Congress · Laws

National Superconductivity and Competitiveness Act of 1988

Public Law 100-697 · H.R. 3048 · 100th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Nov 19, 1988 · Science, Technology, Communications

Sponsor: Rep. David McCurdy (D-OK-4)

Cosponsors (23): Rep. Claudine Schneider, Rep. Mary Oakar,

Passage votesYeaNay

HouseRecorded vote: 353 yea, 0 nay353–0
SenateVoice vote

Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(House agreed to Senate amendment with amendment under suspension of rules, roll call #457 (353-0))

National Superconductivity and Competitiveness Act of 1988 - Instructs the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to establish a five-year National Action Plan on Advanced Superconductivity Research and Development. Sets forth the content and scope of the plan. Requires the OSTP, with the National Critical Materials Council, to report details of the plan to specified congressional committees within nine months of this Act's enactment. Requires subsequent annual reports evaluating plan progress and describing Federal expenditures involved with superconductivity.

Directs the Secretary of Energy to conduct a program in superconductivity research and development. Requires a report to the relevant congressional committees, within 180 days of this Act's enactment, on implementation of technology transfer activities under the Stevenson-Wydler Technology Innovation Act of 1980 and related law with respect to superconductivity, and annual reports for the subsequent two years.

Directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards) to: (1) promote fundamental research and materials standards to accelerate the use and application of new superconducting materials; and (2) use the Superconductivity Center Focusing on Electronic Applications, located in Boulder, Colorado.

Instructs the National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to promote research and use existing programs to promote commercial applications of high-temperature superconductors.

Sets out the role of the Department of Defense, directing it to emphasize fundamental research, materials processing, and applications of new superconducting materials in its superconductivity research and development activities and to conduct engineering and operational prototype testing.

Instructs the Director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to augment, as appropriate, basic and applied superconductivity research conducted in other Federal agencies and in industry and to develop criteria for operational prototype testing within the Department of Defense.

Directs the President to establish a program of international cooperation in the conduct of basic research on superconducting materials, including the exchange of basic information and data and the development of international standards for the use and application of superconducting materials.

Requires all Federal departments and agencies to undertake appropriate technology transfer activities in the interest of complementing basic superconductivity research and promoting collaborative arrangements and consortia of industry and business to increase deployment of advanced high-temperature superconductor technology.

Directs the OSTP Director, with the Secretaries of Commerce and of Energy, to identify Federal policies and regulations that impede long-term private sector investment programs to commercialize superconductivity applications.

Redesignates the Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center as the "Manuel Lijuan, Jr. Neutron Scattering Center."

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 100th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 354 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

354 yea0 nay77 present or did not vote

Dimension 2

Economic left–right

More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(208)

