Lab Report Receives Strong Reception

The CCST report, California's Federal Laboratories: A State Resource, was well received in Sacramento upon its release on February 1, the same day CCST's first council meeting of the year was held. State Senator Jackie Speier found the message in the report so compelling that she held a press conference to announce legislation addressing some of the challenges identified in the report.

"I didn't quite expect the report I received," said Speier at a press conference convened on February 1. "Inside is an amazing perspective that deserves the immediate attention of state policymakers. We are sitting on a gold mine of technology that can energize our economy and we're not mining it - in fact, we're not even prospecting yet."

Speier was referring to the fact that current differences in accounting procedures between federal and state government make it virtually impossible for the state to contract with federally funded laboratories, making much of the labs' cutting-edge research and development inaccessible to the state. This includes technologies used by the federal government in response to emergencies such as NASA satellite tracking of levees and field robots (the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory "Urban Eyes" system) capable of locating flood and earthquake victims.

The procedural incompatibility has long been a source of frustration for the federal laboratories, but was not widely known among policymakers prior to the release of the CCST report.

"I say if it is a matter of saving lives and our economy, let's contract, let's put the technology to use as soon as possible," said Speier.

The report, prepared in response to a request from Senator Speier, focuses on the six largest of California's 48 federal laboratories that have ongoing relationships with research universities, including Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories/California, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, NASA Ames Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It outlines the research they conduct on materials science, energy research, computer science, aerospace engineering, and biotechnology. The report also highlights the collective impact of these facilities on the state's economy; they have a combined budget exceeding $5 billion and employ over 23,000 high-tech workers. In addition, they play an important role in education by working with students, faculty and teachers through a wide variety of programs.

Speier, together with Assembly Members Sally Lieber and Betty Karnette, have proposed a bill, SB 1629 (the Federal Laboratory Technology Contracting Act), which will modify the existing contracting procedures and policies.

"It is gratifying when a CCST report has a direct impact, and rarely is that impact so rapid or direct," said CCST Council Chair Lawrence Papay. "It is to California's advantage to help these federal laboratories succeed and compete nationally and internationally for resources. Clarifying what these facilities represent is the first step in helping California make the most of what the labs have to offer, and act to maximize their chances for success."