I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4587 

To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better 

assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2016 

Mr. GIBSON (for himself, Mr. HANNA, and Mr. MOULTON) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Small Business 

A BILL 

To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to better assist small business customers in accessing broadband technology, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business 

5 Broadband and Emerging Information Technology En6 hancement Act of 2015’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) According to a report by the Federal Com2 munications Commission entitled ‘‘Connecting Amer3 ica: The National Broadband Plan’’, dated March 

4 2010, the Commission recommends that— 

5 (A) ‘‘To fully implement next-generation 

6 technology within its operations, the SBA 

7 should also appoint a broadband and emerging 

8 IT coordinator. This individual would ensure 

9 that SBA programs maintain the requisite 

10 broadband expertise, tools and training courses 

11 to serve small businesses.’’; 

12 (B) ‘‘Congress should consider ways to le13 verage existing assistance provided through’’ 

14 entrepreneurial development programs, ‘‘to 

15 focus training on advanced IT and broadband 

16 applications’’; 

17 (C) ‘‘Congress could also consider ways to 

18 support technology training among women en19 trepreneurs through’’ women’s business centers; 

20 (D) ‘‘The training programs should include 

21 an entry-level ‘Broadband 101’ course to give 

22 small businesses an introduction to how to cap23 italize on broadband connectivity, as well as 

24 more advanced applications for IT staff.’’; and 


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1 (E) small- and medium-enterprise ‘‘IT 

2 training should include resources for non-IT 

3 staff, such as how to use e-commerce tools for 

4 sales, streamline finance with online records or 

5 leverage knowledge management across an or6 ganization.’’. 

7 (2) According to a report by the Broadband 

8 Opportunity Council, dated August 20, 2015, the 

9 availability of and access to broadband technology 

10 enables— 

11 (A) greater civic participation, by providing 

12 tools for open government and streamlining 

13 government process; 

14 (B) changes in how people access edu15 cational resources, collaborate in the edu16 cational process, conduct research, and continue 

17 to learn anytime, anyplace, and at any pace; 

18 (C) improved healthcare access, treat19 ments, and information; 

20 (D) new business models that create busi21 ness efficiencies, drive job creation, and connect 

22 manufacturers and store-fronts to clients and 

23 partners worldwide; and 

24 (E) bringing communities together and im25 provements to public safety, creating a greener 


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1 planet, and make transportation systems more 

2 resilient and efficient. 

3 (3) According to a report entitled ‘‘The State of 

4 the App Economy’’, dated October 2014— 

5 (A) ‘‘More than three-quarters of the high6 est grossing apps are produced by startups and 

7 small companies.’’; and 

8 (B) ‘‘Seventy-eight percent of the leading 

9 app companies are located outside Silicon Val10 ley.’’. 

11 (4) According to a report entitled, ‘‘Developer 

12 Economics Q1 2015: State of the Developer Na13 tion’’, dated February 2015, ‘‘The emergence of the 

14 app industry over the past eight years has grown to 

15 a $120 billion economy.’’. 

16 SEC. 3. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECH17 NOLOGY COORDINATOR. 

18 The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is 

19 amended— 

20 (1) by redesignating section 47 as section 48; 

21 and 

22 (2) by inserting after section 46 the following: 

23 ‘‘SEC. 47. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION 

24 TECHNOLOGY. 

25 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 


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1 ‘‘(1) the term ‘Associate Administrator’ means 

2 the Associate Administrator for the Office of Invest3 ment and Innovation; and 

4 ‘‘(2) the term ‘broadband and emerging infor5 mation technology coordinator’ means the employee 

6 designated to carry out the broadband and emerging 

7 information technology coordination responsibilities 

8 of the Administration under subsection (b)(1). 

9 ‘‘(b) ASSIGNMENT OF COORDINATOR.— 

10 ‘‘(1) ASSIGNMENT OF COORDINATOR.—The As11 sociate Administrator shall designate a senior em12 ployee of the Office of Investment and Innovation to 

13 serve as the broadband and emerging information 

14 technology coordinator, who— 

15 ‘‘(A) shall report to the Associate Adminis16 trator; 

17 ‘‘(B) shall work in coordination with— 

18 ‘‘(i) the chief information officer, the 

19 chief technology officer, and the head of 

20 the Office of Technology of the Adminis21 tration; and 

22 ‘‘(ii) any other Associate Adminis23 trator of the Administration determined 

24 appropriate by the Associate Adminis25 trator; 


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1 ‘‘(C) has experience developing and imple2 menting telecommunications policy in the pri3 vate sector or government; and 

4 ‘‘(D) has demonstrated significant experi5 ence in the area of broadband or emerging in6 formation technology. 

