Title 15, Commerce and TradeRelease 119-110
§3704b National Technical Information Service
Title 15 › CHAPTER 63 — TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION › § 3704b
Summary
The Secretary of Commerce, through the Director of the National Technical Information Service, may run the Service, make contracts and joint ventures, hire staff, and use certain fees and revenues to operate and modernize the Service. The Service must keep a permanent collection of unclassified scientific, technical, and engineering information, work with other government information programs, give some bibliographic products to depository libraries, collect and translate unclassified foreign technical material with private partners when appropriate, and develop new ways to share information (including electronic formats). For the year from October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992 only, the Service may keep and use all earned and unearned money it receives to pay obligations, inventories, and equipment. The Service’s core functions listed in the law are federal duties and cannot be moved to the private sector without Congress’s clear approval. Net revenues means revenues (except certain royalties) minus operating costs. The Director reports to the Director of NIST and the Secretary of Commerce. The Secretary must arrange annual independent audits starting with fiscal year 1988. An Advisory Board of five members (a chair and four others) is appointed by the Secretary, who should seek recommendations from main users. The Board must review policies, including fees, and meet at least once every six months. The Secretary and Director must keep Congress fully informed. Within 90 days after October 24, 1988 the Secretary must report on the Service’s fee structure and plans to increase sales. Each year the Secretary must send Congress a report summarizing past operations and finances, next year’s plan and needs, modernization progress and long-term plans, and the latest audit. The Secretary must give at least 30 days’ advance notice to Congress of any proposed staff reductions, any joint venture that gives a financial incentive to the partner, and any change in the annual plan that would change expenses by more than 10 percent.
Full Legal Text
Title 15, §3704b
Commerce and Trade, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)Powers
(1)The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Director of the National Technical Information Service (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Director”) is authorized to do the following:
(A)Enter into such contracts, cooperative agreements, joint ventures, and other transactions, in accordance with all relevant provisions of Federal law applicable to such contracts and agreements, and under reasonable terms and conditions, as may be necessary in the conduct of the business of the National Technical Information Service (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Service”).
(B)In addition to the authority regarding fees contained in section 2 of the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the dissemination of technological, scientific, and engineering information to American business and industry, and for other purposes” enacted September 9, 1950 (15 U.S.C. 1152), retain and, subject to appropriations Acts, utilize its net revenues to the extent necessary to implement the plan submitted under subsection (f)(3)(D).
(C)Enter into contracts for the performance of part or all of the functions performed by the Promotion Division of the Service prior to October 24, 1988. The details of any such contract, and a statement of its effect on the operations and personnel of the Service, shall be provided to the appropriate committees of the Congress 30 days in advance of the execution of such contract.
(D)Employ such personnel as may be necessary to conduct the business of the Service.
(E)For the period of October 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992, only, retain and use all earned and unearned monies heretofore or hereafter received, including receipts, revenues, and advanced payments and deposits, to fund all obligations and expenses, including inventories and capital equipment.
An increase or decrease in the personnel of the Service shall not affect or be affected by any ceilings on the number or grade of personnel.
(2)The functions and activities of the Service specified in subsection (e)(1) through (6) are permanent Federal functions to be carried out by the Secretary through the Service and its employees, and shall not be transferred from the Service, by contract or otherwise, to the private sector on a permanent or temporary basis without express approval of the Congress. Functions or activities—
(A)for the procurement of supplies, materials, and equipment by the Service;
(B)referred to in paragraph (1)(C); or
(C)to be performed through joint ventures or cooperative agreements which do not result in a reduction in the Federal workforce of the affected programs of the service,
shall not be considered functions or activities for purposes of this paragraph.
(3)For the purposes of this subsection, the term “net revenues” means the excess of revenues and receipts from any source, other than royalties and other income described in section 13(a)(4) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3710c(a)(4)), over operating expenses.
(4)Omitted.
(b)Director of the Service
The management of the Service shall be vested in a Director who shall report to the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Secretary of Commerce.
(c)Advisory Board
(1)There is established the Advisory Board of the National Technical Information Service, which shall be composed of a chairman and four other members appointed by the Secretary.
(2)In appointing members of the Advisory Board the Secretary shall solicit recommendations from the major users and beneficiaries of the Service’s activities and shall select individuals experienced in providing or utilizing technical information.
(3)The Advisory Board shall review the general policies and operations of the Service, including policies in connection with fees and charges for its services, and shall advise the Secretary and the Director with respect thereto.
(4)The Advisory Board shall meet at the call of the Secretary, but not less often than once each six months.
