I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4250 
To provide grants and loan guarantees for the development and construction 
of science parks to promote the clustering of innovation through high 
technology activities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 15, 2007 
Mrs. WILSON of New Mexico (for herself, Ms. GIFFORDS, Mr. SPRATT, and 
Mr. SMITH of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Science and Technology 
A BILL 
To provide grants and loan guarantees for the development 
and construction of science parks to promote the clus-
tering of innovation through high technology activities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Building a Stronger 
America Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENCE PARKS. 
(a) FINDING.—Section 2 of the Stevenson-Wydler 
Technology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
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‘‘(12) It is in the best interests of the Nation 
to encourage the formation of science parks to pro-
mote the clustering of innovation through high tech-
nology activities.’’. 
(b) DEFINITION.—Section 4 of such Act (15 U.S.C. 
3703) is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(14) ‘Business or industrial park’ means a pri-
marily for-profit real estate venture of businesses or 
industries which do not necessarily reinforce each 
other through supply chain or technology transfer 
mechanisms. 
‘‘(15) ‘Science park’— 
‘‘(A) means a group of interrelated compa-
nies and institutions, including suppliers, serv-
ice providers, institutions of higher education, 
start-up incubators, and trade associations 
that— 
‘‘(i) cooperate and compete with each 
other; 
‘‘(ii) are located in a specific area or 
region that promotes real estate develop-
ment, technology transfer, and partner-
ships between such companies and institu-
tions; 
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‘‘(B) includes a science park, research 
park, technology park, research and develop-
ment park, research and technology park, and 
science and technology park; and 
‘‘(C) does not include a business or indus-
trial park. 
‘‘(16) ‘Science park infrastructure’ means facili-
ties that support the daily economic activity of a 
science park.’’. 
(c) SCIENCE PARKS.—The Stevenson-Wydler Tech-
nology Innovation Act of 1980 (15 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 24. SCIENCE PARKS. 
‘‘(a) DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS FOR CONSTRUCTION 
OF SCIENCE PARKS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
grants for the development of feasibility studies and 
plans for the construction of new or expansion of ex-
isting science parks. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATION ON AMOUNT OF GRANTS.— 
The amount of a grant awarded under this sub-
section may not exceed $750,000. 
‘‘(3) AWARD.— 
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‘‘(A) COMPETITION REQUIRED.—The Sec-
retary shall award any grant under this sub-
section pursuant to a full and open competition. 
‘‘(B) GEOGRAPHIC DISPERSION.—The Sec-
retary is encouraged to divide the grants award-
ed under this subsection among low, medium, 
and high population density States. 
‘‘(C) ADVERTISING.—The Secretary shall 
advertise any competition under this paragraph 
in the Commerce Business Daily. 
‘‘(D) SELECTION
CRITERIA.—The Sec-
retary shall publish the criteria to be utilized in 
any competition under this paragraph for the 
selection of recipients of grants under this sub-
section, which shall include requirements relat-
ing to— 
‘‘(i) the number of jobs to be created 
at the science park each year during its 
first 5 years; 
‘‘(ii) the funding to be required to 
construct or expand the science park dur-
ing its first 5 years; 
‘‘(iii) the amount and type of cost 
matching by the applicant; 
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‘‘(iv) the types of businesses and re-
search entities expected in the science park 
and surrounding community; 
‘‘(v) letters of intent by businesses 
and research entities to locate in the 
science park; 
‘‘(vi) the expansion capacity of the 
science park during a 25-year period; 
‘‘(vii) the quality of life at the science 
park for employees at the science park; 
‘‘(viii) the capability to attract a well 
trained workforce to the science park; 
‘‘(ix) the management of the science 
park; 
‘‘(x) expected risks in the construction 
and operation of the science park; 
‘‘(xi) risk mitigation; 
‘‘(xii) transportation and logistics; 
‘‘(xiii) physical infrastructure, includ-
ing telecommunications; and 
‘‘(xiv) ability to collaborate with other 
science parks throughout the world. 
‘‘(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated $7,500,000 
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for each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2012 to 
carry out this subsection. 
‘‘(b) LOAN GUARANTEES FOR SCIENCE PARK INFRA-
STRUCTURE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may guar-
antee up to 80 percent of the loan amount for loans 
exceeding $10,000,000 for projects for the construc-
tion of science park infrastructure. 
‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS ON GUARANTEE AMOUNTS.— 
The maximum amount of loan principal guaranteed 
under this subsection may not exceed— 
‘‘(A) $50,000,000 with respect to any sin-
gle project; and 
‘‘(B) $500,000,000 with respect to all 
projects. 
‘‘(3) 
SELECTION
OF
GUARANTEE
RECIPI-
ENTS.—The Secretary shall select recipients of loan 
guarantees under this subsection based upon the 
ability of the recipient to collateralize the loan 
amount through bonds, equity, property, and other 
such criteria as the Secretary shall prescribe. Enti-
ties receiving a grant under subsection (a) are not 
eligible for a loan guarantee during the period of 
such grant. 
