[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2419 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2419
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the technical and business
assistance services under the SBIR and STTR programs.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 13, 2018
Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Gardner) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business
and Entrepreneurship
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Small Business Act to improve the technical and business
assistance services under the SBIR and STTR programs.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Support Startup Businesses Act of
2018''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--Section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
638(q)) is amended--
(1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and
Business'' after ``Technical'';
(2) in paragraph (1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
(i) by striking ``a vendor selected under
paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``1 or more
vendors selected under paragraph (2)(A)'';
(ii) by inserting ``and business'' before
``assistance services''; and
(iii) by inserting ``assistance with
product sales, intellectual property
protections, market research, market
validation, and development of regulatory plans
and manufacturing plans,'' after
``technologies,''; and
(B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``, including
intellectual property protections'' before the period
at the end;
(3) in paragraph (2)--
(A) by striking ``Each agency may select a vendor
to assist small business concerns to meet'' and
inserting the following:
``(A) In general.--Each agency may select 1 or more
vendors from which small business concerns may obtain
assistance in meeting''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(B) Selection by small business concern.--A small
business concern may, by contract or otherwise, select
1 or more vendors to assist the small business concern
in meeting the goals listed in paragraph (1).'';
(4) in paragraph (3)--
(A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``paragraph (2)''
each place it appears;
(B) by striking ``$5,000 per year'' each place it
appears and inserting ``5 percent of the amount of the
award'';
(C) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking ``which
shall be in addition to the amount of the recipient's
award'' and inserting ``which may, as determined
appropriate by the head of the Federal agency, be
included as part of the recipient's award or be in
addition to the amount of the recipient's award'';
(D) in subparagraph (C)--
(i) by inserting ``or business'' after
``technical'';
(ii) by striking ``the vendor'' and
inserting ``a vendor''; and
(iii) by adding at the end the following:
``Business-related services aimed at improving
the commercialization success of a small
business concern may be obtained from an
entity, such as a public or private
organization or an agency of or other entity
established or funded by a State that
facilitates or accelerates the
commercialization of technologies or assists in
the creation and growth of private enterprises
that are commercializing technology.'';
(E) in subparagraph (D)--
(i) by inserting ``or business'' after
``technical'' each place it appears; and
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ``the
vendor'' and inserting ``1 or more vendors'';
and
(F) by adding at the end the following:
``(E) Multiple award recipients.--The Administrator
shall establish a limit on the amount of technical and
business assistance services that may be received or
purchased under subparagraph (B) by small business
concerns with respect to multiple Phase II SBIR or STTR
awards for a fiscal year.''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) Annual reporting.--
``(A) In general.--A small business concern that
receives technical or business assistance from a vendor
under this subsection during a fiscal year shall submit
to the Federal agency contracting with the vendor a
description of the technical or business assistance
provided.
``(B) Use of existing reporting mechanism.--The
information required under subparagraph (A) shall be
collected by a Federal agency as part of a report
required to be submitted by small business concerns
engaged in SBIR or STTR projects of the Federal agency
for which the requirement was in effect on the date of
enactment of this paragraph.''.
(b) Review.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 2019, the
Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall submit to the
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report
reviewing the efficacy of the provision of technical and business
assistance under section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (2 U.S.C.
638(q)), as amended by subsection (a).
<all>