a)), as
amended by this Act; and
(B) the agencies responsible for environmental,
health, and safety regulations associated with the
production, use, and disposal of nanoscale materials
and products.
(2) Development of standards.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall include a description of how the Program
will help to ensure the development of--
(A) standards related to nomenclature associated
with engineered nanoscale materials;
(B) engineered nanoscale standard reference
materials for environmental, health, and safety
testing; and
(C) standards related to methods and procedures for
detecting, measuring, monitoring, sampling, and testing
engineered nanoscale materials for environmental,
health, and safety impacts.
(3) Components of plan.--The plan required under paragraph
(1) shall, with respect to activities described in paragraphs
(1) and (2)--
(A) specify near-term research objectives and long-
term research objectives;
(B) specify milestones associated with each near-
term objective and the estimated time and resources
required to reach each milestone;
(C) with respect to subparagraphs (A) and (B),
describe the role of each agency carrying out or
sponsoring research in order to meet the objectives
specified under subparagraph (A) and to achieve the
milestones specified under subparagraph (B);
(D) specify the funding allocated to each major
objective of the plan and the source of funding by
agency for the current fiscal year; and
(E) estimate the funding required for each major
objective of the plan and the source of funding by
agency for the following 3 fiscal years.
(4) Transmittal to congress.--The plan required under
paragraph (1) shall be submitted not later than 60 days after
the date of enactment of this Act to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Science and Technology of the House of Representatives.
(5) Updating and appending to report.--The plan required
under paragraph (1) shall be updated annually and appended to
the report required under section 2(d) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(d)).
(c) Nanotechnology Partnerships.--
(1) Establishment.--As part of the program authorized by
section 9 of the National Science Foundation Authorization Act
of 2002, the Director of the National Science Foundation shall
provide 1 or more grants to establish partnerships as defined
by subsection (a)(2) of that section, except that each such
partnership shall include 1 or more businesses engaged in the
production of nanoscale materials, products, or devices.
Partnerships established in accordance with this subsection
shall be designated as ``Nanotechnology Education
Partnerships''.
(2) Purpose.--Nanotechnology Education Partnerships shall
be designed to recruit and help prepare secondary school
students to pursue postsecondary level courses of instruction
in nanotechnology. At a minimum, grants shall be used to
support--
(A) professional development activities to enable
secondary school teachers to use curricular materials
incorporating nanotechnology and to inform teachers
about career possibilities for students in
nanotechnology;
(B) enrichment programs for students, including
access to nanotechnology facilities and equipment at
partner institutions, to increase their understanding
of nanoscale science and technology and to inform them
about career possibilities in nanotechnology as
scientists, engineers, and technicians; and
(C) identification of appropriate nanotechnology
educational materials and incorporation of
nanotechnology into the curriculum for secondary school
students at one or more organizations participating in
a Partnership.
(3) Selection.--Grants under this subsection shall be
awarded in accordance with subsection (b) of such section 9,
except that paragraph (3)(B) of that subsection shall not
apply.
(d) Undergraduate Education Programs.--
(1) Activities supported.--As part of the activities
included under the Education and Societal Dimensions program
component area, or any successor program component area, the
Program shall support efforts to introduce nanoscale science,
engineering, and technology into undergraduate science and
engineering education through a variety of interdisciplinary
approaches. Activities supported may include--
(A) development of courses of instruction or
modules to existing courses;
(B) faculty professional development; and
(C) acquisition of equipment and instrumentation
suitable for undergraduate education and research in
nanotechnology.
(2) Course, curriculum, and laboratory improvement
authorization.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Director of the National Science Foundation to carry out
activities described in paragraph (1) through the Course,
Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement program--
(A) from amounts authorized under section
7002(b)(2)(B) of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000
for fiscal year 2009; and
(B) from amounts authorized under section
7002(c)(2)(B) of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000
for fiscal year 2010.
(3) Advanced technology education authorization.--There are
authorized to be appropriated to the Director of the National
Science Foundation to carry out activities described in
paragraph (1) through the Advanced Technology Education
program--
(A) from amounts authorized under section
7002(b)(2)(B) of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000
for fiscal year 2009; and
(B) from amounts authorized under section
7002(c)(2)(B) of the America COMPETES Act, $5,000,000
for fiscal year 2010.
(e) Interagency Working Group.--The National Science and Technology
Council shall establish under the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and
Technology Subcommittee an Education Working Group to coordinate,
prioritize, and plan the educational activities supported under the
Program.
(f) Societal Dimensions in Nanotechnology Education Activities.--
Activities supported under the Education and Societal Dimensions
program component area, or any successor program component area, that
involve informal, precollege, or undergraduate nanotechnology education
shall include education regarding the environmental, health and safety,
and other societal aspects of nanotechnology.
(g) Remote Access to Nanotechnology Facilities.--(1) Agencies
supporting nanotechnology research facilities as part of the Program
shall require the entities that operate such facilities to allow access
via the Internet, and support the costs associated with the provision
of such access, by secondary school students and teachers, to
instruments and equipment within such facilities for educational
purposes. The agencies may waive this requirement for cases when
particular facilities would be inappropriate for educational purposes
or the costs for providing such access would be prohibitive.