Rep. Mervyn DymallyD-CA-31
Rep. Charles HayesD-IL-1
Rep. George CrockettD-MI-13
Rep. Ronald DellumsD-CA-8
Rep. Theodore WeissD-NY-17
Rep. Edward RoybalD-CA-25
Rep. Peter RodinoD-NJ-10
Rep. Charlie RangelD-NY-16
Rep. Cardiss CollinsD-IL-7
Rep. Barney FrankD-MA-4
Rep. Carl PerkinsD-KY-7
Rep. Mickey LelandD-TX-18
Rep. Julian DixonD-CA-28
Rep. John LewisD-GA-5
Rep. David BoniorD-MI-12
Rep. James OberstarD-MN-8
Rep. Martin SaboD-MN-5
Rep. Gerry StuddsD-MA-10
Rep. Ed MarkeyD-MA-7
Rep. Harold FordD-TN-9
Rep. Kenneth GrayD-IL-22
Rep. Lane EvansD-IL-17
Rep. Robert GarciaD-NY-18
Rep. John DingellD-MI-16
Rep. Sidney YatesD-IL-9
Rep. Dale KildeeD-MI-7
Rep. John WilliamsD-MT-1
Rep. William LehmanD-FL-17
Rep. Chester AtkinsD-MA-5
Rep. Gus HawkinsD-CA-29
Rep. Steny HoyerD-MD-5
Rep. Floyd FlakeD-NY-6
Rep. Victor FazioD-CA-4
Rep. Daniel AkakaD-HI-2
Rep. Thomas FogliettaD-PA-1
Rep. John MoakleyD-MA-9
Rep. William GrayD-PA-2
Rep. Dave ObeyD-WI-7
Rep. Bruce VentoD-MN-4
Rep. George MillerD-CA-7
Rep. Alan WheatD-MO-5
Rep. Howard BermanD-CA-26
Rep. George BrownD-CA-36
Rep. Henry WaxmanD-CA-24
Rep. Mary OakarD-OH-20
Rep. Bill AlexanderD-AR-1
Rep. Joseph KennedyD-MA-8
Rep. Meldon LevineD-CA-27
Rep. Bruce MorrisonD-CT-3
Rep. Anthony CoelhoD-CA-15
Rep. Esteban TorresD-CA-34
Rep. Robert KastenmeierD-WI-2
Rep. Michael LowryD-WA-7
Rep. Thomas FoleyD-WA-5
Rep. Robert MatsuiD-CA-3
Rep. Sam GejdensonD-CT-2
Rep. Matthew MartínezD-CA-30
Rep. Robert BorskiD-PA-3
Rep. William NatcherD-KY-2
Rep. Thomas DowneyD-NY-2
Rep. Albert EspyD-MS-2
Rep. Jerome TraxlerD-MI-8
Rep. Ronald ColemanD-TX-16
Rep. Kweisi MfumeD-MD-7
Rep. Howard WolpeD-MI-3
Rep. James ScheuerD-NY-8
Rep. Nicholas MavroulesD-MA-6
Rep. Albert BustamanteD-TX-23
Rep. Robert MrazekD-NY-3
Rep. Chuck SchumerD-NY-10
Rep. Richard LehmanD-CA-18
Rep. Sander LevinD-MI-17
Rep. Dick GephardtD-MO-3
Rep. Lawrence SmithD-FL-16
Rep. Stephen SolarzD-NY-13
Rep. Jerry KleczkaD-WI-4
Rep. Leon PanettaD-CA-16
Rep. Matthew McHughD-NY-28
Rep. Morris UdallD-AZ-2
Rep. Benjamin CardinD-MD-3
Rep. Edward BolandD-MA-2
Rep. Jamie WhittenD-MS-1
Rep. Robert RoeD-NJ-8
Rep. Jim MoodyD-WI-5
Rep. Henry NowakD-NY-33
Rep. Lindy BoggsD-LA-2
Rep. Thomas SawyerD-OH-14
Rep. James TraficantD-OH-17
Rep. Peter KostmayerD-PA-8
Rep. Solomon OrtizD-TX-27
Rep. Bernard DwyerD-NJ-6
Rep. Dennis HertelD-MI-14
Rep. Joseph GaydosD-PA-20
Rep. Peter ViscloskyD-IN-1
Rep. Daniel RostenkowskiD-IL-8
Rep. James JontzD-IN-5
Rep. Richard DurbinD-IL-20
Rep. John BryantD-TX-5
Rep. Dante FascellD-FL-19
Rep. Rick BoucherD-VA-9
Rep. Kika de la GarzaD-TX-15
Rep. David NagleD-IA-3
Rep. Frank AnnunzioD-IL-11
Rep. Brian DonnellyD-MA-11
