Ayotte-Led Bipartisan Manufacturing Legislation Passes Senate

Press Release

Today, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, which included important bipartisan legislation that U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte helped introduce along with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). The measure, adapted from the stand-alone Manufacturing Universities Act (S. 771), will help universities across the country strengthen their engineering programs to meet the demands of the modern manufacturing industry.

"I am so pleased that we were able to work successfully across the aisle to include in this year's NDAA this important provision that will strengthen manufacturing in New Hampshire and across the country," said Senator Ayotte. "This legislation works to ensure that students have the education and skills they need to compete in the 21st century workforce and to keep manufacturing jobs in the United States. It has been an honor to work with Senators Coons, Baldwin, Gillibrand and Graham on this legislation that will help better prepare our students for good-paying manufacturing jobs."

The provision would establish a program within the Department of Defense charged with designating schools as "Manufacturing Universities." Designated schools would receive federal competitive grant funding to meet specific goals, including focusing engineering programs on development of industry-relevant advanced manufacturing skills, building new partnerships with manufacturing firms, growing hands-on training opportunities for students, and fostering manufacturing entrepreneurship.

The original bipartisan standalone legislation was endorsed by the Business and Industry Association of New Hampshire, New Hampshire Division of Resources and Economic Development, New Hampshire Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the University of New Hampshire.