[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3906 Engrossed in Senate (ES)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3906
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to
better assist small business customers in accessing broadband
technology, 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 ``Small Business Broadband and
Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of 2022''.
SEC. 2. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COORDINATOR.
The Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating section 49 (15 U.S.C. 631 note) as
section 50; and
(2) by inserting after section 48 (15 U.S.C. 657u) the
following:
``SEC. 49. BROADBAND AND EMERGING INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `Associate Administrator' means the
Associate Administrator for the Office of Investment and
Innovation;
``(2) the term `broadband' means--
``(A) high-speed wired broadband internet; and
``(B) high-speed wireless internet;
``(3) the term `broadband and emerging information
technology coordinator' means the employee designated to carry
out the broadband and emerging information technology
coordination responsibilities of the Administration under
subsection (b)(1); and
``(4) the term `emerging information technology' includes--
``(A) data science technologies such as artificial
intelligence and machine learning;
``(B) Internet of Things;
``(C) distributed ledger technologies such as
blockchain;
``(D) cloud computing and software as a system
technologies;
``(E) computer numerical control technologies such
as 3D printing; and
``(F) robotics and automation.
``(b) Assignment of Coordinator.--
``(1) Assignment of coordinator.--The Associate
Administrator shall designate a senior employee of the Office
of Investment and Innovation to serve as the broadband and
emerging information technology coordinator, who--
``(A) shall report to the Associate Administrator;
``(B) shall work in coordination with--
``(i) the chief information officer, the
chief technology officer, and the head of the
Office of Technology of the Administration; and
``(ii) any other Associate Administrator of
the Administration determined appropriate by
the Associate Administrator;
``(C) has experience developing and implementing
telecommunications policy in the private sector or
government; and
``(D) has demonstrated significant experience in
the area of broadband or emerging information
technology.
``(2) Responsibilities of coordinator.--The broadband and
emerging information technology coordinator shall--
``(A) coordinate programs of the Administration
that assist small business concerns in adopting, making
innovations in, and using broadband and other emerging
information technologies;
``(B) serve as the primary liaison of the
Administration to other Federal agencies involved in
broadband and emerging information technology policy,
including the Department of Commerce, the Department of
Agriculture, the Department of the Treasury, and the
Federal Communications Commission;
``(C) identify best practices relating to broadband
and emerging information technology that may benefit
small business concerns; and
``(D) identify and catalog tools and training
available through the resource partners of the
Administration that assist small business concerns in
adopting, making innovations in, and using broadband
and emerging information technologies.
``(3) Travel.--Not more than 20 percent of the hours of
service by the broadband and emerging information technology
coordinator during any fiscal year shall consist of travel
outside the United States to perform official duties.
``(c) Broadband and Emerging Information Technology Training.--The
broadband and emerging information technology coordinator shall provide
to employees of the Administration training that--
``(1) familiarizes employees of the Administration with
broadband and other emerging information technologies;
``(2) includes--
``(A) instruction on counseling small business
concerns regarding adopting, making innovations in, and
using broadband and other emerging information
technologies; and
``(B) information on programs of the Federal
Government that provide assistance to small business
concerns relating to broadband and emerging information
technologies; and
``(3) to maximum extent practicable, uses the tools and
training cataloged and identified under subsection (b)(2)(D).
``(d) Reports.--
``(1) Biennial report on activities.--Not later than 2
years after the date on which the Associate Administrator makes
the first designation of an employee under subsection (b), and
every 2 years thereafter, the broadband and emerging
information technology coordinator 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 regarding the programs and activities
of the Administration relating to broadband and other emerging
information technologies.
``(2) Impact of broadband availability, speed, and price
and emerging information technology deployment on small
businesses.--
``(A) In general.--Subject to appropriations, the
Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall conduct a study
evaluating the impact of--
``(i) broadband availability, speed, and
price on small business concerns; and
``(ii) emerging information technology
deployment on small business concerns.
``(B) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the
date of enactment of the Small Business Broadband and
Emerging Information Technology Enhancement Act of
2022, the Chief Counsel for Advocacy shall submit to
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
and the Committee on Small Business and
Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the Committee on
Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Small Business
of the House of Representatives a report on the results
of the study under subparagraph (A), including--
``(i) a survey of broadband speeds
available to small business concerns;
``(ii) a survey of the cost of broadband
speeds available to small business concerns;
``(iii) a survey of the type of broadband
technology used by small business concerns;
``(iv) a survey of the types of emerging
information technologies used by small business
concerns; and
``(v) any policy recommendations that may
improve the access of small business concerns
to broadband services or emerging information
technologies.''.
SEC. 3. ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT.
Section 21(c)(3)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
648(c)(3)(B)) is amended--
(1) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting
``accessing broadband and other emerging information
technology,'' after ``technology transfer,'';
(2) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(3) in clause (iii), by adding ``and'' at the end; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) increasing the competitiveness and
productivity of small business concerns by assisting
entrepreneurs in accessing broadband and other emerging
information technology;''.
Passed the Senate September 28, 2022.
Attest:
Secretary.
117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3906
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To improve certain programs of the Small Business Administration to
better assist small business customers in accessing broadband
technology, and for other purposes.