WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Science Committee today approved legislation by voice vote that would authorize a national nanotechnology research initiative.  Nanotechnology, the manipulation of individual atoms, is a priority in the Administration’s fiscal 2004 proposed budget.  The National Science Foundation (NSF) conservatively predicts a $1 trillion global market for nanotechnology in little over a decade.

“This bill, over time, will bolster our economy as well as add to our storehouse of knowledge. Leadership has tentatively scheduled floor action for next week – appropriately a week devoted to bills related to job creation…We are entering an era that will give new meaning to the ’60s slogan ‘small is beautiful,” said Chairman Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), primary sponsor of the legislation with Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA).

H.R. 766, the Nanotechnology Research and Development Act of 2002, authorizes $2.36 billion over three years for nanotechnology research and development programs NSF, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Commerce, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency.  The bill provides a formal structure for coordination of research across the agencies, emphasizes interdisciplinary research, addresses societal concerns raised by nanotechnology, and requires outside reviews of the program.

“I commend my colleagues on the Science Committee for passing the Boehlert-Honda nanotechnology legislation to the House Floor.  This legislation will not only fund critical research and development in the public sector, but will also help accelerate commercial applications of nanotechnology innovations in the private sector,” said Rep. Honda.

The Committee accepted a Manager’s amendment to H.R. 766, introduced by Boehlert, which increased the funding levels for DOE to make it consistent with the recently House-passed energy bill, H.R. 6.  In addition, the Boehlert amendment included an agreement reached with the Administration regarding a Presidential Advisory Committee.

The Committee also accepted amendments offered by the following members:

  • Reps. Smith (R-MI), Hart (R-PA) and Wu (D-OR) – requiring interdisciplinary research centers to exchange technical information and best practices; to partner with States and industry; and to accelerate commercialization of technology;

  • Rep. Rohrabacher (R-CA) – adding a new section to the legislation on Science and Technology Graduate Scholarships for Service programs;

  • Reps. Jackson Lee (D-TX) and Wu (D-OR) – ensuring that research programs will include the Nation’s colleges and universities that serve under-represented minorities; and

  • Rep. Sherman (D-CA) – clarifying that research on societal and ethical concerns includes study of environmental implications, and the implications of possible development of non-human intelligence.

Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and George Allen (R-VA), sponsors of a companion bill in the Senate, testified before the Science Committee in March and noted that Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) has put their legislation on the “fast track.”   

“We are at a very important stage of development in nanotechnology, and this legislation provides the coordination and fundamental research support necessary to ensure we harness the full potential of this technology, which could impact our lives on a similar scale as the information technology revolution of just a decade ago,” said Research Subcommittee Chair Nick Smith (R-MI).

Ranking Democrat Ralph M. Hall (D-TX) added, “This is an important bill that will help ensure the nation maintains a vigorous research effort in a technology area that is increasingly important for the economy and for national security.  The measure deserves the full support of the house.”

“The broad and practical applications of nanotechnology, and benefits, can be described in layman’s terms: sensing the presence of unwanted pathogens in the blood; improving the efficiency of electricity distribution; dispensing medications; and cleaning polluted soil and water, or building the next generation of spacecraft, one molecule at a time,” said Energy Subcommittee Chair Judy Biggert (R-IL).  “With all its potential applications, nanotechnology could have an equal if not greater impact than the microchip on our lives – our wealth, our health and safety, our environment, and our security at home and abroad.”

Committee cosponsors of the legislation include: Rep. Hall (D-TX), Environment Technology and Standards (ETS) Subcommittee Chair Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), Rep. Smith (R-MI), Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Ranking Democrat Bart Gordon (D-TN), Rep. Biggert (R-IL), Research Subcommittee Ranking Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Committee Vice-Chair Gil Gutknecht (R-MN), Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY), Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA), Rep. Chris Bell (D-TX), Rep. Melissa Hart (R-PA), Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN), Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX), Rep. Tim Johnson (R-IL) and Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).

The text of the bill and a section-by-section can be found at the Science Committee website at www.house.gov/science.  For additional information on the federal government’s nanotechnology research initiatives, log on to www.nano.gov.