National Critical Technologies Act of 1991

National Critical Technologies Act of 1991 - Title I: Federal Management of National Critical Technologies - Amends the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to direct the President, through the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology, to develop and submit to the Congress, at least once every two years, a strategic road map, covering at least four years after the year in which it is issued, for each national critical technology. Specifies the required contents of each map, including: (1) assessing current U.S. strengths and weaknesses in developing and applying the covered technologies; (2) specifying goals and priorities in enhancing development or application; (3) increasing access to foreign technology; and (4) identifying feasible joint actions of Federal departments and agencies.

Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish one or more critical technologies advisory committees to advise the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology (Coordinating Council) and review each map.

Requires that the Coordinating Council: (1) serve as the lead Federal agency for development of the maps and interagency coordination of map-related activities; (2) review the Federal budget prior to submission and submit review results to the Executive Office of the President.

Title II: Federal Support for Development of Critical Technologies - Part A: Department of Defense - Directs the Secretary of Defense to enter into cooperative arrangements, each known as a Defense Dual-Use Technology Partnership, to encourage and provide for research and development of dual-use critical technologies identified in the annual defense critical technologies plan mandated by current law.

Amends Federal law to authorize the Secretary of Defense, in carrying out advanced research projects through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) or a military department (currently, through DARPA), to enter into cooperative agreements and other transactions with any entity. Allows the Secretary to authorize the Secretary of the military department concerned to enter into such transactions. Repeals provisions terminating, on a specified date, the Secretary's authority to enter into such agreements.

Sets forth special rules for applying existing provisions (relating to payments by the Department of Defense of independent research development costs) to a specified portion of costs attributable to participation in critical technology research and development consortia meeting certain requirements.

Authorizes appropriations to carry out the Partnership provisions.

Part B: Other Departments and Agencies - Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology acting under the Advanced Technology Program, to continue to support the activities of U.S. industry and joint ventures associated with applications of national critical technologies. Authorizes appropriations.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to enter into cooperative arrangements, each known as a Department of Energy Critical Technology Partnership, for research and development of critical technologies selected by the Secretary, with each Partnership required to be composed of at least two eligible firms and at least one Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory. Allows other participants. Mandates similar Critical Technology Partnerships within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Authorizes appropriations separately for DOE, NASA, and HHS.

Part C: Administrative Provisions Relating to Critical Technology Partnerships - Requires that the participants in each Partnership designate a lead institution to direct Partnership activities.

Requires: (1) non-Federal participants to contribute at least half of the total Partnership cost; and (2) Partnership selection to be made through a competitive process using specified criteria. Allows an agreement establishing a Partnership to include a requirement that a participant make payments to the department or agency establishing the Partnership. Protects trade secrets and information that is privileged or confidential.

Part D: Additional Definitions - Sets forth definitions applicable to this title.

Title III: Critical Technology Application Centers - Amends Federal law to direct the Secretary of Defense to conduct the Critical Technology Application Centers Assistance Program, to assist regional critical technology application centers.

Requires a center to: (1) include eligible firms conducting business in the region; and (2) be sponsored by an agency connected in one of specified ways to State or local governments. Declares the purpose of a center to be to facilitate the use of national critical technologies for commercial purposes to enhance the development and economic sustainability of the capability of an industry of the region to compete internationally and, in the case of military applications, thereby to maintain industrial capabilities vital to national security. Allows center activities to include: (1) joint research and development; (2) proprietary research and development (limited to a specified percentage of center costs); and (3) sharing of information, equipment, personnel, and expertise.

Authorizes the Secretary to provide to a center financial assistance (limited to 30 percent of costs) and technical assistance for up to six years. Prohibits financial assistance for construction. Requires the sponsoring agency to pay at least 30 percent and participating firms to pay at least 40 percent of center costs. Requires that non-Federal participants pay the total costs for proprietary research and development.

Requires assistance to be awarded under a competitive process according to specified criteria.

Directs the Secretary of Defense to appoint a panel to evaluate the activities of each center receiving financial assistance. Prohibits further assistance to a center if the panel determines that the center's activities are not consistent with center purposes as specified in this Act.

Authorizes appropriations to the Department of Defense and Commerce to carry out the Program.

Title IV: Foreign Technology Monitoring and Assessment - Requires the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, Engineering, and Technology to: (1) coordinate Federal monitoring of foreign technology developments; (2) facilitate joint foreign science and technology monitoring and assessment efforts of Federal departments and agencies; and (3) establish strategic goals and priorities for the clearinghouses established by this title.

Amends the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 to establish in the Office of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology the Clearinghouse of Foreign Commercial Technology Monitoring and Assessment (Commerce Clearinghouse) to serve as the lead Federal agency for the compilation and dissemination of unclassified information and assessments on foreign research, development, and application of commercial critical technologies. Authorizes appropriations.

Directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a merit-based foreign critical technology monitoring and assessment grant program for the establishment of foreign critical technology monitoring and assessment offices in Europe and on the Pacific Rim Area. Limits support for an office to six years and 50 percent of operating and capital costs. Requires each office to disseminate its assessments to the Commerce Clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations.

Amends Federal law to declare that there is, in the Office of the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, the Clearinghouse of Foreign Defense Technology Monitoring and Assessment (Defense Clearinghouse). Includes among Defense Clearinghouse responsibilities: (1) creating unclassified and classified data bases; and (2) ensuring maximum public availability of information in those data bases through limiting restrictive classification and through disseminating information to the Commerce Clearinghouse. Authorizes appropriations.

Authorizes making available to the National Science Foundation, for support of the assessment of foreign capabilities in critical technologies, specified sums from the amounts authorized by this Act for the Commerce and Defense Clearinghouses.