text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Electronic Commerce Enhancement Act 
  of 2000''.
  
                        TITLE I--ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
  
  SEC. 101. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds the following:
              (1) Commercial transactions on the Internet, whether retail 
          business-to-customer or business-to-business, are commonly 
          called electronic commerce.
              (2) In the United States, business-to-business transactions 
          between small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
          businesses and their suppliers is rapidly growing, as many of 
          these businesses begin to use Internet connections for supply-
          chain management, after-sales support, and payments.
              (3) Small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
          businesses play a critical role in the United States economy.
              (4) Electronic commerce can help small and medium-sized 
          manufacturers and other such businesses develop new products 
          and markets, interact more quickly and efficiently with 
          suppliers and customers, and improve productivity by increasing 
          efficiency and reducing transaction costs and paperwork. Small 
          and medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses who 
          fully exploit the potential of electronic commerce activities 
          can use it to interact with customers, suppliers, and the 
          public, and for external support functions such as personnel 
          services and employee training.
              (5) The National Institute of Standards and Technology's 
          Manufacturing Extension Partnership program has a successful 
          record of assisting small and medium-sized manufacturers and 
          other such businesses. In addition, the Manufacturing Extension 
          Partnership program, working with the Small Business 
          Administration, successfully assisted United States small 
          enterprises in remediating their Y2K computer problems.
              (6) A critical element of electronic commerce is the 
          ability of different electronic commerce systems to exchange 
          information. The continued growth of electronic commerce will 
          be enhanced by the development of private voluntary 
          interoperability standards and testbeds to ensure the 
          compatibility of different systems.
  
  SEC. 102. REPORT ON THE UTILIZATION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE.
  
      (a) Advisory Panel.--The Director of the National Institute of 
  Standards and Technology (in this title referred to as the 
  ``Director'') shall establish an Advisory Panel to report on the 
  challenges facing small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such 
  businesses in integrating and utilizing electronic commerce 
  technologies and business practices. The Advisory Panel shall be 
  comprised of representatives of the Technology Administration, the 
  National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing 
  Extension Partnership program established under sections 25 and 26 of 
  the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 278k 
  and 278l), the Small Business Administration, and other relevant 
  parties as identified by the Director.
      (b) Initial Report.--Within 12 months after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall report to the Director 
  and to the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the 
  Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the 
  immediate requirements of small and medium-sized manufacturers and 
  other such businesses to integrate and utilize electronic commerce 
  technologies and business practices. The report shall--
              (1) describe the current utilization of electronic commerce 
          practices by small and medium-sized manufacturers and other 
          such businesses, detailing the different levels between 
          business-to-retail customer and business-to-business 
          transactions;
              (2) describe and assess the utilization and need for 
          encryption and electronic authentication components and 
          electronically stored data security in electronic commerce for 
          small and medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses;
              (3) identify the impact and problems of interoperability to 
          electronic commerce, and include an economic assessment; and
              (4) include a preliminary assessment of the appropriate 
          role of, and recommendations for, the Manufacturing Extension 
          Partnership program to assist small and medium-sized 
          manufacturers and other such businesses to integrate and 
          utilize electronic commerce technologies and business 
          practices.
      (c) Final Report.--Within 18 months after the date of the enactment 
  of this Act, the Advisory Panel shall report to the Director and to the 
  Committee on Science of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
  on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a 3-year 
  assessment of the needs of small and medium-sized manufacturers and 
  other such businesses to integrate and utilize electronic commerce 
  technologies and business practices. The report shall include--
              (1) a 3-year planning document for the Manufacturing 
          Extension Partnership program in the field of electronic 
          commerce; and
              (2) recommendations, if necessary, for the National 
          Institute of Standards and Technology to address 
          interoperability issues in the field of electronic commerce.
  
  SEC. 103. ELECTRONIC COMMERCE PILOT PROGRAM.
  
      The National Institute of Standards and Technology's Manufacturing 
  Extension Partnership program, in consultation with the Small Business 
  Administration, shall establish a pilot program to assist small and 
  medium-sized manufacturers and other such businesses in integrating and 
  utilizing electronic commerce technologies and business practices. The 
  goal of the pilot program shall be to provide small and medium-sized 
  manufacturers and other such businesses with the information they need 
  to make informed decisions in utilizing electronic commerce-related 
  goods and services. Such program shall be implemented through a 
  competitive grants program for existing Regional Centers for the 
  Transfer of Manufacturing Technology established under section 25 of 
  the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act (15 U.S.C. 
  278k). In carrying out this section, the Manufacturing Extension 
  Partnership program shall consult with the Advisory Panel and utilize 
  the Advisory Panel's reports.
  
                      TITLE II--ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION
  
  SEC. 201. ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION ASSESSMENT AND PLAN.
  
      (a) Assessment.--The Director shall work to identify critical 
  enterprise integration standards and implementation activities for 
  major manufacturing industries underway in the United States. For each 
  major manufacturing industry, the Director shall work with industry 
  representatives and organizations currently engaged in enterprise 
  integration activities and other appropriate representatives as 
  necessary. They shall assess the current state of enterprise 
  integration within the industry, identify the remaining steps in 
  achieving enterprise integration, and work toward agreement on the 
  roles of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and of the 
  private sector in that process. Within 90 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Director shall report to the Congress on 
  these matters and on anticipated related National Institute of 
  Standards and Technology activities for the then current fiscal year.
      (b) Plans and Reports.--Within 180 days after the date of the 
  enactment of this Act, the Director shall submit to the Congress a plan 
  for enterprise integration for each major manufacturing industry, 
  including milestones for the National Institute of Standards and 
  Technology portion of the plan, the dates of likely achievement of 
  those milestones, and anticipated costs to the Government and industry 
  by fiscal year. Updates of the plans and a progress report for the past 
  year shall be submitted annually until for a given industry, in the 
  opinion of the Director, enterprise integration has been achieved.
  
  SEC. 202. DEFINITIONS.
  
      For purposes of this title--
              (1) the term ``Director'' means the Director of the 
          National Institute of Standards and Technology;
              (2) the term ``enterprise integration'' means the 
          electronic linkage of manufacturers, assemblers, and suppliers 
          to enable the electronic exchange of product, manufacturing, 
          and other business data among all businesses in a product 
          supply chain, and such term includes related application 
          protocols and other related standards; and
              (3) the term ``major manufacturing industry'' includes the 
          aerospace, automotive, electronics, shipbuilding, construction, 
          home building, furniture, textile, and apparel industries and 
          such other industries as the Director designates.
  
              Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 2000.
  
              Attest:
  
                                                   JEFF TRANDAHL,
  
                                                                   Clerk.
target: Requires the MEP program to: (1) establish a pilot program to assist such manufacturers and businesses in integrating and utilizing electronic commerce technologies and business practices through a competitive grants program; and (2) consult with the Panel and utilize the Panel's reports.
  Title II: Enterprise Integration
   - Requires the Director to: (1) identify current critical enterprise integration standards and implementation activities for major manufacturing industries; (2) report to Congress on such matters and anticipated related NIST activities for that fiscal year; and (3) submit to Congress a plan for enterprise integration for each major manufacturing industry (requiring annual plan updates).
feat_title: Electronic Commerce Enhancement Act of 2000