Title: FAST Fix Act of 2019
Policy area: Commerce

Summary:
FAST Fix Act of 2019
This bill modifies provisions governing the administration of the Federal and State Technology Partnership (FAST) program.
Specifically, the bill encourages FAST program grants to be awarded to small businesses in underperforming states by (1) requiring the Small Business Administration to give priority and special consideration to such applicants, and (2) authorizing the SBA to provide additional assistance to such applicants. The bill defines underperforming states as being the 18 states that receive the fewest Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer awards.
Additionally, the bill removes the limit on the number of proposals that may be submitted for inclusion in the FAST program to provide services in any one state. The bill also lowers the matching requirements for the bottom tier of FAST recipients, sets limits on the amount of each award, and extends the period for distribution of grants to two years.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2023 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2023

 To modify the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program of the 
         Small Business Administration, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 27, 2019

Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Hoeven, Mrs. Capito, Ms. Rosen, 
 and Mr. Kennedy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
  and referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To modify the Federal and State Technology Partnership Program of the 
         Small Business Administration, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``FAST Fix Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL AND STATE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    Section 34 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657d) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) Underperforming state.--The term `underperforming 
        State' means a State participating in the SBIR or STTR program 
        that has been calculated by the Administrator to be one of 18 
        States receiving the fewest SBIR and STTR Phase I awards.'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (E)--
                                    (I) in clause (iii), by striking 
                                ``and'' at the end;
                                    (II) in clause (iv), by striking 
                                the period at the end and inserting ``; 
                                and''; and
                                    (III) by adding at the end the 
                                following:
                            ``(v) to prioritize applicants located in 
                        an underperforming State;'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (B)(vi), by amending 
                        subclause (III) to read as follows:
                                    ``(III) located in an 
                                underperforming State;'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) shall give first priority and special 
                consideration to an applicant that is located in an 
                underperforming State.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``Not more than 
                one proposal'' and inserting ``There is no limit on the 
                number of proposals that''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Additional assistance for underperforming states.--
        Upon application by a recipient that is located in an 
        underperforming State, the Administrator may--
                    ``(A) provide additional assistance to the 
                recipient; and
                    ``(B) waive the matching requirements under 
                subsection (e)(2).'';
            (3) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``and STTR'' 
                                before ``first phase'' each place that 
                                term appears;
                                    (II) in clause (i), by striking 
                                ``50'' and inserting ``25''; and
                                    (III) in clause (iii), by striking 
                                ``75'' and inserting ``50''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``, 
                        beginning with fiscal year 2001'' and inserting 
                        ``and make publicly available on the website of 
                        the Administration, beginning with fiscal year 
                        2020''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Amount of award.--In carrying out the FAST program 
        under this section, the Administrator shall--
                    ``(A) make and enter into not less than 12 awards 
                or cooperative agreements;
                    ``(B) each award or cooperative agreement shall be 
                for not more than $500,000, which shall be provided 
                over 2 fiscal years; and
                    ``(C) any amounts left unused in the third quarter 
                of the second fiscal year may be retained by the 
                Administrator for future FAST program awards.
            ``(5) Reporting.--Not later than 6 months after receiving 
        an award or entering into a cooperative agreement under this 
        section, a recipient shall report to the Administrator--
                    ``(A) the number of awards made under the SBIR or 
                STTR program;
                    ``(B) the number of applications submitted for the 
                SBIR or STTR program;
                    ``(C) the number of consulting hours spent;
                    ``(D) the number of training events conducted; and
                    ``(E) any issues encountered in the management and 
                application of the FAST program.'';
            (4) in subsection (f)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``Not later than 
                                120 days after the date of the 
                                enactment of the Small Business 
                                Innovation Research Program 
                                Reauthorization Act of 2000'' and 
                                inserting ``April 30, 2020''; and
                                    (II) by inserting ``and 
                                Entrepreneurship'' before ``of the 
                                Senate'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                            (iv) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) a description of the process used to ensure 
                that underperforming States are given priority 
                application status under the FAST program.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the paragraph heading, by striking 
                        ``Annual'' and inserting ``Biennial'';
                            (ii) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A), by striking ``annual'' and inserting 
                        ``biennial'';
                            (iii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``and'' at the end;
                            (iv) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
                        period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 
                        and
                            (v) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) the proportion of awards provided to and 
                cooperative agreements entered into with 
                underperforming States; and
                    ``(E) a list of the States that were determined by 
                the Administrator to be underperforming States, and a 
                description of any changes in the list compared to 
                previously submitted reports.'';
            (5) in subsection (g)(2)--
                    (A) by striking ``2004'' and inserting ``2020''; 
                and
                    (B) by inserting ``and Entrepreneurship'' before 
                ``of the Senate''; and
            (6) in subsection (h)(1), by striking ``$10,000,000 for 
        each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005'' and inserting 
        ``$20,000,000 for every 2 fiscal years between fiscal years 
        2020 through 2024, to be obligated before the end of the second 
        fiscal year''.
                                 <all>