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‘‘(4) TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR LOAN GUAR-
ANTEES.—The loans guaranteed under this sub-
section shall be subject to such terms and conditions 
as the Secretary may prescribe, except that— 
‘‘(A) the final maturity of such loans made 
or guaranteed may not exceed the lesser of— 
‘‘(i) 30 years and 32 days; or 
‘‘(ii) 90 percent of the useful life of 
any physical asset to be financed by such 
loan; 
‘‘(B) a loan made or guaranteed under this 
subsection may not be subordinated to another 
debt contracted by the borrower or to any other 
claims against the borrowers in the case of de-
fault; 
‘‘(C) a loan may not be guaranteed under 
this subsection unless the Secretary determines 
that the lender is responsible and that adequate 
provision is made for servicing the loan on rea-
sonable terms and protecting the financial in-
terest of the United States; 
‘‘(D) a loan may not be guaranteed under 
this subsection if— 
‘‘(i) the income from such loan is ex-
cluded from gross income for purposes of 
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chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986; or 
‘‘(ii) the guarantee provides signifi-
cant collateral or security, as determined 
by the Secretary, for other obligations the 
income from which is so excluded; 
‘‘(E) any guarantee provided under this 
subsection shall be conclusive evidence that— 
‘‘(i) the guarantee has been properly 
obtained; 
‘‘(ii) the underlying loan qualified for 
such guarantee; and 
‘‘(iii) absent fraud or material mis-
representation by the holder, the guarantee 
is presumed to be valid, legal, and enforce-
able; 
‘‘(F) the Secretary shall prescribe explicit 
standards for use in periodically assessing the 
credit risk of new and existing direct loans or 
guaranteed loans; 
‘‘(G) the Secretary may not extend credit 
assistance unless the Secretary has determined 
that there is a reasonable assurance of repay-
ment; and 
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‘‘(H) new loan guarantees may not be com-
mitted except to the extent that appropriations 
of budget authority to cover their costs are 
made in advance, as required under section 504 
of the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990 (2 
U.S.C. 661c). 
‘‘(5) PAYMENT OF LOSSES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—If, as a result of a de-
fault by a borrower under a loan guaranteed 
under this subsection, after the holder has 
made such further collection efforts and insti-
tuted such enforcement proceedings as the Sec-
retary may require, the Secretary determines 
that the holder has suffered a loss, the Sec-
retary shall pay to such holder the percentage 
of such loss specified in the guarantee contract. 
Upon making any such payment, the Secretary 
shall be subrogated to all the rights of the re-
cipient of the payment. The Secretary shall be 
entitled to recover from the borrower the 
amount of any payments made pursuant to any 
guarantee entered into under this section. 
‘‘(B) ENFORCEMENT OF RIGHTS.—The At-
torney General shall take such action as may be 
appropriate to enforce any right accruing to the 
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United States as a result of the issuance of any 
guarantee under this section. 
‘‘(C) FORBEARANCE.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to preclude any forbear-
ance for the benefit of the borrower which may 
be agreed upon by the parties to the guaranteed 
loan and approved by the Secretary, if budget 
authority for any resulting subsidy costs (as de-
fined under the Federal Credit Reform Act of 
1990) is available. 
‘‘(D) MANAGEMENT OF PROPERTY.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law relating 
to the acquisition, handling, or disposal of prop-
erty by the United States, the Secretary may 
complete, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, re-
pair, maintain, operate, or sell any property ac-
quired by the Secretary pursuant to the provi-
sions of this section. 
‘‘(6) REVIEW.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall, not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this section— 
‘‘(A) conduct a review of the subsidy esti-
mates for the loan guarantees under this sub-
section; and 
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‘‘(B) submit to Congress a report on the 
review conducted under this paragraph. 
‘‘(7) TERMINATION.—A loan may not be guar-
anteed under this subsection after September 30, 
2012. 
‘‘(8) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There are authorized to be appropriated— 
‘‘(A) $35,000,000 for the cost, as defined 
in section 502(5) of the Federal Credit Reform 
Act of 1990, of guaranteeing $500,000,000 of 
loans under this subsection; and 
‘‘(B) $6,000,000 for administrative ex-
penses for fiscal year 2008, and such sums as 
are necessary for administrative expenses in 
subsequent years. 
‘‘(c) NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES EVALUA-
TION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall enter 
into an agreement with the National Academy of 
Sciences under which the Academy shall evaluate, 
every 3 years, the activities under this section. 
‘‘(2) TRI-ANNUAL REPORT.—Under the agree-
ment entered into under paragraph (1), the Acad-
emy shall submit to the Secretary a report on its 
evaluation of science park development under that 
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