II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4427 

To provide for Department of Energy and Small Business Administration 

joint research and development activities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 23, 2024 

Mr. KENNEDY introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To provide for Department of Energy and Small Business 

Administration joint research and development activities, 

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 ‘‘DOE and SBA Re5 search Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND SMALL BUSINESS 

7 ADMINISTRATION JOINT RESEARCH AND DE8 VELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Energy and the 

10 Administrator of the Small Business Administration (in 


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1 this section referred to as the ‘‘covered officials’’) shall 

2 enter into a memorandum of understanding or other ap3 propriate agreement to carry out cross-cutting and col4 laborative research and development activities focused on 

5 the joint advancement of Department of Energy and 

6 Small Business Administration mission requirements and 

7 priorities. 

8 (b) MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OR AGREE9 MENT.—The covered officials shall carry out and coordi10 nate the activities described in subsection (a) by entering 

11 into one or more memoranda of understanding or other 

12 appropriate agreements, as jointly determined by the cov13 ered officials. 

14 (c) INCLUSION OF SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS.—In 

15 carrying out the activities described in subsection (a), the 

16 covered officials shall ensure the inclusion of small busi17 ness concerns (as defined under section 3 of the Small 

18 Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632)) in such activities, as appro19 priate. 

20 (d) OTHER REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out the ac21 tivities described in subsection (a), the covered officials 

22 may— 

23 (1) carry out reimbursable agreements between 

24 the Department of Energy, the Small Business Ad25 ministration, and appropriate entities in order to 


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1 maximize the effectiveness of research and develop2 ment activities carried out pursuant to a memo3 randum or agreement described in subsection (b); 

4 and 

5 (2) collaborate with other Federal agencies as 

6 appropriate to carry out such activities. 

7 (e) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the date 

8 of the enactment of this Act, the covered officials shall 

9 submit to Congress a report on activities carried out pur10 suant to a memorandum or agreement described in sub11 section (b) that includes the following: 

12 (1) Coordination between the covered officials 

13 involved in such activities. 

14 (2) Potential opportunities to expand the tech15 nical capabilities of the Department of Energy and 

16 the Small Business Administration. 

17 (3) Collaborative research achievements. 

18 (4) Areas of future mutually beneficial success. 

19 (5) Continuation of coordination activities be20 tween the Department of Energy and the Small 

21 Business Administration. 

22 (f) RESEARCH SECURITY.—The activities carried out 

23 pursuant to a memorandum or agreement described in 

24 subsection (b) shall be applied in a manner consistent with 

25 subtitle D of title VI of the Research and Development, 


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1 Competition, and Innovation Act (Public Law 117–167; 

2 42 U.S.C. 19231 et seq.). 

3 SEC. 3. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO. 

4 No additional amounts are authorized to be appro5 priated to carry out this Act or the amendments made 

6 by this Act. 

Æ 


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