“Taken from House Conference Report 104-863
FY 1997 House Report…”

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL RESEARCH AND SERVICES

The conference agreement includes $268,000,000 for the internal (core) research account of the National Institute of Standards and Technology as proposed in the House bill, instead of $270,400,000 as proposed in the Senate-reported bill.

The conference agreement adopts the allocation of funds provided in this account as delineated in the House report, with the following exception. The conference agreement assumes that, of the amounts provided, $1,200,000 is provided for NIST to expand its activities related to a national resource construction program utilizing natural resources.

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY SERVICES

The conference agreement includes $320,000,000 for the NIST external research account instead of $200,400,000 as proposed in the House bill and $159,900,000 as proposed in the Senate-reported bill.

Of the amounts provided, $95,000,000 is for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program instead of $89,900,000 as proposed in the House bill and $99,000,000 as proposed in the Senate-reported bill. Language is included in the bill to allow one additional year of support for manufacturing technology centers which have already existed for six years. The Senatereported bill proposed a three year extension of support for these centers. The House bill contained no extension. The conference agreement reflects the belief that this matter is most appropriately addressed through the authorization process. The conference agreement has included the funding increase above the House in order to allow continued funding of these centers for one year.

The conference agreement provides $225,000,000 for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), instead of $110,500,000 as proposed in the House bill and $60,000,000 as proposed in the Senate-reported bill. The conference agreement deletes limitations included in the House and Senatereported bills restricting the use of funds provided for this program.

CONSTRUCTION OF RESEARCH FACILITIES

The conference agreement provides no appropriation for the NIST Construction account instead of $15,000,000 as proposed in the Senatereported bill. The House bill recommended no appropriation for this account.

The conference agreement also includes, at the end of this title, the rescission of $16,000,000 of prior year carryover amounts from this account. The result of the conference action will allow NIST to obligate $27,600,000 under this account for fiscal year 1997. The conference agreement adopts the recommendations included in the Senate report allowing these funds to be used only for maintenance and necessary fire and safety upgrades for existing NIST facilities, and for the completion of the Advanced Chemical Sciences Laboratory at the NIST Gaithersburg campus. The conferees expect NIST to follow the direction included in both the House and Senate reports regarding an evaluation of NIST's long-term facilities requirements.