(d)Audits
The Secretary of Commerce shall provide for annual independent audits of the Service’s financial statements beginning with fiscal year 1988, to be conducted in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
(e)Functions
The Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Service, shall—
(1)establish and maintain a permanent repository of nonclassified scientific, technical, and engineering information;
(2)cooperate and coordinate its operations with other Government scientific, technical, and engineering information programs;
(3)make selected bibliographic information products available in a timely manner to depository libraries as part of the Depository Library Program of the Government Publishing Office;
(4)in conjunction with the private sector as appropriate, collect, translate into English, and disseminate unclassified foreign scientific, technical, and engineering information;
(5)implement new methods or media for the dissemination of scientific, technical, and engineering information, including producing and disseminating information products in electronic format; and
(6)carry out the functions and activities of the Secretary under the Act entitled “An Act to provide for the dissemination of technological, scientific, and engineering information to American business and industry, and for other purposes” enacted September 9, 1950 [15 U.S.C. 1151 et seq.], and the functions and activities of the Secretary performed through the National Technical Information Service as of October 24, 1988, under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 [15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.].
(f)Notification of Congress
(1)The Secretary of Commerce and the Director shall keep the appropriate committees of Congress fully and currently informed about all activities related to the carrying out of the functions of the Service, including changes in fee policies.
(2)Within 90 days after October 24, 1988, the Secretary of Commerce shall submit to the Congress a report on the current fee structure of the Service, including an explanation of the basis for the fees, taking into consideration all applicable costs, and the adequacy of the fees, along with reasons for the declining sales at the Service of scientific, technical, and engineering publications. Such report shall explain any actions planned or taken to increase such sales at reasonable fees.
(3)The Secretary shall submit an annual report to the Congress which shall—
(A)summarize the operations of the Service during the preceding year, including financial details and staff levels broken down by major activities;
(B)detail the operating plan of the Service, including specific expense and staff needs, for the upcoming year;
(C)set forth details of modernization progress made in the preceding year;
(D)describe the long-term modernization plans of the Service; and
(E)include the results of the most recent annual audit carried out under subsection (d).
(4)The Secretary shall also give the Congress detailed advance notice of not less than 30 calendar days of—
(A)any proposed reduction-in-force;
(B)any joint venture or cooperative agreement which involves a financial incentive to the joint venturer or contractor; and
(C)any change in the operating plan submitted under paragraph (3)(B) which would result in a variation from such plan with respect to expense levels of more than 10 percent.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
This section, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was in the original “this subtitle”, meaning subtitle B (§§ 211, 212) of title II of Pub. L. 100–519, Oct. 24, 1988, 102 Stat. 2594, which enacted section 3704b of this title and amended section 3710 of this title. For complete classification of this subtitle to the Code, see
Short Title
of 1988 Amendment note set out under section 3701 of this title and Tables. section 13(a)(4) of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (a)(3), probably means section 14(a)(4) of the Act, which is classified to section 3710c(a)(4) of this title. section 13 of the Act was renumbered section 14 by Pub. L. 100–418, title V, § 5122(a)(1), Aug. 23, 1988, 102 Stat. 1438. The Act entitled “An Act to provide for the dissemination of technological, scientific, and engineering information to American business and industry, and for other purposes” enacted September 9, 1950, referred to in subsec. (e)(6), is act Sept. 9, 1950, ch. 936, 64 Stat. 823, which is classified generally to chapter 23 (§ 1151 et seq.) of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980, referred to in subsec. (e)(6), is Pub. L. 96–480, Oct. 21, 1980, 94 Stat. 2311, which is classified generally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 3701 of this title and Tables. Codification Section was enacted as part of the National Technical Information Act of 1988, and not as part of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 which comprises this chapter. Subsec. (a)(4) of this section repealed subsec. (h) of section 3710 of this title.
Amendments
2007—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 110–161 substituted “Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology” for “Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology”. 1992—Subsec. (e)(5). Pub. L. 102–245 inserted “, including producing and disseminating information products in electronic format” after “engineering information”. 1991—Subsec. (a)(1)(E). Pub. L. 102–140 added subpar. (E).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Change of Name
“Government Publishing Office” substituted for “Government Printing Office” in subsec. (e)(3) on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of Title 44, Public Printing and Documents. Termination of Advisory BoardsAdvisory boards established after Jan. 5, 1973, to terminate not later than the expiration of the 2-year period beginning on the date of their establishment, unless, in the case of a board established by the President or an officer of the Federal Government, such board is renewed by appropriate action prior to the expiration of such 2-year period, or in the case of a board established by the Congress, its duration is otherwise provided by law. See section 1001(2) and 1013 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. National Technical Information Service Revolving Fund Pub. L. 102–395, title II, Oct. 6, 1992, 106 Stat. 1853, provided that: “For establishment of a National Technical Information Service Revolving Fund, $8,000,000 without fiscal year limitation: Provided, That unexpended balances in Information Products and Services shall be transferred to and merged with this account, to remain available until expended. Notwithstanding 15 U.S.C. 1525 and 1526, all payments collected by the National Technical Information Service in performing its activities authorized by chapters 23 and 63 of title 15 of the United States Code shall be credited to this Revolving Fund. Without further appropriations action, all expenses incurred in performing the activities of the National Technical Information Service, including modernization, capital equipment and inventory, shall be paid from the fund. A business-type budget for the fund shall be prepared in the manner prescribed by 31 U.S.C. 9103.”
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
15 U.S.C. § 3704b
Title 15, Commerce and Trade
Last Updated
Sep 23, 2026
Release point: 119-110