Subcommittee Reviews NIST's Role in Cyberspace Policy

Chairman David Wu

On October 22, the Technology and Innovation Subcommittee discussed the recommendations made in the Administration’s 60-day review of federal cybersecurity, Cyberspace Policy Review, that could be appropriate for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take action on.

During the 111 th Congress, the Subcommittee has been exploring ways that NIST’s expertise in information technology might be leveraged towards the Administration’s goals of securing cyberspace. The 60-day review stressed the importance of increased organization and coordination within the federal government, extensive public-private partnerships, and international collaboration. Subcommittee Members believe that NIST has a leadership role to play in all three of these critical efforts.

“More and more of our personal information is making its way online, and our nation’s entire infrastructure—from traffic systems and air traffic control to manufacturing—depends on internet networked systems,” stated Subcommittee Chairman David Wu . “I can think of no topic more important for this Subcommittee to address than cybersecurity.”

Read more on the Committee’s work on cybersecurity >>

Subcommittee Jurisdiction

Committee Rule 11(a)(2)

Legislative jurisdiction and general oversight and investigative authority on all matters relating to competitiveness, technology, standards, and innovation, including:

1. standardization of weights and measures including technical standards, standardization, and conformity assessment;
2. measurement, including the metric system of measurement;
3. the Technology Administration of the Department of Commerce;
4. the National Institute of Standards and Technology;
5. the National Technical Information Service;
6. competitiveness, including small business competitiveness;
7. tax, antitrust, regulatory and other legal and governmental policies as they relate to technological development and commercialization;
8. technology transfer including civilian use of defense technologies;
9. patent and intellectual property policy;
10. international technology trade;
11. research, development, and demonstration activities of the Department of Transportation;
12. surface and water transportation research, development, and demonstration programs;
13. earthquake programs (except for NSF) and fire research programs including those related to wildfire proliferation research and prevention;
14. biotechnology policy;
15. research, development, demonstration, and standards related activities of the Department of Homeland Security;
16. Small Business Innovation Research and Technology Transfer; and
17. voting technologies and standards.