Rep. Robert WiseD-WV-3
Rep. Beryl AnthonyD-AR-4
Rep. Peter DeFazioD-OR-4
Rep. Charles RoseD-NC-7
Rep. John MurthaD-PA-12
Rep. George HochbruecknerD-NY-1
Rep. Barbara KennellyD-CT-1
Rep. Norm DicksD-WA-6
Rep. Joseph EarlyD-MA-3
Rep. Francis McCloskeyD-IN-8
Rep. Frank GuariniD-NJ-14
Rep. Harley StaggersD-WV-2
Rep. Michael SynarD-OK-2
Rep. Robert TorricelliD-NJ-9
Rep. Donald PeaseD-OH-13
Rep. Joseph BrennanD-ME-1
Rep. Terry BruceD-IL-19
Rep. Glenn AndersonD-CA-32
Rep. Paul KanjorskiD-PA-11
Rep. Tony HallD-OH-3
Rep. Marcy KapturD-OH-9
Rep. Charles McMillenD-MD-4
Rep. Jim BatesD-CA-44
Rep. Bart GordonD-TN-6
Rep. Joseph KolterD-PA-4
Rep. Ron WydenD-OR-3
Rep. Neal SmithD-IA-4
Rep. William RichardsonD-NM-3
Rep. Jerry CostelloD-IL-21
Rep. Gerald SikorskiD-MN-6
Rep. Alan MollohanD-WV-1
Rep. John LaFalceD-NY-32
Rep. Douglas BoscoD-CA-1
Rep. Douglas OwensD-UT-2
Rep. Bill HefnerD-NC-8
Rep. Louise SlaughterD-NY-30
Rep. David SkaggsD-CO-2
Rep. Nick RahallD-WV-4
Rep. Jake PickleD-TX-10
Rep. Bob CarrD-MI-6
Rep. Byron DorganD-ND
Rep. Dennis EckartD-OH-11
Rep. Robert ClementD-TN-5
Rep. James GrantD-FL-2
Rep. Martin RussoD-IL-3
Rep. Owen PickettD-VA-2
Rep. Patricia SchroederD-CO-1
Rep. Charles HatcherD-GA-2
Rep. William ChappellD-FL-4
Rep. Butler DerrickD-SC-3
Rep. Lee HamiltonD-IN-9
Rep. David PriceD-NC-4
Rep. Gus YatronD-PA-6
Rep. James BilbrayD-NV-1
Rep. Jim CooperD-TN-4
Rep. Sam GibbonsD-FL-7
Rep. Robert ThomasD-GA-1
Rep. Wes WatkinsD-OK-3
Rep. William HughesD-NJ-2
Rep. Romano MazzoliD-KY-3
Rep. Thomas LukenD-OH-1
Rep. Daniel GlickmanD-KS-4
Rep. Tim JohnsonD-SD-1
Rep. Jim ChapmanD-TX-1
Rep. Philip SharpD-IN-2
Rep. James RowlandD-GA-8
Rep. James HayesD-LA-7
Rep. Stephen NealD-NC-5
Rep. David McCurdyD-OK-4
Rep. Thomas CarperD-DE
Rep. Martin LancasterD-NC-3
Rep. Charles BennettD-FL-3
Rep. Charles WilsonD-TX-2
Rep. Michael AndrewsD-TX-25
Rep. James OlinD-VA-6
Rep. William LipinskiD-IL-5
Rep. Bill NelsonD-FL-11
Rep. Royden DysonD-MD-1
Rep. Harold VolkmerD-MO-9
Rep. Lewis PayneD-VA-5
Rep. Ronnie FlippoD-AL-5
Rep. James SlatteryD-KS-2
Rep. Douglas ApplegateD-OH-18
Rep. Andrew JacobsD-IN-10
Rep. Tim ValentineD-NC-2
Rep. Elizabeth PattersonD-SC-4
Rep. Samuel StrattonD-NY-23
Rep. Austin MurphyD-PA-22
Rep. Robin TallonD-SC-6
Rep. Timothy PennyD-MN-1
Rep. Ben ErdreichD-AL-6
Rep. Carroll HubbardD-KY-1
Rep. Claude HarrisD-AL-7
Rep. William NicholsD-AL-3
Rep. Glenn EnglishD-OK-6
Rep. Thomas HuckabyD-LA-5
Rep. Beverly ByronD-MD-6
Rep. Sonny MontgomeryD-MS-3
Rep. Tommy RobinsonD-AR-2
Rep. Marilyn LloydD-TN-3
Rep. Billy TauzinD-LA-3
Rep. Earl HuttoD-FL-1
Rep. Ralph HallD-TX-4
Rep. Charlie StenholmD-TX-17

