“Taken from House Conference Report 105-405
FY 1998 House Report…”

MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE, JUSTICE, AND STATE, THE JUDICIARY, AND RELATED AGENCIES FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1998, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY ADMINISTRATION

UNDER SECRETARY FOR TECHNOLOGY/OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY POLICY

SALARIES AND EXPENSES

The conference agreement includes $8,500,000 for the Technology Administration (TA), as proposed in the House bill, instead of $8,800,000 as proposed in the Senate bill. Of this amount, $1,600,000 is for the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (EPSCoT), and bill language is included making these funds available for two years as recommended in the House bill. In addition, the conference agreement adopts the recommendations in both the House and Senate reports denying funds for any new foreign policy initiatives. However, the conference agreement assumes the TA will continue existing agreements at no more than the current level of support, but the conferees direct the Technology Administration not to enter into any new international technology agreements, expand any existing agreements, or extend any expiring agreements. The conferees would be willing to permit the TA to provide technical assistance to other agencies, more appropriately involved in foreign assistance programs, for such agreements, provided TA is fully reimbursed from funds from other Federal sources outside the Department of Commerce's budget.