Title 15 — Commerce and TradeRelease 119-73
§271 Findings and purposes
Title 15 › Chapter CHAPTER 7— - NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY › § 271
Summary
Renames the National Bureau of Standards as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and updates it to help U.S. businesses compete. The Institute must keep and improve national measurement methods, standards, calibrations, and quality tools that help make products safer, more reliable, and cheaper to make. It must also help move lab discoveries into real factory processes and share new technologies with industry, trade groups, state programs, labor, schools, and others. The law also says the Institute should support private efforts to use advanced technology, fund joint research among industry, universities, and government labs, and encourage sharing risks and skills so new products and manufacturing methods develop faster and strengthen American manufacturing.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §271
Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Congress finds and declares the following:
(1)The future well-being of the United States economy depends on a strong manufacturing base and requires continual improvements in manufacturing technology, quality control, and techniques for ensuring product reliability and cost-effectiveness.
(2)Precise measurements, calibrations, and standards help United States industry and manufacturing concerns compete strongly in world markets.
(3)Improvements in manufacturing and product technology depend on fundamental scientific and engineering research to develop (A) the precise and accurate measurement methods and measurement standards needed to improve quality and reliability, and (B) new technological processes by which such improved methods may be used in practice to improve manufacturing and to assist industry to transfer important laboratory discoveries into commercial products.
(4)Scientific progress, public safety, and product compatibility and standardization also depend on the development of precise measurement methods, standards, and related basic technologies.
(5)The National Bureau of Standards since its establishment has served as the Federal focal point in developing basic measurement standards and related technologies, has taken a lead role in stimulating cooperative work among private industrial organizations in efforts to surmount technological hurdles, and otherwise has been responsible for assisting in the improvement of industrial technology.
(6)The Federal Government should maintain a national science, engineering, and technology laboratory which provides measurement methods, standards, and associated technologies and which aids United States companies in using new technologies to improve products and manufacturing processes.
(7)Such national laboratory also should serve industry, trade associations, State technology programs, labor organizations, professional societies, and educational institutions by disseminating information on new basic technologies including automated manufacturing processes.
(b)It is the purpose of this chapter—
(1)to rename the National Bureau of Standards as the National Institute of Standards and Technology and to modernize and restructure that agency to augment its unique ability to enhance the competitiveness of American industry while maintaining its traditional function as lead national laboratory for providing the measurements, calibrations, and quality assurance techniques which underpin United States commerce, technological progress, improved product reliability and manufacturing processes, and public safety;
(2)to assist private sector initiatives to capitalize on advanced technology;
(3)to advance, through cooperative efforts among industries, universities, and government laboratories, promising research and development projects, which can be optimized by the private sector for commercial and industrial applications; and
(4)to promote shared risks, accelerated development, and pooling of skills which will be necessary to strengthen America’s manufacturing industries.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This chapter, referred to in subsec. (b), was in the original “this Act” meaning act Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, 31 Stat. 1449, known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note below and Tables.
Amendments
1988—Pub. L. 100–418 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Office of Standard Weights and Measures shall be known as the National Bureau of Standards.”
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
National Bureau of Standards Redesignated National Institute of Standards and Technology section 5115(c) of Pub. L. 100–418 provided that: “References in any other Federal law to the National Bureau of Standards shall be deemed to refer to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.” Act Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, § 1, 37 Stat. 736, created the Department of Labor and renamed the Department of Commerce and Labor as the Department of Commerce.
Short Title
of 2023 Amendment Pub. L. 118–23, § 1, Dec. 19, 2023, 137 Stat. 125, provided that: “This Act [enacting section 278u of this title] may be cited as the ‘Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality Research Act of 2023’ or the ‘TRANQ Research Act of 2023’.”
Short Title
of 2020 Amendment Pub. L. 116–207, § 1, Dec. 4, 2020, 134 Stat. 1001, provided that: “This Act [enacting sections 278g–3a to 278g–3e of this title and provisions set out as a note under section 278g–3a of this title] may be cited as the ‘Internet of Things Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020’ or the ‘IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act of 2020’.”
Short Title
of 2018 Amendment Pub. L. 115–236, § 1, Aug. 14, 2018, 132 Stat. 2444, provided that: “This Act [amending section 272 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 272 of this title] may be cited as the ‘NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Act’.”
