Establishment, functions, and activities

There is established within the Department of Commerce a science, engineering, technology, and measurement laboratory to be known as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Institute”). The Secretary of Commerce (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Secretary”) acting through the Director of the Institute (hereafter in this chapter referred to as the “Director”) is authorized to serve as the President’s principal adviser on standards policy pertaining to the Nation’s technological competitiveness and innovation ability and to take all actions necessary and appropriate to accomplish the purposes of this chapter, including the following functions of the Institute— In carrying out the functions specified in subsection (b), the Secretary, acting through the Director 11 So in original. Probably should be followed by a comma. may, among other things— In carrying out the extramural funding programs of the Institute, including the programs established under sections 278k and 278l of this title, the Secretary may retain reasonable amounts of any funds appropriated pursuant to authorizations for these programs in order to pay for the Institute’s management of these programs. In carrying out the activities under subsection (c)(15), the Director— shall— include methodologies— shall not prescribe or otherwise require— Information shared with or provided to the Institute for the purpose of the activities described under subsection (c)(15) shall not be used by any Federal, State, tribal, or local department or agency to regulate the activity of any entity. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to modify any regulatory requirement to report or submit information to a Federal, State, tribal, or local department or agency. In this subsection: The term “critical infrastructure” has the meaning given the term in section 5195c(e) of title 42. The term “sector-specific agency” means the Federal department or agency responsible for providing institutional knowledge and specialized expertise as well as leading, facilitating, or supporting the security and resilience programs and associated activities of its designated critical infrastructure sector in the all-hazards environment.