Nanotech Legislation Moving Through Congress

The NanoBusiness Alliance reports that the House Science and Technology Committee has unanimously reported the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Amendments Act (H.R. 5940). The act will update and expand the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Addressing the NanoBusiness 2008 conference in New York this week, committee chairman Bart Gordon (D-Tenn.) recognized the Alliance for its support of the bill during the committee markup.

Alliance executive director Sean J. Murdock noted that the group has worked closely with committee members and staff to ensure that the bill moves the federal nanotechnology effort to the next stage, helping the U.S. to realize the benefits of the technology. That effort involves increased support for commercialization, generating a nanotechnology workforce by improving science education, and advancing understanding of environmental, health, and safety effects through increased research in those areas.

In his own remarks at NanoBusiness 2008, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), chairman of the Senate Science, Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee, committed to moving the NNI legislation forward in the Senate.