Short Title
of 2017 Amendment Pub. L. 114–329, title V, § 501(a), Jan. 6, 2017, 130 Stat. 3023, provided that: “This section [enacting section 278k–1 of this title, amending section 278g–5, 278k, and 278l of this title and section 2199 of Title 10, Armed Forces, and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 278k of this title] may be cited as the ‘Manufacturing Extension Partnership Improvement Act’.”
Short Title
of 2014 Amendment Pub. L. 113–235, div. B, title VII, § 701, Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2220, provided that: “This title [enacting section 278s of this title, amending section 3722 of this title and section 6622 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, enacting provisions set out as a note under section 278s of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act of 2014’.”
Short Title
of 2011 Amendment Pub. L. 111–358, title VII, § 701, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 4041, provided that: “This title [amending section 278k of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 278k of this title] may be cited as the ‘NIST Grants for Energy Efficiency, New Job Opportunities, and Business Solutions Act of 2010’ or the ‘NIST GREEN JOBS Act of 2010’.”
Short Title
of 2010 Amendment Pub. L. 111–240, title IV, § 4221, Sept. 27, 2010, 124 Stat. 2596, provided that: “This part [part I (§§ 4221–4228) of subtitle B of title IV of Pub. L. 111–240, amending section 278k of this title and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 278n of this title] may be cited as the ‘Export Promotion Act of 2010’.”
Short Title
of 1998 Amendment Pub. L. 105–309, § 1, Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2935, provided that: “This Act [enacting section 278g–2a, 278p, and 1511e of this title, amending section 278k, 3704, and 3711a of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under section 272 and 3711 of this title, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Technology Administration Act of 1998’.”
Short Title
of 1992 Amendment Pub. L. 102–245, title II, § 201(a), Feb. 14, 1992, 106 Stat. 15, provided that: “This title [amending section 272 and 278n of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under section 278n of this title] may be cited as the ‘Emerging Technologies and Advanced Technology Program
Amendments
Act of 1991’.”
Short Title
of 1988 Amendment Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5101, Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1426, provided that: “This part [part I (§§ 5101–5164) of subtitle B of title V of Pub. L. 100–418, enacting section 205j–1, 278i to 278o, 282a, 1532, 1533, 3704a, and 4632 of this title, amending this section, section 205a, 205b, 205k, 272 to 275, 278, 278b, 278d, 278e, 278g to 278g–4, 3703, 3706, 3708, 3710, 3710c, and 3713 of this title, and section 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, repealing sections 280 to 282 of this title, enacting provisions set out as notes under this section, section 272, 278l, and 278n of this title, and section 1803 of Title 30, Mineral Lands and Mining, and amending provisions set out as a note under this section] may be cited as the ‘Technology Competitiveness Act’.”
Short Title
Act Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 36, formerly § 23, as added by Pub. L. 100–235, § 3(3), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1728; renumbered § 31 and amended Pub. L. 100–418, title V, §§ 5114(1), 5115(a)(2), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1432, 1433; renumbered § 32, Pub. L. 105–309, § 4(a), Oct. 30, 1998, 112 Stat. 2935; renumbered § 34, Pub. L. 110–69, title III, § 3007(1), Aug. 9, 2007, 121 Stat. 590; renumbered § 35, Pub. L. 113–235, div. B, title VII, § 703(1), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2221; renumbered § 36, Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title II, § 10230(1), Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1482, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Act.”
Savings Provision
Act Mar. 3, 1901, ch. 872, § 29, as added Aug. 23, 1988, Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5161, 102 Stat. 1449, provided that: “All
Rules and Regulations
, determinations, standards, contracts, certifications, authorizations, delegations, results and findings of investigations, or other actions duly issued, made, or taken by or pursuant to this Act [enacting this chapter], or under the authority of any other statutes which resulted in the assignment of functions or activities to the Secretary, the Department, the Director, or the Institute, as are in effect immediately before the date of enactment of this section [Aug. 23, 1988], and not suspended by the Secretary, the Director, the Institute or the courts, shall continue in full force and effect after the date of enactment of this section until modified or rescinded.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 271
Title 15 — Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73