text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``American Textile Technology 
  Innovation and Research for Exportation (ATTIRE) Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
  
      The Congress finds that--
              (1) the United States textile industry continues to thrive 
          and evolve despite changing economic and labor conditions;
              (2) the United States textile industry employs over 500,000 
          workers nationwide and contributes nearly $60,000,000,000 to 
          the gross domestic product annually;
              (3) the United States textile industry is a primary 
          supplier of domestic jobs to women and minorities, with many of 
          these jobs located in economically depressed rural and urban 
          areas;
              (4) research and innovation are essential to the United 
          States textile industry's ability to maintain its competitive 
          advantage and expand its export on an international scale; and
              (5) by working closely with the textile industry to improve 
          existing technologies and to identify new market opportunities, 
          university-based textile research programs and not-for-profit 
          textile research centers play a critical role in promoting 
          innovation and growth in the textile industry and in the United 
          States economy as a whole.
  
  SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT TEXTILE RESEARCH AND INNOVATION 
                THROUGH UNIVERSITY AND INDUSTRY-BASED RESEARCH.
  
      (a) Grants Authorized.--The Secretary of Commerce shall establish a 
  competitive grant program (in this section referred to as the ``grant 
  program'') to fund textile research and innovation and to promote 
  increased textile exports.
      (b) Administration of Grant Program.--
              (1) Eligible recipients.--The eligible recipients of grants 
          under the grant program shall be limited to institutions of 
          higher education and not-for-profit research institutions, 
          including not-for-profit industry associations whose core 
          mission is to support textile research and innovation.
              (2) Preference.--Preference in awarding such grants shall 
          be given to collaborative research organizations that emphasize 
          peer-reviewed research by leading academic and industry 
          experts.
              (3) Application procedure.--Applications for such a grant 
          shall be submitted at such time and in such manner as 
          determined by the Secretary of Commerce.
              (4) Review procedure.--All such applications shall be 
          subject to a rigorous and competitive peer review procedure.
      (c) Eligible Uses of Funds.--The funds authorized to be 
  appropriated for the grant program shall be used for research and 
  development activities that achieve at least one of the following 
  goals:
              (1) To build and sustain innovation, competitiveness, and 
          best practices in the United States textile industry.
              (2) To contribute to transforming the United States textile 
          and apparel industry into a highly flexible supply chain, 
          capable of responding to rapidly changing market demands 
          including shifts to technologically advanced textile 
          production.
              (3) To discover, design, and develop new materials, and 
          innovative and improved manufacturing and integrated systems, 
          essential to the success of a modern United States textile 
          industry.
              (4) To train personnel, establish industrial partnerships, 
          and create transfer mechanisms to ensure the utilization of 
          technologies developed.
              (5) To strengthen the Nation's textile research and 
          educational efforts by uniting diverse experts and resources in 
          unique collaborative projects.
              (6) To facilitate the creation of domestic jobs in the 
          textile industry.
      (d) Restriction on Funds.--
              (1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), no more than 75 
          percent of total funding made available under the grant program 
          in a fiscal year may be disbursed to institutions of higher 
          education.
              (2) Waiver authority.--If the Secretary of Commerce 
          determines that the limitation of paragraph (1) would result in 
          the failure to disburse all appropriated funds for a fiscal 
          year, the Secretary may waive such limitation for such fiscal 
          year.
  
  SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
  
      (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
  Secretary of Commerce $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2013 to carry out 
  section 3. Amounts appropriated under this subsection shall be 
  available until expended.
      (b) Offsetting Reduction of Authorization of Appropriations.--The 
  amount authorized to be appropriated for operations and administration 
  of the International Trade Administration in the Department of Commerce 
  for fiscal year 2013 is reduced by $5,000,000.
target: American Textile Technology Innovation and Research for Exportation (ATTIRE) Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a grant program to fund textile research and innovation in the U.S. textile and fiber products industry and to promote increased U.S. textile exports.
  
  Limits eligibility under such grant program to institutions of higher education and not-for-profit research institutions, including not-for-profit industry associations whose mission is to support textile research and innovation.
  
  Gives preference in the award of such grants to collaborative research organizations that emphasize peer-reviewed research by leading academic and industry experts.
  
  Requires grant funds to be used for research and development activities that achieve at least one of the goals described in this Act, including to: (1) build and sustain innovation and competitiveness in the U.S. textile industry; (2) contribute to transforming the U.S. textile and apparel industry into a highly flexible supply chain; and (3) facilitate the creation of domestic jobs in the textile industry.
feat_title: To support innovation and research in the United States textile and fiber products industry.