<p>That's awesome!</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Sep 23, 2010 10:27 AM, "Bryan Bishop" <<a href="mailto:kanzure@gmail.com">kanzure@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution">> I got wind of this from Ted Hall ("the ShopBot guy") on the open<br>
> manufacturing group. There's a good chance the committee won't get the<br>> bill out the door for general debate, but this is worth watching,<br>> talking about, and maybe supporting (somehow). Also, if you know<br>
> anyone of the committee members (listed below) asking them "what's up"<br>> would be cool :-).<br>> <br>> National Fab Lab Network Act of 2010<br>> <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-6003">http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-6003</a><br>
> <br>> full text:<br>> <a href="http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:h6003">http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c111:h6003</a>:<br>> <br>> """<br>> HR 6003 IH<br>> <br>> 111th CONGRESS<br>
> <br>> 2d Session<br>> <br>> H. R. 6003<br>> <br>> To provide for the establishment of the National Fab Lab Network to<br>> build out a network of community based, networked Fabrication<br>> Laboratories across the United States to foster a new generation with<br>
> scientific and engineering skills and to provide a workforce capable<br>> of producing world class individualized and traditional manufactured<br>> goods.<br>> <br>> IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES<br>> <br>
> July 30, 2010<br>> <br>> Mr. FOSTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the<br>> Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on<br>> Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by<br>
> the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall<br>> within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned<br>> <br>> A BILL<br>> <br>> To provide for the establishment of the National Fab Lab Network to<br>
> build out a network of community based, networked Fabrication<br>> Laboratories across the United States to foster a new generation with<br>> scientific and engineering skills and to provide a workforce capable<br>
> of producing world class individualized and traditional manufactured<br>> goods.<br>> <br>> Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United<br>> States of America in Congress assembled,<br>
> <br>> SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.<br>> <br>> This Act may be cited as the ‘National Fab Lab Network Act of 2010’.<br>> <br>> SEC. 2. FINDINGS.<br>> <br>> Congress finds the following:<br>> <br>> (1) The United States is the world leader in scientific research,<br>
> discovery, and innovation.<br>> <br>> (2) There exists a strong social and economic incentive to create the<br>> fewest barriers to entry for those interested in furthering education,<br>> discovery, invention, and innovation in the scientific, technological,<br>
> engineering, and mathematical fields.<br>> <br>> (3) The United States has a strong strategic interest in promoting a<br>> robust, well trained, highly capable, and geographically diverse<br>> manufacturing base.<br>
> <br>> (4) MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms has contributed significantly to<br>> the advancement of these goals through its work in creating and<br>> advancing Fabrication Laboratories (Fab Labs) in the United States and<br>
> abroad.<br>> <br>> (5) A new kind of national infrastructure will be required in order to<br>> adequately take advantage of leading edge digital fabrication<br>> technologies to secure the United States’ leading position in<br>
> scientific fields and to promote a robust manufacturing base.<br>> <br>> (6) A focused, dedicated national effort will be required in order to<br>> ensure the creation of such an infrastructure takes place as quickly<br>
> and effectively as possible.<br>> <br>> SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL FAB LAB NETWORK.<br>> <br>> (a) Establishment- The National Fab Lab Network incorporated by this<br>> Act (hereinafter in this section referred to as the ‘NFLN’) is hereby<br>
> authorized and empowered to receive either real or personal property<br>> and to hold the same absolutely or in trust, and to invest, reinvest,<br>> and manage the same in accordance with the provisions of its<br>
> constitution and to apply said property and the income arising<br>> therefrom to the objects of its creation and according to the<br>> instructions of its donors.<br>> <br>> (b) In General- The National Fab Lab Network (NFLN) shall exist as a<br>
> nonprofit entity whose purpose is to facilitate the piece by piece<br>> construction of an actual network of connected labs. The NFLN itself<br>> shall not represent an overseeing, regulating, or coordinating body of<br>
> this distributed network, but will merely exist to facilitate its<br>> construction.<br>> <br>> (c) Definitions- In this section, the term ‘Fabrication Laboratory’<br>> also referred to as a ‘Fab Lab’ means a facility containing a variety<br>
> of manufacturing and other fabrication tools operable by means of<br>> digital input as well as the software and computers required to design<br>> for and operate those tools. These labs serve a broad range of<br>
> purposes, but each allow for clear guidelines for how members of the<br>> local community, local businesses, and academic or educational<br>> purposes can be pursued with the labs’ resources consistent with a<br>
> charter to be established by the NFLN.<br>> <br>> (d) Functions- The functions of the NFLN shall be the following:<br>> <br>> (1) To serve as the coordinating body for all efforts to create a<br>> coordinated, collaborative network of Fab Labs in the United States.<br>