(2) The agencies identified in paragraph (1) shall require the
entities that operate such nanotechnology research facilities to
establish and publish procedures, guidelines, and conditions for the
submission and approval of applications for the use of the facilities
for the purpose identified in paragraph (1) and shall authorize
personnel who operate the facilities to provide necessary technical
support to students and teachers.
SEC. 4. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER.
(a) Prototyping.--
(1) Access to facilities.--In accordance with section
2(b)(7) of 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development
Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(b)(7)), the agencies supporting
nanotechnology research facilities as part of the Program shall
provide access to such facilities to companies for the purpose
of assisting the companies in the development of prototypes of
nanoscale products, devices, or processes (or products,
devices, or processes enabled by nanotechnology) for
determining proof of concept. The agencies shall publicize the
availability of these facilities and encourage their use by
companies as provided for in this section.
(2) Procedures.--The agencies identified in paragraph (1)--
(A) shall establish and publish procedures,
guidelines, and conditions for the submission and
approval of applications for use of nanotechnology
facilities;
(B) shall publish descriptions of the capabilities
of facilities available for use under this subsection,
including the availability of technical support; and
(C) may waive recovery, require full recovery, or
require partial recovery of the costs associated with
use of the facilities for projects under this
subsection.
(3) Selection and criteria.--In cases when less than full
cost recovery is required pursuant to paragraph (2)(C),
projects provided access to nanotechnology facilities in
accordance with this subsection shall be selected through a
competitive, merit-based process, and the criteria for the
selection of such projects shall include at a minimum--
(A) the readiness of the project for technology
demonstration;
(B) evidence of a commitment by the applicant for
further development of the project to full
commercialization if the proof of concept is
established by the prototype; and
(C) evidence of the potential for further funding
from private sector sources following the successful
demonstration of proof of concept.
The agencies may give special consideration in selecting
projects to applications that are relevant to important
national needs or requirements.
(b) Use of Existing Technology Transfer Programs.--
(1) Participating agencies.--Each agency participating in
the Program shall--
(A) encourage the submission of applications for
support of nanotechnology related projects to the Small
Business Innovation Research Program and the Small
Business Technology Transfer Program administered by
such agencies; and
(B) through the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office and within 6 months after the date
of enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and
the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of
Representatives--
(i) the plan described in section 2(c)(7)
of the 21st Century Nanotechnology Research and
Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(c)(7)); and
(ii) a report specifying, if the agency
administers a Small Business Innovation
Research Program and a Small Business
Technology Transfer Program--
(I) the number of proposals
received for nanotechnology related
projects during the current fiscal year
and the previous 2 fiscal years;
(II) the number of such proposals
funded in each year;
(III) the total number of
nanotechnology related projects funded
and the amount of funding provided for
fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year
2007; and
(IV) a description of the projects
identified in accordance with subclause
(III) which received private sector
funding beyond the period of phase II
support.
(2) National institute of standards and technology.--The
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
in carrying out the requirements of section 28 of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n)
shall--
(A) in regard to subsection (d) of that section,
encourage the submission of proposals for support of
nanotechnology related projects; and
(B) in regard to subsection (g) of that section,
include a description of how the requirement of
subparagraph (A) of this paragraph is being met, the
number of proposals for nanotechnology related projects
received, the number of such proposals funded, the
total number of such projects funded since the
beginning of the Technology Innovation Program, and the
outcomes of such funded projects in terms of the
metrics developed in accordance with such subsection
(g).
(3) TIP advisory board.--The TIP Advisory Board established
under section 28(k) of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278n(k)), in carrying out its
responsibilities under subsection (k)(3), shall provide the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology
with--
(A) advice on how to accomplish the requirement of
paragraph (2)(A) of this subsection; and
(B) an assessment of the adequacy of the allocation
of resources for nanotechnology related projects
supported under the Technology Innovation Program.
(c) Industry Liaison Groups.--An objective of the Program shall be
to establish industry liaison groups for all industry sectors that
would benefit from applications of nanotechnology. The
Nanomanufacturing, Industry Liaison, and Innovation Working Group of
the National Science and Technology Council shall actively pursue
establishing such liaison groups.
(d) Coordination With State Initiatives.--Section 2(b)(5) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(5)) is amended to read as follows:
``(5) ensuring United States global leadership in the
development and application of nanotechnology, including
through coordination and leveraging Federal investments with
nanotechnology research, development, and technology transition
initiatives supported by the States;''.
SEC. 5. RESEARCH IN AREAS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Program shall include support for
nanotechnology research and development activities directed toward
application areas that have the potential for significant contributions
to national economic competitiveness and for other significant societal
benefits. The activities supported shall be designed to advance the
development of research discoveries by demonstrating technical
solutions to important problems in such areas as nano-electronics,
energy efficiency, health care, and water remediation and purification.
The Advisory Panel shall make recommendations to the Program for
candidate research and development areas for support under this
section.
