[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5555 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5555
To establish a manufacturing cluster program, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 12, 2021
Mr. Delgado (for himself and Mr. Rodney Davis of Illinois) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Science, Space, and
Technology, and Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such
provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a manufacturing cluster program, 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; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Manufacturing
American Dynamism in Entrepreneurship and Harnessing Education to
Retool Employees Act'' or the ``MADE HERE Act''.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) a strong domestic manufacturing base is a national
security priority and advances in manufacturing technology,
workforce development, and supply chains contribute to the
resilience of the defense industrial base;
(2) the manufacturing workforce is aging with no new
generation rising up to replace them;
(3) the median age of manufacturing workers is above
average and rising at a higher rate than the general workforce;
(4) this is a national security threat, as well as a threat
to the economic prosperity of the United States;
(5) there is a shortage of manufacturing and technology
educators;
(6) there are many workers with some technical or
manufacturing skills who are unemployed or underemployed
because they lack the right skills or certifications to work in
advanced manufacturing;
(7) such workers include former employees of low-skilled
manufacturing plants that have closed, as well as veterans
leaving military service;
(8) many manufacturing businesses are using legacy
equipment with cyber vulnerabilities and do not have recently
trained employees to bring newer equipment online;
(9) strengthening the innovation pipeline from fundamental
research to technology development to entrepreneurial training
can lead to new products, processes, and business models for
manufacturers; and
(10) expanding the creation and utilization of
manufacturing clusters for technology, economic, and workforce
development is critical for the future of American
competitiveness.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``covered agency'' means each of the following
Federal agencies:
(A) The National Institute of Standards and
Technology.
(B) The Department of Energy.
(C) The Department of Defense.
(2) The term ``Director'' means the Director of the Office
of Science and Technology Policy.
(3) The term ``eligible manufacturing cluster'' means a
manufacturing cluster that consists of--
(A) entities with physical presence in the United
States and with majority United States ownership; and
(B) at least two of the following:
(i) Institutions of higher education.
(ii) High schools.
(iii) Service member and veteran education
programs carried out by the Secretary of
Defense.
(iv) Private sector companies, including
small- and medium-sized manufacturers.
(v) Nonprofit organizations, including
Labor organizations.
(vi) State and local government agencies.
(vii) Federally funded entities including
the Manufacturing USA Institutes and
Manufacturing Extension Partnership, national
laboratories, and FFRDC's.
(viii) Other entities at the discretion of
the Director.
(4) The term ``manufacturing cluster'' means a geographic
concentration of companies and institutions within a particular
field of manufacturing that engage or propose to engage
collaboratively in workforce development, technology
development, supply chain sourcing, and other activities.
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY ENTITY.
(a) In General.--The Director shall establish or designate an
interagency entity (hereinafter referred to as the ``entity'') to
oversee and coordinate the activities of manufacturing cluster programs
at Federal agencies. The entity shall be chaired by the Director of the
Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology, the Secretary of Energy, and the
Secretary of Defense.
(b) Members.--The entity established under subsection (a) shall be
appointed by representatives of Federal entities and may include
representatives of the following (or successor entities):
(1) The Office of Advanced Manufacturing of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology.
(2) The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for
Acquisition and Sustainment of the Department of Defense.
(3) The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for
Research and Engineering of the Department of Defense.
(4) The Advanced Manufacturing Office of the Office of
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the Department of
Energy.
(5) The Center for Devices and Radiological Health of the
Food and Drug Administration.
(6) The Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the
Economic Development Administration of the Department of
Commerce.
(7) The National Science Foundation.
(8) The Workforce Investment Boards of the Department of
Labor.
(9) Not fewer than five State Workforce Investment Boards
from geographically diverse regions of the United States.
(10) The Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education
of the Department of Education.
(11) The Transition Assistance Program of the Department of
Veterans Affairs.
(12) Representatives of additional entities, as the
Director may specify.
(c) Coordination.--In convening the entity, the Director of OSTP is
encouraged to consider overlap and coordination with existing
committees, subcommittees, or other groups under the National Science
and Technology Council such as the Committee on Technology Advanced
Manufacturing Subcommittee.
(d) Duties.--The duties of the entity are the following:
(1) Developing specific goals and priorities for
manufacturing cluster programs based on the National Strategic
Plan for Advanced Manufacturing.
(2) Providing guidance to agencies relating to the
competitive selection process and selection criteria for
manufacturing clusters.
(3) Facilitating coordination among manufacturing cluster
programs throughout the Federal Government.
(4) Providing guidance to, and facilitating best practices
sharing among, Federal agencies hosting manufacturing cluster
programs on mentoring, training, courses, and other resources
provided to clusters.
(e) Reports.--Beginning one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act and triennially thereafter, the entity shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a report on all manufacturing
cluster programs carried out pursuant to this Act. Such report shall
include--
(1) an overview of the activities of the manufacturing
clusters; and
(2) an assessment of the progress of such clusters in
advancing the goals and priorities developed by the entity.
