text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``National Quality Commitment Award 
  Act of 1993''.
  
  SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
  
      It is the purpose of this Act to provide for the establishment and 
  conduct of a national commitment to quality award program under which 
  awards are given to institutions of higher education that--
              (1) teach effective total quality management;
              (2) reorient their education programs to emphasize the 
          value and prestige of pursuing careers in process manufacturing 
          engineering;
              (3) apply total quality management to the operations of 
          their institution of higher education; and
              (4) apply total quality management in their joint research 
          and development contracts with private industry.
  
  SEC. 3. AWARD PROGRAM.
  
      The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 
  3701 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
  section:
  
  ``SEC. 22. NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO QUALITY AWARD PROGRAM.
  
      ``(a) Program Established.--
              ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall carry out an award 
          program to be known as the National Commitment to Quality Award 
          Program.
              ``(2) Contents.--In carrying out the award program 
          described in paragraph (1), the Secretary--
                      ``(A) shall conduct a competition and make monetary 
                  awards in accordance with subsection (b)(1);
                      ``(B) may make special awards in accordance with 
                  subsection (b)(2); and
                      ``(C) shall provide each recipient of such a 
                  monetary or special award with a medal described in 
                  paragraph (3).
              ``(3) Medal.--Each recipient of an award under this section 
          shall receive a medal bearing the inscriptions `National 
          Commitment to Quality Award' and `The Quest for Excellence'. 
          The medal shall be of such design and materials and bear such 
          additional inscriptions as the Secretary may prescribe.
              ``(4) Designation.--Awards under this section shall be 
          known as National Commitment to Quality Awards.
      ``(b) Awards.--
              ``(1) Competition for monetary awards.--(A) From amounts 
          appropriated pursuant to the authority of subsection (j), the 
          Secretary shall periodically conduct a competition and make at 
          least 3 monetary awards to institutions of higher education in 
          accordance with the provisions of this section.
              ``(B) The monetary awards described in subparagraph (A) 
          shall be in an amount equal to--
                      ``(i) $3,000,000 for the institution of higher 
                  education receiving first place in the competition 
                  described in subparagraph (A);
                      ``(ii) $2,000,000 for the institution receiving 
                  second place in such competition;
                      ``(iii) $1,000,000 for the institution receiving 
                  third place in such competition; and
                      ``(iv) not more than $1,000,000 for any other such 
                  institution receiving an award pursuant to such 
                  competition.
              ``(2) Specialized awards.--(A) From amounts appropriated 
          pursuant to the authority of subsection (j), the Secretary may 
          award to any institution of higher education that excels in 
          teaching or practicing either total quality management or 
          process manufacturing engineering services productivity 
          improvement a specialized award.
              ``(B) The specialized award described in subparagraph (A) 
          shall be in an amount which is not more than $500,000.
              ``(3) Application fee prohibited.--The Secretary shall not 
          charge an institution of higher education a fee in order to 
          apply for or receive an award under this section.
      ``(c) Making and Presentation of Awards.--
              ``(1) In general.--The President (on the basis of 
          recommendations received from the Secretary), or the Secretary, 
          shall periodically make awards to institutions of higher 
          education which in the judgment of the President or the 
          Secretary have substantially benefited the economic and social 
          well being of the United States through activities that--
                      ``(A) teach effective total quality management 
                  techniques and approaches;
                      ``(B) demonstrate continuous improvement in the 
                  institution's total quality management curriculum;
                      ``(C) emphasize the value and prestige of pursuing 
                  careers in process manufacturing engineering;
                      ``(D) demonstrate continuous improvement in the 
                  institution's education program through application of 
                  total quality management principles within the 
                  institution; and
                      ``(E) demonstrate commitment and application of 
                  total quality management principles in joint research 
                  relationships that the institution maintains with 
                  private industry.
              ``(2) Presentation ceremony.--The presentation of the 
          awards under this section shall be made by the President or the 
          Secretary with such ceremonies as the President or the 
          Secretary may deem proper.
              ``(3) Publication and ineligibility.--An institution of 
          higher education to which an award is made under this section, 
          and which agrees to help other institutions of higher education 
          improve their total quality management curriculum may publicize 
          its receipt of such award, but such institution shall be 
          ineligible to receive another such award for a period of 5 
          years.
              ``(4) Use of award.--An institution of higher education 
          receiving an award under this section shall use the proceeds of 
          such award to further improve the total quality management and 
          process manufacturing engineering curriculum of such 
          institution.
      ``(d) Award Criteria.--
              ``(1) In general.--Awards under this section shall be made 
          to qualifying institutions of higher education that place an 
          emphasis on--
                      ``(A) total quality management, including--
                              ``(i) leadership in teaching how to create 
                          a quality culture;
                              ``(ii) leadership in teaching information 
                          and analysis such as statistical process 
                          contracts for quality improvement;
                              ``(iii) the effectiveness of the 
                          institution's quality improvement program to 
                          teach integration of quality requirements into 
                          businesses' plans;
                              ``(iv) the success of the institution's 
                          efforts to teach students how to realize the 
                          full potential of the work force for quality;
                              ``(v) teaching quality awareness;
                              ``(vi) emphasis on customer satisfaction;
                              ``(vii) leadership in teaching how to 
                          integrate the total quality management 
                          philosophy; and
                              ``(viii) demonstrated success in teaching 
                          students how to instill the full potential 
                          total quality management philosophy in the work 
                          force;
                      ``(B) the importance of process manufacturing, 
