Nanotech bill sails through House
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
The House passes H.R. 554 Feb. 11 to direct federal nanotechnology research, strengthen public-private partnerships through industry liaison groups and prioritize public health and safety. An identical version of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act cleared the House in 2008, but failed in the Senate (1"The Rose Sheet" Jan. 26, 2009, p. 6). 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