update the 1971 CRS report 1/ on NBS, which the Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology, House Committee on Science and Technology, also requested. AGENCY COMMENTS We obtained oral agency comments on the report. NBS agreed with the report's conclusions and had no policy problems or problems with the factual information in the report. A few technical comments were made, which we have included where appropriate, to help clarify the report. PREVIOUSLY ISSUED REPORTS Within the past 2 years, we have issued two other reports 2/ on the management and administration of NBS which address some of the matters discussed in chapter 2. 1/"National Bureau of Standards--Review of Its Organization and Operations," to the Subcommittee on Science, Research, and Development, House Committee on Science and Astronautics (Sept. 8, 1971). 2/"National Bureau of Standards--Information and Observations on Its Administration" (CED-79-29, Mar. 21, 1979); and "National Bureau of Standards--Answers to Congressional Concerns" (CED-80-49, Feb. 2, 1980). CHAPTER 2 NBS' MISSION HAS BEEN QUESTIONED The organic act, as amended, combined with several other legislative mandates, gives NBS a multifaceted mission. The Subcommittee on Science, Research and Technology, House Committee on Science and Technology, is concerned that "NBS appears to be divided as to its function in relation to enabling legislation [organic act] and the subsequent legislative mandates." Also, NBS and others have raised questions about how narrow or broad NBS' functions should be and what function(s) should be emphasized. The organic act provides NBS with broad, general authority. Under this authorization, NBS has initiated a wide range of scientific activities. Also, the many additional congressional requests, expressed in subsequent legislative mandates, have placed upon NBS a significant number of statutory responsibilities. As a result, NBS has lost some of its freedom to decide which programs are most important to the scientific community. Also, NBS has had problems performing all its assigned functions because resources have not always been provided and its staff ceiling has declined. As a result of the latter, NBS has had to reprogram (terminate) ongoing research to respond to some legislatively mandated functions. This reprograming has apparently caused problems with planning, research continuity, and scientific competence building. The subcommittee may wish to review during planned hearings NBS' statutory mission and functions to identify problems in obtaining resources and any other problems NBS might have concerning its many responsibilities. Also, the subcommittee may wish to explore with NBS the following matters which may help NBS carry out its current and future responsibilities. 1. 2. Encourage Government agencies to have others Limit those services it provides to industry 3. Expand NBS' research grant program. NBS' MISSION NBS' statutory mission is broad and multifaceted. According to its long-range plan, NBS may be unique as a Federal agency in having an extremely broad mission that is relevant to nearly every national problem area and economic sector. Many statutes provide it authority to undertake programs of science, research, and technology. The organic act (passed in 1901), the principal legislation concerning NBS, places no mandatory requirements on NBS; it simply authorizes NBS to perform a variety of functions. The act provides NBS a dual mission: (1) responsibility for standards and measurements and (2) responsibility for providing technical support to other Federal agencies. In addition, other specific legislation has directed NBS to perform certain activities within the scope of the organic act. The subcommittee in its letter to us expressed concern about NBS' mission and research activities, as follows. "NBS appears to be divided as to its function in re- "1. What changes, if any, in the amended organic act are needed to enable the Bureau to perform these functions?" The organic act authorizes the Secretary of Commerce, who delegates authority to NBS, to undertake the following functions: "(a) The custody, maintenance, and development of the national standards of measurement, and the provision of means and methods for making measurements consistent with those standards, including the comparison of standards used in scientific investigations, engineering, manufacturing, commerce, and educational institutions with the standards adopted or recognized by the Government. "(b) The determination of physical constants and "(c) The development of methods for testing mater- "(d) Cooperation with other governmental agencies "(e) Advisory service to Government agencies on "(f) Invention and development of devices to serve Other specific legislation has been enacted to supplement the organic act's authority. These additional statutory mandates (see app. III) generally do not give NBS more authority. Rather, they direct that certain activities within the scope of the organic act be performed. As a result of these mandated activities, NBS has lost some of its freedom to decide which programs are most important to the scientific community. Instead, the Congress had focused on national problems and made major policy decisions in science and technology. NBS, however, still has discretion under the organic act to use its scientific expertise to do research it deems important. Others have also questioned NBS' mission Questions concerning NBS' mission have been raised several times by NAS 1/ evaluation panels and others. In its 1971 report the Congressional Research Service raised questions about the NBS mission and its functions. The report pointed out that the then-Secretary of Commerce saw the NBS function in a narrow vein "* ** assuring the maximum application of the physical and engineering sciences to the advancement of technology in industry or commerce." The then-NBS Director, however, saw the NBS function in a broader sense: "To strengthen and advance the Nation's science and 1/The National Research Council, under a contract between NAS and NBS, generally evaluates NBS functions and operations annually through a series of evaluation panels whose members are appointed by the Council.. technology and to facilitate their effective application for public benefit ***" including industry or commerce, according to the CRS report. The report stated that "It would appear to be important to clarify how narrow or broad should be the goal of the National Bureau of Standards * * *." Also, a 1978 NAS evaluation panel recognized a problem with the organic act and the NBS mission or role. The panel stated in its report that although the activities of the NBS organizational unit in question were "* * * entirely consistent with the NBS Organic Act In addition, a 1979 NAS evaluation panel also recognized NBS' problem concerning how narrow or broad its role should be and noted that the organic act may need to be revised. The panel's report stated that the panel believed NBS should engage in engineering work in the broad sense rather than pursuing engineering measurements only. According to the report, this required a broad interpretation of the organic act's authority or perhaps some modification of the act. The act, in our opinion, does not state precisely what the NBS role should be. One panel member told us that some NBS officials interpret the act narrowly and, as a result, restrict engineering work within NBS to measurements. He said that the panel believed the organic act may need to be revised, for "political reasons," to state that engineering work should be done in a broad sense. The organic act provides broad authority for NBS' performing a variety of scientific functions. The scientific work undertaken at NBS that we reviewed incident to this report did not provide any reasonable basis to question the proposition that such work is within the authority provided by the Congress, either in the Bureau's organic act or in the statutes enacted over the past two decades that have mandated |