```

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2419 Reported in Senate (RS)]

<DOC>

                                                       Calendar No. 352
115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2419

 To amend the Small Business Act to improve the technical and business 
         assistance services under the SBIR and STTR programs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 13, 2018

Mr. Coons (for himself and Mr. Gardner) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business 
                          and Entrepreneurship

                             March 19, 2018

                Reported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
 To amend the Small Business Act to improve the technical and business 
         assistance services under the SBIR and STTR programs.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Support Startup Businesses 
Act of 2018''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS 
              ASSISTANCE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--Section 9(q) of the Small Business Act 
(15 U.S.C. 638(q)) is amended--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
        Business'' after ``Technical'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) in paragraph (1)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                (A)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) by striking ``a vendor 
                        selected under paragraph (2)'' and inserting 
                        ``1 or more vendors selected under paragraph 
                        (2)(A)'';</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) by inserting ``and business'' 
                        before ``assistance services''; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) by inserting ``assistance 
                        with product sales, intellectual property 
                        protections, market research, market 
                        validation, and development of regulatory plans 
                        and manufacturing plans,'' after 
                        ``technologies,''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``, 
                including intellectual property protections'' before 
                the period at the end;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) in paragraph (2)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) by striking ``Each agency may select a 
                vendor to assist small business concerns to meet'' and 
                inserting the following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--Each agency may select 
                1 or more vendors from which small business concerns 
                may obtain assistance in meeting''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) by adding at the end the 
                following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Selection by small business 
                concern.--A small business concern may, by contract or 
                otherwise, select 1 or more vendors to assist the small 
                business concern in meeting the goals listed in 
                paragraph (1).'';</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) in paragraph (3)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``paragraph 
                (2)'' each place it appears;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) by striking ``$5,000 per year'' each 
                place it appears and inserting ``5 percent of the 
                amount of the award'';</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) in subparagraph (B)(ii), by striking 
                ``which shall be in addition to the amount of the 
                recipient's award'' and inserting ``which may, as 
                determined appropriate by the head of the Federal 
                agency, be included as part of the recipient's award or 
                be in addition to the amount of the recipient's 
                award'';</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) in subparagraph (C)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) by inserting ``or business'' 
                        after ``technical'';</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) by striking ``the vendor'' 
                        and inserting ``a vendor''; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) by adding at the end the 
                        following: ``Business-related services aimed at 
                        improving the commercialization success of a 
                        small business concern may be obtained from an 
                        entity, such as a public or private 
                        organization or an agency of or other entity 
                        established or funded by a State that 
                        facilitates or accelerates the 
                        commercialization of technologies or assists in 
                        the creation and growth of private enterprises 
                        that are commercializing 
                        technology.'';</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) in subparagraph (D)--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) by inserting ``or business'' 
                        after ``technical'' each place it appears; 
                        and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) in clause (i), by striking 
                        ``the vendor'' and inserting ``1 or more 
                        vendors''; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) by adding at the end the 
                following:</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(E) Multiple award recipients.--The 
                Administrator shall establish a limit on the amount of 
                technical and business assistance services that may be 
                received or purchased under subparagraph (B) by small 
                business concerns with respect to multiple Phase II 
                SBIR or STTR awards for a fiscal year.''; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) by adding at the end the following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(4) Annual reporting.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) In general.--A small business 
                concern that receives technical or business assistance 
                from a vendor under this subsection during a fiscal 
                year shall submit to the Federal agency contracting 
                with the vendor a description of the technical or 
                business assistance provided.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Use of existing reporting 
                mechanism.--The information required under subparagraph 
                (A) shall be collected by a Federal agency as part of a 
                report required to be submitted by small business 
                concerns engaged in SBIR or STTR projects of the 
                Federal agency for which the requirement was in effect 
