House Passes Legislation to Strengthen Nanotechnology Safety Research, Industry

June 9, 2008

H.R. 5940, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2008 passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 407 to 6. H.R. 5940 reauthorizes and refines the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), notably strengthening the commitment to environmental and safety research.

“The promise of nanotechnology is enormous, but potential downsides need to be addressed from the beginning in a thorough, transparent process,” said Chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN). “The federal interagency nanotechnology research program has not yet put in place a well designed, adequately funded, and effectively executed research program focused on the environmental and safety aspects of nanotechnology. H.R. 5940 addresses this deficiency by requiring that a research plan, with detailed objectives and funding targets, be developed and quickly implemented.”  (NanoTechWire.com)