USC Subchapter I

15 U.S.C. § 2401 Congressional findings

The Congress finds that— (1) the rate of productivity growth in the United States has declined during four of the past six years; (2) the decline in the rate of productivity growth has contributed to inflation, to economic stagnation, and to increasing unemployment; (3) since 1965, the rate of productivity growth of the United States has been consistently lower than that of many industrial nations in the world, adversely affecting the competitive position of the United States in world markets; (4) growth in productivity of the economy of the United States is essential to the social and economic welfare of the American people, and to the health of the world economy; (5) growth in the productivity of the Nation’s economy is essential to maintain and increase employment, to stabilize the cost of living and to provide job security; (6) mounting worldwide material shortages and their consequent inflationary results make increased efficiency in the utilization of these resources of urgent importance; (7) sharing the fruits of productivity gains among labor, management, and owners may considerably influence productivity; (8) the continued development of joint labor-management efforts to provide a healthy environment for collective bargaining can make a significant contribution to improve productivity and foster industrial peace; (9) factors affecting the growth of productivity in the economy include not only the status of technology and the techniques of management but also the role of the worker in the production process and the conditions of his working life; (10) there is a national need to identify and encourage appropriate application of capital in sectors of American economic activity in order to improve productivity; (11) there is a national need to identify and encourage appropriate application of technology in all sectors of American economic activity in order to improve productivity; (12) there is a national need to identify and encourage the development of social, economic, scientific, business, labor, and governmental contributions to improve productivity growth, and increased economic effectiveness in the public and private sectors of the United States; which objectives can best be accomplished through maximizing private sector and State and local development of such contributions; (13) there is a national need to identify, study, and revise or eliminate the laws, regulations, policies, and procedures which adversely affect productivity growth and the efficient functioning of the economy; (14) there is a national need to increase employment security through such activities as manpower planning, skill-training and retraining of workers, internal work force adjustments to avoid worker displacement, assistance to workers facing or experiencing displacement, and all other public and private programs which seek to minimize the human costs of productivity improvement, thereby diminishing resistance to workplace change and improving productivity growth; (15) there is a national need to develop new technologies for the more effective production of goods and services; (16) there is a national need to encourage and support efforts by qualified institutions of higher learning to identify and inaugurate programs which will improve productivity; (17) there is a national need to develop precise, standardized measurements of productivity; and (18) there is a national need to gather and disseminate information about methods and techniques to improve productivity.

15 U.S.C. § 2402 Congressional statement of purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter— (1) to establish a national policy which will encourage productivity growth consistent with needs of the economy, the natural environment, and the needs, rights, and best interests of management, the work force, and consumers; and (2) to establish as an independent establishment of the executive branch a National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life to focus, coordinate, and promote efforts to improve the rate of productivity growth.

15 U.S.C. § 2403 Congressional declaration of policy

(a) Stimulation of high rate of productivity growthThe Congress, recognizing the profound impact of productivity on the interrelations of all components of the national economy, declares that it is the continuing policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, to stimulate a high rate of productivity growth. (b) Improvement and coordination of Federal plans to carry out policyIt is the continuing responsibility of the Federal Government to use all practicable means to improve and coordinate Federal plans, functions, programs, and resources to carry out the policy set forth in this chapter. (c) Interpretation of laws, rules, etc., to carry out policyThe laws, rules, regulations, and policies of the United States shall be so interpreted as to give full force and effect to this policy.

15 U.S.C. § 2404 Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter— (1) the term “Center” means the National Center for Productivity and Quality of Working Life; (2) the term “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Center; (3) the terms “productivity growth” and “improved productivity” shall be interpreted to include, but not be limited to, improvements in technology, management techniques, and the quality of working life; and (4) the term “quality of working life” shall be interpreted to mean the conditions of work relating to the role of the worker in the production process.