Standards agency moves closer to $1 billion lab overhaul

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is a step closer to a major overhaul to streamline its research structure and double funding for its labs and manufacturing partners.

On Wednesday, the House Science and Technology Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation passed legislative language that would authorize funding of nearly $1 billion, including up to $620 million for laboratory work and $40 million in new awards for high-risk research. The language was from the 2010 NIST Authorization Act (H.R. 5074) and will be incorporated into a broader bill at the committee level.

Under the provisions, NIST's laboratories would be reorganized into six operating units, including an information security branch to develop and disseminate cybersecurity guidelines for federal agencies.

"The current lab structure of 10 operating units is more than 20 years old and no longer reflects today's technology sectors or the inherent and increasing multidisciplinary nature of technology," said Rep. David Wu, D-Ore., chairman of the subcommittee.

The subcommittee passed several amendments, including a clarification by ranking member Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb., that cybersecurity standards and guidelines NIST developed were not meant as mandates for the private sector.

The language that cleared the subcommittee will be wrapped into the 2010 America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, along with language passed by two other subcommittees.

The full committee will debate America COMPETES, which aims to boost standards of science and technology research, on April 28.