HR 2747 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Small Business Act to improve outreach and support activities and to increase award recipients from rural areas with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

June 8, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mrs. HALVORSON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition to the Committee on Science and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concernedCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Small Business Act to improve outreach and support activities and to increase award recipients from rural areas with respect to the Small Business Innovation Research Program and the Small Business Technology Transfer Program, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Rural Technology Development and Outreach Act’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. OUTREACH AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES.

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is amended by inserting after subsection (r) the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(s) Outreach and Support Activities-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- Subject to the other provisions of this subsection, the Administrator shall make grants on a competitive basis to organizations, to be used by the organizations to do one or both of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) To conduct outreach efforts to increase participation in the programs under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) To provide application support and entrepreneurial and business skills support to prospective participants in the programs under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There is authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator $10,000,000 to carry out paragraph (1) for each of fiscal years 2010 and 2011.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) AMOUNT OF ASSISTANCE- For each of subparagraphs (A) and (B) of paragraph (1), the amount of assistance provided to an organization under that subparagraph in any fiscal year--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) shall be equal to the total amount of matching funds from non-Federal sources provided by the organization; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) shall not exceed $250,000.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) DIRECTION- An organization receiving funds under paragraph (1) shall, in using those funds, direct its activities at one or both of the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) Small business concerns located in geographic areas that are underrepresented in the programs under this section.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) Small business concerns owned and controlled by women, small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and small business concerns owned and controlled by minorities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(5) ADVISORY BOARD-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this subsection, the Administrator shall establish an advisory board for the activities carried out under this subsection.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) NON-APPLICABILITY OF FACA- The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory board.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) MEMBERS- The members of the advisory board shall include the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) The Administrator (or the Administrator’s designee).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) For each Federal agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program, the head of the agency (or the designee of the head of the agency).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) Representatives of small business concerns that are current or former recipients of SBIR awards, or representatives of organizations of such concerns.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) Representatives of service providers of SBIR outreach and assistance, or representatives of organizations of such service providers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) DUTIES- The advisory board shall have the following duties:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) To develop guidelines for awards under paragraph (1), including guidelines relating to award sizes, proposal requirements, measures for monitoring awardee performance, and measures for determining the overall value of the activities carried out by the awardees.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) To identify opportunities for coordinated outreach, technical assistance, and commercialization activities among Federal agencies, the recipients of the awards under paragraph (1), and applicants and recipients of SBIR awards, including opportunities such as--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(I) podcasting or webcasting for conferences, training workshops, and other events;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(II) shared online resources to match prospective applicants with the network of paragraph (1) recipients; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(III) venture capital conferences tied to technologies and sectors that cross agencies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) To review and recommend revisions to activities under paragraph (1).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) To submit to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on Small Business and the Committee on Science and Technology of the House of Representatives an annual report on the activities carried out under paragraph (1) and the effectiveness and impact of those activities.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(6) SELECTION CRITERIA- In awarding grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall use selection criteria developed by the advisory board established under paragraph (5). The criteria shall include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to carry out activities that will reach either an underperforming geographic area or an underrepresented population group (as measured by the number of SBIR applicants);CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to carry out activities that complement, and are integrated into, the existing public-private innovation support system for the targeted region or population;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) criteria designed to give preference to applicants who propose to measure the effectiveness of the proposed activities; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) criteria designed to give preference to applicants who include a Small Business Development Center program that is accredited for its technology services.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(7) PEER REVIEW- In awarding grants under this subsection, the Administrator shall use a peer review process. Reviewers shall include--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) SBIR program managers for agencies required by this section to conduct SBIR programs; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) private individuals and organizations that are knowledgeable about SBIR, the innovation process, technology commercialization, and State and regional technology-based economic development programs.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(8) PER-STATE LIMITATIONS-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) IN GENERAL- To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, the applicant must have the written endorsement of the Governor of the State where the targeted regions or populations are located (if the regions or populations are located in more than one State, the applicant must have the written endorsement of the Governor of each such State). Such an endorsement must indicate that the Governor will ensure that the activities to be carried out under the grant will be integrated with the balance of the State’s portfolio of investments to help small business concerns commercialize technology.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) LIMITATION- Each fiscal year, a Governor may have in effect not more than one written endorsement for a grant under paragraph (1)(A), and not more than one written endorsement for a grant under paragraph (1)(B).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(9) SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARDS- In making awards under paragraph (1) the Administrator shall ensure that each award shall be for a period of 2 fiscal years. The Administrator shall establish rules and performance goals for the disbursement of funds for the second fiscal year, and funds shall not be disbursed to a recipient for such a fiscal year until after the advisory board established under this subsection has determined that the recipient is in compliance with the rules and performance goals.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. RURAL PREFERENCE.

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(aa) Rural Preference- In making awards under this section, Federal agencies shall give priority to applications so as to increase the number of SBIR and STTR award recipients from rural areas.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. OBTAINING SBIR APPLICANT’S CONSENT TO RELEASE CONTACT INFORMATION TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS.

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(bb) Consent To Release Contact Information to Organizations-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) ENABLING CONCERN TO GIVE CONSENT- Each Federal agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program shall enable a small business concern that is an SBIR applicant to indicate to the agency whether the agency has its consent to--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(A) identify the concern to appropriate local and State-level economic development organizations as an SBIR applicant; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(B) release the concern’s contact information to such organizations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) RULES- The Administrator shall establish rules to implement this subsection. The rules shall include a requirement that the agency include in its SBIR application forms a provision through which the applicant can indicate consent for purposes of paragraph (1).’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. INCREASED PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SBIR AWARDEES AND PRIME CONTRACTORS, VENTURE CAPITAL INVESTMENT COMPANIES, AND LARGER BUSINESSES.

Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638), as amended, is further amended by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(cc) Increased Partnerships-CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) IN GENERAL- Each agency required by this section to conduct an SBIR program shall establish initiatives by which the agency encourages partnerships between SBIR awardees and prime contractors, venture capital investment companies, business incubators, and larger businesses, for the purpose of facilitating the progress of the SBIR awardees to the third phase.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) DEFINITION- In this subsection, the term ‘business incubator’ means an entity that provides coordinated and specialized services to entrepreneurial businesses which meet selected criteria during the businesses’ startup phases, including providing services such as shared office space and office services, access to equipment, access to telecommunications and technology services, flexible leases, specialized management assistance, access to financing, mentoring and training services, or other coordinated business or technical support services designed to provide business development assistance to entrepreneurial businesses during these businesses’ startup phases.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink