113 S1777 IS: Innovate America Act U.S. Senate 2013-11-21 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II113th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 1777IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESNovember 21, 2013Ms. Klobuchar (for herself and Mr. Hoeven) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsA BILLTo support innovation, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title; table of contents

(a)

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Innovate America Act.(b)

Table of contents

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.Sec. 2. Findings.TITLE I—EducationSec. 101. Definitions.Sec. 102. Increasing funding for STEM secondary schools.Sec. 103. Report on STEM programs at secondary schools.Sec. 104. Study and report on retaining STEM students.Sec. 105. Expanding undergraduate research opportunities.Sec. 106. Technology Commercialization Awards Pilot Program.Sec. 107. Computer science in the Robert Noyce teacher scholarship program.TITLE II—Manufacturing and export promotionsSec. 201. Manufacturing assistance program for small- and medium-sized manufacturers in the United States.Sec. 202. Removing barriers for exporting industries in the United States.TITLE III—OffsetsSec. 301. Limitation on Government printing costs.Sec. 302. Eliminating bonuses for poor performance by Government contractors.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:(1)Innovation has historically been a catalyzing force in the American economy, driving the production of game-changing technologies, the creation of millions of jobs and the opening of countless new avenues for growth. In an increasingly competitive global economy, our Nation’s continued leadership and prosperity will hinge on progress in key innovative areas, most notably exporting, entrepreneurship, research and development, and education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), including computer science.(2)Technology-based startups play a critical role in driving innovation. Increasing the flow of capital to these firms would bridge the gap that often exists between their initial startup costs and their long-term capital needs, giving the firms the resources necessary to research, develop, and commercialize new products.(3)Simplifying, expanding, and stabilizing the tax credits that businesses and institutions of higher education rely on to offset the cost of research and would promote greater clarity in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and deliver a powerful incentive for private sector innovation.(4)Increasing the emphasis on STEM education in high schools and institutions of higher education would ensure that more students have the skills and training to not only compete for jobs in a 21st century economy, but also to create the startup companies and revolutionary technologies that will sustain American prosperity for centuries to come.(5)The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that in the year 2020, of the 9,200,000 STEM jobs there will be in the United States, half of them will be in computing. With more than 150,000 job openings expected annually in computing, it is one of the fastest growing occupations in the United States. Increasing the teaching and learning of computer science in schools would strengthen the American workforce by helping our students gain the skills and training necessary to fulfill new computer programming jobs.(6)An effective regulatory climate should protect consumers and promote transparency without overburdening the businesses that create jobs. Federal agencies with rulemaking authority should be vigilant in assessing the impact of new regulations on innovation and job creation, particularly in anchor industries like manufacturing.(7)The economic impact of a new product or technology is often dependent on its commercial success. To ensure American products can be bought and sold in markets around the world, the Government should identify and remove over burdensome regulations that create barriers for United States exporting companies.