National Competitiveness Act of 1993

TABLE OF CONTENTS: Title I: General Provisions Title II: Manufacturing Subtitle A: Manufacturing Technology and Extension Subtitle B: National Science Foundation Manufacturing Programs Title III: Critical Technologies Title IV: Additional Commerce Department Provisions Title V: Authorization of Appropriations Title VI: Information Technology Applications Research Program National Competitiveness Act of 1993 - Title I: General Provisions - Sets forth the purposes and goals of this Act. Title II: Manufacturing - Manufacturing Technology and Extension Act of 1993 - Subtitle A: Manufacturing Technology and Extension - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish a Twenty-First Century Manufacturing Infrastructure Program, which shall include (as established by this Act): (1) the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Program; and (2) the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which shall include Outreach and Regional Centers and a technology extension communications network. Directs the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to establish a related clearinghouse system. Directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (Office) to establish an industry-led Manufacturing Advisory Committee. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations. (Sec. 215) Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to establish within the National Institute of Standards and Technology (Institute) a State Technology Extension Program. Directs the Program to make awards to States for planning and coordination of technology extension activities. (Sec. 216) Directs the Secretary, through the Regional and Outreach Centers, to assist U.S. managers and workers to use advanced technologies to enhance workforce quality, including workforce analysis and information dissemination. (Sec. 217) Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress concerning options for accelerating the adoption of new manufacturing equipment. Subtitle B: National Science Foundation Manufacturing Programs - Requires the Director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to expand the number of Engineering Research Centers and strengthen the Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program. Authorizes the Director to establish: (1) graduate traineeships; (2) a manufacturing managers in the classroom program; and (3) a quality management program. Title III: Critical Technologies - Directs the Secretary to submit to the Congress an expansion plan for the Advanced Technology Program. (Sec. 303) Authorizes Program support for large-scale joint ventures. (Sec. 304) Amends the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act to authorize project extensions for up to six months. (Sec. 305) Authorizes a technology financing pilot program to license and financially assist private sector entities (civilian technology investment companies) which shall direct private capital to eligible technology firms and joint ventures. (Sec. 306 and 307) Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish: (1) within the Technology Administration an Office of Technology Monitoring and Competitive Assessment; and (2) a Commerce Technology Advisory Board. (Sec. 308) Directs the Critical Technologies Institute to study semiconductor lithography technologies. Title IV: Additional Commerce Department Provisions - Amends the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991 to expand the Institute's standard pilot program to permit contracts with non-Federal organizations to promote U.S. technical standards dissemination activities abroad. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on the appropriate Federal role in developing and promulgating domestic and global product and quality standards. (Sec. 402) Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to prohibit the making of a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award within a category or subcategory if there are no qualifying enterprises in that category or subcategory. Makes educational institutions an Award category. Establishes a National Quality Laboratory within the Institute to assist Federal, private, and university quality efforts. (Sec. 405) Prohibits the fraudulent use of "Made in America" labels. Provides for compliance with the Buy American Act. (Sec. 407) Wind Engineering Program Act of 1993 - Establishes within the Institute a Wind Engineering Program which shall: (1) provide for wind engineering research; (2) serve as an information clearinghouse; and (3) improve interagency coordination on wind engineering research. Title V: Authorization of Appropriations - (Secs. 501 through 504) Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations for: (1) the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology; (2) the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Technology Policy; (3) Japanese Technical Literature; (4) the Office of Technology Monitoring and Competitiveness Assessment; (5) the Institute, including intramural scientific and technical research, facilities, extramural industrial technology services, and wind engineering; (6) additional activities of the Technology Administration; and (7) NSF. Title VI: Information Technology Applications Research Program - Information Technology Applications Program Act of 1993 - Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to: (1) establish an interagency computing applications research program in the areas of education, government information, health care, and libraries; and (2) develop a Plan for Computing and Networking Applications (which shall consider present and planned activities of the Library of Congress). (Sec. 604) Directs NSF and the Department of Commerce (Department) to: (1) foster the creation of local connecting networks among schools, universities, libraries, and State and local governments; and (2) provide for such networks' Internet connection. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations. (Sec. 605) Directs NSF, the Department, and other appropriate agencies to provide for the development of advanced computing and networking technologies for use at all educational levels, including the development of a Computer Technologies for K-12 Education Project by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations. (Sec. 606) Directs the Institute to establish an Advanced Manufacturing Program to develop and transfer advanced computer and networking manufacturing technologies and associated applications. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 applications. (Sec. 607) Directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop health care computing and networking technologies and applications. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations. (Sec. 608) Directs NSF, NASA, the Advanced Research Projects Agency, and other appropriate agencies to develop digital library technologies including prototypes and data bases of remote-sensing images. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations for NASA and NSF. (Sec. 609) Directs the Secretary to develop advanced computer and networking technologies for government information application, including a Federal information locator and for environmental monitoring; prediction, and assessment. Authorizes FY 1994 and 1995 appropriations. (Sec. 610) Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to require the Director to establish a high-performance computing and applications advisory committee. (Sec. 611) Provides for the establishment of the National Research and Education Network Program, which shall consist of the following components: (1) research and development of networking software and hardware; (2) experimental test bed networks; and (3) user assistance to Internet.