As Reported by the Senate Workforce and Economic Development Committee

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
H. C. R. No. 33


Representative Romanchuk 

Cosponsors: Representatives Derickson, Hall, Letson, Slesnick, Adams, J., Adams, R., Amstutz, Anielski, Antonio, Baker, Barborak, Beck, Bishoff, Blair, Blessing, Boose, Brown, Buchy, Burkley, Butler, Damschroder, DeVitis, Dovilla, Fedor, Gerberry, Green, Grossman, Hackett, Hagan, C., Hagan, R., Hayes, Hill, Huffman, Johnson, Landis, Maag, McGregor, Milkovich, Patterson, Pelanda, Perales, Ramos, Retherford, Roegner, Rogers, Rosenberger, Ruhl, Scherer, Schuring, Sears, Smith, Sprague, Stautberg, Stinziano, Terhar, Wachtmann, Winburn, Young Speaker Batchelder 

Senators Tavares, Beagle 

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
To urge the United States Department of Defense to 1
award funding to establish the American 2
Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation 3
Institute.4


BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, Lightweight metals are increasingly critical to the 5
performance of many defense and transportation systems, and large 6
sectors of Ohio's economy can benefit from more affordable 7
lightweight materials and their associated design and 8
manufacturing processes; and9

       WHEREAS, In 2013, the United States Department of Defense is 10
soliciting for the establishment of an institute for "lightweight 11
and modern metals manufacturing innovation," providing $70,000,000 12
federal funding opportunity over five years, with an additional 13
$70,000,000 in cost matching, for which competition for this 14
funding will be fierce; and15

       WHEREAS, EWI, who develops and applies manufacturing 16
technology innovation within the manufacturing industry, is 17
partnering with The Ohio State University and the University of 18
Michigan to establish the American Lightweight Materials 19
Manufacturing Innovation Institute (ALMMII) to develop and 20
implement innovative manufacturing technologies to be transitioned 21
to industry, with a particular focus on the automotive, aerospace, 22
truck, and defense system manufacturing sectors; and23

       WHEREAS, The proposal team also will include many other 24
industry, research, workforce development, and economic 25
development partners from Ohio, Michigan, and across the nation; 26
and27

       WHEREAS, The goals of ALMMII include promoting American 28
competitiveness in energy efficiency, defense readiness, and 29
economic growth by enabling the next generation of transportation 30
and defense systems to meet ambitious weight, cost, performance, 31
and durability targets; commercializing emerging manufacturing 32
technologies to provide a path to market for university and 33
federal laboratory innovations; identifying and supporting the 34
establishment of career pathways for the existing workforce and 35
education programs to adapt and implement skills training for new 36
manufacturing technologies; and helping manufacturers of all sizes 37
adopt new manufacturing technologies that create differentiating 38
competitive advantages to encourage job creation and retention; 39
and40

       WHEREAS, Industry supports this approach, and the majority of 41
the $70,000,000 in cost-sharing will come from manufacturers and 42
metal producers, and the proposal team also is soliciting 43
significant support from state governments of both Ohio and 44
Michigan; now therefore be it 45

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 46
of the State of Ohio, urge the United States Department of Defense 47
to award funding to establish ALMMII to assist Ohio and other 48
manufacturers in receiving the benefits of the ALMMII and 49
lightweight materials; and be it further50

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 51
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the 52
United States Secretary of Defense, the Ohio Congressional 53
delegation, the Governor of Ohio, and the news media of Ohio.54