Technology Administration Act of 1998

National Institute of Standards and Technology Authorization Act of 1997 - Authorizes appropriations for FY 1998 and 1999 for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for: (1) the Scientific and Technical Research and Services laboratories; (2) the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Program (3) construction and maintenance of NIST facilities; (4) the Under Secretary for Technology and the Office of Technology Policy; and (5) the Industrial Technology Services. Prohibits funds authorized for construction of facilities for FY 1999 from being obligated unless the Secretary of Commerce has certified to the House Committee on Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that the obligation of funds is consistent with a plan for meeting the facilities needs of NIST that the Secretary has transmitted to those committees. (Sec. 5) Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to revise provisions relating to the Advanced Technology Program to: (1) authorize the Secretary to provide grants to and enter into contracts, cooperative agreements, and, subject to specified circumstances, other transactions with U.S. businesses (especially small businesses) on the condition that grant recipients (other than small businesses within the meaning of the Small Business Act) provide at least 60 percent of the project costs; and (2) require that when entering into contracts or making awards, the research project in question be of a nature and scope that would not be pursued in a timely manner without Federal assistance. Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director, to vest title to tangible personal property in any recipient of financial assistance if: (1) the property is purchased with funds provided under this Act; and (2) the Secretary, acting through the Director, determines that the vesting of such property furthers the objectives of NIST. Revises the requirements concerning title to any intellectual property arising from assistance provided to be vested in a company or companies incorporated in the United States, to vest title in any other participant in a joint venture receiving financial assistance, as agreed by the parties, notwithstanding certain requirements under Federal law. (Sec. 6) Revises requirements relating to Regional Centers for the Transfer of Manufacturing Technology to permit a Center, after the sixth year, to receive additional financial support if it has received a positive evaluation through an independent review, under procedures established by NIST. Requires an independent review at least every two years after the sixth year of operation. Limits funding received for a fiscal year after the sixth year of operation to not exceed the proportion of the Center's capital and annual operating and maintenance costs received by the Center during its sixth year of operation. (Sec. 8) Prohibits funds authorized by this Act, or any other Act enacted before the enactment of this Act, from being used for the Next Generation Internet. Provides for funds to be used for the continuation of programs and activities that were funded and carried out during FY 1997. (Sec. 9) Prohibits the use of any funds authorized under this Act from being used for any lobbying activity, with the exception of not preventing U.S. officers or employees, or of its departments or agencies, from communicating to Members of Congress on the request of any Member or to the Congress, through the proper channels, requests for legislation or appropriations which they deem necessary for the efficient conduct of the public business. Excludes from NIST awards (grant agreements) for five years any person who received project funds not subject to competitive merit-based awards. (Exempts persons who are members of a law-specified class.) Defines the term "grant agreement." Excludes from the definition of a grant agreement a cooperative agreement or a cooperative research and development agreement. (Sec. 10) Requires that if any funds authorized by this Act are subject to a reprogramming action that requires notice to be provided to the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, notice of such action shall concurrently be provided to the House Committee on Science and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to provide notice not later than 15 days before any major reorganization of any NIST program, project, or activity. (Sec. 11) Expresses the sense of the Congress that NIST should: (1) give high priority to correcting all two-digit date-related problems in its computer systems to ensure that those systems continue to operate effectively in the year 2000 and beyond; (2) assess immediately the extent of the risk to NIST operations posed by the problems, and plan and budget for achieving Year 2000 compliance for all its mission-critical systems; and (3) develop contingency plans for those systems that NIST is unable to correct in time. (Sec. 12) Prohibits funds appropriated pursuant to this Act from being expended by an entity unless the entity agrees that in expending the assistance, the entity will comply with the Buy American Act. Expresses the sense of the Congress that, in the case of any equipment or products that may be authorized to be purchased with financial assistance provided under this Act, entities receiving such assistance should, in expending the assistance, purchase only American-made equipment and products. Directs the NSF Director, in providing financial assistance under this Act, to provide to each recipient of the assistance a notice describing compliance with the Buy American Act.