LegiStorm

Summary:

Congress maintains a strong interest in the health of U.S. manufacturing due to its central role in the U.S. economy and national defense. In 2012, in his FY2013 budget, President Obama proposed the creation of a National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) to help accelerate innovation by investing in industrially relevant manufacturing technologies with broad applications, and to support manufacturing technology commercialization by bridging the gap between the laboratory and the market. The proposal included a request for $1 billion in mandatory funding for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for the establishment of up to 15 NNMI Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation (IMIs). No legislation to enact the President's proposal was introduced in the 112th Congress. In 2013, the President renewed his call for an NNMI in his FY2014 budget request, again seeking $1 billion in mandatory funding. In August 2013, bills entitled the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act were introduced in the House (H.R. 2996) and the Senate (S. 1468) to establish a Network for Manufacturing Innovation. H.R. 2996 passed the House in September 2014. S. 1468 was reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation in August 2014. No further legislative action was taken. In 2014, the President's FY2015 budget again sought authority and funding to establish the NNMI, including $2.4 billion in discretionary funding to establish up to 45 IMIs. In December 2014, Congress passed, and the President signed into law, the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014 (RAMI Act), as Title VII of Division B of the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235). The RAMI Act directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a Network for Manufacturing Innovation program at NIST. The RAMI Act includes provisions authorizing NIST, the Department of Energy (DOE), and other agencies to support the establishment of IMIs and establishing and providing for the operation of a Network for Manufacturing Innovation. NIST is authorized to use up to $5.0 million per year of appropriated funds for FY2015-FY2024 to carry out its responsibilities under the act. The Department of Energy is authorized, but not required, to transfer to NIST up to $250.0 million of appropriated funds over the same FY2015-FY2024 period. The Secretary of Commerce is also authorized to accept funds, services, equipment, personnel, and facilities to carry out the program. The act also establishes a National Office of the Network for Manufacturing Innovation Program at NIST to oversee and carry out the program. Prior to enactment of the RAMI Act, President Obama used existing authorities and regular appropriations of the Department of Defense (DOD) and DOE to establish several NNMI-like institutes. Under the RAMI Act, these and other institutes may be designated as part of the Network for Manufacturing Innovation. As of the date of this report, 14 IMIs have been established, eight by DOD, five by DOE, and one by the Department of Commerce. Enactment of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 (P.L. 114-113) provided a new impetus for congressional oversight as appropriations were made explicitly for the first time for the NNMI. P.L. 114-113 provides NIST with $25 million for the purpose of establishing IMIs and coordinating their activities. Among the issues of interest are the selection of focus areas for the new centers and the integration of these centers with existing ones. Another area of possible congressional attention is to the network of IMIs. While the RAMI Act specifies which new and existing institutes are eligible to be a part of the network and designates the National Program Office as "a convener of the Network," it does not further specify the purpose, federal role, and activities of the network. The Trump Administration has not yet indicated its disposition toward the NNMI program.