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To amend the Small Business Act to extend the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, to increase the allocation of Federal agency grants for those programs, to add water, energy, transportation, and domestic security related research to the list of topics deserving special consideration, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

January 8, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. FEINGOLD introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business and EntrepreneurshipCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To amend the Small Business Act to extend the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, to increase the allocation of Federal agency grants for those programs, to add water, energy, transportation, and domestic security related research to the list of topics deserving special consideration, 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 ‘Strengthening Our Economy Through Small Business Innovation Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. SENSE OF THE SENATE.

It is the sense of the Senate that--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) this Nation’s small businesses are the source of nearly 50 percent of our country’s employment;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) small businesses have been and are a leading source of this country’s innovation and entrepreneurial strategies and skills;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) small technology businesses tend to be highly innovative, play a substantial role in technological advancement, and contribute to the standard of living in this country;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) the SBIR and STTR programs can result and have resulted in the development and commercialization of new products and processes;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) the Federal Government should give particular encouragement to small businesses that address priority national interests, including water security, energy innovation, transportation efficiencies and domestic security needs; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) the SBIR and STTR programs should be extended for these purposes and the administrative costs associated with such extensions should be borne by the respective Federal departments and agencies.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF TERMINATION DATES.

(a) SBIR- Section 9(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(m)) is amended by striking ‘2008’ and inserting ‘2022’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) STTR- Section 9(n)(1)(A) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ‘2009’ and inserting ‘2023’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. INCREASE IN THE ALLOCATION OF FEDERAL AGENCY GRANTS FOR SBIR AND STTR PROGRAMS.

(a) SBIR Program Expenditures- Section 9(f)(1) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(f)(1)) is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) through (C) and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(1) not less than 2.5 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2009;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(2) not less than 5.0 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(3) not less than 7.5 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2011; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(4) not less than 10.0 percent of such budget in fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter,’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) STTR Program Expenditures- Section 9(n)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(n)(1)(B)) is amended by striking clauses (i) and (ii) and inserting the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) not less than 0.3 percent in fiscal year 2009;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) not less than 0.6 percent in fiscal year 2010;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) not less than 0.8 percent in fiscal year 2011; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iv) not less than 1.0 percent in fiscal year 2012 and each fiscal year thereafter.’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. INCREASED SBIR AND STTR AWARD LEVELS.

(a) SBIR Award Level- Section 9(j)(2)(D) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(j)(2)(D)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘$100,000’ and inserting ‘$300,000’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘$750,000’ and inserting ‘$2,200,000’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) STTR Award Level- Section 9(p)(2)(B)(ix) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(p)(2)(B)(ix)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) by striking ‘$100,000’ and inserting ‘$300,000’; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) by striking ‘$750,000’ and inserting ‘$2,200,000’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. INCLUSION OF ENERGY, SECURITY, TRANSPORTATION, AND WATER RELATED RESEARCH IN THE LIST OF TOPICS DESERVING SPECIAL CONSIDERATION AS SBIR RESEARCH TOPICS.

Section 9(g)(3) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(g)(3)) is amended--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting ‘or pressing research priorities’ after ‘critical technologies’;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) in subparagraph (A) by striking ‘or’ at the end; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) by adding at the end the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(C) the National Academy of Sciences in the final report issued by the America’s Energy Future: Technology Opportunities, Risks, and Tradeoffs project that relate to emerging renewable energy, energy efficiency, or renewable fuels technologies, or in subsequent reports relating to such technologies;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(D) the National Academy of Sciences in the final report issued by the Transit Research and Development: Federal Role in the National Program project, the Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the Department of Transportation in the report entitled ‘Transportation Research, Development and Technology Strategic Plan (2006-2010)’, or the National Academy of Sciences or the Department of Transportation in subsequent reports relating to transportation and infrastructure;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(E) the Committee on Water System Security Research of the National Academy of Sciences in the 2007 report by the committee, entitled ‘Improving the Nation’s Water Security; Opportunities for Research’ or the 2006 report by the committee, entitled ‘Public Water Distribution Systems: Assessing and Reducing Risks’, or by the National Academy of Sciences or the Environmental Protection Agency in subsequent reports relating to improving the Nation’s water supply and security;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(F) the Government Accountability Office, in--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(i) the report entitled ‘Homeland Security: First Responders’ Ability to Detect and Model Hazardous Releases in Urban Areas Is Significantly Limited’, GAO-08-180, issued June 27, 2008;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(ii) the report entitled ‘Nuclear Security: NRC and DHS Need to Take Additional Steps to Better Track and Detect Radioactive Materials’, GAO-08-598, issued June 19, 2008; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(iii) the report entitled ‘Supply Chain Security: Challenges to Scanning 100 Percent of U.S.-Bound Cargo Containers’, GAO-08-533T, issued June 12, 2008; orCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





‘(G) the National Academy of Science, in the report entitled ‘Toward a Safer and More Secure Cyberspace’ or in subsequent reports by the National Academy of Science relating to cybersecurity and which shall include cybersecurity technologies also designed to protect privacy;’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. OFFSET.

The Secretary of Defense shall terminate the Airborne Laser program.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink