MANUFACTURING CONTRACTS THROUGH MANUFACTURING APPLICATION AND EDUCATION CENTERS.

SEC. 303. MANUFACTURING CONTRACTS THROUGH MANUFACTURING APPLICATION AND EDUCATION CENTERS. (a) In General.—The Small Business Administration shall promote the award of Federal manufacturing contracts to small business concerns that participate in manufacturing application and education centers by working with the Department of Commerce and other agencies to identify components and subsystems that are both critical and currently foreign-sourced. (b) Qualifications.—In order to qualify as a manufacturing application and education center under this section, an entity shall have the capacity to assist small business concerns in a shared- use production environment and to offer the following services: (1) Technology demonstration. (2) Technology education. (3) Technology application support. (4) Technology advancement support. (c) Inapplicability of Certain Requirements.—The requirements of section 15(o)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act shall not apply with respect to any manufacturing contract carried out by a small business concern in conjunction with a manufacturing application and education center under this section. (d) Regulations.—Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall promulgate final regulations to carry out this section. (e) Termination of Authority.—The authority of the Small Business Administration under this section shall terminate on September 30,1997. (f) Authorization of Appropriations.—There are authorized to be appropriated to the Small Business Administration, such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.