Sponsors (4)
Introduced April 1, 2025 by Christopher A. Coons · Last progress April 1, 2025
The bill establishes a nonprofit Foundation to accelerate NIST‑related measurement science, commercialization, and infrastructure—potentially boosting innovation and competitiveness—while increasing private influence, reducing some federal oversight, and creating modest ongoing costs for taxpayers.
Researchers, universities, small businesses, and industry gain a nonprofit partner that can fund fellowships, grants, infrastructure improvements, and commercialization support to accelerate measurement science, standards development, and translation of federally funded R&D into marketable products and services.
NIST and the U.S. measurement infrastructure receive expanded resources and in‑kind support (facilities, technical assistance), strengthening national measurement capabilities and long‑term economic and technical competitiveness.
The Foundation is subject to public transparency and accountability measures—annual reports, donor disclosure, audits, and a GAO evaluation within five years—improving public information about its activities and funding.
Private donors could influence or steer research priorities if donor restrictions are permitted, risking mission drift away from public‑interest standards and priorities.
Taxpayers could bear ongoing costs because the Foundation may receive annual federal transfers from NIST appropriations (estimated $500,000–$1,250,000 per year).
Creating the Foundation as a nonfederal corporation reduces direct federal oversight and limits government liability for Foundation actions, and exempting it from certain federal civil service provisions could create pay and benefits disparities between Foundation associates and federal employees.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a private Foundation to support NIST by funding measurement science, standards, partnerships, commercialization, and direct support programs like fellowships and grants.
Creates a nonprofit, non‑federal Foundation to support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by advancing measurement science, technical standards, and related commercialization and education activities. The Foundation may partner with academia, industry, nonprofits, and other organizations to run programs, provide fellowships and grants, support facilities and infrastructure, engage internationally, and promote commercialization of emerging technologies. The Foundation is explicitly prohibited from being a federal agency or instrumentality and is authorized to receive and manage non‑federal funds and resources to carry out its mission. It must engage relevant stakeholders to develop and implement activities that back NIST’s mission and U.S. economic competitiveness.