(f) Application of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply with respect to
the entity.
(g) Sunset.--The entity shall terminate on December 31, 2031.
SEC. 4. MANUFACTURING CLUSTER PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--The head of each covered agency shall establish a
manufacturing cluster program under which the head of such covered
agency, over three distinct phases described in subsection (d), awards
resources and grants to, or enter cooperative agreements with eligible
manufacturing clusters.
(b) Selection.--
(1) Selection criteria.--
(A) In general.--The head of each covered agency
shall, taking into account guidance issued by the
entity established under section 3, establish selection
criteria for the selection of resource and grant
recipients under the manufacturing cluster program
established by such agency. Such criteria shall
include--
(i) the collaborativeness of the proposal,
as evidenced by whether the proposed activities
inherently benefit from collaboration between
two or more member entities in a cluster, such
as shared training programs or facilities,
collaborative research, development, and
demonstration, or shared supply chain
development;
(ii) the innovativeness of the idea, as
determined by the review panel under paragraph
(2);
(iii) the ability of the cluster to carry
out the proposal;
(iv) the impact of the proposed activity on
the local, regional, and national manufacturing
economy and workforce;
(v) the sustainability and long-term impact
of the proposed cluster; and
(vi) the degree to which the proposal aims
to leverage, coordinate with, and is
strategically aligned with ongoing efforts,
such as--
(I) voluntary education programs of
the Department of Defense under part 68
of title 32, Code of Federal
Regulations;
(II) Manufacturing USA Institutes;
(III) Manufacturing Extension
Partnerships initiatives, including the
State Policy Academy;
(IV) the Investing in Manufacturing
Communities Partnership sites;
(V) the Manufacturing Technology
Program of the Department of Defense
established under section 2521 of title
10, United States Code;
(VI) State workforce investment
programs; and
(VII) additional criteria as
specified by the Director.
(B) Matching funds.--The selection criteria
established under subparagraph (A) may include the
amount of matching funds available. Proposals shall not
be required to include the provision of matching funds
by the cluster receiving the grant involved.
(2) Review panel.--
(A) In general.--The head of each covered agency
shall each appoint a review panel, to be comprised of
not fewer than 9 individuals that are experts in
advanced manufacturing, to evaluate manufacturing
cluster proposals based on the criteria set by such
head of a covered agency under paragraph (1)(A) and to
recommend eligible manufacturing clusters to such head
of each covered agency for selection for each phase of
the program.
(B) Outside entity.--The head of each covered
agency may contract with an outside entity to
administer a competitive selection process based on the
criteria established by the head of each covered agency
under paragraph (1)(A).
(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible manufacturing cluster may use grant
funds under paragraphs (2) and (3) of subsection (d) to--
(1) develop and deploy training and educational programs
and facilities to benefit multiple cluster members;
(2) fund efforts with respect to supply chain sourcing and
innovation;
(3) fund collaborative research, development, and
demonstration;
(4) develop shared infrastructure or resources for
production, transportation, cybersecurity, and workforce
development among members of the cluster;
(5) convene workshops and other forums to improve alignment
among participants in the regional manufacturing economy; and
(6) strengthen ties and relationships within the cluster
and assess the impact of the cluster on the region.
(d) Program Phases.--
(1) Phase 1.--
(A) In general.--For the first phase of the program
(referred to in this section as ``Phase 1''), the head
of each covered agency shall select eligible
manufacturing clusters for an award described in
subparagraph (C) for the purpose of assisting such
eligible manufacturing clusters in the development of a
detailed implementation plan for each proposal
submitted under subparagraph (B).
(B) Application.--An eligible manufacturing cluster
applying for Phase 1 shall submit an application
containing a description of--
(i) the members of the cluster;
(ii) the needs of the local, regional, and
national manufacturing economy and workforce
that the cluster intends to address;
(iii) a proposal for activities described
in subsection (c) to address such needs; and
(iv) a plan for transition of manufacturing
cluster activities to the private sector.
(C) Award.--The head of each covered agency may
provide an eligible manufacturing cluster selected for
an award under Phase 1 mentoring, training, and courses
to cover topics including--
(i) problem selection and curation;
(ii) iterative refinement based on feedback
from potential beneficiaries to ensure plans
are tailored to regional needs or problem;
(iii) development of effective teams;
(iv) validation of the repeatability and
scalability of the plan; and
(v) other entrepreneurial best practices.
(2) Phase 2.--
(A) In general.--For the second phase of the
program (referred to in this section as ``Phase 2''),
the head of each covered agency shall select eligible
manufacturing clusters for an award described in
subparagraph (C) for the purpose of implementing the
plan submitted under subparagraph (B).
