article: 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.
summary: 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).