Congress Gives MEP $109M for FY 2005

The omnibus appropriations bill approved by Congress over the weekend provides $109 million in fiscal year 2005 funds to the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program, according to the American Small Manufacturers Coalition (ASMC). Of the total, $3 million is directed to help small and rural states advance outreach to manufacturers, ASMC states in its most recent legislative update.

MEP, a state-federal partnership under the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology, provides technical assistance, support services, engineering services, and business advice to small manufacturers. The legislation also renames the initiative the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program in honor of Senator Fritz Hollings, the South Carolina legislator who first sponsored MEP and is retiring after 38 years. The more than 300 centers in the MEP network also are renamed the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Centers.

In addition, the conference report for the bill also prohibits the Secretary of Commerce from recompeting any center prior to 2007, ASMC says. After an across-the-board 0.83 percent cut, MEP’s actual receipts for FY 2005 will be $108,095,300. The omnibus appropriations bill still awaits the House’s final approval of a minor tax provision, which is expected to happen soon.