II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 650 

To amend the Small Business Act to expand tax credit education and training 

for small businesses that engage in research and development, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 15, 2017 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. ROBERTS) 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 expand tax credit 

education and training for small businesses that engage 

in research and development, 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 ‘‘Support Small Busi5 ness R & D Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act— 

8 (1) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad9 ministrator of the Small Business Administration; 


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1 (2) the term ‘‘Commissioner’’ means the Com2 missioner of Internal Revenue; 

3 (3) the term ‘‘small business concern’’ has the 

4 meaning given the term in section 3 of the Small 

5 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632); and 

6 (4) the term ‘‘small business development cen7 ter’’ means a center described in section 21 of the 

8 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648). 

9 SEC. 3. SBA AND IRS PARTNERSHIPS. 

10 Beginning not later than 180 days after the date of 

11 enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation 

12 with the Commissioner, shall develop partnership agree13 ments that— 

14 (1) provide for the development of— 

15 (A) basic training, including in-person or 

16 modular training sessions, relating to Federal 

17 income tax credits that benefit small business 

18 concerns and startups, especially credits for re19 search and experimentation; and 

20 (B) informational materials relating to 

21 such credits, including Internal Revenue Service 

22 guidance documents; 

23 (2) provide the basic training and informational 

24 materials developed under paragraph (1)— 


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1 (A) through electronic resources, including 

2 Internet-based webinars; and 

3 (B) at physical locations, including small 

4 business development centers; and 

5 (3) make such materials available to— 

6 (A) business development programs admin7 istered by the Small Business Administration, 

8 including women’s business centers, Veterans 

9 Business Outreach Centers, and U.S. Export 

10 Assistance Centers, and nonprofit research 

11 partners such as the Service Corps of Retired 

12 Executives authorized under section 8(b)(1)(B) 

13 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

14 637(b)(1)(B)); and 

15 (B) business development entities that 

16 partner with Small Business Administration 

17 programs, including universities, nonprofits, 

18 business incubators, and business accelerators. 

19 SEC. 4. REPORTING REQUIREMENT. 

20 Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment 

21 of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the 

22 Commissioner, shall submit to Congress a report describ23 ing how the Small Business Administration and the Inter24 nal Revenue Service will— 


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1 (1) provide outreach and educational materials 

2 to small business concerns, businesses of medium 

3 size, and startups regarding section 41(h) of the In4 ternal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by section 

5 121 of the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes 

6 Act of 2015; and 

7 (2) help and encourage tax advisors to educate 

8 such businesses about the important amendments 

9 made by such Act to section 41 of such Code. 

10 SEC. 5. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTERS. 

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

12 U.S.C. 648(c)(3)) is amended— 

13 (1) in subparagraph (S), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

14 the end; 

15 (2) in subparagraph (T), by striking the period 

16 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

17 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(U) in conjunction with the Internal Rev19 enue Service, providing informational materials, 

20 education, and basic training— 

21 ‘‘(i) to small business concerns relat22 ing to Federal income tax credits available 

23 under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, 

24 including— 


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1 ‘‘(I) credits available to busi2 nesses generally; and 

3 ‘‘(II) credits available to small 

4 business concerns and startups spe5 cifically, especially credits for research 

6 and experimentation; and 

7 ‘‘(ii) which may be delivered— 

8 ‘‘(I) in person; or 

9 ‘‘(II) through an Internet 

10 website.’’. 

Æ 


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