                  including--
                              ``(i) leadership in teaching a better 
                          understanding of market forces and industry 
                          needs, industrial processes, and manufacturing 
                          and quality practices that are driven by market 
                          pull, not science push;
                              ``(ii) leadership in developing and 
                          teaching a more accelerated approach to 
                          research, development, and manufacturing in 
                          order to teach students how to move products 
                          more quickly from the basic research phase to 
                          the commercialization phase with an emphasis on 
                          teamwork;
                              ``(iii) leadership in teaching better 
                          integration of design and production, including 
                          teaching students how to design with 
                          manufacturability in mind, and to focus on 
                          cost-effectiveness, quality reliability, 
                          simplicity, flexibility, and modularity; and
                              ``(iv) leadership in teaching students to 
                          give greater consideration to potential 
                          commercial applications in the planning and 
                          conduct of research and development through 
                          input from potential users, and closer working 
                          relationship between the national research 
                          laboratories, industry, and universities.
      ``(e) Criteria for Qualification.--
              ``(1) In general.--(A) An institution of higher education 
          may qualify for an award under this section only if such 
          institution--
                      ``(i) applies to the Secretary in writing, for the 
                  award;
                      ``(ii) permits a rigorous evaluation in accordance 
                  with subparagraphs (B) and (C) of the success of the 
                  institution's curriculum for total quality management 
                  and process manufacturing engineering; and
                      ``(iii) meets such requirements and specifications 
                  as the Secretary, after receiving recommendations from 
                  the board of overseers, determines to be appropriate to 
                  achieve the purposes of this section.
              ``(B) In carrying out the provisions of clause (ii) of 
          subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall develop evaluation 
          criteria and procedures.
              ``(C) In applying the provisions of clause (iii) of 
          subparagraph (A) with respect to any institution of higher 
          education, the Secretary shall rely upon intensive evaluation 
          by the board of overseers which shall--
                      ``(i) review the information submitted by the 
                  institution of higher education, and through a site 
                  visit verify the achievements of--
                              ``(I) the total quality management 
                          curriculum and process manufacturing 
                          engineering programs of such institution; and
                              ``(II) such institution in practicing total 
                          quality management;
                      ``(ii) encompass all aspects of the institution of 
                  higher education's total quality management and process 
                  manufacturing engineering program, as well as such 
                  institution's future goals for its total quality 
                  management and process manufacturing engineering 
                  curriculum; and
                      ``(iii) include an analysis of whether the 
                  institution of higher education in practicing or 
                  applying total quality management to its relationships 
                  with industry and in its day-to-day administration of 
                  the institution.
              ``(2) Contractual arrangements.--The Secretary may, under 
          appropriate contractual arrangements, carry out the Secretary's 
          responsibilities under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph 
          (1) through one or more broadbased nonprofit entities which are 
          leaders in the field of quality improvement programs and which 
          have a history of service to society.
              ``(3) Responsibilities of the board of overseers.--The 
          board of overseers shall meet annually to review the work of 
          the Secretary or the contractor and make such suggestions for 
          the improvement of the award process as such board deems 
          necessary. The board of overseers shall report the results of 
          the award activities to the Secretary each fiscal year, along 
          with its recommendations for improvement of the award process.
      ``(f) Information and Evaluation.--The Secretary shall ensure that 
  each applicant for an award under this section receives the complete 
  results of the evaluation of such institution conducted pursuant to 
  subsection (e)(1)(ii) as well as detailed explanations of all 
  suggestions for improvements. The Secretary shall also provide 
  information about the awards and successful total quality management 
  and process manufacturing engineering curriculum of the award-winning 
  institutions of higher education to each applicant for an award under 
  this section and other appropriate groups.
      ``(g) Funding.--The Secretary is authorized to seek and accept 
  gifts and donations of property or services from public and private 
  sources to carry out the award program assisted under this section.
      ``(h) Report.--The Secretary shall prepare and submit to the 
  President and the Congress, within 3 years after the date of the 
  enactment of this section, a report on the progress, findings, and 
  conclusions of activities conducted pursuant to this section along with 
  a recommendation for possible modifications thereof.
      ``(i) Definitions.--For the purpose of this section--
              ``(1) the term `board of overseers' means the board of 
          overseers established pursuant to section 17(d)(2)(B) of this 
          Act for the year in which the determination is made;
              ``(2) the term `manufacturing process technology' means 
          engineering training which specializes in understanding and 
          implementing a manufacturing process under which a high quality 
          product is produced in a timely fashion, including simulative 
          engineering and the skills necessary for rapid representative 
          prototyping;
              ``(3) the term `Secretary' means the Secretary of Commerce; 
          and
              ``(4) the term `total quality management' means a 
          management approach which includes--
                      ``(A) systems thinking; and
                      ``(B) statistical proces control, theories of human 
                  behavior, leadership, and planning that is quality-
                  driven, customer-oriented, and committed to teamwork.
      ``(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
  appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to 
  carry out this section.''.
target: National Quality Commitment Award Act of 1993 - Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish the National Commitment to Quality Award Program involving the awarding of a medal and at least three monetary competitive awards to institutions of higher education. 
  Authorizes specialized monetary awards to any institution of higher education that excels in teaching or practicing either total quality management (TQM) or process manufacturing engineering services productivity improvement.
feat_title: National Quality Commitment Award Act of 1993