Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2015

Summary: Small Business Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2015  This bill amends the Small Business Act to direct the Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation to designate a senior employee to serve as the broadband and emerging information technology (BEIT) coordinator. The Office must also provide SBA employees BEIT training to assist small businesses in the use of such technologies. The SBA Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall evaluate the impact of broadband speed and price on small businesses. Services provided by a small business development center shall include accessing and using BEIT as an authorized activity of small business development centers. 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Small Business Broadband and 
Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to a report by the Federal Communications 
        Commission entitled ``Connecting America: The National 
        Broadband Plan'', dated March 2010, the Commission recommends 
        that--
                    (A) ``To fully implement next-generation technology 
                within its operations, the SBA should also appoint a 
                broadband and emerging IT coordinator. This individual 
                would ensure that SBA programs maintain the requisite 
                broadband expertise, tools and training courses to 
                serve small businesses.'';
                    (B) ``Congress should consider ways to leverage 
                existing assistance provided through'' entrepreneurial 
                development programs, ``to focus training on advanced 
                IT and broadband applications'';
                    (C) ``Congress could also consider ways to support 
                technology training among women entrepreneurs through'' 
                women's business centers;
                    (D) ``The training programs should include an 
                entry-level `Broadband 101' course to give small 
                businesses an introduction to how to capitalize on 
                broadband connectivity, as well as more advanced 
                applications for IT staff.''; and
                    (E) small- and medium-enterprise ``IT training 
                should include resources for non-IT staff, such as how 
                to use e-commerce tools for sales, streamline finance 
                with online records or leverage knowledge management 
                across an organization.''.
            (2) According to a report by the Broadband Opportunity 
        Council, dated August 20, 2015, the availability of and access 
        to broadband technology enables--
                    (A) greater civic participation, by providing tools 
                for open government and streamlining government 
                process;
                    (B) changes in how people access educational 
                resources, collaborate in the educational process, 
                conduct research, and continue to learn anytime, 
                anyplace, and at any pace;
                    (C) improved healthcare access, treatments, and 
                information;
                    (D) new business models that create business 
                efficiencies, drive job creation, and connect 
                manufacturers and store-fronts to clients and partners 
                worldwide; and
                    (E) bringing communities together and improvements 
                to public safety, creating a greener planet, and make 
                transportation systems more resilient and efficient.
            (3) According to a report entitled ``The State of the App 
        Economy'', dated October 2014--
                    (A) ``More than three-quarters of the highest 
                grossing apps are produced by startups and small 
                companies.''; and
                    (B) ``Seventy-eight percent of the leading app 
                companies are located outside Silicon Valley.''.
            (4) According to a report entitled, ``Developer Economics 
        Q1 2015: State of the Developer Nation'', dated February 2015, 
        ``The emergence of the app industry over the past eight years 
        has grown to a $120 billion economy.''.

SEC. 3. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR.

    The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 47 as section 48; and
            (2) by inserting after section 46 the following:

``SEC. 47. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
            ``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the 
        Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and 
        Innovation; and
            ``(2) the term `broadband and emerging information 
        technology coordinator' means the employee designated to carry 
        out the broadband and emerging information technology 
        coordination responsibilities of the Administration under 
        subsection (b)(1).
    ``(b) Assignment of Coordinator.--
            ``(1) Assignment of coordinator.--The Associate 
        Administrator shall designate a senior employee of the Office 
        of Investment and Innovation to serve as the broadband and 
        emerging information technology coordinator, who--
                    ``(A) shall report to the Associate Administrator;
                    ``(B) shall work in coordination with--
                            ``(i) the chief information officer, the 
                        chief technology officer, and the head of the 
                        Office of Technology of the Administration; and
                            ``(ii) any other Associate Administrator of 
                        the Administration determined appropriate by 
                        the Associate Administrator;
                    ``(C) has experience developing and implementing 
                telecommunications policy in the private sector or 
                government; and
                    ``(D) has demonstrated significant experience in 
                the area of broadband or emerging information 
                technology.
            ``(2) Responsibilities of coordinator.--The broadband and 
        emerging information technology coordinator shall--
                    ``(A) coordinate programs of the Administration 
                that assist small business concerns in adopting, making 
                innovations in, and using broadband and other emerging 
                information technologies;
                    ``(B) serve as the primary liaison of the 
                Administration to other Federal agencies involved in 
                broadband and emerging information technology policy, 
                including the Department of Commerce, the Department of 
                Agriculture, and the Federal Communications Commission;
                    ``(C) identify best practices relating to broadband 
                and emerging information technology that may benefit 
                small business concerns; and
                    ``(D) identify and catalog tools and training 
                available through the resource partners of the 
                Administration that assist small business concerns in 
                adopting, making innovations in, and using broadband 
                and emerging technologies.
            ``(3) Travel.--Not more than 20 percent of the hours of 
        service by the broadband and emerging information technology 
        coordinator during any fiscal year shall consist of travel 
        outside the United States to perform official duties.
    ``(c) Broadband and Emerging Technology Training.--
            ``(1) Training.--The Associate Administrator shall provide 
        to employees of the Administration training that--
                    ``(A) familiarizes employees of the Administration 
                with broadband and other emerging information 
                technologies;
                    ``(B) includes--
                            ``(i) instruction on counseling small 
                        business concerns regarding adopting, making 
                        innovations in, and using broadband and other 
                        emerging information technologies; and
                            ``(ii) information on programs of the 
                        Federal Government that provide assistance to 
                        small business concerns relating to broadband 
                        and emerging information technologies; and
                    ``(C) to the maximum extent practicable, uses the 
                tools and training cataloged and identified under 
                subsection (b)(2)(D).
            ``(2) Authorization of appropriations.--There are 
        authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to 
        carry out this subsection.
    ``(d) Reports.--
            ``(1) Biennial report on activities.--Not later than 2 
        years after the date on which the Associate Administrator makes 
        the first designation of an employee under subsection (b), and 
        every 2 years thereafter, the broadband and emerging 
        information technology coordinator 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 regarding the programs and activities 
        of the Administration relating to broadband and other emerging 
        information technologies.
            ``(2) Impact of broadband speed and price on small 
        businesses.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to appropriations, the 
                Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall conduct a study 
                evaluating the impact of broadband speed and price on 
                small business concerns.
                    ``(B) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date of enactment of the Small Business Broadband and 
                Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 
                2015, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to 
                the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 
                and the Committee on Small Business and 
                Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on 
                Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Small Business 
                of the House of Representatives a report on the results 
                of the study under subparagraph (A), including--
                            ``(i) a survey of broadband speeds 
                        available to small business concerns;
                            ``(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband 
                        speeds available to small business concerns;
                            ``(iii) a survey of the type of broadband 
                        technology used by small business concerns; and
                            ``(iv) any policy recommendations that may 
                        improve the access of small business concerns 
                        to comparable broadband services at comparable 
                        rates in all regions of the United States.''.

SEC. 4. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT.

    Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
648(c)(3)(B)) is amended--
            (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting 
        ``accessing broadband and other emerging information 
        technology,'' after ``technology transfer,'';
            (2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (3) in clause (iii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(iv) increasing the competitiveness and 
                productivity of small business concerns by assisting 
                entrepreneurs in accessing broadband and other emerging 
                information technology;''.