VIDEO: Heinrich Advocates Tech Transfer Legislation, Labs’ Role In Monitoring Iran’s Nuclear Program
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 16, 2015) - During a U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces hearing, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) advocated for legislation he sponsored to encourage technology transfer and highlighted the national laboratories role in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action For Iran's Nuclear Program.
At the hearing with leadership from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Senator Heinrich highlighted the Microlab Technology Commercialization Act, a bill he introduced with Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) to accelerate technology transfer by establishing off-campus microlabs that would serve as the "front-door" to national laboratories. The microlabs would give academia, local government, businesses owners, and communities direct access to equipment, facilities, and personnel of national laboratories.
Senator Heinrich also discussed the role the national labs would play with regard to verification under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action for Iran's Nuclear Program. Administrator Klotz highlighted the important role of the national labs, noting that "a lot of the policy decisions that were part of the negotiation process were informed by the technical knowledge, expertise, and analysis that were done within our labs and within our production facilities and I would expect that that would be an important part of further steps in bringing about an agreement and, if an agreement, implementing that agreement."