Republicans who voted yea(146)

Rep. Silvio ConteR-MA-1
Rep. Bill GreenR-NY-15
Rep. Claudine SchneiderR-RI-2
Rep. Jim JeffordsR-VT
Rep. Frank HortonR-NY-29
Rep. Benjamin GilmanR-NY-22
Rep. Hamilton FishR-NY-21
Rep. Christopher ShaysR-CT-4
Rep. Robert DavisR-MI-11
Rep. Matthew RinaldoR-NJ-7
Rep. Chris SmithR-NJ-4
Rep. Olympia SnoweR-ME-2
Rep. Sherry BoehlertR-NY-25
Rep. Joseph McDadeR-PA-10
Rep. Nancy JohnsonR-CT-6
Rep. John MillerR-WA-1
Rep. Patricia SaikiR-HI-1
Rep. Sidney MorrisonR-WA-4
Rep. Jim LeachR-IA-1
Rep. Carl PursellR-MI-2
Rep. Marge RoukemaR-NJ-5
Rep. William ClingerR-PA-23
Rep. Arthur RavenelR-SC-1
Rep. Ralph RegulaR-OH-16
Rep. Thomas RidgeR-PA-21
Rep. Robert CoughlinR-PA-13
Rep. Norman LentR-NY-4
Rep. John RowlandR-CT-5
Rep. Amo HoughtonR-NY-34
Rep. Steven GundersonR-WI-3
Rep. Curt WeldonR-PA-7
Rep. Raymond McGrathR-NY-5
Rep. Don YoungR-AK
Rep. Doug BereuterR-NE-1
Rep. John MyersR-IN-7
Rep. Jan MeyersR-KS-3
Rep. Willis GradisonR-OH-2
Rep. Jim SaxtonR-NJ-13
Rep. Virginia SmithR-NE-3
Rep. John PorterR-IL-10
Rep. Bill SchuetteR-MI-10
Rep. Chalmers WylieR-OH-15
Rep. Charles PashayanR-CA-17
Rep. Richard SchulzeR-PA-5
Rep. Frederick GrandyR-IA-6
Rep. Herbert BatemanR-VA-1
Rep. Donald RitterR-PA-15
Rep. Joseph DioGuardiR-NY-20
Rep. Rodney ChandlerR-WA-8
Rep. William BroomfieldR-MI-18
Rep. Frank WolfR-VA-10
Rep. Tom PetriR-WI-6
Rep. Thomas TaukeR-IA-2
Rep. Guy MolinariR-NY-14
Rep. Floyd SpenceR-SC-2
Rep. Paul HenryR-MI-5
Rep. Stanford ParrisR-VA-8
Rep. Alex McMillanR-NC-9
Rep. Joseph SkeenR-NM-2
Rep. John KasichR-OH-12
Rep. Daniel CoatsR-IN-4
Rep. Guy Vander JagtR-MI-9
Rep. John HammerschmidtR-AR-3
Rep. Hal RogersR-KY-5
Rep. Harris FawellR-IL-13
Rep. Manuel LujánR-NM-1
Rep. Clay ShawR-FL-15
Rep. Jim McCreryR-LA-4
Rep. Clarence MillerR-OH-10
Rep. Bill EmersonR-MO-8
Rep. W. Bill YoungR-FL-8
Rep. Robert WhittakerR-KS-5
Rep. William LoweryR-CA-41
Rep. Mike DeWineR-OH-7
Rep. Jack BuechnerR-MO-2
Rep. Henry HydeR-IL-6
Rep. Toby RothR-WI-8
Rep. William FrenzelR-MN-3
Rep. Daniel SlaughterR-VA-7
Rep. John WeberR-MN-2
Rep. Arlan StangelandR-MN-7
Rep. H. CallahanR-AL-1
Rep. Tom BlileyR-VA-3
Rep. Fred UptonR-MI-4
Rep. Jerry LewisR-CA-35
Rep. Richard BakerR-LA-6
Rep. Robert SmithR-OR-2
Rep. Robert LagomarsinoR-CA-19
Rep. Jim KolbeR-AZ-5
Rep. Pat RobertsR-KS-1
Rep. Ernest KonnyuR-CA-12
Rep. Larry HopkinsR-KY-6
Rep. Donald SundquistR-TN-7
Rep. John HilerR-IN-3
Rep. James LightfootR-IA-5
Rep. Lynn MartinR-IL-16
Rep. Jack DavisR-IL-4
Rep. Robert MichelR-IL-18
Rep. Michael OxleyR-OH-4
Rep. Howard CobleR-NC-6
Rep. John RhodesR-AZ-1
Rep. Michael BilirakisR-FL-9
Rep. Bill ThomasR-CA-20
Rep. Bud ShusterR-PA-9
Rep. Mickey EdwardsR-OK-5
Rep. Dan SchaeferR-CO-6
Rep. Lamar SmithR-TX-21
Rep. Thomas LewisR-FL-12
Rep. Delbert LattaR-OH-5
Rep. Bill McCollumR-FL-5
Rep. Hal DaubR-NE-2
Rep. Denny HastertR-IL-14
Rep. Andy IrelandR-FL-10
Rep. Joel HefleyR-CO-5
Rep. Jack KempR-NY-31
Rep. Cass BallengerR-NC-10
Rep. Newton GingrichR-GA-6
Rep. Elton GalleglyR-CA-21
Rep. Ron PackardR-CA-43
Rep. Barbara VucanovichR-NV-2
Rep. Larry CombestR-TX-19
Rep. Jim BunningR-KY-4
Rep. George GekasR-PA-17
Rep. Hank BrownR-CO-4
Rep. Ronald MarleneeR-MT-2
Rep. Carlos MoorheadR-CA-22