(b) Characteristics.--
(1) In general.--Research and development activities under
this section shall--
(A) include projects selected on the basis of
applications for support through a competitive, merit-
based process;
(B) involve collaborations among researchers in
academic institutions and industry, and may involve
nonprofit research institutions and Federal
laboratories, as appropriate;
(C) when possible, leverage Federal investments
through collaboration with related State initiatives;
and
(D) include a plan for fostering the transfer of
research discoveries and the results of technology
demonstration activities to industry for commercial
development.
(2) Procedures.--Determination of the requirements for
applications under this subsection, review and selection of
applications for support, and subsequent funding of projects
shall be carried out by a collaboration of no fewer than 2
agencies participating in the Program. In selecting
applications for support, the agencies shall give special
consideration to projects that include cost sharing from non-
Federal sources.
(3) Interdisciplinary research centers.--Research and
development activities under this section may be supported
through interdisciplinary nanotechnology research centers, as
authorized by section 2(b)(4) of the 21st Century
Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)), that are organized to investigate basic research
questions and carry out technology demonstration activities in
areas such as those identified in subsection (a).
(c) Report.--Reports required under section 2(d) of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7501(d))
shall include a description of research and development areas supported
in accordance with this section, including the same budget information
as is required for program component areas under paragraphs (1) and (2)
of such section 2(d).
SEC. 6. NANOMANUFACTURING RESEARCH.
(a) Research Areas.--The Nanomanufacturing program component area,
or any successor program component area, shall include research on--
(1) development of instrumentation and tools required for
the rapid characterization of nanoscale materials and for
monitoring of nanoscale manufacturing processes; and
(2) approaches and techniques for scaling the synthesis of
new nanoscale materials to achieve industrial-level production
rates.
(b) Green Nanotechnology.--Interdiciplinary research centers
supported under the Program in accordance with section 2(b)(4) of the
21st Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C.
7501(b)(4)) that are focused on nanomanufacturing research and centers
established under the authority of section 5(b)(3) of this Act shall
include as part of the activities of such centers--
(1) research on methods and approaches to develop
environmentally benign nanoscale products and nanoscale
manufacturing processes, taking into consideration relevant
findings and results of research supported under the
Environmental, Health, and Safety program component area, or
any successor program component area;
(2) fostering the transfer of the results of such research
to industry; and
(3) providing for the education of scientists and engineers
through interdisciplinary studies in the principles and
techniques for the design and development of environmentally
benign nanoscale products and processes.
(c) Review of Nanomanufacturing Research and Research Facilities.--
(1) Public meeting.--Not later than 12 months after the
date of enactment of this Act, the National Nanotechnology
Coordination Office shall sponsor a public meeting, including
representation from a wide range of industries engaged in
nanoscale manufacturing, to--
(A) obtain the views of participants at the meeting
on--
(i) the relevance and value of the research
being carried out under the Nanomanufacturing
program component area of the Program, or any
successor program component area; and
(ii) whether the capabilities of
nanotechnology research facilities supported
under the Program are adequate--
(I) to meet current and near-term
requirements for the fabrication and
characterization of nanoscale devices
and systems; and
(II) to provide access to and use
of instrumentation and equipment at the
facilities, by means of networking
technology, to individuals who are at
locations remote from the facilities;
and
(B) receive any recommendations on ways to
strengthen the research portfolio supported under the
Nanomanufacturing program component area, or any
successor program component area, and on improving the
capabilities of nanotechnology research facilities
supported under the Program.
Companies participating in industry liaison groups shall be
invited to participate in the meeting. The Coordination Office
shall prepare a report documenting the findings and
recommendations resulting from the meeting.
(2) Advisory panel review.--The Advisory Panel shall review
the Nanomanufacturing program component area of the Program, or
any successor program component area, and the capabilities of
nanotechnology research facilities supported under the Program
to assess--
(A) whether the funding for the Nanomanufacturing
program component area, or any successor program
component area, is adequate and receiving appropriate
priority within the overall resources available for the
Program;
(B) the relevance of the research being supported
to the identified needs and requirements of industry;
(C) whether the capabilities of nanotechnology
research facilities supported under the Program are
adequate--
(i) to meet current and near-term
requirements for the fabrication and
characterization of nanoscale devices and
systems; and
(ii) to provide access to and use of
instrumentation and equipment at the
facilities, by means of networking technology,
to individuals who are at locations remote from
the facilities; and
(D) the level of funding that would be needed to
support--
(i) the acquisition of instrumentation,
equipment, and networking technology sufficient
to provide the capabilities at nanotechnology
research facilities described in subparagraph
(C); and
(ii) the operation and maintenance of such
facilities.
In carrying out its assessment, the Advisory Panel shall take
into consideration the findings and recommendations from the
report required under paragraph (1).
(3) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall submit to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House
of Representatives a report on its assessment required under
paragraph (2), along with any recommendations and a copy of the
report prepared in accordance with paragraph (1).
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, terms that are defined in section 10 of the 21st
Century Nanotechnology Research and Development Act (15 U.S.C. 7509)
have the meaning given those terms in that section.
Passed the House of Representatives June 5, 2008.
Attest:
LORRAINE C. MILLER,
Clerk.