Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 102 Part 2.djvu/424

 102 STAT. 1428

PUBLIC LAW 100-418—AUG. 23, 1988 "(2) to assist private sector initiatives to capitalize on advanced technology; "(3) to advance, through cooperative efforts among industries, universities, and government laboratories, promising research and development projects, which can be optimized by the private sector for commercial and industrial applications; and "(4) to promote shared risks, accelerated development, and pooling of skills which will be necessary to strengthen America's manufacturing industries.".

SEC. 5112. ESTABLISHMENT, FUNCTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES. (a) ESTABLISHMENT, FUNCTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES OF THE INSTITUTE.—Section 2 of the Act of March 3, 1901 (15 U.S.C. 272) is amended to read as follows: "ESTABLISHMENT, FUNCTIONS, AND ACTIVITIES

Contracts.

"SEC. 2. (a) There is established within the Department of Commerce a science, engineering, technology, and measurement laboratory to be known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 'Institute'). "(b) The Secretary of Commerce (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 'Secretary') acting through the Director of the Institute (hereafter in this Act referred to as the 'Director') and, if appropriate, through other officials, is authorized to take all actions necessary and appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this Act, including the following functions of the Institute— "(1) to assist industry in the development of technology and procedures needed to improve quality, to modernize manufacturing processes, to ensure product reliability, manufacturability, functionality, and cost-effectiveness, and to facilitate the more rapid commercialization, especially by smalland medium-sized companies throughout the United States, of products bsised on new scientific discoveries in fields such as automation, electronics, advanced materials, biotechnology, and optical technologies; "(2) to develop, maintain, and retain custody of the national standards of measurement, and provide the means and methods for making measurements consistent with those standards, including comparing standards used in scientific investigations, engineering, manufacturing, commerce, industry, and educational institutions with the standards adopted or recognized by the Federal Government; "(3) to enter into contracts, including cooperative research and development arrangements, in furtherance of the purposes of this Act; "(4) to provide United States industry. Government, and educational institutions with a national clearinghouse of current information, techniques, and advice for the achievement of higher quality and productivity based on current domestic and international scientific and technical development; "(5) to assist industry in the development of measurements, measurement methods, and basic measurement technology; "(6) to determine, compile, evaluate, and disseminate physical constants and the properties and performance of conventional and advanced materials when they are important to science,

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