Book Description

The Advanced Technology Program (ATP) was created by P.L. 100-418, the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, to encourage public-private cooperation in the development of pre-competitive technologies with broad application across industries. Administered by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a laboratory of the Department of Commerce, this activity has been targeted for elimination as a means to cut federal spending. Since FY2000, the original Housepassed appropriation bills have not included funding for ATP. Many of the Administration2s budget requests have proposed termination of the program. However, ATP continues to be supported, although at levels below that achieved in FY1995 when the activity was expanded significantly. The FY2005 Omnibus Appropriations Act, P.L. 108-447, financed the program at $136.5 million (after mandated rescissions), which reflects a 20% decrease from the earlier fiscal year. For FY2006, both the Administration2s budget proposal and the House-passed version of H.R. 2862, the FY2006 Science, State, Justice, and Commerce appropriations bill, contain no funding for ATP. H.R. 2862, as passed by the Senate, would provide ATP with $140 million. This report will be updated as events warrant.