NIST bill boosts manufacturer partnership funding
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 2010 calls for increased annual appropriations for NIST's Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, which helps small- and medium-sized manufacturers compete. H.R. 5074, introduced April 20, would authorize $141.1 million for MEP in fiscal 2011 and up to $184.9 million in fiscal 2015. Bill sponsor Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., whose subcommittee favorably reported the legislation to the full House Science and Technology Committee, said an innovative services initiative in the bill "will help small manufacturing improve energy efficiency, use new technologies and generate high-tech products.