Rep. Jim InhofeR-OK-1
Rep. Wally HergerR-CA-2
Rep. Robert DornanR-CA-38
Rep. James SensenbrennerR-WI-9
Rep. Howard NielsonR-UT-3
Rep. Jack FieldsR-TX-8
Rep. James HansenR-UT-1
Rep. Alfred McCandlessR-CA-37
Rep. Daniel LungrenR-CA-42
Rep. Bill ArcherR-TX-7
Rep. Duncan HunterR-CA-45
Rep. Bob SmithR-NH-1
Rep. Richard CheneyR-WY
Rep. Jon KylR-AZ-4
Rep. David DreierR-CA-33
Rep. Robert WalkerR-PA-16
Rep. Dan BurtonR-IN-6
Rep. Norman ShumwayR-CA-14
Rep. Richard ArmeyR-TX-26
Rep. Robert StumpR-AZ-3

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 931 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Science, Space, and Technology Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee; Energy Research and Development Subcommittee; Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 27 actions.

Nov 19, 1988Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 100-697.
Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
Nov 10, 1988PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
Oct 21, 1988Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate receded from it title amendment by Voice Vote.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · Senate agreed to the House amendment to the Senate amendment by Voice Vote.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Disagreed to Senate Amendments by Unanimous Consent.
Resolving differencesResolving differences · House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Yea-Nay Vote: 353 - 0 (Record Vote No: 457).House roll call 457
FloorFloor · Message on House action received in Senate and held at desk: House amendment to Senate amendment and. House disagrees to the Senate amendment to the title.
OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: House Concurred, in Senate Amendments , with Amendments by Yea-Nay Vote: 353 - 0 (Record Vote No: 457).House roll call 457
Oct 5, 1988FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Voice Vote.
FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
Sep 20, 1988FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Sep 9, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Aug 11, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Aug 10, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Aug 3, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Energy Research and Development Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Energy Research and Development Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Jul 7, 1988CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Oct 7, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Hearings by Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Aug 4, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Science, Research and Technology Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Energy Research and Development Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Transportation, Aviation and Materials Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
Jul 29, 1987CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Science, Space, and Technology Committee
IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House

Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.