> <br>> (2) To serve as the first point of contact for organizations<br>> interested in constructing and operating a Fab Lab and to maintain a<br>> first-come first-serve wait list of those organizations.<br>> <br>
> (3) To work out to the satisfaction of NFLN staff and board members<br>> the ability of interested organizations to successfully host a Fab<br>> Lab. In particular, the staff and board members of the NFLN shall<br>
> examine the ability of the organization to supply a physical location<br>> for the lab, their financial ability to pay for sufficient staff to<br>> operate the lab and train its users, an ability to engage the local<br>
> community or other sufficient user base, and an awareness of those<br>> long term obligations.<br>> <br>> (4) To match those organizations who meet with the NFLN’s approval for<br>> those criteria specified in paragraph (3) with available sources of<br>
> funding and individuals with personal experience in establishing and<br>> operating Labs in other organizations so as to expedite the process of<br>> making new Labs operational. In general, the NFLN should not bring to<br>
> this stage or continue to engage with those organizations that do not<br>> meet the NFLN’s approval on those criteria described in paragraph (3).<br>> <br>> (5) To advertise or perform other outreach activities to those<br>
> organizations that might have interest in or otherwise benefit from<br>> creating a Fab Lab, and to notify those organizations of the specific<br>> purposes the NFLN can perform.<br>> <br>> (e) Purposes- In carrying out its functions, the NFLN’s purposes and<br>
> goals shall be--<br>> <br>> (1) to facilitate the construction of a new type of information and<br>> digital fabrication infrastructure; specifically, in all its actions<br>> to facilitate and encourage the construction of a decentralized<br>
> network of connected Fab Labs;<br>> <br>> (2) to promote the goals of greater science, technology, engineering,<br>> and math education, workforce development in the areas of<br>> manufacturing and product design, increased innovation and invention<br>
> in the private sector, as well as scientific and academic discovery<br>> through the use of distributed digital fabrication tools; and<br>> <br>> (3) to seek to establish at least one Fab Lab per every 700,000<br>
> individuals in the United States in the first ten years of its<br>> operation.<br>> <br>> (f) Funding- The NFLN may accept donations from private individuals,<br>> corporations, government agencies, or other organizations.<br>
> """<br>> <br>> referred to the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation:<br>> <a href="http://science.house.gov/subcommittee/tech.aspx">http://science.house.gov/subcommittee/tech.aspx</a><br>
> <br>> people:<br>> David Wu (Oregon)<br>> Donna F. Edwards (Maryland)<br>> Ben Ray Luján (New Mexico)<br>> Paul D. Tonko (New York)<br>> Harry E. Mitchell (Arizona)<br>> Gary Peters (Michigan)<br>
> John Garamendi (California)<br>> Bart Gordon (Tennessee)<br>> Adrian Smith (Nebraska)<br>> Judy Biggert (Illinois)<br>> W. Todd Akin (Missouri)<br>> Paul Broun (Georgia)<br>> Ralph M. Hall (Texas)<br>
> <br>> also referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce:<br>> <a href="http://energycommerce.house.gov/">http://energycommerce.house.gov/</a><br>> <br>> people:<br>> Henry A. Waxman, California, Chairman<br>
> John D. Dingell, MI,<br>> Joe Barton, TX, Ranking Member<br>> Edward J. Markey, MA<br>> Ralph M. Hall, TX<br>> Rick Boucher, VA<br>> Fred Upton, MI<br>> Frank Pallone, Jr., NJ<br>> Cliff Stearns, FL<br>
> Bart Gordon, TN<br>> Ed Whitfield, KY<br>> Bobby L. Rush, IL<br>> John Shimkus, IL<br>> Anna G. Eshoo, CA<br>> John Shadegg, AZ<br>> Bart Stupak, MI<br>> Roy Blunt, MO, Deputy Ranking Member<br>> Eliot L. Engel, NY<br>
> Steve Buyer, IN<br>> Gene Green, TX<br>> George Radanovich, CA<br>> Diana DeGette, CO, Vice Chair<br>> Joseph R. Pitts, PA<br>> Lois Capps, CA<br>> Mary Bono Mack, CA<br>> Mike Doyle, PA<br>> Lee Terry, NE<br>
> Jane Harman, CA<br>> Mike Rogers, MI<br>> Jan Schakowsky, IL<br>> Sue Wilkins Myrick, NC<br>> Charles A. Gonzalez, TX<br>> John Sullivan, OK<br>> Jay Inslee, WA<br>> Tim Murphy, PA<br>> Tammy Baldwin, WI<br>
> Michael C. Burgess, TX<br>> Mike Ross, AR<br>> Marsha Blackburn, TN<br>> Anthony D. Weiner, NY<br>> Phil Gingrey, GA<br>> Jim Matheson, UT<br>> Steve Scalise, LA<br>> G. K. Butterfield, NC<br>> Parker Griffith, AL1<br>
> Charlie Melancon, LA<br>> Robert E. Latta, OH2<br>> John Barrow, GA<br>> Baron P. Hill, IN<br>> Doris O. Matsui, CA<br>> Donna M. Christensen, VI<br>> Kathy Castor, FL<br>> John P. Sarbanes, MD<br>
> Christopher S. Murphy, CT<br>> Zachary T. Space, OH<br>> Jerry McNerney CA<br>> Betty Sutton, OH<br>> Bruce L. Braley, IA<br>> Peter Welch, VT<br>> <br>> The sponsor was Bill Foster:<br>> <a href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=412257">http://www.govtrack.us/congress/person.xpd?id=412257</a><br>
> <a href="http://foster.house.gov/">http://foster.house.gov/</a><br>> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanBillFoster">http://www.facebook.com/CongressmanBillFoster</a><br>> <br>> - Bryan<br>> <a href="http://heybryan.org/">http://heybryan.org/</a><br>
> 1 512 203 0507<br>> _______________________________________________<br>> Discuss mailing list<br>> <a href="mailto:Discuss@lists.hackerspaces.org">Discuss@lists.hackerspaces.org</a><br>> <a href="http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss">http://lists.hackerspaces.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss</a><br>
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