Title: To amend the Small Business Act to create certain requirements for Federal agencies with a SBIR or STTR program, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
This bill amends the Small Business Act to require each federal agency required to have a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to meet annually and report to Congress recommendations on how to:
The bill repeals the authority of the SBA to waive the requirement for agencies to carry out enhanced outreach efforts to increase the participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and to increase participation of states to which a low level of SBIR awards have historically been awarded.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2780 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2780

  To amend the Small Business Act to create certain requirements for 
 Federal agencies with a SBIR or STTR program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 6, 2017

  Mr. Evans (for himself and Mr. Brat) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Small Business, and in addition 
to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend the Small Business Act to create certain requirements for 
 Federal agencies with a SBIR or STTR program, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. ANNUAL MEETING FOR FEDERAL AGENCIES WITH A SBIR OR STTR 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 
638) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(tt) Annual Meeting.--
            ``(1) In general.--The head of each Federal agency required 
        to have a program under this section (or a designee) and the 
        Administrator (or a designee), shall meet annually to discuss 
        methods--
                    ``(A) to improve the collection of data under this 
                section;
                    ``(B) to improve the reporting of data to the 
                Administrator under this section;
                    ``(C) to make the application processes for 
                programs under this section more efficient; and
                    ``(D) to increase participation in the programs 
                under this section.
            ``(2) Reporting.--Not later than 60 days after the date on 
        which an annual meeting required under paragraph (1) is held, 
        the Administrator shall submit to the Committee on Small 
        Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee 
        on Small Business and the Committee on Science, Space, and 
        Technology of the House of Representatives, a report on the 
        findings of such meeting and recommendations on how to 
        implement changes to programs under this section.''.
    (b) Funding for Annual Meeting.--Section 9(mm)(1) of the Small 
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638(mm)(1)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (I), by striking the ``and'' at the 
        end;
            (2) in subparagraph (J), by striking the period at the end 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(K) the annual meeting required under subsection 
                (tt).''.

SEC. 2. INCREASING PARTICIPATION OF UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN THE SBIR 
              AND STTR PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Section 9(mm)(2) of the Small Business Act (15 
U.S.C. 638(mm)(2)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Outreach and technical assistance.--A Federal agency 
        participating in the program under this subsection shall use a 
        portion of the funds authorized for uses under paragraph (1) to 
        carry out the policy directive required under subsection 
        (j)(2)(F) and to increase the participation of States with 
        respect to which a low level of SBIR awards have historically 
        been awarded.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 9(mm)(6) of the Small Business 
Act (15 U.S.C. 638(mm)(6)) is amended by striking ``paragraph (2)(A) 
and any use of the waiver authority under paragraph (2)(B)'' and 
inserting ``paragraph (2)''.
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