15 USC § 7506 - Department of Commerce programs

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t15/s7506"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "15 USC § 7506 - Department of Commerce programs"
title_number: 15
title_name: "COMMERCE AND TRADE"
section_number: "7506"
section_name: "Department of Commerce programs"
chapter_number: 101
chapter_name: "NANOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 108–153, § 7, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1930.)"
---


# § 7506. Department of Commerce programs

**(a)** **NIST programs** The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology shall—

**(1)** as part of the Program activities under section 7501(b)(7) of this title, establish a program to conduct basic research on issues related to the development and manufacture of nanotechnology, including metrology; reliability and quality assurance; processes control; and manufacturing best practices; and

**1** utilize the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program [^1] to the extent possible to ensure that the research conducted under paragraph (1) reaches small- and medium-sized manufacturing companies.

See Change of Name note below.

**(b)** **Clearinghouse** The Secretary of Commerce or his designee, in consultation with the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office and, to the extent possible, utilizing resources at the National Technical Information Service, shall establish a clearinghouse of information related to commercialization of nanotechnology research, including information relating to activities by regional, State, and local commercial nanotechnology initiatives; transition of research, technologies, and concepts from Federal nanotechnology research and development programs into commercial and military products; best practices by government, universities and private sector laboratories transitioning technology to commercial use; examples of ways to overcome barriers and challenges to technology deployment; and use of manufacturing infrastructure and workforce.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 108–153, § 7, Dec. 3, 2003, 117 Stat. 1930.)

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Change of Name

The Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, referred to in subsec. (a), redesignated the Hollings Manufacturing Partnership Program by a provision of title II of div. B of , formerly set out as a note under . Program subsequently designated the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership by former , as added by , and by , as generally amended by .