(B) Application.--An eligible manufacturing cluster
applying for Phase 2 shall submit an application
containing--
(i) a description of--
(I) the members of the cluster;
(II) the needs of the local,
regional, and national manufacturing
economy and workforce that the cluster
intends to address; and
(III) a proposal for activities
described in subsection (c) to address
such needs;
(ii) with respect to Phase 1, a description
of mentoring and training activities and an
analysis of whether such use was successful;
and
(iii) a detailed implementation plan for
such proposal.
(C) Award.--
(i) In general.--The head of each covered
agency may award an eligible manufacturing
cluster selected for an award under phase 2--
(I) a grant of not more than
$3,000,000 over a 3-year period to
execute the plan described in
subparagraph (B)(ii); and
(II) mentoring, training, and
courses described in paragraph (1)(C)
that the head of such agency determines
appropriate to assist in the execution
of such plan.
(3) Phase 3.--
(A) In general.--For the third phase of the program
(referred to in this section as ``Phase 3''), the head
of each covered agency shall select eligible
manufacturing clusters for an award described in
subparagraph (C) for the purpose of continuing the
activities of the cluster under Phase 2.
(B) Application.--
(i) Timing.--Not earlier than 2 years after
the date on which an eligible manufacturing
cluster receives funds under Phase 2, such
eligible manufacturing cluster may apply for
Phase 3.
(ii) Content.--To apply for Phase 3, an
eligible manufacturing cluster shall submit a
report containing a description of the
activities of such cluster under Phase 2 and
the impacts of such activities, including--
(I) a list of the organizations and
individuals served by such activities;
(II) facilities built or dedicated;
(III) technologies, curricula, and
educational programs developed;
(IV) extent of coordination with
existing Federal, State, and local
government resources;
(V) extent of coordination with
private sector entities; and
(VI) the success of Phase 2 and an
assessment of whether the award would
enable new development and success.
(C) Award.--The head of each covered agency may
award an eligible manufacturing cluster selected for an
award under Phase 3--
(i) a grant of not more than $10,000,000
over a 5-year period to continue the activities
of the eligible manufacturing cluster under
Phase 2; and
(ii) mentoring, training, and courses
described in paragraph (1)(C) that the head of
such agency determines appropriate to assist in
the execution of such activities.
(e) Report.--For each eligible manufacturing cluster selected for
Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3, the relevant head of each covered agency
shall make public a report describing--
(1) the members of the eligible manufacturing cluster;
(2) a description of the proposed activities;
(3) a description of how the proposed activities meet the
country's strategic needs for advanced manufacturing; and
(4) if applicable, a description of the activities of the
cluster under the prior phase of the program.
(f) Mentor, Training, and Course Resources.--
(1) Contract authority.--The head of each covered agency
may enter into a memorandum of understanding with another
Federal agency or contract with an entity outside the Federal
Government to carry out the mentoring, training, and courses
under each phase of the program.
(2) Costs.--The head of each covered agency shall cover the
cost of participation in mentoring, training, and courses,
including necessary travel expenses, for each applicant
selected under each phase of the program.
(3) Limitations.--The head of each covered agency may
restrict the number of individuals from each cluster selected
under this paragraph that are allowed to participate in
mentoring, training, and courses under each phase of the
program to not fewer than 3 individuals.
(g) Funding.--
(1) Nonfederal funds.--An eligible manufacturing cluster
receiving a grant under a manufacturing cluster program
established pursuant to this section may accept in-kind and
financial contributions from private sector entities, nonprofit
organizations, and State and local governments.
(2) Assessment.--Upon the completion of Phase 3 by an
eligible manufacturing cluster, the relevant head of a covered
agency shall conduct an assessment of the impact of the
cluster's activities on the regional manufacturing economy and
assess the degree to which the cluster advanced the country's
strategic needs for advanced manufacturing. The head of such
covered agency may decide, based on such assessment, to
continue funding the cluster for an additional 5 years or
terminate funding.
(3) Termination.--If the head of a covered agency decides
to terminate funding for an eligible manufacturing cluster, at
any phase--
(A) that cluster may continue to operate on other
sources of Federal or non-Federal funding; and
(B) upon that the head of the covered agency
involved shall initiate a new multi-phase selection
process for an eligible manufacturing cluster to
replace it, focused on needs identified in the most
recent National Strategic Plan for Advanced
Manufacturing.
(4) Authorization of appropriations.--
(A) In general.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act--
(i) to the Director of the National
Institute of Standards and Technology,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, $20,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2030,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2031;
(ii) to the Secretary of Energy,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, $20,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2030,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2031; and
(iii) to the Secretary of Defense,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2022, $20,000,000
for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2030,
$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2031.
(B) Transfer of funds.--Amounts available to the
head of each covered agency for programs and activities
consistent with the purposes of the manufacturing
cluster programs established pursuant to this section
may be transferred to carry out such manufacturing
cluster programs. The amount of funds authorized to be
appropriated under subparagraph (A) for a fiscal year
shall be increased by any amounts so transferred.
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