112 STAT. 2938 PUBLIC LAW 105-309—OCT. 30, 1998 (3) acting as an industry advocate within the executive branch of the Federal Government to ensure that the Federal Government meets the space-related requirements of the Federal Government, to the fullest extent feasible, using commercially available space goods and services; (4) ensuring that the United States Government does not compete with United States commercial providers in the provision of space hardware and services otherwise available from United States commercial providers; (5) promoting the export of space-related goods and services; (6) representing the Department of Commerce in the development of United States policies and in negotiations with foreign countries to ensure free and fair trade internationaly in the area of space commerce; and (7) seeking the removal of legal, policy, and institutional impediments to space commerce. SEC. 9. EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM TO STIMULATE COMPETITIVE TECH- NOLOGY. Section 5 of the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3704) is amended by adding at the end the following: " (f) EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM To STIMULATE COMPETITIVE TECHNOLOGY.— "(1) IN GENERAL.— The Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall establish for fiscal year 1999 a program to be known as the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Technology (referred to in this subsection as the 'program'). The purpose of the program shall be to strengthen the technological competitiveness of those States that have historically received less Federal research and development funds than those received by a majority of the States. "(2) ARRANGEMENTS.— In carrying out the program, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, shall— "(A) enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to provide for the coordination of the program through the State committees established under the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research of the National Science Foundation; and "(B) cooperate with— "(i) any State science and technology council established under the program under subparagraph (A); and "(ii) representatives of small business firms and other appropriate technology-based businesses. "(3) GRANTS AND COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—In carrying out the program, the Secretary, acting through the Under Secretary, may make grants or enter into cooperative agreements to provide for— "(A) technology research and development; "(B) technology transfer from university research; "(C) technology deployment and diffusion; and "(D) the strengthening of technological capabilities through consortia comprised of— "(i) technology-based small business firms; "(ii) industries and emerging companies;
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