                on the date of enactment of this 
                paragraph.''.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Review.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 2019, 
the Administrator of the Small Business Administration 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 reviewing the efficacy of the provision of technical and 
business assistance under section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (2 
U.S.C. 638(q)), as amended by subsection (a).</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Support Startup Businesses Act of 
2018''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--Section 9(q) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
638(q)) is amended--
            (1) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``and 
        Business'' after ``Technical'';
            (2) in paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) by striking ``a vendor selected under 
                        paragraph (2)'' and inserting ``1 or more 
                        vendors selected under paragraph (2)(A)'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``and business'' before 
                        ``assistance services''; and
                            (iii) by inserting ``assistance with 
                        product sales, intellectual property 
                        protections, market research, market 
                        validation, and development of regulatory plans 
                        and manufacturing plans,'' after 
                        ``technologies,''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``, including 
                intellectual property protections'' before the period 
                at the end;
            (3) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) by striking ``Each agency may select a vendor 
                to assist small business concerns to meet'' and 
                inserting the following:
                    ``(A) In general.--Each agency may select 1 or more 
                vendors from which small business concerns may obtain 
                assistance in meeting''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(B) Selection by small business concern.--A small 
                business concern may, by contract or otherwise, select 
                1 or more vendors to assist the small business concern 
                in meeting the goals listed in paragraph (1).'';
            (4) in paragraph (3)--
                    (A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting ``or 
                business'' after ``technical'';
                    (B) by inserting ``(A)'' after ``paragraph (2)'' 
                each place it appears;
                    (C) in subparagraph (B)--
                            (i) by striking ``$5,000 per year'' each 
                        place it appears and inserting ``$50,000 with 
                        respect to each award''; and
                            (ii) in clause (ii), by striking ``which 
                        shall be in addition to the amount of the 
                        recipient's award'' and inserting ``which shall 
                        be included as part of the recipient's award'';
                    (D) in subparagraph (C)--
                            (i) by inserting ``or business'' after 
                        ``technical'';
                            (ii) by striking ``the vendor'' and 
                        inserting ``a vendor''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following: 
                        ``Business-related services aimed at improving 
                        the commercialization success of a small 
                        business concern may be obtained from an 
                        entity, such as a public or private 
                        organization or an agency of or other entity 
                        established or funded by a State that 
                        facilitates or accelerates the 
                        commercialization of technologies or assists in 
                        the creation and growth of private enterprises 
                        that are commercializing technology.'';
                    (E) in subparagraph (D)--
                            (i) by inserting ``or business'' after 
                        ``technical'' each place it appears; and
                            (ii) in clause (i), by striking ``the 
                        vendor'' and inserting ``1 or more vendors''; 
                        and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(E) Multiple award recipients.--The Administrator 
                shall establish a limit on the amount of technical and 
                business assistance services that may be received or 
                purchased under subparagraph (B) by small business 
                concerns with respect to multiple Phase II SBIR or STTR 
                awards for a fiscal year.''; and
            (5) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Annual reporting.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A small business concern that 
                receives technical or business assistance from a vendor 
                under this subsection during a fiscal year shall submit 
                to the Federal agency contracting with the vendor a 
                description of the technical or business assistance 
                provided and the benefits and results of the technical 
                or business assistance provided.
                    ``(B) Use of existing reporting mechanism.--The 
                information required under subparagraph (A) shall be 
                collected by a Federal agency as part of a report 
                required to be submitted by small business concerns 
                engaged in SBIR or STTR projects of the Federal agency 
                for which the requirement was in effect on the date of 
                enactment of this paragraph.''.
    (b) Review.--Not later than the end of fiscal year 2019, the 
Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall--
            (1) conduct a survey of vendors providing technical or 
        business assistance under section 9(q) of the Small Business 
        Act (15 U.S.C. 638(q)), as amended by subsection (a), and small 
        business concerns receiving the technical or business 
        assistance; and
            (2) 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 reviewing the 
        efficacy of the provision of the technical or business 
        assistance.
                                                       Calendar No. 352

115th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2419

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 To amend the Small Business Act to improve the technical and business 
         assistance services under the SBIR and STTR programs.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             March 19, 2018

                       Reported with an amendment
```