S.3605 America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010

Posted on July 26, 2010 by Robert Oszakiewski

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, on July 22, favorably reported S. 3605, the Senate version of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010, sending it on the the full Senate for debate.

The text of the bill as reported is not yet available from THOMAS, however the text of the bill as introduced by Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia on July 15, 2010, does show differences from H.R. 5116, the version passed in the House. The Senate version contains no provisions concerning the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) or any other nanotechnology related provisions. It is possible that during debate, the bill may be amended to include provisions for NNI. It is also possible that, during debate, the language of H.R. 5116 may be substituted for the language of S. 3605, in the form of an amendment in the nature of a substitute. The Senate may also substitute the language of S. 3605 for that of H.R. 5116 and pass an amended version of H.R. 5116. Should that happen, the bill would be sent back to the House for its concurrence to the Senate amendment. Should the House vote not to concur, a conference committee would be established to produce a version that both the House and Senate could agree on.

Time is a factor in the passage of the bills. Congress will soon adjourn for the August recess and is expected to remain adjourned until after the November elections.

As with other House and Senate bills affecting nanotechnology, we will monitor and report the progress of S. 3605.

 

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National Nanotechnology Coordination Office Announces a Public Meeting

Posted on February 26, 2010 by Robert Oszakiewski

Today's Federal Register carries a notice of a public meeting on Tuesday March 30th and Wednesday March 31st 2010 to be held at the Holiday Inn Rosslyn-Key Bridge in Arlington Virginia .

The meeting will be a workshop designed "to provide an open forum to discuss the state-of-the-art of the science related to environmental, health, and safety aspects of nanomaterials
in two areas: Risk Management Methods and Ethical, Legal, and Societal
Implications (ELSI) of Nanotechnology."

Registration is required to attend the workshop and information on how to register is available in the notice. Anyone wishing to present 3-5 minutes of public comments also needs to register. Written or electronic comments must be submitted via e-mail at capstone@nnco.nano.gov until April 30, 2010. Written comments can also be mailed to Capstone Workshop, c/o NNCO,
4201 Wilson Blvd., Stafford II, Suite 405, Arlington, VA 22230.
 

Those unable to attend the workshop in person can view the main sessions via webcast. The draft agenda for the workshop is below. Among the invited speakers and guest is John Monica, a partner in Porter Wright's DC office. Further information about the workshop is available on the National Nanotechnology Initiative website.

Schedule and Agenda

Draft Agenda (2/25/10):

Tuesday, March 30

7:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 a.m. Morning Introductory Session:
-Welcome

-Opening Remarks

- Highlights from previous workshops

- Introduction to Risk Management Methods:
Gary Marchant, Arizona State University
Greg Lowry, Carnegie Mellon University

- Introduction to Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications of Nanotechnology
Pilar Ossorio, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Barbara Herr-Harthorn, University of California, Santa Barbara

- Interactive audience participation

Afternoon Session:
- Concurrent Breakout Sessions
I. - III. Risk Management Research Needs
IV. - VI. Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications

- Closing Session for first day
Tom Kalil, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy
 

5:30 Adjourn

Wednesday, March 31

7:30 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:00 a.m. Morning Session:
- Report Outs from Breakout Sessions

- Composite Case Study
Panelists including:
Carolyn Cairns, Consumers Union
John Monica, Porter, Wright, Arthur, & Morris, LLP
Thomas Seager, Rochester Institute of Technology

- Concurrent Breakout Sessions

-Public Comment Period

Working Lunch

Afternoon Session:
- Discussion: "Challenges facing Risk Management Methods and Ethical, Legal, and Societal Implications"
- Closing Session: "Grand Challenges for nanoEHS research"

4:00 p.m. Adjourn

 

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NNI Reauthorization

Posted on May 14, 2007 by Michael E. Heintz
The Risk Policy Report is reporting that Congressional re-authorization for the National Nanotechnology Initiative, the cross-agency program designed to study nanotechnology issues, is underway.  The current funding is set to expire at the end of the 2008 fiscal year.

Reports indicate that as part of the re-authorization legislation, Sen. Mark Pryor (D-AR) included an amendment to the Senate bill setting aside $40 million per year for environmental health and safety research.  Aside from this fiscal directive, there are expectations that Congress will mandate the reauthorized NNI to perform more research into risks associated with nanotechnology. 

MEH: Re-authorization of the NNI is crucial for the advancement of our understanding of nanotechnology.  Through the NNI many federal agencies can share information and research, which will serve to close the ever-present data gap that surrounds nanotechnology. At the same time, an increased call for EHS funding is not inappropriate, and it is through directed funding that specific goals can be met.  While the NNI has been criticized of late, its role in the development and regulation of nanotechnology is an important one as we try and both learn about this new technology and, at the same time, begin to formulate efficient and effective regulations.
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