Nanotech bill sails through House
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
The House Feb. 11 passes the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act, H.R. 554, to direct federal nanotechnology research, strengthen public-private partnerships through industry liaison groups and prioritize protecting public health and safety. An identical version of the bill cleared the House in 2008, but failed in the Senate (1"The Tan Sheet" Feb. 2, 2009, p. 16). In a same-day release, bill sponsor and Science and Technology Committee Chairman Bart Gordon says the legislation "will reduce the current uncertainty that inhibits commercial development of nanotechnology and will provide a sound basis for future rulemaking." The Tennessee Democrat adds that nanotechnology could be a $2.6 trillion industry by 2014