7 ‘‘(2) RESPONSIBILITIES OF COORDINATOR.— 

8 The broadband and emerging information technology 

9 coordinator shall— 

10 ‘‘(A) coordinate programs of the Adminis11 tration that assist small business concerns in 

12 adopting, making innovations in, and using 

13 broadband and other emerging information 

14 technologies; 

15 ‘‘(B) serve as the primary liaison of the 

16 Administration to other Federal agencies in17 volved in broadband and emerging information 

18 technology policy, including the Department of 

19 Commerce, the Department of Agriculture, and 

20 the Federal Communications Commission; 

21 ‘‘(C) identify best practices relating to 

22 broadband and emerging information tech23 nology that may benefit small business con24 cerns; and 


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1 ‘‘(D) identify and catalog tools and train2 ing available through the resource partners of 

3 the Administration that assist small business 

4 concerns in adopting, making innovations in, 

5 and using broadband and emerging tech6 nologies. 

7 ‘‘(3) TRAVEL.—Not more than 20 percent of 

8 the hours of service by the broadband and emerging 

9 information technology coordinator during any fiscal 

10 year shall consist of travel outside the United States 

11 to perform official duties. 

12 ‘‘(c) BROADBAND AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

13 TRAINING.— 

14 ‘‘(1) TRAINING.—The Associate Administrator 

15 shall provide to employees of the Administration 

16 training that— 

17 ‘‘(A) familiarizes employees of the Admin18 istration with broadband and other emerging 

19 information technologies; 

20 ‘‘(B) includes— 

21 ‘‘(i) instruction on counseling small 

22 business concerns regarding adopting, 

23 making innovations in, and using broad24 band and other emerging information tech25 nologies; and 


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1 ‘‘(ii) information on programs of the 

2 Federal Government that provide assist3 ance to small business concerns relating to 

4 broadband and emerging information tech5 nologies; and 

6 ‘‘(C) to the maximum extent practicable, 

7 uses the tools and training cataloged and iden8 tified under subsection (b)(2)(D). 

9 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

10 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums 

11 as are necessary to carry out this subsection. 

12 ‘‘(d) REPORTS.— 

13 ‘‘(1) BIENNIAL REPORT ON ACTIVITIES.—Not 

14 later than 2 years after the date on which the Asso15 ciate Administrator makes the first designation of 

16 an employee under subsection (b), and every 2 years 

17 thereafter, the broadband and emerging information 

18 technology coordinator shall submit to the Com19 mittee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 

20 the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of 

21 the House of Representatives a report regarding the 

22 programs and activities of the Administration relat23 ing to broadband and other emerging information 

24 technologies. 


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1 ‘‘(2) IMPACT OF BROADBAND SPEED AND PRICE

2 ON SMALL BUSINESSES.— 

3 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to appropria4 tions, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall con5 duct a study evaluating the impact of broad6 band speed and price on small business con7 cerns. 

8 ‘‘(B) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years 

9 after the date of enactment of the Small Busi10 ness Broadband and Emerging Information 

11 Technology Enhancement Act of 2015, the 

12 Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to the 

13 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans14 portation and the Committee on Small Business 

15 and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the 

16 Committee on Energy and Commerce and the 

17 Committee on Small Business of the House of 

18 Representatives a report on the results of the 

19 study under subparagraph (A), including— 

20 ‘‘(i) a survey of broadband speeds 

21 available to small business concerns; 

22 ‘‘(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband 

23 speeds available to small business con24 cerns; 


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1 ‘‘(iii) a survey of the type of broad2 band technology used by small business 

3 concerns; and 

4 ‘‘(iv) any policy recommendations that 

5 may improve the access of small business 

6 concerns to comparable broadband services 

7 at comparable rates in all regions of the 

8 United States.’’. 

9 SEC. 4. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT. 

10 Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 

11 U.S.C. 648(c)(3)(B)) is amended— 

12 (1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by insert13 ing ‘‘accessing broadband and other emerging infor14 mation technology,’’ after ‘‘technology transfer,’’; 

15 (2) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

16 (3) in clause (iii), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

17 and 

18 (4) by adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(iv) increasing the competitiveness and 

20 productivity of small business concerns by as21 sisting entrepreneurs in accessing broadband 

22 and other emerging information technology;’’. 

Æ 


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