[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2136 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2136

  To establish the Regional SBIR State Collaborative Initiative Pilot 
                    Program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 6, 2015

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish the Regional SBIR State Collaborative Initiative Pilot 
                    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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Small Business Innovative 
Research and Technologies Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. REGIONAL SBIR STATE COLLABORATIVE INITIATIVE PILOT PROGRAM.

    Section 9 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 638) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (mm)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``for the 3 
                fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of 
                this subsection,'' and inserting ``and until September 
                30, 2017,''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(7) In general.--Each Federal agency that is required to 
        conduct an SBIR program shall provide 15 percent of the funds 
        allocated to the SBIR program of the Federal agency that are 
        set aside for administrative purposes under paragraph (1) to 
        the Administration--
                    ``(A) for the Regional SBIR State Collaborative 
                Initiative Pilot Program established under subsection 
                (tt);
                    ``(B) for the Federal and State Technology 
                Partnership Program established under section 34; and
                    ``(C) to support the Office of the Administration 
                that administers the SBIR program and the STTR program, 
                subject to reasonable costs, in carrying out those 
                programs, including any conference relating to the 
                programs.
            ``(8) Pilot program.--Of amounts provided to the 
        Administration under paragraph (1), not less than $5,000,000 
        shall be used to provide grants under the Regional SBIR State 
        Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program established under 
        subsection (tt) for each fiscal year in which the program is in 
        effect.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(tt) Regional SBIR State Collaborative Initiative Pilot 
Program.--
            ``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) the term `eligible entity' means--
                            ``(i) a research institution; and
                            ``(ii) a small business concern;
                    ``(B) the term `eligible State' means--
                            ``(i) a State that the Administration 
                        determines is in the bottom third of States 
                        with respect to the average number of annual 
                        SBIR program and STTR program awards made to 
                        companies in the State for the preceding 3 
                        years for which the Administration has 
                        applicable data; and
                            ``(ii) an EPSCoR State that--
                                    ``(I) is a State described in 
                                clause (i); or
                                    ``(II) is--
                                            ``(aa) not a State 
                                        described in clause (i); and
                                            ``(bb) invited to 
                                        participate in a regional 
                                        collaborative;
                    ``(C) the term `EPSCoR State' means a State that 
                participates in the Experimental Program to Stimulate 
                Competitive Research of the National Science 
                Foundation, as established under section 113 of the 
                National Science Foundation Authorization Act of 1988 
                (42 U.S.C. 1862g);
                    ``(D) the term `FAST program' means the Federal and 
                State Technology Partnership Program established under 
                section 34;
                    ``(E) the term `pilot program' means the Regional 
                SBIR State Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program 
                established under paragraph (2);
                    ``(F) the term `regional collaborative' means a 
                collaborative consisting of eligible entities that are 
                located in not less than 3 eligible States; and
                    ``(G) the term `State' means any State of the 
                United States, the District of Columbia, the 
                Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or 
                possession of the United States.
            ``(2) Establishment.--The Administrator shall establish a 
        pilot program, to be known as the Regional SBIR State 
        Collaborative Initiative Pilot Program, under which the 
        Administrator shall provide grants to regional collaboratives 
        to address the needs of small business concerns in order to be 
        more competitive in the proposal and selection process for 
        awards under the SBIR program and the STTR program and to 
        increase technology transfer and commercialization.
            ``(3) Goals.--The goals of the pilot program are--
                    ``(A) to create regional collaboratives that allow 
                eligible entities to work cooperatively to leverage 
                resources to address the needs of small business 
                concerns;
                    ``(B) to grow SBIR program and STTR program 
                cooperative research and development and 
                commercialization through increased awards under those 
                programs;
                    ``(C) to increase the participation of States that 
                have historically received a lower level of awards 
                under the SBIR program and the STTR program;
                    ``(D) to utilize the strengths and advantage of 
                regional collaboratives to better leverage resources, 
                best practices, and economies of scale in a region for 
                the purpose of increasing awards;
                    ``(E) to increase the competitiveness of the SBIR 
                program and the STTR program;
                    ``(F) to identify sources of outside funding for 
                applicants for an award under the SBIR program and the 
                STTR program, including venture capitalists, angel 
                investor groups, private industry, crowd funding, and 
                special loan programs; and
                    ``(G) to offer increased one-on-one engagements 
                with companies and entrepreneurs for SBIR program and 
                STTR program education, assistance, and successful 
                outcomes.
            ``(4) Application.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A regional collaborative that 
                desires to participate in the pilot program shall 
                submit to the Administrator an application at such 
                time, in such manner, and containing such information 
                as the Administrator may require.
                    ``(B) Inclusion of lead eligible entities and 
                coordinator.--A regional collaborative shall include in 
                an application submitted under subparagraph (A)--
