[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2026 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2026
To grant the consent of the Congress to the SMART Research and
Development Compact.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2003
Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Castle, Mr. Andrews, Mr.
Brady of Pennsylvania, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Cummings, Mr. English, Mr.
Fattah, Mr. Ferguson, Mr. Garrett of New Jersey, Mr. LoBiondo, Mr.
Bartlett of Maryland, Mr. Gerlach, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Greenwood, Ms.
Hart, Mr. Hoeffel, Mr. Holden, Mr. Holt, Mr. Hoyer, Mr. Sherwood, Mr.
Menendez, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Murtha, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Payne,
Mr. Pitts, Mr. Platts, Mr. Rothman, Mr. Ruppersberger, Mr. Shuster, Mr.
Smith of New Jersey, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Wynn, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Doyle,
Mr. Saxton, Mr. Peterson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Kanjorski, and Mr.
Frelinghuysen) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To grant the consent of the Congress to the SMART Research and
Development Compact.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE, FINDINGS.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``SMART Research and
Development Compact''.
(b) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The shared borders, similar economic, environmental,
and socioeconomic traits as well as the common historical
attributes between the residents of Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania, bind the 4 States into a common Mid-
Atlantic region.
(2) This region presents a rich framework of approximately
618 colleges and universities, including approximately 38
leading engineering colleges with a variety of technical
expertise and ingenious research and development programs
within every field of science and technology.
(3) This region contains a variety of federally owned and
generated laboratories or organizations assigned with the task
of performing needed research and development in most of our
Nation's technical areas, highlighted by defense,
transportation, health, energy, and communications.
(4) This region possesses a great wealth of private
manufacturers, laboratories, and nonprofit organizations in
each of the scientific and technological pursuits, such as
homeland security, defense, aerospace, manufacturing,
information systems, materials, chemicals, medical
applications, and pharmaceuticals.
(5) Increased cooperation between the above-mentioned
institutions and the 4 State governments may effectively
enhance the region's contribution to the United States in all
fields of science and technology and promote academic, private
and public research and development, technical enterprise, and
intellectual vitality.
(6) An organization assigned with the task of linking
various institutions across different jurisdictions and
promoting working partnerships may further assist the United
States by providing a model for the rest of the Nation for the
effective use of limited national, State, and local funding
resources.
SEC. 2. CONSENT TO COMPACT.
The Congress consents to the SMART Research and Development Compact
if that compact is entered into by two or more of the following States:
the State of Delaware, the State of Maryland, the State of New Jersey,
and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The compact reads substantially
as follows:
``SMART RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMPACT
``ARTICLE I.
``The purpose of this compact is to promote the contribution of the
Mid-Atlantic region to the Nation's research and development in science
and technology, and to create a multi-State organization that shall be
known as the SMART (Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow)
Organization (hereinafter in this compact referred to as the
`Organization'). The purpose of the Organization is to oversee and help
facilitate the acquisition of research and development funding, and to
enhance the cooperation, formation of partnerships, and sharing of
information among businesses, academic institutions, Federal and State
governmental agencies, laboratories, federally owned and operated
laboratories, and nonprofit entities, within Delaware, Maryland, New
Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
``ARTICLE II.
``This compact takes effect upon ratification by two or more of the
following States: the State of Delaware, the State of Maryland, the
State of New Jersey, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, pursuant to
the consent of Congress.
``ARTICLE III.
``The States, which are parties to this compact (hereinafter
referred to as `party States'), do hereby establish and create the
Organization as a joint organization which shall be known as the SMART
Organization.
``The leadership of the Organization shall consist of a Board of
Directors that shall include a representative from each party State,
appointed as provided by the law of that State, and representatives
from each technology class described in Article IV from the party
States. Board Members may include any business, academic institution,
nonprofit agency, Federal or State governmental agency, laboratory, and
federally owned and operated laboratory within the party States.
``The leadership of the Organization shall oversee and direct the
projects, administration, and policies of the Organization. The Board
of Directors may create and utilize the services of technology-
designated Working Groups to identify goals and sources of funding,
establish research and development projects, detect new technology
advances for the region to pursue, and facilitate cooperation among
regional entities. The Board of Directors and Working Groups in the
Organization shall serve without compensation and shall hold regular
quarterly meetings and such special meetings as their business may
require.
``The Organization shall adopt bylaws and any other such rules or
procedures as may be needed. The Organization may hold hearings and
conduct studies and surveys to carry out its purpose. The Organization
may acquire by gift or otherwise and hold and dispose of such money and
property as may be provided for the proper performance of its
functions, may cooperate with other public or private groups, whether
local, State, regional, or national, having an interest in economic or
technology development, and may exercise such other powers as may be
appropriate to accomplish its functions and duties in connection with
the development of the Organization and to carry out the purpose of
this compact.
``ARTICLE IV.
``Not including State Representatives, the Organization Board of
Directors and Technology Working Groups may represent and originate
from the following technology classes: information technology, sensors,
rotorcraft technology, manufacturing technology, fire/EMS, financial
technology, alternative fuels, nanotechnology, electronics,
environmental, telecommunications, chemical and biological, biomedical,
opto-electric, Materials/Aerospace, and defense systems including
directed energy, missile defense, future combat systems, and unmanned
aerial vehicles. The SMART Organization may at any time, upon approval
by the Board of Directors, designate and assign new technology classes
and may at any time remove an existing class from this Article and the
Organization's activities.
``ARTICLE V.
``The Board of Directors shall appoint a full-time paid executive
director, who shall be a person familiar with the nature of the
procedures and the significance of scientific funding, research and
development, economic development, and the informational, educational,
and publicity methods of stimulating general interest in such
developments. The duties of the executive director are to carry out the
goals and directives of the Board of Directors and administer the
actions of each Working Group as chairman. The executive director may
hire a staff and shall be the administrative head of the Organization,
whose term of office shall be at the pleasure of the Board of
Directors.
``ARTICLE VI.
``This compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon each
party State until 6 months after the party State gives notice of its
intent to withdraw to the other party States.''.
SEC. 3. RIGHT TO ALTER, AMEND, OR REPEAL.
The Congress expressly reserves the right to alter, amend, or
repeal this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.
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