Bingaman Introduces Bill to Create MEP-like Program for E-Commerce

To help small businesses participate fully in the expected e-commerce revolution, Senator Bingaman (D-NM) has introduced legislation to create a national e-commerce extension program. Senators Rockefeller (D-WVa), Snowe (R-ME) and Mikulski (D-MD) are co-sponsors of the bill, S. 1494.

E-commerce sales are expected to grow from the 1998 level of $100 billion to $1.3 trillion in 2003 -- less than four years from now. The opportunities for businesses prepared to compete in the electronic commerce market are significant. The challenges and implications for others, particularly in areas, populations, and companies underserved by the Internet, are enormous.

Modeled after the Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the USDA agricultural extension program, the new e-commerce program would be administered by the National Institutes of Standards and Technology. Regional centers would be created and required to secure non-federal matching funds equal to or greater than the 3-year

federal grant.

In his remarks while introducing the bill, Senator Bingaman outlined his vision of the e-commerce program’s potential relationship with the 70 MEP centers nationwide,“I assume NIST ...would begin by leveraging their MEP management expertise to start a few e-commerce extension centers and then gradually build a network separate from MEP.”

The bill can be downloaded from http://thomas.loc.gov. Senator Bingaman also seeks comments on the proposal from interested parties. Additional information can be obtained from John Jennings in Sen. Bingaman’s office at John_Jennings@bingaman.senate.gov