                            ``(i) the name of each lead eligible entity 
                        from each eligible State in the regional 
                        collaborative, as designated under paragraph 
                        (5); and
                            ``(ii) the name of the coordinator for the 
                        regional collaborative, as designated under 
                        paragraph (6).
            ``(5) Lead eligible entity.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each eligible State in a 
                regional collaborative shall designate 1 eligible 
                entity located in the eligible State to serve as the 
                lead eligible entity for the eligible State.
                    ``(B) Authorization by governor.--Each lead 
                eligible entity designated under subparagraph (A) shall 
                be authorized to act as the lead eligible entity by the 
                Governor of the applicable eligible State.
                    ``(C) Responsibilities.--Each lead eligible entity 
                designated under subparagraph (A) shall be responsible 
                for administering the activities and program 
                initiatives described in paragraph (7) in the 
                applicable eligible State.
            ``(6) Regional collaborative coordinator.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Each regional collaborative 
                shall designate a coordinator from amongst the eligible 
                entities located in the eligible States in the regional 
                collaborative, who shall serve as the interface between 
                the regional collaborative and the Administration with 
                respect to the management of grants received under the 
                pilot program.
                    ``(B) Limitation.--A regional collaborative may not 
                appoint as coordinator under subparagraph (A) an 
                eligible entity located in an EPSCoR State described in 
                paragraph (1)(B)(ii)(II).
            ``(7) Use of funds.--Each regional collaborative that is 
        awarded a grant under the pilot program shall, in each eligible 
        State in which an eligible entity of the regional collaborative 
        is located--
                    ``(A) establish an initiative under which first-
                time applicants for an award under the SBIR program or 
                the STTR program are reviewed by experienced, national 
                experts in the United States, as determined by the lead 
                eligible entity designated under paragraph (5);
                    ``(B) engage national mentors on a frequent basis 
                to work directly with applicants for an award under the 
                SBIR program or the STTR program, particularly during 
                Phase II, to assist with the process of preparing and 
                submitting a proposal;
                    ``(C) create and make available an online mechanism 
                to serve as a resource for applicants for an award 
                under the SBIR program or the STTR program to identify 
                and connect with Federal labs, prime government 
                contractor companies, other industry partners, and 
                regional industry cluster organizations;
                    ``(D) conduct focused and concentrated outreach 
                efforts to increase participation in the SBIR program 
                and the STTR program by small business concerns owned 
                and controlled by women, small business concerns owned 
                and controlled by veterans, small business concerns 
                owned and controlled by socially and economically 
                disadvantaged individuals (as defined in section 
                8(d)(3)(C)), and historically Black colleges and 
                universities;
                    ``(E) administer a structured program of training 
                and technical assistance--
                            ``(i) to prepare applicants for an award 
                        under the SBIR program or the STTR program--
                                    ``(I) to compete more effectively 
                                for Phase I and Phase II awards; and
                                    ``(II) to develop and implement a 
                                successful commercialization plan; and
                            ``(ii) to create more competitive proposals 
                        to increase awards under the SBIR program and 
                        the STTR program; and
                    ``(F) to assist applicants for an award under the 
                SBIR program or the STTR program to identify sources of 
                outside funding, including venture capitalists, angel 
                investor groups, private industry, crowd funding, and 
                special loan programs.
            ``(8) Grant amount.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Administrator may award a 
                grant to each eligible State in which an eligible 
                entity of a regional collaborative is located not more 
                than $300,000 to carry out the activities described in 
                paragraph (7).
                    ``(B) Limitation.--
                            ``(i) In general.--An eligible State may 
                        not receive an award under both the FAST 
                        program and the pilot program for the same 
                        year.
                            ``(ii) Rule of construction.--Nothing in 
                        clause (i) shall be construed to prevent an 
                        eligible State from applying for an award under 
                        the FAST program and the pilot program for the 
                        same year.
            ``(9) Duration of grant.--A grant awarded under this 
        subsection shall be for a period of not more than 1 year, and 
        may be renewed by the Administrator for 1 additional year.
            ``(10) Termination.--The pilot program shall terminate on 
        September 30, 2017.
            ``(11) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date on 
        which the pilot program terminates, the Administrator 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 on the pilot program, which shall 
        include--
                    ``(A) an assessment of the pilot program and the 
                effectiveness of the pilot program in meeting the goals 
                described in paragraph (3);
                    ``(B) an assessment of the best practices, 
                including an analysis of how the pilot program compares 
                to the FAST program and a single State approach; and
                    ``(C) recommendations as to whether any aspect of 
                the pilot program should be extended or made 
                permanent.''.

SEC. 3. FAST PROGRAM.

    Section 34 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657d) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (h)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``2001 through 
                2005'' and inserting ``2016 and 2017''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``fiscal years 
                2001 through 2005'' and inserting ``each of fiscal 
                years 2016 and 2017''; and
            (2) in subsection (i), by striking ``September 30, 2005'' 
        and inserting ``September 30, 2017''.
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