Sponsors (5)
The bill secures nationwide, more predictable federal support for small manufacturers and manufacturing resilience by converting discretionary practices into binding requirements, but it increases ongoing federal costs, reduces flexibility to tailor or reallocate limited funds, and raises administrative and legal risks if funding or capacity fall short.
Small manufacturers in all 50 States and Puerto Rico retain predictable access to MEP center services that support business modernization and competitiveness.
Manufacturers and state partners benefit from continued federal support for manufacturing supply-chain resilience and technology adoption via the Hollings MEP program.
State and local governments, MEP centers, and stakeholders gain greater predictability, consistency, and accountability because certain discretionary program actions are converted into binding requirements and conditioned on regular appropriations.
All taxpayers face ongoing federal costs to sustain the MEP program if Congress continues annual appropriations.
If Congress withholds appropriations, MEP centers (and the manufacturers that rely on them) could be discontinued, disrupting services and assistance in many states and Puerto Rico.
Mandating awards in every State and converting discretionary actions into legal obligations reduces programmatic flexibility to reallocate limited funds or tailor responses to local needs, which can spread resources thin and lower overall efficiency.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Makes annual continuation and nationwide award/renewal of MEP centers mandatory (subject to NIST appropriations) and changes a statutory “may” to “shall.”
Introduced April 10, 2025 by Sharice Davids · Last progress April 10, 2025
Requires the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program at NIST to continue in fiscal year 2025 and every year after, so long as Congress provides appropriations. Directs the Commerce Secretary, through the NIST Director, to competitively award, renew, and fund MEP Centers in all 50 states and Puerto Rico under existing program rules, and changes a statutory provision to make an existing discretionary authority mandatory (switching “may” to “shall”). The change turns a discretionary choice into a legal obligation for the responsible federal official or entity, increasing the requirement to operate and fund a nationwide MEP network subject to the annual appropriations process.